The First Church Plant in Culpeper
I was reading a book on the history of churches in Culpeper. In turns out that the very first settlers in what is now Culpeper county were German Calvinists. There were some 12 families that arrived in 1714. Here is an eyewitness description from John Fontaine—Huguenot diariest—of their "church building" and services.
"This place that is paled in is a pentagon, very regularly laid out, and in the very centre there is a blockhouse made with five sides which answers to the five sides of pales or great enclosure. There is loop holes through it, from which you may see all the inside of the enclosure. This is intended for a retreat for the people in case they were not able to defend the palisades if attacked by Indians. They make use of this Blockhouse for divine service. They go to prayers constantly once a day and have two sermons on Sunday. We went to hear them perform their service, which was done in their own language which we did not understand, but they seem to be very devout and sing Psalms very well." (quoted in Early Church of Culpeper County, Virginia; 3.)
It is an interesting comparison between their church and ours. We stand at about 8 or 9 families now. We want to see a church begun in Culpeper that rests on the sovereignty of God dependent on his grace in Christ. We understand as they did the privilege of speaking to our Lord in prayer and the riches found in the preaching of his Bible. It is a comfort to me to know that our little church plant stands in a long line of church plants who wanted to do just what we want to do—exalt Jesus in Culpeper and see sinners turn to him.
