--Berryville Presbyterian Church (Est. 1853)--Rev. Jonathan W. Bunker, Pastor

123 West Main Street, Berryville, VA 540-955-1096

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has approximately 2.5 million members, 11,200 congregations and 21,000 ordained ministers. Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.

150 Year History of the Berryville Presbyterian Church
1853 - 2003

“One hundred fifty years ago, on June 10, 1853, Berryville was a small village. A few Presbyterians met in the Methodist Church with a commission of the Winchester Presbytery to organize the Berryville Presbyterian Church”……

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“Berryville Presbyterian Church - A History 1853 – 2003” written by Jane Campbell, Historian

150 Year History of the Berryville Presbyterian Church

BERRYVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Berryville, Virginia
Shenandoah Presbytery
Minister Rev. Mr. Jonathan Bunker

ACTIVE MEMBERS: 130

Congregational History 2007 - A year in review...

The year started with our Church grieving over a great loss. One of our long time Members Betty Sheetz, lost her battle with cancer. She was a teacher in our Church Kindergarten until that program was closed down. Betty was a pillar of our Church, and though we know she is with our Lord, we will feel her absence for a long time.

Not completely over this first loss, the end of January brought another. Jane Campbell's husband, Douglas, passed away after a brief illness. He actually was not a member of our Church, but he was very active in our programs and faithfully attended services with his wife. Though confident that he too is now with our Lord, his Scottish accent and friendly handshake will be sorely missed.

January did have it's up side though. Michael and James Swisher traveled to Mississippi as part of the Mountain Valley Mission, and continued their aid to victims of the hurricanes of 2005. Michael used his experiences to present a sermon in April. He told us how rewarding it felt to answer this calling. He urged us to be sensitive to such a Call, and actively serve our Church whenever we see an opportunity.

In March, we began collecting names and Phone numbers, so we could form a Prayer Chain. We reasoned that Members falling victim to an injury or illness, needed our prayers immediately, rather than waiting until the following Sunday. The chain is up and growing with seventeen members at the last count.

Another program to keep our Members in touch with our Church, began in late September. Every Sunday, the entire Church Service is captured on DVD. Now if they so desire, our shut-ins can view our Service in their own homes.

Traces of fuel oil were discovered in the stream behind our Church. It was ours. The underground fuel tank had sprung aleak. It would have to be dug up along with the fuel soaked dirt around it. Fortunately, the leak was small and little dirt needed removal. The tank was found to be resting on bedrock, so the fuel could not sink further into the ground. After the tank was removed, the hole was filled in and covered with gravel. By Summer, tests showed no new traces of fuel oil in the stream. Confident that this problem was behind us, we contacted contractors and re-paved the area.

In August , Gerald Davis passed away. The son of Grif Davis, he had been in poor health for a number of years, suffering from Epilepsy and it's attending complications. He lived in a group
home in Winchester. Because of our love for him and his Father, our members drove him to church services so he could worship with us. We will miss him, as we still miss his father, Grif.

Later the same month, Edith Dunsmore passed away. Edith was an active member of our Church, participating in the Ladies Bible Circle and Adult Sunday School, for as long as her health would permit it. May she find comfort with our Lord.

Our Stewardship Committee decided to have a luncheon after Sunday services, instead of a dinner. We hoped this would improve attendance. Then we discovered our missionary Susan Frerichs would be spending a weekend in October, visiting our Church. Seizing this opportunity, the date for our luncheon was quickly moved to coincide with her visit. This proved a good move, boosting attendance to record levels.

On October 21, Susie Frerichs attended Services, gave the sermon and stayed for our Stewardship Luncheon. She showed slides and talked about her work in Mexico. It was a truly inspirational program, and linked Stewardship within our Church with the Christian outreach she is doing.

Once again our membership grew. The attendance at this years Vacation Bible School remained about the same, meaning it stayed at record levels. Building on this participation, we again held
a Halloween Fair. This event was open to all children in our community, hoping their parents would also attend and see what our Church had to offer.

