Green Springs Presbyterian Church- Abingdon, Virginia - Country Churches on Waymarking.com

Capt. James Montgomery deeded the land to the church in 1794 Under the condition that the Bible be taught there according to the doctrine contained in the Confession of Faith, the doctrinal standards for the church.

A log cabin there served the church until it was torn down in 1882. Another church was erected in 1886, but was destroyed by fire in 1921. The cornerstone for the present brick building was laid in 1923.

"This church has served as a light on the hill in this valley for a long time," said Nancy Lowry, a member of the church for 72 years.

Lowry said she remembered riding on the back of a buggy to church on Sundays in her youth.

"The church was always such a special part of my life through our Christian endeavor, youth programs and women's work," she said. "My husband and I never missed Sunday school or preaching in all of our lives. It was just the center of my life."

As the church grew, it spawned' Cleveland and Coal Springs churches. The church also holds Summer gospel services at its Watauga Chapel, just north of the Creeper Trail on Watauga Road.

One of the church's proudest traditions is homecoming on the second Sunday in August. Tom McConnell, a 59-year member, said people come back to the church from all parts of the country to worship and celebrate.

He said the fellowship that people come back to experience has been an important part of his life.

The most important thing to me has been the influence or fellow Christians on my life," he said. There have been good times and bad times, but our friendship has helped me move on through life, to have an even keel. It enables you to live life as Jesus said.

That sentiment, shared by many, may have kept the church together for more than 220 years.
He said that during the Civil War, many denominations, including the Presbyterians, split into northern and southern divisions.

After the war, reunification of the church was difficult - especially with the fresh reminders of sacrifice in the cemetery.

Despite questions about rejoining the Presbyterian U.S.A. Green Spring came back to the fold.

One of the most miraculous events in the history of the church occurred in World War II. McConnell said that a flag with gold stars hung above the pulpit to represent members of the congregations serving their country overseas.

Although some other members of the community were killed, every member of the church returned alive.

The church has also been home to many characters through the years. One of the best known was the Rev. Dan Graham.

According to McConnell, Rev. Graham was one of the most evangelical and popular pastors in the history of the church.

"Graham was pastor of this church when the old church burned down," McConnell said. "The church was probably as large then as it is now." The church now has a congregation of 315.

In the 1920s, McConnell said, people from all over the valley would come to church to hear Graham's Sermons.

Lowry and McConnell said the membership profile of the church has not changed much over the years. The church was founded by agrarian Christians and drew from a largely rural county.

However, they said, in the last decade the congregation has become more diverse because of the development around South Holston Lake.

Pastor Larry Chapin said the church has grown and changed gracefully.

"As important as their history and tradition is to the church, it is equally as important to the people who come here that the church becomes what it is supposed to become," Chapin said.

As a former lawyer from the New York City area working in international trade, Chapin may symbolize the change that has come to the church in recent times.

He said he believes the church will continue to play a vital role in the development of the community.

"There are times when a church becomes particularly important to a community," he said. "I think that as this valley continues to change and grow, this not so little church can become an important feature of this community's life."

Chris Dumond may be reached at cdumond@bristolnews.com or (423) 360-1568.


Clergy over the Years Charles Cummings -- 1782 - 1796

Dr. Stephen Bovelle -- 1796 - 11835
David F. Palmer -- 1835 - 1837
John H. Wallace -- 1838 - 1847
Thomas Brown -- 1850 - 1855
A.L. Hogshead -- 1857 - 1860
Benjamin Gildersleeve -- 1862 - 1871
A. L. Hogshead -- 1872 - 1881
Dr. J. Albert Wallace -- 1882 - 1885
Joshua Phipps -- 1886 - 1888
Dr. John Lee Allison -- 1888 - 1889
Thomas Mobray -- 1890 - 1893
Dr. S. Rhea Preston -- 1894 - 1895
John Blair Morton -- 1896 - 1901
W.F.T. Pitman -- 1904 - 1906
Alan Jones, Jr. -- 1906 - 1912
Dr. R.D. Carson -- 1913 - 1914
Ben Harrop -- 1916 - 1919
Dan H. Graham -- 1921 - 1925
Dr. J.M. McChesney -- 1926 - 1942
G. Sexton Buchanan -- 1943 - 1951
J. Alston Boyd -- 1951 - 1961
Tinsley Bradley -- 1963 - 1979
Burton Sherrod -- 1980 - 1988
Dr. William J. Youmans -- 1989 - 1999
Lawrence C. Chapin -- 2000 - Present

Church Name: Green Springs Presbyterian Church Church In Use (even only just occassionally): yes Date Church Built: 1925 Rate this church.:

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