The year is 1916 and the West Piney section of Wythe County saw a great revival among its “shouting Methodists.” The year before, 1915, had seen the Pentecostal message come into the area and the Wytheville Pentecostal Holiness Church was organized. The people of the West Piney area were receiving the new Light by the scores and with the great move of God’s Spirit, there also came inevitable persecution. At times, young ruffians and sincere but misguided members of the community would meet outside the church building to taunt and make fun of the “tongues crowd.” Several times someone with a lot of nerve would slip into the service while everyone was rejoicing in the Lord and blow the oil lamps out, leaving the congregation in the dark.
It was 1916; Germany was marching across Europe in an effort to conquer the world for herself. Woodrow Wilson was re-elected President of the United States by a narrow margin under the slogan, “He kept us out of war.” People were nervous about the future. But through it all, God was pouring out His spirit in New Testament on hungry hearts.
About the same month Woodrow Wilson began his second term of office as President; a group of these believers were forced out of the Methodist Church and organized under the leadership of Rev. David Nicewander, the Liberty Hill Pentecostal Holiness Church. No more would they be in bondage in their worship. The group forming the Liberty Hill Church was from a scattered area in those days and, almost immediately, it was decided that those from the East Piney section would be better served if they had a church of their own. Rev. Nicewander was agreeable to this and organized Charlotte’s Chapel. This group was given the use of a building which was later to become the home of Buster Fisher.
For a year the people of Charlotte’s Chapel met to worship in new freedom. Then in March of 1917 it seemed that everything was going wrong. The Germans broke their pledges to the United States and sand four American ships. The threat of war loomed very large on the horizon. The members of Charlotte’s Chapel were told by the owner of the building they were worshipping in to “get out!” On April 6 the United States declared war against Germany and her allies.
While Americans went to war, the people of Charlotte’s Chapel went to prayer. They began meeting in members’ homes for their services. Out of these cottage prayer meetings there arose a vision for the work. Excitement mounted as plans were laid. Ida Clark was contacted and a piece of land obtained. By summer work was begun under the leadership of Robert Lee Felts. All through the summer the men of the church worked on the building, showing a dedication and love for the work of the Lord. By fall the work was completed and, in November 1917, the new building was dedicated to the Glory of God. The Conference Superintendent, Rev. Edward D. Reeves, officially appointed Rev. David Nicewander as Pastor of the new congregation to be known as St. Paul Pentecostal Holiness Church. Rev. Nicewander was also the pastor of Liberty Hill and Wytheville PH churches at this time.
The congregation of Charlotte’s Chapel had finally come of age – they had a building of their own. Joining as charter members of the church were William Fisher, Emma Fisher, Walter Ayers, Biddie Ayers, D. B. Aker, A. C. Clark, H. W. Porter, Linnie Fisher, Sam Fisher, Sally Fisher, Dora Hollandsworth, M. H. Felts, Elva Aker, Maude Arnold, Rosa Felts, Amanda Fisher, Hazel Arnold and Monroe Blair – 18 in all.
The total expense recorded for the church in 1917 was $2.25. This was spent for two lamps, two lamp globes and 2 ½ gallons of lamp oil.
The year 1918 saw J. R. Fisher, Myrtle Eversole, Albert Eversole, Josie Taylor, James Walter Felts and Fannie Aker join the assembly. The years that followed saw such names as Burnette, Griffin, Richardson, Akers, Morrison, Yearout, Taylor, Kirby and many more. In all, well over 200 names have appeared on the membership roll of St. Paul. The church grew from the average attendance in Sunday School of 25 in 1922, (the earliest recorded) to 140 average in its highest year, 1975. Across the years 25 men have served as pastor of the church.
1917-1920 David Nicewander
1920-1922 J. M. Foley
1922-1924 J. M. Janney
1924-1927 J. W. Hudge
1927-1930 W. J. Vaughn
1930-1932 U. M. Jessup
1932-1937 Charles McDaniel
1937-1938 J A. Green
1938-1939 G. R. Jewell
1939-1941 T. L. Gearhart
1941-1942 J. B. Daughtery
1942-1944 D. F. Bennett, Sr.
1944-1947 J. M. Jewell
1947-1952 J. M. Phillippi
1952-1958 Parris Wood
1958-1962 C. J. Peyton
1962-1969 V. P. Surface
1969-1972 Russell Pennington
1972-1982 David Wood
1982-1986 Allen C. Ashford
1986-1987 Robert Walker
1987-1997 Ray Humphreys
1997-2004 James Black
2004-2008 Eric Pennington
2009-- Christopher Stansell
The following members of St. Paul PH church have been called into the ministry:
Clarence Aker
Virginia Aker (deceased)
Joel Arnold
Betty Atkinson
Henry Ayers
Charles Burnette (deceased)
Donald Scott
Donald Sizemore
James Taylor
Michael Viars
In 1939 the desire and need for a new church was on the mind of the St. Paul congregation to provide more room for the continuous growth of all the departments of the church. They didn’t let the dream die, but set to work to accomplish this dream.
