History of Holly Grove Christian Church

1873-1973 (As compiled by Mrs. Edna Moss, Mrs. Connie Ware,

and Mrs. A.L. Lloyd for the Centennial Celebration)

The early records of Holly Grove Christian Church have been lost, but a lot of data has been gleaned from the memory of its older members. The origin of the name, Holly Grove, came from the first meeting place being called an Arbor of Holly Grove Seats. This meeting place was at the junction of West Chapel and Hunter Roads in a lovely holly grove; however, now there are few hollies on the grounds.

The following reference comes from a letter written at Woodstock, September 26th,1873, to the State Missionary Board by George W. Abell (A traveling evangelist and Church planter) and is found in Peter Ainslie’s Life and Writings of George W. Abell.

“From Bethany I went to Salem, and commenced the meeting there the third Sunday in August… From Salem we went to Holly Grove and commenced our meeting on the fourth Sunday. This is a new point, where the cause has been recently established by the labors of brethren Richardson, Barrett, Bagby, Lipscomb, Dabney, and others. A few years since I came to this vicinity to baptize the eldest daughter of Brother Meredith (living close by) and delivered one discourse in a small Methodist chapel (West Chapel). Then there were, perhaps, some five or six Disciples around here all told. During this meeting, a congregation was organized of seventy-seven members, comprising the best people of the community, with an excellent Board of Elders and Deacons. Such are the triumphs of the truth, when brought to bear upon clear heads and honest hearts. May it continue to achieve such glorious results. After the organization there were three confessions, and one united who had been previously baptized.”

The first building of Holly Grove was built in 1874, the standing timber being donated by Mr. Robert Meredith and Dr. J.B. Anderson. No records as to by whom the work was done can be found, but no doubt the members assisted in this task. At the courthouse of Louisa County, the following is found in Deed book 3 – Page 520: “This deed made this 7th day of February 1877 between Robert Meredith and his wife, Indiana Meredith, of the first part and Dr. J.B. Anderson, John W. Brooks, James T. Lloyd, A.N. Perkins, F.H. Anderson, and Z. Parker Richardson of the second part witnesseth he the said Meredith and his wife has given and by these present has given unto said trustees named a certain tract or parcel of land in the lower end of Louisa County, on which Holly Grove now stands, containing an acre more or less, and bounded as follows. Beginning at the junction of Hunter and West Chapel Roads and for the exclusive use and benefit of the Disciples of Christ comprising the Holly Grove Church.”

The establishment of this new church was principally to the effort and influence of those who donated the land, the trustees, and the wife of Dr. J.B. Anderson who was Betty Pendleton Anderson. Mrs. Anderson had been a member of the Gilboa Christian Church. Many ready and willing helpers were found in the community.

There is no record of those who preached in the Arbor of Holly Grove Seats, but a former member has said that perhaps those who did the preaching were like the circuit riding preachers of the Methodist church in days gone by. It was said by A.C. Knibb, a former Pastor of Holly Grove, that Z. Parker Richardson did preach here and worked hard to help get the church established. Others seem to think that P.S. Rhodes, C.S. Lucas, and F.W. Berry assisted. C.S. Lucas conducted a revival here in 1875, and in November 1876 he performed the marriage ceremony of Jackson Mills Davis and Susan Ellis Bowles, a sister of Miss Betty Lewis Bowles. Miss Bowles joined Holly Grove in 1880. Z. Parker Richardson performed the marriage ceremony of another sister of Miss Bowles, Daisy Belle Bowles, and William T. Davis in December 1876, when he was pastor of Holly Grove. This is the first marriage on record in this Church.

F.W. Berry was the Pastor in 1880. Other known Pastors (during this time) were: E.R. Perry, P.H. Cutler, H.D. Coffey, M.C. Hughes, H.O. Crow, H.M. Linkous, A.C. Knibb (1916-27), R.A. Graybill (1927-28), J.S. Bryant (1932-34), F. Elwyn Peace (1935-36), J. Haddon Knibb (1938-43), James E. McKinney (1943-45), Jackson Darst (1945), R.J. Bamber, Raymond Oliver, Jack Johnson, J.D. Farries (1946-57), T. Morgan Hill (1958-59), Kenneth Helton (1959-62), James E. Compton, Jr. (1962-65 & 67-70), and Wayne W. McCauley (student minister in 1967 and became the pastor 1971-74).

