From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register
German Baptists, in this county commonly known as “Dunkards”, were among the divisions of the Christian Protestant Church that came to America as sanctuary for freedom of religious worship.
According to local clergymen, the Old Order German Baptist Church first became a united organization in Germany in 1703, and because of persecution in that county they removed bodily to America. In 1719, under the leadership of Pete Beckner, the first migration arrived, a second one in 1729 being led by Alexander Mack.
They settled largely a first in Pennsylvania, but in the years of greater expansion, followed in the train of those people migrating westward into Ohio, Indiana and Illinois; others coming southward into Virginia. unfortunately, these pioneers, busy with settling in a new and forest grown territory, did not keep accurate records; but so far as can be ascertained, the first German Baptists came into this section of Virginia in the last decade of the 18th century. It is stated, by one authority, that possibly the first church house in this section, was built in 1800, about 5 miles northeast of Salem, in the Green Ridge section, now known as Peters Creek. It was built of brick made from the native red clay, a substantial building with walls 18 inches thick, that have withstood the ravages of more than a century and quarter, yet true and trim as if built in recent years.
Thrifty People
It is a generally conceded fact, that German people are a thrifty and careful people, and this first house of worship erected here in what was then a wilderness, was as carefully taken care of as their own homes. In 1845, Peters Creek Church was remodeled, and in 1925 further renovation took place. This year improvements have again been made to accommodate the growing congregation.
Other members have drifted in from the middle west states since that earliest migration down the Valley of Virginia.
Before there was a church sufficiently big to take care of the annual congregation meeting, this was held in the big roomy barn on the Barnhart place, which was a large plantation located where now is the dividing line between Salem and Cave Spring districts. The branch running through that part of the county, and over which as it crosses the Cave Spring Road, only a few years ago the “ford” was replaced by a modern concrete bridge, is still known as the Barnhart Branch. When Tayloe Rogers bought part of the former Barnhart land, this historic old barn – former scene of corn shuckin’s and big meetin’s – disappeared. The old log house has been replaced by another not dissimilar in outward appearance. Daniel Barnhart was the first elder of the Old Peters Creek Church.
In 1881, the body of the Church was divided into two branches – the Old German Baptists or Old Order, and the Conservative Church. Two years later another division branched off as the Progressives.
Those of the congregation that held to the original standards and customs of the Olde Order, withdrawing, built a chapel in the beautiful oak grove at Peter’s Creek near the mother church. This congregation of which Elder C. E. Jamison is in charge has another chapel at White Oak Grove near Hollins, and one at oak Grove in Cave Spring District. Services are held the first and third Sundays as Peters Creek; the second Sunday at Hollins, and the fourth Sunday in each month at Oak Grove. Each year at Pentacost, their annual or national conference is held “somewhere in the United States.”
The Conservatives, continuing to hold services at the old brick church, have now become generally known as The Church of the Brethren, and has expanded into a congregation with 3 large churches in the city of Roanoke; and four in the county besides the Peters Creek Church.
County Churches
The county churches are located at Green Hill, west of Salem; at Tinker Creek in Big Lick District; and at Oak Grove and Poage’s Mill in Cave Spring District. The first child of the mother church was the First Church in Roanoke with Peter S. Miller, Elder. Then followed, Ninth Street Church, with P. S. Miller again serving as the first elder. Mr. Miller who came to Roanoke from Bridgewater in 1890, to engage in the manufacturer of carriages, was a moving spirit in the development of the Church of the Brethren, and was the pioneer elder of the new church at Tinker Creek. D. C. Naff, now elder at Peters Creek Church served as the first elder both as Green hill and at Poage’s Mill.
The congregations of the Church of the Brethren, are located and served as follows: Oak Grove Church, of which Rev. C. E. Eller has been the elder since its establishment; Poage’s Mill Church, Rev. H. A. Hoover, pastor and elder; Green Hill, Rev. L. N. Kinzie, Elder; Tinker Creek Church, Rev. C. M. Key, pastor and I. T. Hooker, Elder; First Church, Roanoke, Rev. Guy West, pastor and C. S. Ikenberry, Elder; Ninth Street Church, Roanoke, Rev. Earl M. Fike, pastor and H. A. Hoover, Elder.
Peres Creek Church which still holds a membership of about 240, is under the charge of the Rev. D. C. Naff.
The third division of the German Baptist Church, which is known as the Brethren Church has 3 church buildings where this congregation worships. Rev. J. E. Patterson is in charge of Mountain View Brethren Church at Hollins with other chapels located at Red Hill on the Rocky Mount Road, and Boone’s Hill chapel at Boone’s Mill. Rev. E. B. Shaver was the first pastor of this division of the church.
It was noted on doing some research work in reference to the history of these congregations, that the names of Barnhart, Garst, Brubaker, Miller, Eller, Showalter, and Naff are conspicuous among the religious leaders of these people.
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
