WHY JONES RUN CHURCH?

The World Council of churches began the Ecumenical Movement in 1948 by American and European religious leaders to unify and promote a better understanding between different religious faiths throughout the world.

However, the movement drifted from Christianity to secular ecumenism. Christianity became secondary to the World Council Association. When asked to consult the Scriptures and seek guidance from the Bible, it was said to be Christian Imperialism to suggest the Bible has
more to say than any other book.

This marriage of religious and revolutionary politics is basically Marxist. Although much money was poured into their coffers, it was handled carelessly and used to destroy more of the work for God’s Kingdom than it helped.

By the years 1967-68 many of the smaller denominations had been taken over by the Methodist Movement on the way to forming a one-world church. This included the demise of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, which had been active on Jones Run since 1877. As the membership outgrew the “Church in the Woods”, they donated money and labor and built the “Red Brick Church”. It was dedicated on August 5, 1955, as the Evangelical United Brethren Church, although no monies had been forthcoming from the conference.

In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged nationwide to form the United Methodist Church. The West Virginia Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church voted not to merge but was overruled. A number of members of the Jones Run Evangelical United Brethren Church did not agree with the Ecumenical Movement. They voted to withdraw their membership and organize an Independent Fundamental Church with Bible emphasis.

The legal assistance of the law firm Louchery and Sinsel was sought to prepare a constitution
and by-laws. The constitution committee consisted of Carl Rogers, Francis Rogers, Herbert
Martin and Nancy (Mrs. Ray) Pigott.

The Constitution was written and the name was chosen. However, when it was discovered that not everyone wanted a new organization, ownership of the building remained with the EUB conference. Our lawyer advised against legal action in an attempt to obtain ownership because it has been dedicated as a EUB Church. It became clear that this was God’s plan, as a building immediately became available.

“WHAT’S IN A NAME”

Jones Run Church – How did we get the name of our Church? When the committee met we were in the basement of the E.U.B. brick Church on Jones Run. Thinking we would remain in the building, we sought to choose a new name for our church. Many felt the name should center around three roads that came together. Suggestions were made of Crossroads Church, Three Highways Church, but finally decided on Jones Run Church because the New Testament
always said, “the church at Jerusalem, the church at Ephesus, the church at Galatia.” We wanted to be known as the church at Jones Run.

Praise be to God for His foreknowledge in helping us choose the correct name because He knew we would not remain in that building but would move to our present location, 3925 Jones Run Road. We have no Crossroads at Jones Run church. In fact, we were once offered
land on Bennett’s Run to build our church – the wrong name again.

So remember, God chose the name Jones Run Church. For this, we rejoice as we celebrate
“Fifty-Four years” as a body of believers.
Submitted by
Nancy Lee Pigott

The Tillman Boggess house owned by Mabel Rogers Lyon Parrish was donated free of rent. It had to be thoroughly cleaned, as it had been rented for many years. So we went to work. The men cleaned the lawn, which eventually became a parking lot. There were four rooms, an outbuilding, and a privy. We scrubbed, cleaned, and painted.

Clovis Pigott likes to tell about the linoleum someone donated for one of the small rooms. Leona Rogers had measured the room and Clovis asked her if she was sure the measurements were correct. She didn’t know what a tease he was then, so she went back and measured it again. She then told him it needed to be 18 inches shorter. After Clovis cut the linoleum, it had to be taped back together, for Leona had measured right the first time; he had only been teasing. He has never let her live it down.

On April 28, 1968, our first worship service was held with 72 people in attendance. The rooms were full. Later the primary classes met in the outbuilding. The wall was covered with scripture.

“CHRIST ABOVE ALL” was our motto, and a large sign bearing these words was seen on the wall opposite the entry. We worshipped there for eighteen months when the Lord provided our present building location.

On May 28, 1968, the first organizational meeting for the future Jones Run Church was held. The nominating committee was appointed, consisting of Arthur Martin, George Carothers, Carl Rogers, Otavea Harbert and Gloria (Dolly) Baker.

