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The date of the original building is not known. However, part of the existing building is thought to be from the original building. |
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In the earliest records, dating back to 1772, “Cotton Town” church was a predecessor to the current Mount Hermon Baptist Church. Worship services were held in the homes of members on the last Saturday of the month, led by deacons or someone licensed to preach.
Later, “North Fork of Otter” was constituted in 1787 by the same group of leaders associated with the “Cotton Town” congregation, presumably its successor. Mount Hermon Baptist Church is the current name of this congregation.
The congregation began meeting in Hatcher’s Meeting House, which was erected in 1805 and later moved to another location in 1806.
During the early days, Mount Hermon was home to several great leaders. The “Bedford Plowboys” were two local boys, Daniel Witt and Jeremiah Jeter, who became Virginia’s first State Missionaries. They traveled around all over the state, stopping and helping people in the fields and inviting Baptist Congregations to become part of the newly founded Baptist General Association of Virginia. These two later went on to become very influential in Baptist life. Jeremiah Jeter, a prolific writer, was the editor of the Religious Herald, the religious journal of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, from 1865-1880. Daniel Witt went on to found several churches in the Richmond area.
The year 1845 was an eventful one. The first stove was bought at a cost of $18.65, mission work began, and the first Sunday School was started. The year 1856 marks the date of the first recorded Revival Meeting.
At times the number of colored members was almost equal to that of the whites. In 1864 a resolution was passed allowing the colored members “to form an independent church, have the right to elect their own pastor and other officers, but amenable to the white church.” In 1866 this membership withdrew and formed “The Otterville Colored Baptist Church”- today “Otterville Baptist Church.”
William E. Hatcher was saved and ordained to ministry at Mount Hermon. In 1869, he was elected as pastor of Mount Hermon at a salary of $250 a year, but he refused. Hatcher went on to pastor several churches in the Richmond area. Becoming very influential in the field of education, he was the President of the Board of Trustees for Richmond College (today University of Richmond.) He later went on to found the Fork Union Military Academy in 1898. He also served as editor for the Religious Herald from 1882-1885.
In 1895 the church voted to send a missionary, Miss Edmonia Sale, to China. Money was collected quite often for this cause.
In 1904 the church voted to buy a cemetery lot, but the project was not completed until two years later. The church purchased two acres of land for $40.00. Lots were sold to families at $6.00, $4.00 and $2.00 according to the grade of the lot.
Records indicate that in 1905 the janitor, Walter Spinner, was paid 75 cents per month.
In 1930, at the 152nd anniversary, an offering of $125.00 was taken to pay off the debt for recent improvements to the church. A new floor had been laid and the church painted inside and out.
One at a time physical changes have come to Mount Hermon: electric lights, stained glass windows, a vestibule, central heat and air conditioning, carpeting and pews with cushions. A basement was dug out from underneath the original building in 1974. With this remodeling project, running water and indoor restrooms were added to the church for the first time. In the 1980s the educational wing was added, increasing the number of classrooms and expanding the fellowship hall downstairs. A baptistery was also added during this construction.
In recent years, Mount Hermon continues to build for the future, with new floors in the basement, new communion ware, and the building of a playground.
We look back with a sense of gratitude and pride at the vision of our forefathers and ask God’s guidance for our continued ministry into the future.
Pastors of Mount Hermon Baptist Church
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3805 Otterville Road Bedford, Virginia 24523 540-586-8306 Organized 1787 |
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1. George Rucker, 1809-1810 2. Enoch W. Terry, 1818-1826 3. Jesse Witt, 1827 4. Jeremiah Hatcher, 1831 5. William Leftwich, 1834 6. Alexander Eubank, 1857 7. J.L. Gwaltney, 1858-1859 8. William Harris, 1863 9. James A Davis, 1870-1874 10. John L. Lawless, 1876-1880 11. F.M. Satterwhite, 1881 12. A. Jusdon Reamy , 1882-1883 13. James A. Davis, 1885-1887 14. Reuben B. Boatwright, 1889-1893 15, James P. Luck, 1894 16. J Paul Essex, 1895 17. Dr. John T. Kincanon, 1897 18. W. B. James, 1898-1901 19. W.T. Henderson, 1902-1907 20. James P. Luck, 1906-1907 21. A.M. Rittenhour, 1908-1909 |
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22. James P. Luck, 1910-1913 23. C. Kelly Hobbs, 1914-1918 24. Penn A. Anthony, 1919 25. Horace L. Wilkerson, 1920-1925 26. Mathias B. Major, 1926-1927 27. Lewis D. Craddock, 1929-1933 28. Frank A. Brumfield, 1935-1948 29. John B. Thurman, 1950-1951 30. Thomas E. Weringo, 1952-1953 31. Eugene Campbell, 1954-1959 32. Bobby C. Buchanan, 1960-1962 33. S. W. Elliot, 1963 34. E.C. Brewer, 1965-1967 35. Carl R. Davis, 1968-1969 36. Nathan C. Napier 1970-1985 37. David Schrock, 1986-1989 38. Dr. Kenneth Bryan, 1991-1999 39. Seaburn Daniel, 2000-2002 40. Rick Kallstrom, 2003-2005 41. Mark Flores, 2005– present |
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Ministers who have gone out from Mount Hermon |
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Daniel Witt Jeremiah B. Jeter William L. Hatcher F.M. Barker C.C. Meador Harvey Hatcher Hiliery Hatcher William E. Hatcher Gus D. Falls Carrie Eliza Owen O.B. Falls Raymond L. Cocke |
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November 8, 1801– February 18,1871 July 18, 1802— February 18,1880 January 31, 1806– November 18, 1882 February 17, 1820– October 14, 1863 July 11, 1925– November 9, 1904 July 16, 1832– January 15, 1905 November 8, 1832– August 20, 1892 July 25, 1834– August 24, 1912 September 4, 1866– July 17, 1889 March 6, 1891– January 18, 1923 July 4, 1877– January 1, 1967 March 9, 1927 |