The records of Walnut Springs congregation have been kept in three separate books. The first book covered the period from about 1808, the year after Thomas Campbell settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania, until March 24, 1820. The second book extends from 1820 until August 22, 1875. The third book which is our present record extends from 1875 until the present time. The first church book seems to be entirely lost, so the only account we have of Walnut Springs congregation prior to March 24, 1820, is a synopsis of the first church book written by Abram Stickley and headed, “Remarks.” I quote those “Remarks” as follows:
“In the year of our Lord 1808 a few persons at Strasburg, Shenandoah County, in the state of Virginia met as members of the Church of Christ, taking the name of Christian and agreeing to have no rule of faith and practice other than the Bible. The first teaching received was a few visits from Jonathan Foster and Joseph Sidebottom, who were formerly Methodists and were not altogether clear of creeds, catechisms, confessions of faith and traditions of men. Their services were acceptable but a short time. About this time Thomas Reeves and Thomas Morris from Eastern Virginia visited the church.
“In the year 1809 Frederick Plummer visited the church and was well received. He was the first who asserted among us and maintained that neither sprinkling nor pouring was the one baptism mentioned in the Scriptures, and though he met with some opposition, many by searching the scriptures were convinced of the truth and were baptized. About the same time William Lamphier of Alexandria visited us and also James Lockhart from old Virginia.
“In 1810 we were visited by John Mavity from Kentucky. He was highly esteemed for his work’s sake.” These names are unfamiliar because these were not preachers of the early Restoration movement, but most of them were ministers in the Old Christian church of Christian connection. Brother Abram Stickley continues, “During this time, our meetings were held at William Smith’s, Zachariah Wilson’s, and Daniel Boehm’s and in Strasburg.
http://www.vagenweb.org/shenandoah/hom/WalnutSpringCh.html