We do not have a list of all the charter members of Holly Grove; however, some were Mrs. Betty B. Bowles, Dr. J.B. Anderson, Mrs. Betty Pendleton Anderson, F.H. Anderson, Miss Roberta Meredith (later Mrs. A.N. Perkins), Miss Sallie Meredith (later Mrs. Vaughan), Mr. Robert Meredith and wife Indiana, James T. Lloyd, John W. Brooks, Mr. Thomas Lloyd and wife Sabra A., Mr. Robert Lloyd and wife Mary Hollins, Samuel Cole Hollins, Mildred Cole Hollins Ware, Mr. Jim Brooks and wife Caroline, Miss Betty Lewis Bowles.

The first major change and improvement was made to the old church during J.S. Bryant’s pastorate. The church formerly had a low ceiling supported by heavy columns which obstructed the vision of the congregation and was annoying to the pastor because heads were bobbing back and forth trying to see. Mr. Bryant decided that this situation could be remedied and put the question before the congregation. Some opposed saying the ceiling would fall if the columns were removed, but the “helpers” overcame the “knockers,” and all went to work. Mr. L.I. Dunn, who was not even a member of Holly Grove, gave some fine timber, and with Mr. Tom Hicks directing the work of many members, the job was soon accomplished. So, it was that J.S. Bryant began the first improvement of the church, and through the years others have had new ideas which have materialized into satisfactory improvements.

J. Haddon Knibb, Minister of Holly Grove for about five years, left evidence of his work to be seen by those who followed him. The first group of four Sunday School classrooms was built, and what a help these were in having a more adequate and quieter place to teach. Also new flooring was laid, the church was painted, and the chairs in two wings were donated by Mr. Sam Ware.

The Reverend J.D. Farries did his share in convincing us that it was possible to make additional improvements on the church, and he labored hard to see those dreams come true. His first idea was to extend the front of the church, making a vestibule and balcony. Some folks just knew the balcony would fall; however, they underestimated the parson’s engineering ability. The plan worked like a charm with the balcony and vestibule proving to be an excellent addition to Holly Grove. Then Mr. Farries had another dream - a choir loft, two additional Sunday school rooms, and a Baptistry with a stained-glass window (the window still seen today behind the pulpit). “Why of course the cost would be fabulous,” said some…“why we cannot afford such a financial undertaking.” This was accomplished by the combined efforts of the minister and members of the congregation.

Our old white church which was built in 1874 and added to and improved through the years was dear to us, but it was showing the mark of years, so the congregation had another dream… a new church!

On August 23, 1964, Miss Betty Lewis Bowles, our beloved and faithful charter member, died. She had always given generously to our church and was interested in its progress despite the fact that she could not often attend. In her will she remembered Holly Grove with a generous bequest. In July 1966 we received $8,560.26 from her estate. In 1967 the 60 shares of Proctor & Gamble stock which she also left us were sold for $5,222.62. G. Mason of Lynchburg handled this sale with no brokerage fee being made. This made a total of $13,782.88 from Miss Bowles’ estate which we felt must be used wisely and in a manner which would have pleased her, too. The minds of many were clicking with thoughts and dreams for Holly Grove.

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Lloyd and their children, Donald and Gwen, made another generous offer. This family would give $10,000.00 to the new building fund with the following stipulations:

1) That Holly Grove would pay interest in the amount of 6% per annum on this gift for 25 years commencing June 30, 1968. No Payments of the principle were required.

2) The interest ($600) should be placed in a special accumulating Scholarship Fund to pay tribute to Abner C. Knibb, our beloved former minister.

3) The Scholarship should be awarded to students from Holly Grove, Elpis, Springfield, and Salem who are preparing for full-time church related vocations.

4) In the event that there is no applicant for the scholarship, the $600.00 should be paid to the United Christian Missionary Society in the name of Holly Grove.

Possie B. Chenault, a member of the congregation, offered to build a new church at a very reasonable figure so our dreams and plans began to take shape.

