Pine Grove History

Pine Grove United Methodist Church grew out of Piney Grove Sunday School. A small group interested in the spiritual growth of the community began meeting for /Sunday School in the little Piney Grove School (now located in the 4th of July Park in Kernersville). There had been little to no preaching in t he area for years.

In 1878 Rev. John Totten held a revival in a brush arbor by the side of the school house. The people who came sat on benches hewed from logs, but th y heard the gospel gladly.  As a later result, in 1882 the Piney Grove Methodist Protestant Church was organized with Jacob Guyer as Preacher.

R.L. Dwiggins, T.A. Crews, J.L. Motsinger, A.L. Hunter and James Ragland were the first trustees of the church property and their names are recorded on the deed.

Soon a one room framed building was begun, located about 50 feet north of the present church (to the side of the cemetery). Lumber and labor were donated by the people of the community. They were so glad to have a church that they held services in the structure before the interior was completed or furnished. Slabs were used as benches at first. However, a cope of suitable trees was found nearby and side boards were cut and dressed forming the first pews of the church. These remained in use until the destruction of the 1924 structure.

The name Pine Grove from the school in the pines was first used for the “new” church, even though it was nestled among the oaks that were to for years provide acorns with which the children played. However, since 1903, the date of the oldest written church record, the name has been PINE GROVE.

 July 20, 1911 5/8 of an acre was added to the church lot on the south side, and was purchased for $18.75 from D.L. Donnell, executor of the last Will and Testament of J.C. Roberts, deceased. The trustees at this time were R.L. Dwiggins, C.W. Vance, H.S. Barrow, Joseph Dean and J.M. Ragland.

In 1924 a white steepled structure with a small Sunday School room on each side was constructed. At the 4th quarterly Conference, (October 9, 1924), H.G. Ingram, Sunday School Superintendent, reported that attendance at Sunday School was improving with the building of the classrooms. C.L. Spencer was pastor at the time.

Since 1939, when the three branches of Methodism were united, Pine Grove Methodist Protestant came to be known as the Pine Grove Methodist Church. In added ??? when the Methodist church joined with the Methodist Episcopal and United Brethren Church and the church became known as Pine Grove United Methodist Church.

1945-46 under the pastorate of Rev Boyd C. Winn, additional Sunday School rooms were added to each side of the church. Many members of the congregation worked tirelessly with again donated lumber to complete the structure, with special mention of John Watson and Henry Crews who worked faithfully and long until the completion.

In 1962 the current “Educational Building” or Fellowship Hall as it is now known was built on the tobacco money, donation and labors of many of the recently deceased of this church – men women and children. The brink veneer building was dedicated April 8, 1962 and has served the congregation for meals, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Homecomings, meetings and other joyous and heartwarming occasions.

In 1979, the cherished white structure was torn down and the current building was constructed – dedicated in 1982. The current parsonage was built on land formerly owned by Ned C. Ingram, Sr. and completed in 1988.

Many pastors have served faithfully over the years to the congregation of Pine Grove.  Its members have been faithful and loyal to the calling of Christ and to the mandates of John Wesley (founder of Methodism) “to serve and to do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, whenever you can.”  While many of the faithful upon whom this church was built have departed, the spirit of this Christian Community will continue to share the love of God to our fellow man, to preach the Gospel and to strive that every man, woman and child will come to know Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and God as Father.