Welcome
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Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church
136 East Main Street Abingdon, Virginia 24210 276-628-3361  office@sinkingspring.org
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Welcome to our Website! In the different pages of the site, we hope that you will discover a bit about who we are and how you can become more involved in the life and ministry of our church. There is a great deal of information here that we hope will provide you with answers to questions you may have about our congregation. If you don't find the answers here, do not hesitate to call us at the church number, and we'll be happy to provide you with someone who can help you! Feel free to call on me or a member of our staff if we can be of help to you in any way. On Sunday Mornings we have Christian education classes at 10:00a.m. and a traditional worship at 11:00 a.m.
Church Histroy
Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church and the Ebbing Spring Presbyterian Church, now the Glade Spring Church, are first mentioned, officially, in the records of Hanover Presbytery, as extending a call to Parson James Campbell at a meeting of the Presbytery at Rockfish Presbyterian Church (just east of Afton) in Nelson County Virginia on April 8, 1772. The parson apparently never filled the call, as his death the following September 7th is recorded in the Presbytery minutes of October, 1772. Parson Charles Cummings, called by these churches January 5, 1773, accepted the following June 2, 1773 at the meeting of Hanover Presbytery held in the Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church near Fishersville.
The Sinking Spring Cemetery marks the site of the first church building bearing the Sinking Spring name. Built as a lfrontog structure in the early 1700's, it was supplanted by a larger building sometime in the 1780's. This continued as the church site until 1831-1833 when the third building was built on Main Street and which building has now become the Barter Theater. Later it was sold to "The Sons of Temperance" and was called "Temperance Hall" for many years. Still later it was turned over to the town and has gradually changed into its present state of usefulness both as Barter Theatre. In 1837 the church divided in the "new school - old school" controversy, part remaining at the Barter location and part moving out. The new school group moved and built Sinking spring Presbyterian church at the present location. Rev. James S. McChain was pastor of the new School Denomination which moved. The group that moved built the fourth church structure at what is the present location of this church and dedicated it in 1851. This was the Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church . Built on the lines of the Greek rectangular plan of so many of the Presbyterian churches now found in the Valley of Virginia, it had a lovely, tall steeple over the front entrance. The two churches, weakened by the split of 1837 and the woes of war in 1861-65, were reunited here in a service held April 9, 1865, the same day of the surrender of General Lee to Grant at Appomattox. The Reverend James McChain, a "Yankee" preacher from upstate New York, pastor here from 1843-1869, saw both the new building here in 1851 and the reunification of the church before his death in 1869. Following the death of his first wife and first son after his arriving in Abingdon, Reverend McChain married Jane Cummings Gibson, who was the the granddaughter of Rev. Charles Cummings. After the war from 1865, the church seems to have prospered steadily and grown with the years. A manse was built about 1878-80 at 133 Valley, but has since been sold and renovated into a law office. The fifth and present sanctuary was dedicated here on the same site of the 1851 structure on December 21, 1890. The wing to the west housing Sunday School, office, and fellowship hall was dedicated December 1, 1929 during the pastorate of Dr. J..G. Patton, Sr.
In 1972 the church on the corner of Main Street and Pecan Street was refurbished. Another Renovation was completed in 2004. The cabin built by Parson Cummings as his home, about two miles north of town on Route 19 and given to the Church by the Arthur Cummings family in 1968, was moved in 1971 to the Sinking Spring Cemetery. It is probably is the oldest church relic in this whole region from Roanoke to the Mississippi. It lives as a rugged reminder of the faith and courage of a hearty stock of people.
The Bicentennial Year was celebrated beginning on April 8, 1972 on a very cold, windy, snowy day in the Sinking Creek Cemetery with a prayer service on the site of the first church, near the graves of Parson Cummings, the founding pastor; the Reverend James McChain, the pastor of the reconciliation; and the founding saints. The year's activities concluded with worship services on January 7, 1973, honoring the call to Parson Cummings, and on June 3, 1973, honoring his acceptance.