On May 13, 1967, people gathered at the church to move the furnishings in preparation for the demolition of our old frame church. Mrs. Virginia Kersey allowed us to store pews in her vacant garage. Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Lloyd put more pews in their basement. Miss Tex Lloyd took items such as the communion table, chairs, Bibles, and pictures to her house for safe keeping. Mr. L.H. Noel let us store other items in his vacant house. A large assortment of furnishings plus the stained-glass window were stored in a vacant house belonging to Franklin K. Ware. Many things were taken to the Holly Grove Fire Department where our congregation would worship for some time.

On May 21, 1967, members of the building committee met at the property to pick the exact spot for the new church. The old building was gone, and it was decided that the new one would stand in about the same spot. Ground was broken by two of the children of the church, Jane Lloyd Ware, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin K. Ware, and Carroll Lloyd, son of Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Lloyd.

On October 15, 1967, at the close of the morning worship we went to our new church to lay the cornerstone. There was a box enclosed with the stone which contained a list of building fund contributors, Church History, Church worship bulletin, a copy of the county paper, “The Central Virginian,” a New Testament, and coins placed in the box by the children. Participants in the laying of the stone were Franklin Ware, Possie B. Chenault, W.C. Bagby, and Carroll Lloyd. The Rev. James E. Compton, Jr. led the service. Later, in December of 1967 we were able to use part of the new building for services.

On May 19, 1968, we had a Service of Dedication with James E. Compton, Jr. as our minister. The 11:00 a.m. worship began with “Come Bless the Lord, All Ye Servants of the Lord, Who stand…in the house of the Lord” and with the congregation singing, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” The choir sang the anthem, “One Fellowship Divine.” Mr. Compton’s message was entitled, “The Ecclesia.” There was dinner on the grounds followed by an afternoon service with our former pastor, the Rev. J.D. Farries, as guest speaker. The choir sang “Sing Praise,” and the service closed with the choral benediction, “Jesus, With Thy Church Abide.” Our service of dedication was ended but our worship and work as followers of Jesus must be carried on in this place.

All of those who have gone before us, both ministers, and members, have left their footprints in the sands of time. For us they have begun a church, a place of worship which we must keep standing for those who follow us. As individuals our efforts may seem small, but collectively we can do much for the Kingdom of God. With the help of the Master all things are possible.

(1974 - 2023 History compiled by Cindy Wilson for the 150th Anniversary Jubilee)

Below are the ministers that served from 1974 to the present:

Dennis Smith (1974 - 1976), Ken Pacquin (1977 - 1980), Earl & Mary Lou Miller (1980 - 1981), Barry Franklin (1981 -1983), Jim Bishop (1983 - 1985), Richard H. Dusenberry (1986 - 2004), Richard Cline (2004), Dwight D. Irons (2004 - 2005), Carl Howard (2005 - 2006), Don Richardson (2006 - 2007), Jessica Vaughan (2007 - 2008), Carl Howard (2008 - 2017), Bob Lane (2017 - present) and Andrew Rose, Associate Minister (2020 - 2023).

There have been many improvements made over the years since 1974 with the addition of the porch on the front of the church, the fellowship hall being updated, the outdoor message sign was installed, and a playground with a wooden playset was installed for the children with a fence around it. Due to many generous donations that were given over the years, a new organ and a baby grand piano were purchased. Also, a lighthouse was placed in front of the church with a working light, a gazebo was added near the cemetery so folks would have a place to sit and reflect when they would come to visit a loved one’s grave and a white privacy fence was installed around the cemetery to beautify this area. A Children’s Sanctuary was done by updating a Sunday school classroom and was dedicated with a plaque in honor and in memory of Constance G. Ware and Alice H. Noel on January 26, 2020. Our Regional Minister Bill Spangler-Dunning was in attendance on this special day. Associate Minister Andrew Rose introduced a new Children Worship and Wonder Program to be taught in this new Children’s Sanctuary. It is a wonderful and sacred area for our children to learn many wonderful Bible stories from their teachers that they will remember throughout their lives.

