Pine Grove Community Church
HISTORY
1st Printing Compiled by Eileen Smith
2nd
edition edited by Pastor Dennis Kreiss
The original building constructed 1869
– 140 years old in 2009
Pine Grove Union Sunday School founded
1945 – 60 years old in
2005
Pine Grove Community Church incorporated
1959 - 50 years old in
2009
As early as the 1850s the site where the Pine Grove Church now stands was used for camp meetings. During the summer at a typical camp meeting people came from miles around and "camped" for a week or more to listen to the preaching. On occasion of big meetings public baptizing were held. People have been baptizing in the Deer Creek for over a hundred and fifty years. Camp meetings were a time of excitement for the whole family. At the evening meetings, the red glare of the camp-fires reflected from the numerous tents, wagons and horse carriages. The dense blackness of the flickering shadows in the surrounding forest often made the entreaty and exhortation of the preachers and the exuberant songs of praise from the large congregation overwhelming. The heart swelled and people often stopped to cry out for repentance and conversion during the meetings.
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Circuit Riders and men in the community were the only preachers in this early church. Circuit-riding preachers, on horseback, carried the Gospel from community to community, organizing churches and doing whatever they could to tell people about Christ. Many of them were farmers who traveled around preaching in their spare time without pay, sometimes supervising a circuit of up to 30 churches. A preacher would travel for hours over rugged terrain on horseback just to get one meeting. Back then Pine Grove had its roots in the United Brethren churches. It was customary for the people to choose a “lay leader” to be in charge of the church between the preacher’s visits. The day the preacher came was always special and eagerly-awaited. Big crowds would gather for the service, and many people might commit their lives to Christ. |
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Most pastoral preparation occurred on-the-job. When you expressed interest in becoming a minister, you were promptly given a church--or more likely, a whole circuit of churches. There were no classes on sermon preparation or theology. Bishop Jonathan Weaver wrote about United Brethren preaching. The preachers were often untrained in philosophy or theology, "but on the cardinal doctrines of the gospel they were giants. They would preach on the judgment and future rewards or punishments until one would think the day had come.”
In 1853, a UB mission board was organized under the name “Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society.” That year, the United Brethren launched their first missionary venture. A wagon train of missionaries began traveling from Iowa to Oregon where they planted United Brethren churches. There were 38 oxen-pulled wagons, 98 persons, and 300 head of cattle on the Oregon Trail. The trip took five months. By 1861, there were nearly 600 members, with preaching occurring in 48 places.
James H. Wilbur |
According to the book "Beside the Beautiful Willamette" the energetic and larger than life Methodist preacher James H. Wilbur preached at a camp meeting here September of 1856, at the "Pine Grove on Deer Creek." It was then that a Dr. T. Driver was converted. He later became an agent of the American Bible Society Milton Wright, the famed father of the Wright Brothers was the founding bishop of the United Brethren in Christ. In the 1850s and 1860s Milton was a missionary to Oregon. His diary reads that on August, 23 of 1859 Milton traveled from Wilbur up the Deer Creek to preach at a camp meeting here! There were nine preachers in the rotation. They preached four times a day! A morning service, 11 AM, 3 PM and an evening service! The services lasted for eleven days! There were four reported conversions including a Mr. Riggs and James Parker, son of one of the preachers. There were also a number who joined the church including Mrs. Riggs and her son. And that was before the church building existed. Three entries from the Diary of Milton Wright can be read on his Diary Page. |
Milton
Wright
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Before buildings, meetings were held in homes, barns, schools, or outdoors - like the meetings under the trees at the "Pine Grove." The concern was outreach, not membership and pretty buildings. But as more congregations erected buildings, the UB church addressed the matter in 1837. “Let all our meeting houses be built plainly and neatly, with free seats, and not more expensive than necessary.” At that time there was an old custom; women used one door and men the other. Young boys sat on one side, young girls sat on the other, and families sat in the middle section.
It was in 1869
that John Newman and Nathaniel Cockelreas with the help of others in the
community began to erect the church building.
Mr. James Dixon furnished most of the materials and money for
the project.
In March of 1885 the Diary of Saphronia Brown tells of the funeral of a family member named Summer at the Pine Grove Church. John (Casebeer)? brought the coffin out and a funeral procession started from the house to the church a little before noon. The sermon was preached at one o'clock by two men, a Mr. Webb and a Mr. Sharp. Some of those in attendance were Dave Hunter, Tom Hatfield, Andrew Willis, Andrew Ingram, Will Bonebrake and Sam Lough. The Roseburg Review, a democrat paper published by J.R.N. Bell had the notice of Summer's death. Some of the obituary read:
"Though always a good boy in the common acceptation of the term, he was not converted until nearly fifteen years old, Sept 21st 1878, was baptized in the same year and joined the United Brethren Church (Pine Grove) and there remained and labored for the building up of the cause nearest and dearest to his heart... " |
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In August of 1886, Milton Wright (now a Bishop in the UB), once again visited the Pine Grove Church on Deer Creek. His diary records that on Saturday he dined with John Newman. On Sunday, August 8, he Preached at Pine Grove at 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM. His text was Rev. 1:5 and Heb. 10:35 "on the exalted character of Christ, as shown in the Epistle to Hebrews." After church he dined on the grounds with the Brown's. On Monday he preached at the Methodist Episcopal Church of Roseburg and on Tuesday he preached at the Lookingglass hall.
