The Old Greenbrier Baptist Church had its birth with the Nation. Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown October 19, 1781. Thirty-six days later, "Elder" John Alderson organized the Greenbrier Baptist Church, November 24, 1781. Since then dozens of writers and historians have eulogized "Elder John" and the church. Probably the most nearly accurate history is that written by his son, Joseph Alderson, in 1842 for the Greenbrier Baptist Association of which he was Moderator. At a meeting of the Association September 8 and 9, 1842, the Greenbrier Church was represented by Joseph Alderson, Lewis A. Alderson, and George Smithson. Joseph Alderson was requested to write the history. Years later, this history was reprinted in the Beckley Post-Herald of December 30, 1947. Joseph Alderson’s history, the Minutes of the Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, and other sources, are used for this sketch.

"Elder John" Alderson was pastor of the Linville Creek Church, Rockingham County, Virginia. The reason John Alderson was called "Elder" instead of Reverend was not because of his age. Under British colonial rule a minister could be called Reverend only if he served as pastor of the Established Church. So John Alderson was called "Elder" by custom.

Between 1773 and 1777 Elder John Alderson visited the Greenbrier area and baptized three people, two of whom were John Griffith and a Mrs. Keeny. Early in 1777 he started with his family for Greenbrier to establish a home but when he arrived at Jackson's River he heard Indians had attacked the Graham home killing one. (This is the log house at Lowell near the highway.) He remained at Jackson’s River for two or three months, and finally arrived at Jarrett’s Fort at the mouth of Wolf Creek in October 1777.

"Elder" John acquired 400 acres of land on the south side of the Greenbrier consisting of all of what is now the Monroe side of the Town of Alderson. He built a house on the south side of the river just west of the present Alderson Hotel. His brother-in-law, William Morris, owned 525 acres across the river.

Elder John Alderson began his ministry and preached in the various forts. By November 24, 1781, he had gathered a small band of believers and the Greenbrier Baptist Church was founded. Twelve charter members were his flock: John Alderson, pastor, Mary Carroll Alderson (his wife), Thomas Alderson (his brother), John Kippers, John Sheppard, John Skaggs, Katherine Skaggs, Joseph Skaggs, Lucy Skaggs, Bailey Wood, Ann Wood, and James Wood. The Skaggs family came from Wolf Creek about six miles south of the church. Their descendants are still prominent in Alderson. Who Kippers, Sheppard, and the three Woods were, is not known.

Some of those first members lived as far as twenty miles from the church and Elder John, with other members, held church meetings in other places such as Second Creek Gap, Big Levels above Lewis- burg, and on New River.

On July 25, 1783, the first baptism was conducted on Greenbrier River, and four members were baptized on New River August 8, 1785. The membership was growing but scattered. In addition to the three places mentioned where meetings were held, other members lived on Indian Creek, and one member, a Mr. Burr, lived on Spring Creek thirty miles away.

In June 1783 it was decided by Elder John and his followers that a church should be built and the next year on July 4, 1784, the first meeting was held in the rude log structure. The first church, located on the site of the present church, was 25 by 17 feet with a chimney in the middle. It was known as Greenbrier Meeting House.

The church was across the river from where Elder John lived, on an acre of land belonging to William Morris, who gave it (with no deed) for a house of public worship and public burial ground. Evidently, before the Greenbrier Baptist Church was organized, the small group had been meeting but considered themselves a branch of the Linville Creek Church. Thus started the first church in what is now southern West Virginia. Unlike eastern Virginia there were no restrictions on religions or denominations in the Greenbrier area, and Baptists were not harassed. In 1782 Greenbrier Baptist Church joined the Ketockton Association. Between 1785 and 1794, twenty- four members were added to the church rolls.

The old graveyard back of the church was first designated a burial ground May 24, 1783. As said before, William Morris gave the acre of land, but no one bothered about a deed. It was not until October 22, 1825, that Joseph Alderson, who had bought nearly all the land now North Alderson, gave the land by a formal deed to the church. It is not known whose were the earliest burials in the cemetery. Some of the oldest grave stones are gone, some are not legible. The oldest person with a legible stone is Jonathan Newman who was born December 25, 1730. He was a Revolutionary War veteran. Near his grave is that of the old religious patriarch, Elder John, who was born March 5, 1738, and died March 3, 1821, and Mary Carroll Alderson his wife, 1739-1805. One gets a real feeling of early Alderson history by visiting the old, old cemetery.

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The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008