In 1997 and 1998, the 225th anniversary of the church's founding was celebrated with a logo announcing the 225th anniversary on the front of the bulletin, beginning in July 1997. Special recognition of the occasion was noted in the bulletin of October 5, 1997. Former ministers, descendants of Rev. Cummings, former members, and members of other churches in the Presbytery and in the local area were invited. On the cover of the bulletin was a picture of the first log church and of the current building. The Topic of the sermon on sunday, preached by Rev. Robert Tolar, Jr., the current pastor, was "A Quick Look Back and a Long Look forward." Following the morning worship service, lunch was served in the Fellowship hall and under a tent on the grounds, and historical memorabilia was on display in the church parlor.
An extensive renovation program, including the sanctuary, the educational building, and the organ has just been completed. The dedication service for this renovation will be at the 11:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, September 26, 2004, followed by lunch in the Fellowship Hall and a 2:00 p.m. program in the sanctuary featuring an organ concert given by Dr. Jim spirup, Minister of Music at Sinking Spring.
The Church is God's people. Preacher's names are recorded on paper, the life of God's people lives on in men's hearts and minds. Many members, unsung, forgotten, are lost for the most part to the tides of time; nevertheless the real witness is that we are here as a result of their faith and faithfulness of the One they followed. Without the people of God there would be no church today. Let us be grateful and faithful, too, as God's people.
This history was written by Rev. Robert Taylor and updated by Elder May Joe Craig.
Pastors of Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church
- Charles Cummings
- Stephen Bowell
- Rev. Gallagher
- Thomas Ogden
- David R. preston
- William Preston
- Stephen Taylor
- James McChain
- Rev. Edward J. Barnett
- Rev. P.D. Stephenson
- Rev. T.A. Wharton
- R.V. Lancaster, D.D.
- W.M. Crowe, D.D.
- Jason L. McMillan, D.D.
- Rev. Wesley Baker
- Walter M. Walsh
- J.G. Patton, D.D.
- Francis J. Brooke, D.D.
- Samuel S. Daughtry, D.D.
- W.T. Manson, D.D.
- Richard F. Taylor, D.D.
- Rev. Dodie Rossell, Assistant Minister
- J.M. Heltzel, D.D., Interim
- Dr. Robert N. Lominack, Jr.
- Rev. Robert Tolar, Jr.
What Presbyterian Means
"In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, ‘Come, Lord Jesus,'" from A Brief Statement of Faith Presbyterians people claimed by Christ, and caring about Christ’s mission! It is a church of an inspiring past that is pointed towards God’s great future.
Where Did We Get This Name? What does the name "Presbyterian" mean? Presbuteros is from the original language of the New Testament. It'spronounced "prez-b00-ter-oz, which in English means "an elder." The word refers to how we Presbyterians make decisions, which is through a group of men and women elected and called to be "elders." These leaders can be any age these days.
Presbuteros, the Greek word meaning elder, is used 92 times in the New Testament. It provided the name for the Presbyterian family of churches, which includes the Reformed churches of the world. Both Presbyterian and Reformed are synonymous with churches that have grown out of the Calvinist Protestant tradition.
Who are We Presbyterians?
In America, the first presbytery (our gathering of churches) was organized in 1706. Through the years there has been an interesting history of growth, change and development. Today’s Presbyterian Church (USA) was created by the 1983 reunion of the two main branches of Presbyterians in America, separated since the Civil War: The Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is distinctly a confessional and a connectional church, distinguished by the representation of elders (presbuteros) - laymen and laywomen - in its government. The church today has a membership of over two million in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, with some 20,000 ordained ministers and over 100,000 elders.
What Do Presbyterians Believe?
We are Christians who place our hope and trust in the Triune God: Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. The Bible is the source of our church's faith. We also have the guidance of historic Christian confessions such as the Apostle’s Creed and the Westminster Confession. The Presbyterian Church affirms the ancient truths of Christianity and seeks to apply those foundations to daily living and the difficult issues of the contemporary world. While our church government is representative and democratic, we cherish and uphold the belief in the "priesthood of all believers." Though our church has an orderly and well-balanced constitution, the government of our entire church looks to "the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Head of the Church."