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in August of 1887 Milton visited Pine Grove again. He called on John Newman. John Starr Bonbrake, A.H. Brown, and John Casebeer. He commented that the Speaking Meeting was "right good." During his stay he lodged at McClellen House. One of the "highlights" of the trip is that he broke off a poison oak leaf and later wiped his forehead with his hands! I'm sure he left Pine Grove with memories. On Wednesday a Dr. Marsters took him to the Depot Hotel and gave him his breakfast. From there he took the train and "went on freight to Ashland." |
The Pine Grove
Community Sunday School was established around 1898.
There were Sunday School classes each Sunday morning, and church
services were held whenever possible.
The
United Brethren sold the church and property to A. M. Gallagher for "the
sum of Ten Dollars and other good and valuable considerations" in October
of 1908, but church services continued with a minister coming out from Roseburg
at least once a month. A year later the members of the congregation decided that they wanted to buy the church
building and property from Mr. Gallagher.
Among themselves they raised $400 for this purpose, and borrowed
$200 from the First Baptist Church in Roseburg.
They paid Mr. Gallagher the $600 that he had asked, and a deed
was made out to the First Baptist Church as a legal precaution in April of 1909.
For a time during
World War I years no services were held in the church.
Mr. John Casebear and the Gilliams started Sunday School and church services again in 1918. This time services continued except for a short time during World War II. In 1938 James R. Denham, a Baptist Minister wrote an article for the News Review about a Revival Meeting that was held at Pine Grove. To view the article Click Here.
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May 1, 1945 Mrs. Cora Collison asked Brother D. D. Randall, the American Sunday School Missionary in this area, to come to her home and help a number of interested people to reorganize the Sunday School. Some of them were: Edity Brauch, Esther Morberg, Norma Hatfield, Doris (Merry) Loop, Marceline (McCormack) Kniffen and Eileen Smith. The Sunday School took the name "Pine Grove Union Sunday School." "Those at the meeting decided on who would be the Sunday School teachers. There were plenty of volunteer teachers for all the classes. Eileen Smith... Edna & Lawrence Gillam & others." Since that time regular Sunday School classes have continued to meet at Pine Grove. |
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Both D.D. Randall and Glen Goddard, Randall's successor would stop by Pine Grove once every two or three months (sometimes unannounced) and hold Morning Services. At that time there was only a Sunday School, but when the area Missionary showed up, they would all stay an extra 45 minutes or so for Church. In the 1930s and 40s Randall drove a motorcycle with a sidecar that had a big box on it. He would drive up wearing his motorcycle clothes and then take his church clothes out of the box and change. He preached and told wonderful stories to the kids. The kids always liked to see him come. Raymon Mars attended Pine Grove as a child. To view his description of the Sunday School, Click Here. He also gave a description of Dixonville in the 1930s here.
In 1949 Athur Kelstrup held services at Pine Grove
The congregation
leased the church building from the First Baptist Church in 1953 for 99 years,
with the understanding that they keep making the insurance payments, and continually
hold services.
Rev. C. N. Currier
of Roseburg became Pine Grove's pastor in 1953.
He preached each Sunday morning and evening until April 1955.
After this the Sunday School Classes continued to meet each Sunday morning and the Youth Group met each Sunday evening. At times, because Pine Grove was only a one room church, during Vacation Bible Schools, some kids would be at Deer Creek or the Grange and the rest at Pine Grove.
Dr. R. L. Dunn
of Roseburg began regular Sunday morning and evening services at Pine Grove
in 1958. He organized the Sunday
School into a church body in 1959.
There was a dedication service and 36 people signed as charter members.
That year the church celebrated its 90th birthday. An article from
the News Review, Sept 18, 1959 can be viewed
Here. Later in the year officers were elected and the church was incorporated.
Early in 1962
the congregation purchased the Pine Grove Church building and property of 1
acre from the First Baptist Church in Roseburg for $1,500 ... but for some
reason, the title never got transfered. Time passed until one day in 1981
a photographer came out to take a picture of "the property that First
Baptist owned!" Cliff Broadwater quietly took care of the matter and
on June 22, 1981 the title to the property was back in the hands of Pine Grove.
After Dr. Dunn,
those who ministered to the Pine Grove Community as part time
pastors were:
Rev. Richard Morehead
1960-1961
Rev. Earl Peterson
1961-1966
Pastor Dale Cundall
1967-1972
Pastor Roy Kellar
1972-1977
Three times
the church had interim pastors.
They were:
Roy Kellar
1966- 1967
Bill Zimmerman
Summer 1977
Charles Allison
1991
Twice the church
had assistant Pastors or Youth Pastors
Don Bailey
1968
Steve Stone 2001-2003
Our first full
time pastor, Pastor Ernest Quaintance, came to Pine Grove in January 1978.
