Tearcoat Calendar
This Week @ Tearcoat
This Month @ Tearcoat
Welcome to Tearcoat Church of the Brethren
About the Church of the Brethren and Tearcoat History
For more information contact the church @ 496-7841 or e-mail
The Church of the Brethren is one of the oldest
Protestant denominations in America. It was founded in 1708, in
Germany, by Alexander Mack. This denomination was know as German
Baptist Brethren, Anabaptist, or Dunkards; from that was formed the
Church of the Brethren. In 1729, Alexander Mack came to America,
settled in the state of Pennsylvania and introduced the Brethren
Doctrine.
The Doctrine of the Brethren is salvation through Jesus Christ. The
Brethren practice the Love Feast and the washing of feet during
communion services, as was practiced by Christ. One is baptized, as an
ordinance, proceeding the saving Grace of God. Baptism is by immersion
into water, forward three times, as in to Christ, representing the
Trinity.
Tearcoat Church was established around 1860 when services were held in
homes and in the Shickle Schoolhouse, and Love Feasts were held in
barns. The church building was built in 1875, after breaking away from
the Beaver Run Church of the Brethren, in Mineral County, which began in
the 1770's or 1780's. The church was built on Tearcoat Creek, Hampshire
County, about one and a half miles east of its present location.
An unconfirmed legend says, the creek is said to have received its name,
when George Washington, a member of the Fairfax Manor Survey Crew in
1748 or 1749, tore his coat while crossing the stream and made a
notation in his diary. When the church building was built along this
creek, the name Tearcoat Church of the Brethren was born.
Due to frequent flooding, the building was disassembled in 1903, the
logs were marked and drug by horses and was rebuilt on its present site
in 1905. Membership is recorded at around 45. For over 60 years the
building went primarily unchanged. There were two entrance doors and
two wood stoves on either side, in front of the church. The church was
lit by oil lamps hanging from the ceiling. At each end of the church,
the seats were elevated. The men sat on one side and the women on the
other side, divided by the middle aisle. The ministers table was on the
level with the congregation. Adults only, were members. Around the
1920's, some husbands and wives wanted to sit together for worship, so
there was a gradual change for the original custom.
Many Sunday School classes were held in the Sanctuary with teachers
trying to compete for their students attention. Baptism was performed
at at pool "just out back of the church", which was filled by an old
hand water pump in the nearby well. The last baptism ceremony was
performed there in 1927 with Sydney Richman Carter being the last person
ever baptized in that pool. Following that, baptisms were done in the
North River, "back behind the barn", located across from A.A. Rogers
Road.
The Love Feast is a very serious and sacred part of our church year.
Until 1966, Love Feast was performed in Sanctuary, where the backs of
the pew folded back, and were secured by a wooden pen and used as
tables. At that time, only adults were allowed to participate and the
children sat quietly in the back of the church and observed. It was
told that there were also many spectators who came and watched, filling
the back of the church. The meal was prepared in the small kitchen
(present day - the room off to the back of the pulpit) on a large wood
cook stove. The beef was cooked in a huge iron kettle. The communion
dishes were handmade of tin and one cup was shared by everyone at each
table. Eventually, the tin was replaced by glass dishes.
In 1966 major changes occurred at Tearcoat, with the addition of the
basement for three Sunday School rooms, a place for Love Feast, and a
new kitchen. A pastor study, baptistery and dressing room were added
to the south end of the building in 1978. A few years later plans were
drawn for the north end of the church, which included for classrooms
upstairs, two rest rooms, and the large vestibule, enclosing the front
steps. The three small basement class room divisions were removed,
leaving a larger social hall. This work was completed in 1982, and in
September of that same year, the steeple was installed. In 1983 the
Sanctuary was remodeled with new padded pews, carpet, ceiling tile and a
new pulpit.
Currently, Tearcoat is enjoying the benefits of the Family Life Center,
our new structure off the wast side of the church. This has enabled
more classroom space, larger rest rooms with showers, a larger kitchen
and large floor space for the use of a social hall or gymnasium.
Currently in the Family Life Center, we have a Wednesday Night program
for youth of all ages, called Promise Land Club.
Many changes have taken place at Tearcoat over the years. Men and women
sit together, electricity, running water and rest rooms became a luxury,
children can become members, the church has been enlarged, a new
facility has been added, the congregation has grown, we still have
original generation families in our congregation, but the word of God
remains the same.
Information taken from the book 'Allegheny Passage', author Emmert F.
Bittinger & from members of the church.
Our Staff
We Do!
Come Join Us!
"Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."
Mark 1:17
