Robert Baylor Semple dipped his quill into an inkwell and wrote: “This church was stricken off from Hermitage ….” He was referring to Zoar Baptist Church; and in 1810 he devoted one long paragraph to the Middlesex County church in his landmark history of Virginia Baptists.
From Semple's history we learn that Zoar's mother was Hermitage Church (constituted 1789) and its grandmother, Glebe Landing (constituted 1772, when it was dangerous to be a Baptist). In the summer of 1771, three Baptist ministers — John Waller, William Webber and James Greenwood — were imprisoned in the jail at Urbanna simply for preaching the gospel.
Fred Anderson
Semple also shared that Zoar's first pastor, a “sea-faring” man and a farmer named David Corey, had died shortly after the church's beginning. Semple wrote all that is known about the founding pastor: “He did much good, round about in his neighborhood.” It is tribute enough.
Zoar Church is located in the extreme end of Middlesex in the Deltaville community about a mile or so from Stingray Point. It is kissed all about by water — the mighty Rappahannock, the Chesapeake, the Piankatank. It is hugged by watermen, farmers and professional folks. It is one of the most thriving and lively Baptist churches in the area. In 2007 Zoar reported a membership of 361 and missions giving which ranked it at the top of the churches in Mid-Tidewater Baptist Association; but it was not always prosperous.
A decade after its founding, everyone outside the church recommended its disbanding. After all, it effectively had only one member, Thomas Healy. He wouldn't give up. The tiny congregation with its handful of worshippers wouldn't give up.
Healy made contact with a young man who only recently had entered the ministry. George Northam had grown up on the Eastern Shore in a neighborhood known for “nothing but drunkenness and swearing.” His father had died when George was a boy and with no one to guide him, he fell into disreputable company. With his funny stories and musical abilities, he was the life of every party.
Northam played the fiddle at dances. In an age when religionists frowned on frivolity, the fiddle was often seen as the devil's instrument. A strange thing happened. Once the wind blew across the strings and made music on its own. Northam declared that it was the devil at work and threw his prized possession into the fire. From that time forward he became possessed by a spiritual quest. He turned to the Bible. He prepared for the ministry by studying at the Baptist school called Columbian College in Washington; and upon completion, he took pastoral charge of little Zoar. It was the beginning of better days for Northam who became a noted minister, giving 27 years to the development of Zoar. And his pastorate signaled better days for Zoar which experienced revivals and growth.
The church's location changed more than once in its first 70 years; and in 1879 the old meeting house was moved to the present location closer to Deltaville. In 1891 a new church house was erected.
Like many country churches, Zoar had a string of short pastorates. Three pastors made significant contributions: Robert A. Folkes, Henry Lee Corr and Patrick Henry Clements. In an age when pastors had several churches “on a field,” all three of these men made a lasting impression across a wide swath of Tidewater Virginia.
When Clements arrived in October 1928, he found Zoar to be a challenge. There were 10 Sunday school classes meeting in one room. A parsonage fund was started and the new pastor found a wife within the membership, Naomi Jackson. One of her kinfolks, Emma Jackson, quietly gave the seed money towards a building fund. A balcony helped enlarge the seating and folding doors divided the educational space. A choir loft was added and an addition was added for the children. Old theatre seats were replaced by oak pews.
“My very first impression,” Clements once recalled, “led me to believe that nothing short of a two-year program would place the church on an adequate working basis.” Zoar operated on “the annual call” basis; and after two annual calls to Clements, the church was so pleased that they extended “an indefinite call.”
In the 1950s another new church house was erected during the pastorate of I. Ray Baker. Today the complex of buildings includes a large fellowship hall and educational building dedicated in 2004.
Zoar is known in the larger community for its beach ministry. The church owns a tract of land along the Rappahannock where it holds worship services in the summer months.
Zoar also is known for its friendly and progressive people. In 1981 the Zoar Baptists offered use of their church for Catholic mass. In 1993 Janell Johnson, wife of the pastor, was ordained and licensed at Zoar. In 1996 a woman, Mary Sealey, was elected chairperson of the deacons. Many people across Virginia know about Zoar because in 1993 Walter A. Harrow, Jr., a son of Zoar, served as president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. He always spoke with pride about his church and its people.
For the 200th anniversary service held on Sunday, Nov. 16, Mark Johnson, pastor from 1992-2000, returned to preach. A message also was given by John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. The fellowship hall was decorated for the occasion and “dinner on the grounds” was served indoors. It was a great day for the church that wouldn't give up.
Fred Anderson is executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies. He may be contacted at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 34, University of Richmond, VA 23173.