We believe that Jesus established His church on the day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2. While we honor and recognize the universal church consisting of every believer in Jesus Christ; we also honor and recognize our local congregation’s history within the universal church. The account below provides a brief history of the Peebles Church of Christ.
In the last few years of the 18th century there was great religious unrest among the pioneers; while traveling west into new and sometimes hostile country. Pioneer church congregations were often small in number lasting only momentarily until the next expansion to the west. In 1790, under the direction of Daniel Boone, a group of Presbyterians from North Carolina led by Robert Finley, a Presbyterian minister, settled at Cain Ridge, Kentucky in Bourbon County. Shortly after settling, in 1791 the group built a meeting house which was used for church services. Barton W. Stone, a Presbyterian minister who did not accept all the teachings of the Presbyterian church in that day, ministered to the group in Bourbon County. In 1805, many of the settlers in Bourbon County traveled north and settled on Eagle Creek in Brown County, Ohio.
In 1807, the settlers purchased land and moved to in Meigs Township in Adams County Ohio. They met in their cabin homes and in the groves for church services. They were frequently visited by Barton Stone, Samuel Rogers, and other evangelist who, like Stone, had forsaken denominationalism, but were preaching the Word of God as directed by the Bible. In 1814, the setters accepted Ralph Peterson as their leader and built their first meeting house know as Pleasant Point Church. Pleasant Point would later be called Newport and is presently called Lawshe; the congregation would later move to Seaman, Ohio and be named Countryside Church of Christ.
In 1830, the church harmonized with the teaching of Alexander Campbell and his co-workers on the subjects of: Christian Unity, Baptism, the working of the Holy Spirit, perfection of the Bible as a book of faith and discipline, and weekly Communion. This movement led by Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, and many others is more commonly known as the Restoration Movement. By 1848, the Newport Church of Christ built a new meeting house to accommodate the growing number of members. In 1890, the church again outgrew its meeting house and built another building for services.
While Adams County is one of the oldest counties in Ohio, formed on July 10, 1797, the town of Peebles was not founded until 1881. The village sprang up around a new railroad project that sought to connect Cincinnati to Virginia. Sixteen years later in 1897, a small group of fifty-nine Christians desired to see a Church of Christ in Peebles. The Newport (Lawshe) Church of Christ steadily grew after it’s organization in the early 1800’s, and many of the church members resided close to Peebles. To encourage the Kingdom’s growth a new congregation in the neighboring village of Peebles appeared to be an appropriate course of action. A new congregation of fifty-nine Christians was organized in Peebles. The majority of the group were existing members of the Newport (Lawshe) Church, who transferred their membership to the Peebles congregation, which was closer to their homes. David A. Morrison, a minister raised in the Newport (Lawshe) Church, was included in the group of fifty-nine and played a substantial part in launching the new congregation. To support their brothers and sisters in Christ, the Newport (Lawshe) Church sent their minister Frank Faust to help the new congregation. The group faithfully met at the Peebles Main St. Hall building on the 1st Sunday of the month for a year.
By 1898, through God’s providence and blessing the industrious and generous young congregation finished the construction of the church building they would worship in for the next ninety-four years. The first service at 95 Vine Street in Peebles, was held on Saturday evening June 4th, 1898. The building was dedicated to Christ and Frank Faust gave a scripture lesson from Psalm 90 “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” After the scripture lesson E. V. Zollars, President of Hiram College, preached a message from Acts 1:1-2. Five days later, on June 9, 1898, they agreed upon the name, Peebles Church of Christ.
Over the past one-hundred and twenty-five years fifty-five different ministers have faithfully preached the Word of God at the Peebles Church of Christ. Some part-time, some full-time, some for a long time, and some for a short time. Many different people have ministered at the Peebles Church of Christ, but our prayer has stayed the same: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
God’s blessings continued to empower the small congregation. In 1936, during the Great Depression, the congregation held its first Vacation Bible School. By the 1940's, the congregation had grown significantly, so much so, they were able to hire their first full-time minister, Barton McElroy. The congregation was beginning to outgrow the building in which those first faithful members had built. Once again through God’s providence and blessing the industrious and generous members of the church hand dug a basement and expanded the building. By the 1990’s, the congregation had grown to over two-hundred faithful believers. In 1992, the congregation completed the construction of a new building at 6050 Steam Furnace Road; where the congregation still worships today.
Over the past one-hundred and twenty-five years the Peebles Church of Christ has gathered together on Main Street, Vine Street, and Steam Furnace Road, but our prayer has stayed the same: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
Our history has molded us into who we are today. Through God’s providence and blessing we are a multi-generational church committed to joining with Jesus in the renewal of all things. Our desire is to cultivate an environment where you and your family can grow closer to Jesus and better practice His way.
