We welcome you as a visitor to our church. It is our prayer that you draw near to God while you are here!

You will find that this church has a brief but very charming history. We were organized as a congregation on October 31, 1897. The church is named in honor of the Rev. Dr. Dinwiddie, a Presbyterian evangelist, who made it his life's work to organize churches during Virginia's early years. Dr. Dinwiddie was one of a number of Presbyterian pioneers in education as well as Christianity in Virginia.

Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church did not begin in the present building. The church began outside under a pine grove in what was then known as the Cook Community in Carroll County, Virginia. A small group of Christians gathered every Sunday on benches under the pines to worship God. They were guided by their first preachers: Dr. George Gilmer, Dr. Riff, and Mr. Jake Lindsey. This pine grove was located where the picnic shelter (to the left of the church) now stands. The members came from Hillsville, Sylvatus, and all over the Pine Creek area of the county. They had no musical instruments, but their singing was still said to be more beautiful than any organ music. Sometime after the church was organized, Mr. Steve Mitchell bought a small organ which was brought to the pine grove every Sunday morning for the worship services.

The people decided to build a combination church and schoolhouse around the turn of the century. The early congregation which Dr. Dinwiddie brought together in 1896 represented three denominations: Methodist, Christian (Disciples), and Presbyterians. When the first building was destroyed by fire, another building was erected on the same location. Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church struggled to survive in those first years, and was often without a pastor. But God provides.

 

The Rev. Robert W. Childress came to Dinwiddie in March of 1946. The offering that was received on the first Sunday Mr. Childress preached was offered to him for his services.  It was a grand total of $5.60.  Mr. Childress suggested, "Take this and start a building fund for a church." Small though it was, it grew with the encouragement of Mr. Childress. Our current building is the result of his leadership, as well as some sacrificial giving by many members of this church and of the community. Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church is one of six stone churches that Mr. Childress built. The people of this church and the building itself were his pride and joy.

Construction of the sanctuary was completed, and the dedication was held on September 6, 1953. Plans were made and construction began on three additional Sunday School rooms in the fall of 1956. The church then built the manse (a home for the pastor) on the old schoolhouse lot across the road in 1958. The land was purchased from the Carroll County School Board in October, 1953.

This church has grown over the years. We offer an exciting ministry that includes Sunday worship service, Sunday School for all ages, monthly women's meetings, and special services at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our worship service begins at 11:15 every Sunday morning.  All are invited to attend.   We have accomplished a great deal by the grace of God.

Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church stands under the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

 

 

To describe our form of church government, we are Presbyterian. This comes from the Greek word presbuteros which means "elder".  Our form of government is representative. The local congregation elects members who exhibit Christian maturity and wisdom (see I Timothy 3:1-7) to rule as elders over the local church. The elder shares ordained office in the church, that of spiritual overseer, with the minister (who is known as the teaching elder). Presbyterian government expresses itself in a hierarchy of church courts that serve the local, regional, and national levels.

To describe our system of belief, we are Reformed. We have our roots in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century. Our Reformed branch was developed under the French reformer and scholar John Calvin (1509-1564) in Geneva, Switzerland. Scottish reformer, John Knox, brought Reformed Christianity from Geneva to Scotland in 1559. It was from Scotland that the Presbyterian Church made its way to the New World. Presbyterianism was very prevalent in early America. Fourteen signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians, including clergyman John Witherspoon. With other Protestant bodies, we hold to the following hallmarks of the Reformation:

Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. The Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired word of God. It is the complete revelation from God of what is necessary for salvation. A Christian's conscience cannot be bound by the opinions of men or of human cultures but only by the word of God. The Bible is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

Sola Gratia: Grace alone. God's redemption in Jesus Christ is not based on any merit on our part but solely on His grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:8-10). The Bible teaches that we cannot resist God's grace. Saving grace is the work of the Holy Spirit in which He draws us to rebirth and eternal life at the hearing of the Gospel.

Sola Fide: Faith alone. God's grace is revealed only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ our Lord, fully God and fully man, yet without sin. Faith is expressed by trusting Jesus Christ and His perfect work on our behalf by His death on the cross and by His bodily resurrection from the grave. At the cross Jesus made complete atonement for all of our sin and rebellion against God and each other, and by His bodily resurrection from the grave He conquered the power of sin and death for us. Only by faith in Jesus Christ is our sin forgiven and we are declared God's adopted children (John 1:12-13; Romans 10:9-11).

We Presbyterians are Confessional in the expression of our beliefs. We believe that the Bible, illumined by the Holy Spirit, is clear and objective in revealing God's counsel and His plan of redemption to us. Therefore we adhere to a series of historic creeds and confessions which express "who is God" and "what duty God requires of man". At all times these creeds and confessions are subordinate to the Scriptures. With other Christians, we confess these following truths:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10:00-11:00 a.m.  Classes for all ages are provided each Sunday.

 

11:15 a.m. each Sunday morning.  Food drive each second Sunday benefits the local Food Pantry.

 

Available during Sunday morning worship and special services.

 

Bible Study
Held each Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. Provides a time for members to gather together for study of the Word.

 

Presbyterian Women
A women's group for all ages that meets once a month for Bible Study, for planning church activities, and for packaging Backpack Buddies for two schools.

 

the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Greetings from Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church. We are a small but growing congregation nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Hillsville, Virginia. Our members are strong in their devotion to our Lord, ready in their testimony to His constant grace and mercy in their lives, humble in His blessings, and welcoming to all. We invite you to come worship with us on any Sunday when you're nearby. Or come be a part of our many activities throughout the week. We pray Christ's rich blessings on you and those whom you love.

Yours in Christ,