2026-04-21T11:38:39-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories http://shenandoahstories.org 2016-06-07T16:42:30-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/110 Shenandoah County Library The congregation St. John’s United Church of Christ was formed on October 6th, 1849 at the Hudson’s Crossroad community. This church, originally aligned with the German Reformed denomination, met in the area’s schoolhouse along with the older Lutheran congregation. During the 1850s conflict between these two churches flared. Members of the Lutheran congregation expressed disaffection over sharing their house of worship with another congregation. Therefore, members of the Reformed Church decided to build their own church. That building was built on land donated by Benjamin Hudson. It was completed in 1852. Approximately 120 people pledged to provide support to the building fund during the dedication service. St. John’s was determined to ensure the moral compass of the community was attune to the church’s standards. During the late 19th century, the church records indicate several individuals were brought before the church consistory on charges on various charges. While the ruling of the church had no legal weight, the social implications of being convicted meant the individuals involved were often forced to leave the area. The adjacent Hudsons Crossroads Community Cemetery began as St. John’s Cemetery when the church was founded. Some of the earliest graves here date to the 1850s. A Ladies Aid Society was formed in 1931. It hosted social events for the church and community to raise money for charity. These events were often the center of community life. They often worked alongside their sister organization at the Lutheran Church. As the 21st century dawned, the members of St. John’s realized they could no longer support a church due to dwindling membership. So they decided to close and the building was donated to the Lutheran Congregation who today rents it to the Crossroads Bible Baptist Church, a nondenominational congregation. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2016-06-07T16:19:00-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/109 Shenandoah County Library St. James Lutheran Church can trace its history to 1842, when Lutheran, Reformed, and Methodist worshipers in the area met at a log church at Hudson’s Crossroads. Over the next four decades each of these congregations were able to acquire their own church building. In 1884 the Lutherans, who had taken possession of the original church demolished it and built a new building which is still in use. The Church played a major part in the community from the time it was founded. Its Men’s Group, Women’s Group, and Youth Group were the major sponsors of local events and socials. Dinners and homecomings were major events that drew hundreds of people from around the area. Today, the Lutheran Church continues to support the community by maintaining the former St. John’s UCC building and the former school building. For more (including 3 images), view the original article.