In March of 2020, a pandemic (the Covid-19 Virus) hit the United States with schools, businesses and even churches being closed and shut down. The spread of this virus was unprecedented because it was moving so fast throughout the world with many cases and deaths. March 15th was our last worship service inside the church building for a while. There was a committee formed by the Board called the “Covid Task Force” that made recommendations for the church. Technology was used with emailing worship services and bulletins, then sermons were videoed and shared, then we were able to meet outside and had a radio transmitter to have drive-in type worship services and members would listen to Rev. Bob Lane on FM 93.9 on their car radio as he delivered the sermon at the gazebo or on the front porch of the church. Then folks brought lawn chairs and sat on the church lawn on Sunday mornings to listen to the service but kept their distance from each other. After a year of not being able to worship in our sanctuary, we were finally able to return inside the church on March 21st, 2021, but used Center for Disease Control guidelines with social distancing of six feet apart and the wearing of face coverings. It was a challenging time for all of us, but we kept our faith, we got through it, and things returned to normal.

Several social media platforms were created by Associate Minister Andrew Rose. The church has a Facebook page with two private Facebook groups, an Instagram Page that is called Hgcc1873 and our own website www.hollygrovechristian.com.

The congregation began to talk about renovating our sanctuary and this dream came true in 2023. On January 1st, the congregation began to meet at the Holly Grove Volunteer Rescue Squad Building for worship services while the sanctuary was being renovated. It was a smooth transition. The pews were taken out of the sanctuary by the men of the church and stored in the fellowship hall. All other items were taken out of the sanctuary by members and stored in the Sunday School Classrooms with many jobs done by members along the way. The Board and members chose Williams and Sons as the contractor to do the work and Billy Lloyd, Church Trustee oversaw this huge endeavor while Chairman Dianne Montgomery assisted along the way. During this process, the members decided to sell the church parsonage and the Holly Grove Volunteer Fire Department bought this property. Many missed the children ringing the old steeple bell while we were having services at the Rescue Squad Building. So, parents and grandparents of the children videoed them ringing the bell in the church vestibule, and the videos were played before every Sunday morning service while not in the church. It was special to hear that old beloved steeple bell that has been in our church for many years. The history of the steeple bell is that it came from Acca Yard and was given by Frank E. Miner, RF&P Railroad Office located within Broad Street Station. He was the grandson of William Davis and Daisy Bowles married at Holly Grove in 1876. Miss Betty Lewis Bowles, charter member of Holly Grove, made the arrangements. Our beloved bell has also been rung after many weddings and is always rung after our Christmas Eve service at midnight. Our dear member Connie Ware, that passed away November 17, 2017, gave us this information in 2002. During the renovation, there was concern among the members about the cherished stained-glass window in the pulpit area being kept safe because it had been in the old white framed church as well. It was kept at the church during this work and was handled with much care. All were relieved when it was returned to its place up front. There was also an audio-visual room that was added during the renovation with two tv’s on the front walls that would now display the order of the service along with the lyrics of the songs that were being sung. The worship services could now be live streamed as well. On July 2nd, 2023, we had our Sanctuary Re-dedication Service with Rev. Bob Lane delivering a sermon titled “Building a Church.” It was a nice crowd on this special day and the song “Revive Us Again” was sung at the end of a very joyous service.

We are blessed to still be here on the corner of West Chapel Drive and Holly Grove Drive since 1873. We thank those many generations of wonderful people before us that have set a great example for us along the way and above all, we give all the glory to God. It is not the church building; it is the people of the church that go out into the community and serve. Many mission works have been done throughout the years and we pray that we will continue to serve our community and our awesome God. As our Mission Statement says: The mission of Holly Grove Christian Church is to attempt to be the eyes, ears, hands, and feet of Jesus, as we serve our community and share His love.

Holly Grove Christian Church 2023-2024 Officers

Chairman: Tammy Mayo

Vice Chairman: Dianne Montgomery

Secretary: Carrie Vincze

Treasurer: Mary Alice Noel

Financial Secretary: Patricia Hicks

Clerk: Mary Anne Barlow

Elders:

Jane Harris

Pam Hart

Dianne and Steve Montgomery

Sherrie and Joe Sommer