In the last few years of the 18th century there was great religious unrest among the pioneers; while traveling west into new and sometimes hostile country. Pioneer church congregations were often small in number lasting only momentarily until the next expansion to the west. In 1790, under the direction of Daniel Boone, a group of Presbyterians from North Carolina led by Robert Finley, a Presbyterian minister, settled at Cain Ridge, Kentucky in Bourbon County. Shortly after settling, in 1791 the group built a meeting house which was used for church services. Barton W. Stone, a Presbyterian minister who did not accept all the teachings of the Presbyterian church in that day, ministered to the group in Bourbon County. In 1805, many of the settlers in Bourbon County traveled north and settled on Eagle Creek in Brown County, Ohio.
In 1807, the settlers purchased land and moved to in Meigs Township in Adams County Ohio. They met in their cabin homes and in the groves for church services. They were frequently visited by Barton Stone, Samuel Rogers, and other evangelist who, like Stone, had forsaken denominationalism, but were preaching the Word of God as directed by the Bible. In 1814, the setters accepted Ralph Peterson as their leader and built their first meeting house know as Pleasant Point Church. Pleasant Point would later be called Newport and is presently called Lawshe; the congregation would later move to Seaman, Ohio and be named Countryside Church of Christ.
In 1830, the church harmonized with the teaching of Alexander Campbell and his co-workers on the subjects of: Christian Unity, Baptism, the working of the Holy Spirit, perfection of the Bible as a book of faith and discipline, and weekly Communion. This movement led by Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, and many others is more commonly known as the Restoration Movement. By 1848, the Newport Church of Christ built a new meeting house to accommodate the growing number of members. In 1890, the church again outgrew its meeting house and built another building for services.
While Adams County is one of the oldest counties in Ohio, formed on July 10, 1797, the town of Peebles was not founded until 1881. The village sprang up around a new railroad project that sought to connect Cincinnati to Virginia. Sixteen years later in 1897, a small group of fifty-nine Christians desired to see a Church of Christ in Peebles. The Newport (Lawshe) Church of Christ steadily grew after it’s organization in the early 1800’s, and many of the church members resided close to Peebles. To encourage the Kingdom’s growth a new congregation in the neighboring village of Peebles appeared to be an appropriate course of action. A new congregation of fifty-nine Christians was organized in Peebles. The majority of the group were existing members of the Newport (Lawshe) Church, who transferred their membership to the Peebles congregation, which was closer to their homes. David A. Morrison, a minister raised in the Newport (Lawshe) Church, was included in the group of fifty-nine and played a substantial part in launching the new congregation. To support their brothers and sisters in Christ, the Newport (Lawshe) Church sent their minister Frank Faust to help the new congregation. The group faithfully met at the Peebles Main St. Hall building on the 1st Sunday of the month for a year.
By 1898, through God’s providence and blessing the industrious and generous young congregation finished the construction of the church building they would worship in for the next ninety-four years. The first service at 95 Vine Street in Peebles, was held on Saturday evening June 4th, 1898. The building was dedicated to Christ and Frank Faust gave a scripture lesson from Psalm 90 “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” After the scripture lesson E. V. Zollars, President of Hiram College, preached a message from Acts 1:1-2. Five days later, on June 9, 1898, they agreed upon the name, Peebles Church of Christ.
Over the past one-hundred and twenty-five years fifty-five different ministers have faithfully preached the Word of God at the Peebles Church of Christ. Some part-time, some full-time, some for a long time, and some for a short time. Many different people have ministered at the Peebles Church of Christ, but our prayer has stayed the same: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
God’s blessings continued to empower the small congregation. In 1936, during the Great Depression, the congregation held its first Vacation Bible School. By the 1940's, the congregation had grown significantly, so much so, they were able to hire their first full-time minister, Barton McElroy. The congregation was beginning to outgrow the building in which those first faithful members had built. Once again through God’s providence and blessing the industrious and generous members of the church hand dug a basement and expanded the building. By the 1990’s, the congregation had grown to over two-hundred faithful believers. In 1992, the congregation completed the construction of a new building at 6050 Steam Furnace Road; where the congregation still worships today.
Over the past one-hundred and twenty-five years the Peebles Church of Christ has gathered together on Main Street, Vine Street, and Steam Furnace Road, but our prayer has stayed the same: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
Our history has molded us into who we are today. Through God’s providence and blessing we are a multi-generational church committed to joining with Jesus in the renewal of all things. Our desire is to cultivate an environment where you and your family can grow closer to Jesus and better practice His way.