For about fifteen or twenty years there was an Episcopal Church in Alderson. It was located on Church Street in South Alderson, but never had a large membership. Probably twenty people was the maxi- mum membership. One of the members was Mrs. Agnes Cooke who, with her family, attended there. The church was discontinued about 1911. George W. Easter was possibly the first Rector. Others were a Mr. Ferber and a Mr. Merriman who held services during Sunday af- ternoons and came in from Union. Mrs. Sam Pollock was the organist.

In Palestine is located Bethel Chapel of Christian Nation Holiness Church. This church was established more than forty years ago. The original setting of this small white church was a quiet sylvan place of beauty. An automobile junk yard has nearly engulfed the chapel.

There is no recorded history of this church available, but Mrs. Virgie Feamster, one of its first members, furnished information. The church was founded by the Reverend John Harris of Hinton. It had as its first members about ten people in the Palestine community.

The present pastor is the Reverend Kinder of Hinton, who preaches on Sunday afternoons. About four or five families compose the present membership of about ten.

The Shiloh Baptist Church, the oldest colored church in Alder- son, was organized in 1880 with sixteen charter members. The records of this church have been lost or misplaced, and this history is from the best information available.

The first minister was Charles Williams of Staunton, Virginia. Members of the Board of Deacons were Peter Moton, Rube Hill, Henry Brown, Jim Hargrove and Marshall Trice. It is reputed that a member, probably Peter Moton, purchased the lot on Hill Street for $7.00 and gave it to the church. Some of the other ministers in memory of living members were the Reverend C. N. Harris, about 1917; the Reverend Matthew Fairfax who was minister from about 1920·26; the Reverend C. J. Jennings and the Reverend ,....... Smith. The Reverend J. J. Winston became pastor in 1962. Present membership is 49.

Another colored church, Harris Methodist Church, went out of existence about 1955. Its last pastor was a Reverend Allen.

The Great Emmanuel Holiness Church was founded about 1959 in South Alderson. Its founder and present pastor is Sister Alfreda Goforth of Beckley. This church has a small enthusiastic membership.

The Church of God has an active church on the Greenbrier side of the river in the West end of town. This church was established about 1949. Two ministers of the Church of God conducted a revival meeting in Alderson and then organized the church. They were Harry Garrison, who became the first pastor, and Leonard Atkinson, a blind minister from Oak Hill.

In 1953 the church building was erected during the pastorate of L. B. Goodall, now of Caldwell. The Reverend Parker Masters of White Sulphur Springs became pastor April 21, 1963.

Present membership is about thirty. The Sunday School is increasing in size.

Next: Schools

The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008