pastors

DATES	PASTOR	NOTES
	Rev. James Hall	Moderator, General Assembly (home in Bethany, NC)
1807 - 1822	Rev. John Mines	The church had no regular minister until 1807 when John Mines became the pastor. According to the minutes, Mines appeared before the Winchester Presbytery as a licentiate in 1798, 1799, and 1802. So he apparently had amply opportunity to try out his gifts as preacher before being called to Leesburg and Waterford, these two churches being one pastorate until 1872. Some of the duties of the new minister were unpleasant ones of administering discipline to erring members. This was offset by progress and growth, and the joy of baptizing 17 people in one day. Mr. Mines' work in Leesburg came to an end in 1822. In addition to the work in his pastorate, Mines was a commissioner to the General Assembly from Lexington Presbytery in 1805.
1823 - 1824	Rev. Robert H. Chapman	Reverend Robert Chapman was pastor for one year. He is mentioned several times in the Minutes of the General Assembly as an indefatigable worker in the home mission field, sometimes going on a circuit of 700 miles, preaching the gospel wherever he could gather a congregation. Chapman was a commissioner to the General Assembly in Philadelphia in 1820 and is mentioned as Moderator of the Winchester Presbytery in 1826.
1825 - 1826	Rev. Septimus Tustin	Reverend Septimus Tustin was described by one church historian as "a promising young man" but who explained further that "during his ministration (on account of some internal dissensions) the church lost several of its most valuable members and did not recover from the evil effects for several years."
1827 - 1831	[supplied]
1832 - 1834	Rev. John T. Hargrove
1835 - 1837	Rev. Alexander W. Campbell	Formerly minister of the Lovettsville Presbyterian Church, Rev. Campbell held protracted meetings which resulted in several members being added to the church.
1838 - 1840	Rev. A. H. H. Boyd	Rev. A. H. H. Boyd came to Leesburg from Winchester. When the Presbyterian Church divided and formed two assemblies, called the Old School and the New School, the Leesburg church under the influence of Dr. Boyd when into the New School Assembly. He continued in charge of the church until 1840.
1841 - 1843	unknown
1844 - 1849	Rev. A. D. Pollock, D.D.	In 1844, the Reverend A. D. Pollock assumed the pastorate and from that time until 1849, Dr. Pollock rendered faithful service. He endeared himself to the people, became very popular as a preacher, and drew large crowds to hear him.
1849 - 1866	Rev. Henry R. Smith, S.S.	The pastorate of Rev. Henry R. Smith as stated supply covered the years from 1849 to 1866. In April 1853, during Mr. Smith's ministry, the session of th e Leesburg church dismissed eleven members, at their own request, with permission to reorganize the "Catoctin Free Church." With the help of the withdrawing Leesburg members, a brick church was build above Catoctin Creek on Route 9. Rev. Smith's ministry covers the years of the Civil War and the church records are almost blank for this period. It seems entirely possible that Rev. Smith found it his duty to go to the front to minister to the armies around Leesburg.
1867 - 1872	Rev. J. W. Lupton	The Rev. J. W. Lupton was pastor of this church at two separate times. His first pastorate began in 1867. These were years of recovering from the ordeal of war. For the church, they were a period of growth and expansion. When Dr. Lupton arrived, Leesburg was still sharing a pastor with Catoctin. But Dr. Lupton felt each church should have its own pastor and worked to this end. We gather that the severance of the two churches was brought about in a way that was agreeable to both congregations. Another reform introduced by Dr. Lupton: church pledges and the envelope system of giving. Dr. Lupton accepted a call in 1872 from the Presbyterian Church in Clarksville, Tennessee.
1873 - 1881	Rev. John F. Cannon	Married Miss Mary Lupton, daughter of Rev. J. W. Lupton. Assisted in establishing the Ashburn Presbyterian Church in 1876.
1881 - 1884	Rev. James H. Smith	Arrived in 1881 from the Lexington Presbytery; accepted a call in 1884 from the Harrisonburg Presbyterian Church in the Lexington Presbytery.
1885 - 1889	Rev. James R. Bridges	Arrived in 1885 from the Maryland Presbytery
1889 - 1891	Rev. John C. Dinwiddie	Accepted a call in 1891 from the Presbyterian Church in High Point, NC
1892 - 1898	Rev. George L. Bitzer	In his effort to serve the Leesburg church and the missions, Mr. Bitzer preached three times every Sunday.
1898 - 1907	Rev. J. W. Lupton, D.D.	In September 1898, Rev. Lupton returned to the church for his second pastorate which lasted until 1907. It was during his ministry that a young man named Claude C. Myers was taken under the care of presbytery and later graduated from Union Theological Seminary. He spend many fruitful years in guiding others in the way of Christian living. God blessed him in his ministry.
1907 - 1908	[none]
1909 - 1912	Rev. H. M. Moffett	Accepted a call in 1912 from the Presbyterian Church at Charlestown, WV
1912 - 1917	Rev. S. K. Winn, D.D.	Dr. S. K. Winn began five fruitful years as minister in 1912. In 1913, the church had its first contact with an international religious conference. That year, one of the elders of the church, Mr. Charles Janney, attended the Pan-Presbyterian Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1916, the four Leesburg churches united in having Gipsy Smith come to the town for a revival meeting, which resulted in 30 people joining the church - the largest number ever added in one year.
