ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
     It is no small task to put together a church history especially one as long as Piney
Ridge's.  I'd like to thank the many people who contributed information for this church history.
Wilson and Florence Baldwin remembered many details and were super on names.  They provided the
skeleton on which to build the history.  Merle Tolley contributed dates and gave me documents to
read.  She remembered many stories about the church.  Edna Arrington told me stories about the
early days of the church that were told to her by Mary Sizemore.  She loaned me a copy of a
church history to use as a guide.  Bobbie Lewis talked quite often about the days in the old
church building and the things that she remembered from the early days of Piney Ridge.  She also
described the church to me as to its physical appearance.  Edith Tolley contributed rolls and
information in abundance.  Lastly, I'd like to thank Reverend Mills for providing a book on the
history of the Methodist Church and for helping me proof read the finished product.  Thanks to
you one and all!  I could not have written a church history without your help.
     Lastly, I'd like to say that I know that information may be incomplete, incorrect, or just
plain left out.  If any person finds an error, please let me know.  I promise to correct it in
the next printing of this church history.  I apologize to anyone that has been slighted and
assure you that it was totally unintentionally done.  Mistakes do happen!
              Victor L. Meadows
              (804) 248-5316

HISTORY OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

     The Methodist Church traces its beginnings to John Wesley, an Anglican (Church of England)
minister of the 1700's.  It developed out of an attempt to reform the Church of England which was
in turmoil and unstable at the time.  The term Methodist first appeared in 1729 when students at
Oxford University observed John and Charles Wesley holding meetings with the Holy Club, a
religious club at the university.  The club members used strict, methodical approaches to their
religious lives and other students began to refer to them as "methodists".  John Wesley and his
brother Charles had tried to bring "method" to the practices of the Church of England.  He had no
intention of forming a separate denomination at that time.
     Wesley organized preachers into a Methodist Conference in 1744.  He stressed the use of lay
speakers (unordained preachers).  He also stressed strict discipline.  It had become obvious that
John Wesley and his followers could not continue within the bounds of the Church of England
because he and his followers were not welcome in the Anglican churches due to his vigorous
preaching and emphasis on strict discipline.  A new Protestant denomination was formed in
England.
     One of the first acts of the new Methodist Church was to send preachers to the colonies. 
Two preachers sent to the colonies (United States) would later become the first American
Methodist bishops.  They were Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke.  Francis Asbury came to America in
1771.  He was made a bishop in 1784.  (Note:  It was documented that he visited Prospect
Methodist Church in 1805.)
     In 1784 a group of about 60 ministers met in Baltimore, MD and formed the Methodist
Episcopal Church.  The denomination began to spread rapidly and used "circuit riders" to carry
the message far and wide.
     In 1828 a group that had wanted more lay representation in the Methodist Episcopal Church
split and formed the Methodist Protestant Church.  Like the Methodist Church in England, this
group did not have bishops.
     In 1845 the Methodist Church split, as did most of the other religious groups of the U.S. 
The division was caused by the disagreement over slavery and constitutional rights of the states. 
In 1844 a Plan of Separation was drawn up.  In 1845 fourteen Southern conferences met at
Louisville, Kentucky and organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  The Methodist Church
split into The Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Episcopal Church, South.  This
division remained until May 10, 1939 when at Kansas City, Missouri The Methodist Episcopal
Church; The Methodist Protestant Church; and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South reunited to
form The Methodist Church.  Today there are over 15 denominations of the Methodist Church.  The
largest body of Methodists is the United Methodist Church.  This denomination was formed in 1968
when The Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

NOTE: Other denominations of the Methodist Church include the following:
      1. United Methodist Church (1968)
      2. African Methodist Episcopal Church
      3. African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
      4. Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
      5. Free Methodist Church of North America
      6. Wesleyan Church


