Flint Hill Methodist Church

Flint Hill Methodist Church

The Flint Hill Methodist Church was organized about 1832, and the building constructed in 1847. The Virginia Gazetteer of 1835 mentioned the fact that there was “1 house of public worship free for all denominations.” Originally there was a Masonic Lodge Chapel on the upper floor, but this was ruined when it was necessary to replace the supporting posts in the sanctuary.

During the Civil War, it is said that local people hid their meats upstairs to keep them from being confiscated by Yankee soldiers who were in the area. When salt from these meats seeped through the floor into the plaster it disintegrated and Mr. Joseph Reid installed decorative tin on the walls and ceiling to cover the old plaster. In 1943 this tin was taken off and replaced with plaster. This project was financed by money raised by the late Mrs. H.S. Barksdale at a big dinner held at the old Ricketts Hotel in Flint Hill. After the church was completely made over inside and new windows installed, a dedication service was held on December 5, 1943.

In 1950 a new front was put onto the building to accommodate five Sunday School rooms.

From time to time the property has been added to so that now there is a large cemetery at the rear of the building, in addition to ample grounds on either side.

The church is made up primarily of adults, a few teenagers, only a few children, but the few who participate take part in the service by serving as acolytes, has an adult discussion group after church. United Methodist Women’s group meet and focus on missions. The worship attendance is 8:45 a. m., Bible study at 10 a.m. on Wednesday mornings, Holy communion the first Sunday of the month. Have a choir, wifi host a Vacation Bible School this summer.

Willis Chapel United Methodist Church

Willis Chapel, a small United Methodist Church at the foot of the mountains on the highway between Front Royal and Flint Hill, has a history surrounded by memories of the Civil War. Tbday it is known as “Willis Memorial,” with a marker on State Route 522.

This chapel was built in memory of the Reverend Albert G. Willis on the place where he volunteered to give up his life, October 14, 1864, for a fellow soldier, one of the famous Mosby Rangers.

A family oriented congregation. Sunday School at 8:45 a.m. Worship service at 9:55 a.m. Bible study at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Holy communion the first Sunday of the month. The Reager School House next door to the chinch is used for dinners and fellowship. The church will host a Vacation Bible School this summer.

Communities of believers

All three churches are communities of believers under the Lordship of Christ and their personal experience of faith is nourished by the worshiping community. They affirm core Christian Doctrines such as the Doctrine of the TVinity, salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as savior, the reign of God as a present and future reality, the oneness of the Church in Christ. As United Methodists they acknowledge the primacy of scripture and they attempt to grasp its meaning through the tradition of the church, personal experience, and the ability to reason for themselves. They believe that God’s grace is available fqr all,