From The Times-Register archives
By Rev. Hugh J. Rhyne
Pastor of College Church
From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register
The beginning of Lutheranism in Roanoke county is vague but the best records available reveal that Lutherans first came into this county in 1796. Among the names of these first families were: Millers, Howberts, Trouts, Neffs, Spiggles, Hartmans, Persingers, Wertzes, Stoutamires, and Statlers.
It is definitely known that Rev. John George Butler was a pastor in Botetourt county from 1796 until 1805. The likelihood is that he preached in the homes of these Lutheran people in Roanoke county.
The first Lutheran pastor to live in Roanoke county was Daniel Scherer who lived on Peter’s Creek from 1818 to 1821.
Zion
The first Lutheran congregation in the county was Zion which was in existence in 1828, when the North Carolina Synod met there, at which time the church was dedicated. It is assumed that the congregation was organized earlier, probably in 1825. This building is still standing on the farm of Col. J. Sinclair Brown, and many be seen on the Lee Highway between Raleigh Court and Salem. Although now modernized, the old logs still remain under the boarded exterior.
Zion was rebuilt in 1905 on a nearby location and was called New Zion. In 1920 the congregation was merged with College Church in Salem.
Pine Grove
The second Lutheran Church built in Roanoke County was Pine Grove. It was organized in 1845 and was on the roll of Synod until 1891, when it merged with St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Roanoke.
Southview and Cave Spring
Congregations were also organized at Southview and Cave Spring, at later dates, but as the members moved to town, the congregations disappeared, and are now extant from the rolls of Synod.
College Lutheran Church
College Lutheran Church, the first town church among the Lutherans, was organized in 1852 with seven charter members. The coming of Roanoke College to Salem brought about its organization. The first pastors were connected with the college, Rev. D. F. Bittle, D. D., the first president of the college, serving for fourteen years as pastor of the church. The church has been the church home of the majority of the faculty members of Roanoke College, and it has also been the church home of the staff and children of the Lutheran Orphan Home.
The congregation of College Church worshipped from 1856 until 1921 in a building on the corner of Main and College avenue. In 1921 a beautiful stone building of Gothic type was erected at the corner of College and Pennsylvania avenues.
The following men have served as pastors of the church:
C.C. Baughman, 1852-1853.
D. F. Bittle, D. D., 1853-1859.
J. P. Smeltzer, 1860-1861.
D. F. Bittle, D. D., 1861-1869.
S. A. Repass, 1869-1872.
E. E. Sibole, 1873-1875.
L. G. M. Miller, 1875-1888.
C. A. Miller, 1888-1896.
L. A. Fox, D. D., supply.
F. V. N. Painter, supply.
C. K. Bell, 1897-1905.
C. K. Hunton, 1905-1920.
L. A. Fox, supply.
J. S. Klechner, 1923-1926.
F. C. Longaker, D. D., supply.
Roy T. Troutman, 1927-1934.
Hugh J. Rhyne, 1935-
College church now has a confirmed membership of 369 baptized members, and 284 confirmed members, with a property valuation of $86,000.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
It is believed that Gideon Scherer, when he was pastor of Zion and Pine Grove congregations from 1846 to 1852, held services at Big Lick (now Roanoke, since 1880) as that was the location of his home. However regular services were not held at Big Lick until 1869, when the pastor of College Church began preaching there. A small frame church was built there in 1873. The site for the first church was donated by the Hon. John Trout, as was also the site of the second church built on Commerce and Church streets in 1883. The congregation was a part of the College Church Parish until 1883 when the magic growth of the city made necessary a larger building. In that year a full time pastor was called – the Rev. W. J. Smith. In 1891 the growth of the congregation made a larger building a necessity and a large stone structure was erected. In 1903 this property was exchanged for the former Greene Memorial Methodist Church, which remains the home of the St. Mark’s.
Tis congregation now has 992 baptized members and 712 confirmed members. It has grown to be the second largest church in the Lutheran Synod of Virginia with a property valuation of $105,000.
The pastors have been: W. J. Smith, 1883-1885; J. E. Bushnell, 1885-1890; J. A. Huffard, 1880-1892; Oliver C. Miller, 1892-1894 L. G. M. Miller, D. D., 1894-1905; T. O. Keister, D. D., 1905-1913; J. Luther Sieber, D. D., 1914-.
Kittinger’s
Kittinger’s located in the Back Creek community is said to have been organized in 1868. It is a small congregation which was formerly in the Roanoke County Parish, later connected with the Virginia Heights Parish, but is now just a preaching point.
Vinton
St. James, the name of the Lutheran Church organized in Vinton in 1889, was formed largely from members of St. Mark’s in Roanoke. A neat frame building was erected in 1891. St. James had a full time pastor for only a short period of its history. That perhaps accounts in part for its slow growth. In 1923 the congregation was merged with St. Mark’s Roanoke, where most of the members had previously belonged. The property has now been sold.
St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s on Peter’s Creek, two miles east of Salem was organized in 1913 by Rev. J. M. Tise, and the building was erected the same year. It was first served by the pastors of the Roanoke County Parish, but later by Dr. H. J. McIntyre until 1936. At present no regular services are held at this point.
Virginia Heights Parish
Virginia Heights congregation in Roanoke was organized by Rev. J. W. McCauley in 1916 with 29 charter members. The congregation has enjoyed a constant growth. It is located on Grandin Road near Virginia Avenue. Plans are under way for the construction of a new building in the near future. This congregation how has a baptized memberships of 458 and a confirmed membership of 370. The following pastors have served this church: J. W. McCauley 1916-1918; C. O. Lippard 1918-1920; O. F. Blackwelder, 1920-1925; J. M. Lotz, 1926-1927; H. E. Knies, 1928-.
Emmanuel
Emmanuel, in Villa Heights, was organized in 1922 by Rev. J. A. Boord. The church building was erected by members of the church out of lumber furnished by St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. This church now has 228 baptized members and 199 confirmed members. After Rev. Boord’s resignation, the present pastor, the Rev. H. D. Utt took up the work.
Practically all of this material was taken from the history of the Lutheran Church in Virginia and East Tennessee, edited by Cassel Finck and Henkel.
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