During the ministry o Rev. T. L. Gearheart, 1939-1941, a building fund program was started among the young people. Charles Manuel at a very young age gave the first offering. In the late 1940’s the congregation built a new building.
In 1947 Rev. J. M. Phillippi was assigned as pastor of the church. In 1948 he began construction on the new church. He contributed much time money and labor on the building. Rev. Phillippi served the church as pastor until annual conference in 1952 when Rev. Parris Wood was assigned to the church. The church was finished under capable leadership of Rev. Wood.
In 1956, after the church indebtedness was paid off, the congregation began to think in terms of building a parsonage. Rev. Wood was willing to take upon himself the responsibility, so it was decided it was a good time to build. Rev. Wood worked faithfully along with many of the members who gave much free labor and a new parsonage was built.
In 1968, with the leadership of Rev V P. Surface and Randolph Archer, an educational wing was added to the church to provide more room for the increasing growth of the Sunday School. They gave their time and labor free for the work of the Lord.
In June 1966 at the annual Sunday School Convention of the PH Church at Dublin, VA, Rev. Surface, pastor of the church, received an award for the Sunday School having the highest percent increase in attendance for 1966. An educational wing was added in 1968.
In 1972 Rev. David Wood was assigned as pastor of the church. Rev. Wood was the pastor for a period of ten years, the longest term of any pastor in the history of the church to date. In 1975 Rev. Wood and the men remodeled the sanctuary. The congregation is thankful for the ministry and leadership of Rev. Wood and his wife, Sandy.
In 1983 Rev. A. C. Ashford was appointed pastor by the annual conference. Rev. Ashford and his wife, Vera, are well qualified in their ministerial work. They worked faithfully in the growth of the church.
April 7, 1985, with Rev. and Mrs. Ashford and members working together, there were 230 in attendance for Sunday School, the largest attendance in the history of the church up to 1985. The Sunday school has had a continuous growth in membership and attendance since 1966. At this time the present membership is 327.
In 1986 construction was started on the fellowship hall with the capable leadership of Rev. Ashford, who worked many hours, along with the men of the church, giving their time and labor.
Rev. Robert Walker was assigned as pastor in June 1986. Rev. Walker and his wife Connie were a great blessing to the church. The construction on the fellowship hall continued with the leadership of Rev. Walker.
It’s 1987 and the present pastor is Rev. D. Ray Humphries and his wife, Nancy. With the leadership of Rev. Humphries, the church offers a program for each member of the family. The Fellowship Hall was completed and dedicated in 1987. Total expenses of the projected were $70,000 and were paid in full upon completion.
On Easter Sunday 1989 there were 232 present for the Sunday School hour.
The church received two growth awards at the promotion conference in June 1990. One award came from the General Headquarters of the denomination in Oklahoma City for having a 1% growth in the church membership in a ten-year period. The other came from the VA Conference for a growth of 19% in Sunday School in 1990.
On September 28, 1991, the church’s 74th homecoming, former pastor Rev. David Wood, C. E. Director of the VA Conference, assisted Rev. Humphries with the note burning signifying the church fellowship hall had been paid for five years ahead of school.
On December 20, 1991, a $6,000 note was paid off on the church van. The church began 1992 completely free of all financial debts and obligations. The church then began a remodeling program. The sanctuary was remodeled, added stairs down to the Sunday School rooms, and other remodeling was done as well including reupholstering the church pews and blacktopping the church parking lot. Rev. Humphries served as pastor until 1997.
In June of 1997 Rev. Jimmy and Connie Black came to St. Paul to serve as pastors. Under their leadership, we enlarged the fellowship hall, the Sunday School rooms were added to and brought everything under one room. The brick church was torn down and we began having services in the fellowship hall. We started the process of making plans for the new sanctuary to be built under the leadership of Rev. Black. During this time an addition was added to the parsonage, as well as adding central heat and air. In 2004 Rev. Black retired but continued to do evangelistic work.
In December 2004 Rev. Eric Pennington became the new pastor at St. Paul. Under his leadership plans were continued to build a new church. There was a ground-breaking ceremony on the church property at which time Rev. Black was honored for his role in beginning the building program. Under Rev. Pennington’s leadership the church grew and souls were added to God’s kingdom. In June 2008 Rev. Pennington resigned to accept the pastor’s position at Merrimac PH Church.
During the process of securing a new pastor we were blessed to have Rev. Don and Evelyn Scott as our interim pastor. During this time a new church sign, the chain link fence around our septic system, as well as extra payments toward the debt of the new church, was accomplished.
It’s March 2009 and Rev. Christopher Stansell is the pastor at St. Paul.