Presbyterians are Believers And Doers!
Stated clearly in our Book of Order (constitution) are the Great Ends of the Church: the proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world." As seen in this statement, we are proud of our fine theological and biblical heritage of beliefs. Beyond mere faith, however, we are called to action and to live out our beliefs. We do mission and pursue these great ends of the church in all sorts of ways: through prayer, gifts, and a lot of personal effort so that the gospel of Jesus Christ is carried throughout the whole earth. In "good Presbyterian order," we strive to plan well for ministries and programs that serve and address the real needs of society, that bring healing to those who are wounded, and that bring justice to the oppressed.
The Seal of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
contains the following symbolic components:
The cross, the Bible, the descending dove (symbolizing God’s Holy Spirit), the pulpit, flames in a triangular configuration (symbolizing the Spirit’s power and the Trinity), early symbol of the Christian church), and a baptismal font or a communion chalice.
How does a person become a Christian?
On the most basic level, people become Christians when they accept three things about Jesus Christ. 1..When we accept Jesus Christ as the owner of our whole life, physically and spiritually, and acknowledge the authority of Jesus in every aspect of it. In fact the most ancient Christian declaration of faith was simply "Jesus is Lord!" 2.. When we accept Jesus Christ as the only Savior of our soul. That we are forgiven of our sins and given eternal life, based not on our own good works or intentions, but on his loving sacrifice for us. 3.. When we accept a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. God does not want a simple mental affirmation of truth from us. He also wants us to return to Him a portion of the love that he has lavished upon us. To get to the point of accepting these things, there are generally many contributing factors. Some of those factors can be: seeing the truths of Jesus Christ modeled in the lives of Christians, being convinced of the truth about Jesus as taught in the Bible, working through the intellectual and historical issues of truth in Christianity, and personal experiences where Jesus has intervened in our life. One of the most basic things that we must understand in order to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is to know what God has accomplished for us in Jesus. The following outline gives a good summary of what God has done. [Note: God is neither male nor female, but we have used the traditional masculine pronoun in reference to God for ease of reading] God created the universe, and He created you and me. (Genesis 1:1, Psalms 100:3) God loves us deeply. (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9) God is perfect, holy and just. He punishes evil, removing it from His presence. (Romans 1:18, 6:23a)
Humanity
We were created in God's image to have a relationship with Him. (Genesis
1:27, Revelation 21:3)
b.. We rebelled and turned away from God. (Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:23)
c.. Our disobedience (sin) has separated us from God. (Isaiah 59:2)
d.. The penalty for our sin is death (physical and spiritual). (Romans 6:23)
e.. By ourselves, we are not able to repay God or repair the relationship.
(Romans3:10-18)
Christ
a.. God became a human being in the person of Jesus to restore our life
and fellowship with Him. He walked the earth as a Jewish man in the first century A.D.
(John 1:14, Colossians 1:19-20, Luke 3:1)
b.. Jesus Christ, who lived a life without sin, died on the cross to take
the punishment for our rebellion against God. Only through his sacrifice can we be
forgiven for our sins. (Isaiah 53:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:8)
c.. Jesus rose from the dead, in order that we also might also be raised
to eternal life with God. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 6:5)
My Response
a.. I must confess my sin and repent, turning away from my life of rebellion.
(Matthew 4:17, Isaiah 55:7)
b.. I must believe in what God has done for me in Jesus Christ. (John 1:12)
c.. I must personally receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and accept
a loving relationship with Him. (Revelation 3:20)
d.. When I begin my new relationship with Jesus Christ, I also gain a new
relationship with other believers. Part of this new life means that I am baptized
into the Christian community and enjoy a new level of fellowship with the "family"
of God, the Church. (Acts 2:38-47, Mark 3:35)
Cost to Me
a.. Nothing! My salvation has been paid for. There is no cost to me. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
b.. Everything! I must give my life totally to Jesus Christ and desire
to obey Him. (Romans 12:1-2)
Cost to God
a.. He gave His Son Jesus Christ, to be killed for my sake. (John 3:16)
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