1918 - 1925	Rev. W. J. King, D.D.	The Rev. W. J. King was installed in 1918, to serve as pastor of the Leesburg church and the Ashburn church. Under Dr. King's leadership, the young people's work took on new vitality. Because of his genuine interest in all phases of the church's work, a general upsurge of activity was evident. Benevolent giving increased largely during his pastorate. In 1925, Rev. King accepted a call from the Presbyterian Church at Belle Haven, VA. Rev. King died on July 17th, 1936 in Newport News, VA.
1926 - 1928	Rev. A, Dupay Holladay	The first minister, with his family, to occupy the new manse, built in 1926-1927 was the Reverend Dupay Holladay, a very scholarly and devoted Christian leader. Mr. Holladay remained as pastor for only 18 months, removing to Alderson, West Virginia in July 1928.
1928 - 1941	Rev. J. Shannon Montgomery	Born in Ireland and a Princeton Seminary graduate, Rev. J. Shannon Montgomery's ministry in Leesburg began in 1929. The depression years which followed were difficult everywhere, and this church, with a heavy debt, was no exception. Mr. Montgomery's ministry was marked by his gentle kindness and selfless devotion. His sermons reflected these qualities, buttressed by extensive scholarship. In May 1934, while celebrating the church's 130th anniversary, Mr. Montgomery delivered an historic address, a valued document upon which the author did extensive research. When Mr. Montgomery retired from his active pastorate, the congregation elected him pastor emeritus. Rev. Montgomery died in 1955 and buried in the Union Cemetery (Leesburg).
1942 - 1943	Rev. Cliff R. Johnson	The Rev. Cliff R. Johnson, a native of Georgia, came to us from Union Theological Seminary and was ordained and installed as pastor of ths church on July 5, 1942. During his ministry, three rooms in the manse basement wwere painted and furnished for use of the Sunday school classes and for a place to serve dinner to the Men of the Church. Mr. Johnson and his wife Allie endeared themselves to this congregation during their two year stay with us. Mr. Johnson accepted a call to the Westminster Church in Alexandria, Virginia in 1943. The Rev. Johnson was known as an inspiring speaker who could, as the Alexandria Gazette reported in February 1970, �transfer a message of religious impact and uplift without seeming to give a sermon.� The Rev. Johnson died of a brain tumor in 1970.
1944 - 1947	Rev. Thomas Robert Fulton	Originally supplied as a seminary student from Union Theological Seminary in 1946, Rev. Thomas Fulton became our permanent pastor in 1946. The following January, his son, Thomas Robert Fulton, Jr. became the first baby in our manse in over 35 years. He accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church (Columbia, SC) beginning January 1948.
1948 - 1950	Rev. Monroe Bush, Jr.	Rev. Monroe Bush came to us from First Presbyterian Church of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. IT was during this time that an educational building was built (W. M. Hall and Son, Contractor, $38,400), made possible by the generous bequests from Mr. Robert Harper and Mrs. Otie Hagins Drake. The sanctuary was redecorated and the furnace installed. Furnishings for the educational building were provided by memorials. Mr. Bush resigned as pastor of the church in May 1950 to accept the presidency of the Loudoun Community College. The pulpit was supplied by chaplains of the US Army for the rest of the year.
1951 - 1962	Rev. David C. Crawford, Jr.	On January 28, 1951, a commission from Potomac Presbytery installed the Reverend David C. Crawford, Jr. as minister of the church. Mr. Crawford, his wife, Betty Henderson Crawford, and son Davie III, came to us from the First Presbyterian Church of Wadesboro, NC. A second son, John Bennett, was born to the Crawfords while they were in Leesburg. Rev. Crawford accepted a call in 1962 to the First Presbyterian Church in Martinsburg, WV
1962 - 1964	Dr. John I. Rhea	Dr. John Rhea, Chaplain in the US Army, was interim pastor of the church from September 1962 to August 1964. Dr. Rhea came from his home in Arlington, VA to serve the church on a part-time basis.
1964 - 1975	Rev. Robert Simpson	The Rev. Robert Simpson, his wife, Peggy, and their daughter, Karen, came to us in September of 1964 from the Presbyterian Church of Colonial Heights, VA. During his ministry, a Presbyterian church was organized at Purcellville in 1966, following a survey by a committee from Potomac Presbytery at the suggestion of the Leesburg church. Thirty some members from our congregation transferred to the Purcellville church under the ministry of Rev. David Voss.
1975 - 1976	Rev. Charles Pickell	Interim Pastor Pastor Emeritus of the Ashburn Presbyterian Church in Ashburn, VA. Last known serving as Parish Associate at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville VA.
1975 - 1976	Rev. Sam McCoy	Interim Pastor
1976 - 1999	Rev. Stanley Wherry	Currently serving at the Calvary Presbyterian Church in Wyncote, PA
1999 - 2002	Rev. John Lown	Interim Pastor
2002 - 2006	Rev. Cameron Harkness	Honorable Retirement after serving the Lord for 37 years, relocating to Lewisburg, WV to be with family. Photos from Cameron's retirement celebration can be viewed HERE.
2006 - present	Rev. Diane Hutchins	Interim Pastor



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