A HISTORY OF PINEY RIDGE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
      The following story is an attempt to piece together a history of Piney Ridge United
Methodist Church.  Very few documents exist and those records that can be found only give bits
and pieces of information.  I have tried to fill in the gaps with a story of the importance of
churches in the lives of our ancestors.
     Unlike today, the church was the center of most family activities during the 18th and 19th
centuries.  It was a place to gather and discuss news, hold social events, eat meals, and to
socialize with fellow Christians.  Piney Ridge Church was no exception.  We can only guess at the
topics of discussion that may have taken place at Piney because of the split between the Northern
states and the Southern states.  We can imagine the excitement of the weddings and christenings
that took place in the church.  We can sympathize with those that parted with deceased loved ones
at the many funerals that were held.  Other events such as, revivals, homecomings, choir
practices, board meetings, sermons, guest speakers, etc. created an air of excitement and
anticipation that we can still sense today.
     The first record of Piney Ridge Church is found in a document called "Minutes of Quarterly
Conference (Appomattox Charge, Lynchburg District) of the Virginia Conference of the Methodist
Church (1880-1883)".  In this record Piney Ridge is mentioned as having been an active church in
1861-1873.  Also, Mrs. Willie Cawthorne & (unreadable name) are listed as representing the church
in 1868 at the conference.  It is noted that Piney Ridge paid $10.75 for support of the ministry
in 1880-1881.  It is also in this year that one finds this quote:  "We have been working on Piney
Ridge and hope to finish the ceiling soon."  This indicates that construction was being done on
the church.  Whether this is the "Old" Piney Ridge Church (that many of us remember) or not, we
do not know.  There could have been an older building than the one that many of us remember.  It
is important to note that Piney Ridge is called "Methodist Episcopal Church, South" indicating
that it had split with the northern Methodist Episcopal Church.
     Attempts to find other documents or records have yielded nothing as of the printing of this
church history.  One must assume that there have been two Piney Ridge Church buildings.  The Old
Church was replaced by a new building in 1953.  The land for the old church had been donated by
James Nathaniel and Mary Paulette Richardson some time before 1892.  The deed was destroyed in
the fire at the Appomattox County Clerk's office in 1892.  Another deed was obtained by Trustees
(Callie L. Tolley, Z. Vance Harvey, and O. E. Peterson) on September 26, 1926 to replace the one
destroyed by fire.  Jim Richardson also donated land near Doctor Connie Tolley's grave in the
present cemetery at a later time.  
     In front of the old Piney Ridge Church building stood an old oak tree.  People stood under
the tree and talked before entering the church on Sunday morning.  The tree also provided shade
when people came out after church.  There was no rush to leave, but instead people caught up on
the latest news of the community.  To enter the church building one had to climb a set of
concrete steps up to the front door.  These steps are now used at Hattie Richardson's home.  The
old church building was a one room sanctuary consisting of a curved communion railing in the
front of the church with one aisle leading from the front door to the altar.  The pulpit, having
been restored by Edith Tolley, now stands in the vestibule of the new Piney Ridge Church.  There
was a church choir which sang hymns accompanied by an old pump organ.  Mary Baldwin played the
organ for all occasions.  There was also a pot-bellied stove to the side of the church to heat
the church in winter.  Sunday School classes consisted of a Primary class taught by Mary Baldwin
(2 pews in front near the pulpit); the Young People's class taught by Mrs. Pitenger (spelling?); 
the Women's Class taught by Mrs. Comer Baldwin; and the Men's Class taught by Mr. Callie Tolley. 
All classes were held in the one room church building.  There were other Sunday School teachers
prior to these, but I have been unable to find their names.  Mrs. Hattie Baldwin Meadows taught
the Young People's class for many years and later her daughter, Mary Meadows Sizemore took over
the class.
     An outdoor toilet stood to the rear and in the woods from the main church building.  Also,
outside the church a nest of honey bees made their home in the chimney.  Many times Clarence
Tolley and Charlie Green collected the honey.
     Some of the Sunday School Superintendents of the past include:
(old church) Mr. Callie Tolley, Mr. Charlie Taylor, Mr. Charles Dickerson, Mr. Willie Tolley, Mr.
Bennett Meadows, Mr. Lester Bucknam, Mr. Wilson Baldwin; (new church) Mr. Wilson Baldwin, Mr.
Melvin Arrington, Mr. Thomas Ranson, Mr. Mark Hipps, Mr. Henry Richardson, Miss Joyce Tolley, Mr.
David Richardson, Mr. Weldon Covington, and Mr. Alan King.  
     Land to be used for a cemetery was added to Piney Ridge on August 4, 1939.  The cemetery
land was donated to Piney Ridge Church by Mrs. M.