About Us

In the Book of Acts 2:42, we read that the early followers of Jesus …devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

At Hermitage Church today, these activities of the early church are at the core of our community. We are nurtured in our community through the teaching of the scriptures, our fellowship, nurture and support of one another, breaking bread at fellowship meals and at the Lord’s supper, and many forms of prayer (silent, spoken, and praying with our hands).

We know that walking into a new church can be intimidating, depending on your previous church experience. If you are considering attending one of our worship gatherings, we pray that you would take the vulnerable step and come check us out!

9:30 AM Worship: On a Sunday morning you might see some people in a suit and tie, others in a t-shirt and shorts, and a lot of in-between. We believe that God doesn't expect us to dress up before to come to Him and His church; so we say, come as you are. Our Worship Services usually last around 50 minutes and include worship through music, reading of the Scripture, a sermon - or message - centered on God's Word, prayer, and communion once a month. Our organist may start before 9:45 so if the music (or anything else) has begun, please come in anyway!

11:00 AM Sunday School: We welcome people of all ages to join us for learning, interaction, and fellowship. (Sunday School does not meet during the Summer months.)

After worship, people tend to hang out and visit. We call that "fellowship."

Special Sunday morning events:

1st Sunday of the month: Every monoth, we celebrate those who have birthdays that month with a Birthday Blessings Celebration. Cake and other refreshments are served.

2nd Sunday: We have an all-church hot breakfast at 8:30 am. It's a great opportunity to get to know everyone. We take a break over the summer and sometimes when we have other community meals planned; so call us to be sure breakfast is "on" in any particular month.

Hermitage Presbyterian Church

The eighteenth-century settlers who homesteaded in the Shenandoah Valley were a diverse group called, Scotch-Irish. Thomas Jefferson called them, those wild-Irish. In reality, these settlers were a mixture of Border and Lowland Scot, Highland Clansman, Border English and Anglo-Irishman, Welchman, Londoner, and French Huguenot. They had a reputation for keeping the Sabbath and everything else they could lay their hands on.*

These Scots-Irish were Presbyterian who demanded an educated-clergy, good schools, and frugality. The schools they produced included Princeton, Davidson, Mary Baldwin, and Hampden-Sydney. Their frugality gave them the ability to look at a field and calculate its potential yield of whiskey- down to the last pint.*

Tinkling Springs (Presbyterian Church) congregation established a center at Hermitage in 1871. The church shared a minister with Tinkling Spring. In 1877 Sunday School was established at the Hermitage Chapel. The Chapel referred to as the Union Chapel at Hermitage was located two hundred yards from the present Church. In 1880, two acres were donated to the Chapel. In 1981, the cemetery plot at the back of the property was added. It is believed the the construction of the Church was begun in 1885 and finished sometime in 1887. Hermitage remained a part of Tinkling Springs Church until May of 1916. There were forty-seven charter members of the church and Sunday School had an enrollment of 162.*** In 1962, Hermitage began calling their own pastors.**

Today, this early focus on good schools and frugality continue to be a strong current in the life of Hermitage Church. The emphasis for good schools has translated into a strong program of religious education for both children and adults. Frugality now has less to do with distilling and more to do with a faithful stewardship that reaches out to a broken world. Locally, members of Hermitage are involved in ministries of feeding the hungry, provided shelter for the homeless, and refugee ministry. Globally, members can be found in Guatemala, Mexico, and South Africa sharing gifts of the Spirit.

Hermitage Church is a caring family church that finds joy in worshiping, fellowship, education and mission. You are invited to come and experience this loving and hopeful community of faith.

*Sanders II, I. Taylor, Now Let the Gospel Trumpet Blow, Lexington, VA, The News-Gazette Printing Dept, 1986. Sanders quotes extensively from Leyburn, James G., The Scotch-Irish, Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 1962.

** Shenandoah Presbytery: A Heritage of Service, Staunton, VA., Lot’s Wife Publishing, 2012.

***The Tinkling Spring, by Howard McKnight Wilson, 1954

Life At Hermitage