Church History

Blacksburg Presbyterian Church was founded in 1832. That ends the chronology. What happened since? 

 

The church has never been of a single mind, or ethnicity, or taste, but what has been diverse about BPC has changed over the years. Presbyterians in Southwest Virginia were primarily Scotch Irish in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and yet one of the founding elders was William Van Lear, whose ancestors emigrated from Amsterdam. The most energetic preacher, teacher and builder in the early life of this church was the Rev. Nicholas Chevalier, of French ancestry. 

 

Another kind of diversity was involuntary.  Several members and at least one pastor of the church owned slaves and some of them were members of the church.  Col. Thomas, first clerk of Session, made sure his slaves attended services, but they had to sit in the gallery.  In modern times, the breadth of diversity has expanded far beyond the perspectives of the early settlers. The church reached a milestone in 1961 under the leadership of the Rev. Ellison Smyth when the ruling elders affirmed that “all who come to worship God” would be seated without discrimination and that “all who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord” would be welcomed as members. Those were bold words during the fight over integration in 1961.

 

The early settlers varied in religious intensity and commitment. Many carried their religion only as a general orientation to occasional spiritual contemplation. James Charlton, who gave hospitality to some of the earliest visiting Presbyterian preachers in this area, was said to be “a Presbyterian in sentiment.”  His wife “was not only a Presbyterian, but a professing Christian.” Some boasted of not being part of the church, even as they shared the culture of Reformed Christianity.  John Peterman, husband of Jane Hoge Peterman, a charter member of this church, had been a “very worldly man” according to his pastor.  On his deathbed, he was “for some days thoroughly awake to his awful situation...He unites his testimony to the millions who have preceded him, that a death bed is a poor place to prepare for eternity.” Many could also be persuaded toward piety when a revival would bring out their best religious sentiments, at least for a while. 

 
But there also were intentional and consistent Presbyterians. John Van Lear, the first in this area to be ordained an elder, and his wife Sarah were certainly among them.  In the words of one of their sons:  “Father of ten children, three sons and seven daughters; he trained them up in the old-fashioned way of keeping the Sabbath, and saw them all members of the church; two of his sons elders, and one a minister of the gospel.… ‘The Bible, and Shorter Catechism, and a sermon from Davies or Burder on every Sabbath’ says his son was the order of his house ”

 

 

Most families out on the frontier in the early days were not wealthy.  Money problems plagued the church also.  In 1859, Presbytery resolved “that the churches of Blacksburg and Locust Bottom be solemnly admonished by this Presbytery for their delinquency in discharging their pecuniary obligations to their Pastors.” Particularly embarrassing was the fact that Presbytery was meeting in the Blacksburg church that day.  When a new church building was planned at the end of the century, the Rev. David Woods appealed to Presbytery, arguing that Virginia Polytechnic Institute gathered between three hundred and four hundred boys from all over the state and that the Presbyterians got the largest attendance from the college; churches and individuals throughout the Synod contributed to the fund. The argument was such a good one that it was used again in 1955 for the present building and $93,000 was collected in this way. 

The two most recent substantial renovations were undertaken without funds from the outside world.

 

The little village of Blacksburg and its small Presbyterian church had been transformed by the decision in 1872 to locate Virginia’s land grant college here. Again in 1970, the church and town were affected profoundly by the transformation of Virginia Polytechnic Institute into a comprehensive university.  Increased resources for new faculty, additional students, innovative programs, and enhanced facilities created new challenges and new opportunities. Once again, as in 1872, a wider world was opening up for the little town and its churches.  Now the church’s task was to consider its responsibility for making the Gospel relevant for modern, highly educated folk.

 

At the urging of the Rev. George Telford, a long range planning committee searched for a reasonable balance between Christian nurture and outreach to the community and the world. A strong pulpit ministry with theological rigor was essential. Moreover, it could rely upon a sound budget, a functional building, a variety of programs, and a respected heritage of addressing human needs. Yet, there were inherent challenges. The pluralism and diversity of the congregation sometimes appeared to produce a focused identity.  So many interests had blossomed that the total program seemed too ambitious for the available personnel and resources. While the congregation was uncommonly caring in times of identified need, the caring sometimes did not extend across groups within the church.  Love for those in need was often not paralleled by spiritual growth and Christian fellowship.  Through the ministry of Telford and later the Rev. Cameron Murchison, conscientious efforts were undertaken to address these issues.

 

Throughout its 180 years, the church has lived within the Reformed faith.  It has sought to live out this faith through compassionate action. Consequently, the church has chosen not to be an entertainment church, even though members have a lot of good times together.  It has chosen not to be an entrepreneurial church, even though it practices stewardship that provides supportive programs for the church, the community and the world. Rather, the church strives to be a community of God’s people making use of heart, soul, and mind in the work of the Kingdom of God.

                                                                        Charles Lewis Taylor

                                                                        Blacksburg, Virginia, October 2011

 

 

Dr. Taylor is currently at work on a comprehensive history of the church.