The number of people attending Sunday School increased. This was due in part to our Pastor Jonathan Bunker, forming a second adult class. Jonathan felt that instead of having a programmed study schedule, this class would offer the chance to explore the Scripture the members were most interested in discussing. Judging by the number of attendees, he was correct.

Berryville Presbyterian Church Members participated in local events beginning with the annual pulpit swap and pot luck luncheon at the fire hall. Jonathan, along with a number of our members, attended the Wednesday noon Lenten services at Grace Episcopal Parish Hall. Our representatives assisted with the monthly food distribution at Duncan Memorial Methodist church.

Our members are involved in other local, causes and programs. Just to name a few; we support Fish, the Blue Ridge Community Food Bank, The Crop Walk, Christmas families outreach, Habitat for Humanity, Clarke County Senior Center, Blue Ridge Community Hospice and some of the outreach programs of Clarke County Social Services.

Several years ago, Suellen Skinner left Berryville to attend school. Hearing our Lord's calling, she had decided to attend the Seminary. Having completed her studies, she returned to Berryville so we could all share a truly wonderful event in her life. On November 4th, our Church held an Ordination Service for her. Subsequently, she received a posting to the Brighton Presbyterian Church of Zanesville, Ohio, as their Pastor. We wish her well, and wanted her to know that she is in our thoughts and prayers.

May the Lord give his Blessings to our efforts.

Respectfully Submitted,
James R. Green Sr.

Berryville Presbyterian Church History

James Green, our Church Historian, Jim has worked very hard over the past months preparing a brief history of our congregation. From its inception in 1853 right up to today, he tracks the development of our church and the work it has accomplished. Special thanks to Jim for all his hard work!

Guess Who ?

Can you name all the "First" Berryville Presbyterian Bell Choir Members in this photo ?

Guess Who ?

How about this dapper looking group of Berryville Presbyterian men ?

Presbyterian History

The earliest Christian church consisted of Jews in the first century who had known Jesus and heard his teachings. It gradually grew and spread from the Middle East to other parts of the world, though not without controversy and hardship among its supporters.

During the 4th century, after more than 300 years of persecution under various Roman emperors, the church became established as a political as well as a spiritual power under the Emperor Constantine. Theological and political disagreements, however, served to widen the rift between members of the eastern (Greek-speaking) and western (Latin-speaking) branches of the church. Eventually the western portions of Europe, came under the religious and political authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Eastern Europe and parts of Asia came under the authority of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In western Europe, the authority of the Roman Catholic Church remained largely unquestioned until the Renaissance in the 15th century. The invention of the printing press in Germany around 1440 made it possible for common people to have access to printed materials including the Bible. This, in turn, enabled many to discover religious thinkers who had begun to question the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. One such figure, Martin Luther, a German priest and professor, started the movement known as the Protestant Reformation when he posted a list of 95 grievances against the Roman Catholic Church on a church door in Wittenburg, Germany in 1517. Some 20 years later, a French/Swiss theologian, John Calvin, further refined the reformers' new way of thinking about the nature of God and God's relationship with humanity in what came to be known as Reformed theology. John Knox, a Scotsman who studied with Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland, took Calvin's teachings back to Scotland. Other Reformed communities developed in England, Holland and France. The Presbyterian church traces its ancestry back primarily to Scotland and England.

Presbyterians have featured prominently in United States history. The Rev. Francis Mackemie, who arrived in the U.S. from Ireland in 1683, helped to organize the first American Presbytery at Philadelphia in 1706. One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Rev. John Witherspoon, was a Presbyterian minister. The Rev. William Tennent founded a ministerial "log college" in New Jersey that evolved into Princeton University. Other Presbyterian ministers, such as the Rev. Jonathan Edwards and the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, were driving forces in the so-called "Great Awakening," a revivalist movement in the early 18th century.

The Presbyterian church in the United States has split and parts have reunited several times. Currently the largest group is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which has its national offices in Louisville, Ky. It was formed in 1983 as a result of reunion between the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS), the so-called "southern branch," and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA), the so-called "northern branch." Other Presbyterian churches in the United States include: the Presbyterian Church in America, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.