Donnel's Creek Church

(1809?-)

Brethren at Work Jan. 17, 1878 p 7 Vol. III No. 4

Dear Brethren. –

  This church was organized somewhere between the years 1805 and 1810: brother John Garber having the over-sight.  Bro. John Garber died in the year 1813 or 1814.  In the Fall of 1814 brother Christian Frantz moved from Botetourt Co., Va., and took the oversight of the church, he being at that time sixty-three years of age.  The church increasing in numbers, by members moving from the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, also several families from Franklin and Roanoke counties.

  Sixty-one years ago there were about thirty-five members, one minister and two deacons.  From the best information we can get, there have been eleven ministers, and twenty-one deacons elected in this church, and out of this number, one speaker and three deacons have moved out into other districts;  this list does not include officials who have moved here from other districts.

  Our membership at present number about 275, out of this number thirty-five or forty live in Green and Madison counties.  Our minister are alive to the work allotted them, filling appointments in Green and Madison counties.  Several different places of meeting in our county.  Then number of official brethren at present is seven speaks and seven deacons.  The officers are all exemplary brethren, which is worthy of note; this being the case, we fell by the help of God, that the doctrine of the brethren will still be maintained among us in the future as in the past; notwithstanding the church has passed through adversities more or less at times.

  Our old fathers of Israel have labored much to keep the body in the general order of the brotherhood, and we feel to rejoice that their labors have not been in vain in the Lord.  Many brethren and sisters have fallen asleep in Jesus.  The number of deaths in this district the past sixty-one years, has been a few over one hundred and forty.   D. B. Hart.  Jan. 3, 1878