Pastor Quaintance continued to be Pastor of Pine Grove Community
Church from January 1978 until the last Sunday in December 1990.
Pastor Charles
Allison became the interim at Pine Grove the first of January 1991, and continued
his ministry there the entire year.
Pastor Dennis Kreiss became Pastor the first of January 1992. Since that time a number of changes have occurred. A new multipurpose building has been built with a large kitchen and modern bathrooms. An amphitheater has been constructed along the Deer Creek under the "Pine Grove" continuing a 155 year old tradition of meeting outdoors to hear the Old Time Gospel Message!
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In 1994 the Church celebrated its 125th Anniversary. An article from the News Review can be Found Here.
This year, September 20, 2009 we will celebrate our 140th Anniversary!
Sunday School
Superintendents from 1920 were:
Mrs. Pearl Wilson
Mrs. Lawrence Gilliam
Mrs. Winnie "mother" McCormack
Mrs. Hatie Ingram
Mrs. Cora Callison
Mrs Esther Morberg
Mrs Helen Childers
Mrs Thelma Stubblefield
Mr. Gary Lewis
Mr. Edward Karcher
Mrs. Arnola Freeman
Mrs. Vicki Johnston
Mrs.
Evie Jepsen
Youth Directors were:
Elward and Eileen Smith
1950-1960
Rev and Mrs Morehead
1960-1961
Elward and Eileen Smith
1961-1967
Dale and Frances Bonebrake
1968
Dick and Lillian Lundsten
Carl and Sonja Mason
1975-1985
Kyle and Marcia Ingram
1992-1998
Bob and Jackie Miller
1999-2001
Steve Stone 2001-2002
Kyle & Maria Ingram 2002-2006
Mike
& Laura
Hampton
2006-Present
Pine Grove Bus Drivers during the 1950s and 1960s:
Elward Smith
Sunday School
Mary Ellen Collison
Sunday School
Elward Smith
Youth Group
For more history check out our Timeline Page
History Of The Pine Grove Church Building
The building
is located In the middle of a 1 acre piece of property.
It originally was surrounded by Pine trees.
The county road at that time ran between the church and the creek.
Some stables were also on the south side of the church, as well
as a board fence.
It was built in
1869. The original
structure was 32' X 64' inside.
The ceiling was 13' high. There
were 4 narrow windows on each sidewall.
The windows were 8'5"high.
Inside and out, the building was finished with clap board siding painted white.
The roof was high pitched and covered with shale shingles.
The gable ends faced north and south.
Completely across both ends of the church was a good sized porch.
Two doors were entrances to the building from both porches.
The original
part of the Pine Grove Church still stands, and is the present sanctuary, but
many changes have taken place over the years.
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In 1944 Mrs. Harry Collison Senior and Mrs. Lewin Parker finished tearing down the badly deteriorated remains of the north porch, and then Mr. Collison Sr. and Mr. Parker built some new steps up to the door on the right side. This was just before the Sunday School was reorganized in 1945.
In 1953 a small kitchen
was added to the back and two rooms (now the pastor's study and church office) have been added
to the front where the front porch used to be.
The kitchen and two bathrooms are now where the back porch used to be.
In 1957 an annex was added to the west side, making a social room or
fellowship Hall.
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In 196o a bell was brought over from Roberts Creek School and placed on two posts in front of the church. In 1983 it would be permanently installed in our steeple. The Bell is made by the C.S. Bell Co. and is called a Hillsboro.0 22". It was probably manufactured in the early 1900s. A large parchment was drawn up in commemoration which partially reads, "In the dedication of the church bell, hung in 1960, we honor the memory of those early men who were the builders of the Pine Grove Church." Nearly 90 names of the early church founders are listed on this poster. In 1962 a second annex was added making a nursery, and class rooms, and giving the church building an L shape, and in 1968 a new new front entrance was added where the two sections join. For many years there was a large covered deck across the back. |
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The last part
of 1991 a double wide mobile home was moved on the property as a parsonage.
In 2005 Construction of an Amphitheater under the "Pine Grove on the Deer
Creek" was begin. In 2008 a large multipurpose building was
constucted with large new bathrooms and a large kitchen. Bill watkins and
Jim Cagle supervised the project. They were able to build the new building
at 1/2 to 1/3 the cost! When we finally completed the building we had a
few hundred dollars left in the building fund!
SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Mr. O. C. Brown
Mrs. Hattie Ingram
Mrs. Vera Banning
Mrs. Cora Collison
Mrs. Idella Kincaid
Mrs. Harry Hatfield
Mrs. Bessie Campbell
Mrs. Bessie Newby
Mrs. Vannie Jack
Mrs. Ruby Wadsworth
Mrs.
Freda Karcher
Yearbook from First Baptist - Roseburg
The Umpqua Trapper - Roseburg Historical Society
Diary of Milton Wright
"Beside the beautiful Willamette"
Randy Neuman - United Brethren Historian
Raymond Mars - "Back Home"
United Brethren History - http://www.ub.org/about/history.html
Note
on Camp Meetings from Elizabeth Courier 1863 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~orbenton/wpa/IntervC.html