On July 13, 1968, Rev. E.A. Crites delivered the morning message and at its close received 36
Charter Members into Church Membership. Anyone joining the church in the year 1968 was
considered a Charter Member.

The First elected officers were: Class Leader -Delbert Deberry, Church Secretary – Eleanor (Mrs. James) Ash, Treasurer-Nancy Lee Pigott, Adult Director-Lynn Pigott, Youth Director-Francis Rogers, Children’s Director-Otavea Harbert, Sunday School Superintendent-Ray Pigott, S.S. Secretary-Ruth Harbert, Trustees- Arthur Martin, Francis Rogers, Jim Ash, George Carothers, and Clovis Pigott.

The Board voted to provide for a pastor every other Sunday and pay him $20.00 for each sermon. At the August 3, 1968 meeting they voted to start a building program. Pm December 30, 1968, the pulpit committee received a letter from Carl C. Benedum accepting the first part-time pastorate of the church.

The first Communion was held on Easter Sunday, 1968

On June 8, 1969, the membership voted to purchase the G.A. Boggess property, consisting of 52 acres, for our permanent church home. Twenty-one members were present and all voted in favor of buying the property.

Under the direction of the Pastor, a contract was let to the Kisner Brothers Construction Company for footers and block construction for the basement. The grading was finished and the building was to begin on the 26th of October, 1969. (From the secretary’s minutes: “Trustees are working hard at getting blocks, cement, and materials ready at the cost of around $3000.00 “GOD BLESS THE TRUSTEES”).

“But the people had a will to work”. There was no one too young or too old to help with this building. It is impossible to name all who worked without possibly omitting someone who made an important contribution to this project.

It was no less than miraculous the way God worked through people and situations to accomplish the finished product. It was indeed a Bible-oriented church.

People of the community couldn’t believe what was happening “right before their eyes”. When Francis Rogers told Okey Harbert that they were going to build a church, he asked, “Where are you going to get help this time of year?” (Spring-Early summer).

Francis said, “Even Clovis Pigott has agreed to hold off the hay harvest for two weeks to work on it.” (Any of you who know Clovis will know that this was a miracle in itself, as he always said if it didn’t rain on his wedding day it would have to take place on a tractor in the hayfield.) Never quite figured out if he was joking; fortunately, it rained.

The original plans were to use the basement temporarily until money came in to put the sanctuary up. The trustees, at the suggestion of Clovis Pigott, sought permission from the congregation to put the walls up and roof it rather than covering the basement and having to do second roofing later. Permission was granted and work continued. We moved into the new building on December 19, 1970. Praise God for supplying wisdom, money, and muscle.

As the building continued there was a lot of joking and camaraderie and bonding in love for Christ and His church. When they ran out of sub-flooring and went to the Jim Gifford Sawmill to get more, they were supposedly told to go “jump off the highest cliff”, but they got what was needed and the work continued without delay.

Carl and Ruth Rogers were handing up boards for the roof, while Clovis Pigott was marking and cutting them. Francis was nailing and before Clovis could get one cut Francis had it nailed, so nails had to be removed. Sheeting and black paper were put on in just two nights. Another time George Carothers saw cord was nailed in between two boards.

Probably the biggest miracle was the night George Carothers and Francis Rogers were working alone. They were on top of a 2’X4’ plate on the west side of the building high off the ground when Francis lost his balance and started to fall. George quickly reached out and caught hold of his left wrist, stopped his fall, and pulled him back up on top of the plate. Had this miracle not taken place, Francis would have been badly injured or killed. George still has a scar
where Francis’s watchband cut into his fingers as he grabbed his left wrist.

The Luchuck Family lived in the house situated on the property when it was purchased. The Luchuck children helped whenever they could. When the men were moving joists along the road, one of the Luchuck boys stopped traffic, as it took up the whole road. State Police Trooper Cool came along then and the Luchuck boy stopped him. The trooper kept easing his car up, so the Luchuck boy told him, “I said stop right there!” Trooper Cool stopped.

On December 20, 1970, we moved into the new church auditorium. The total cost at the time was $18000.00, not including labor. The basement was unfinished: no restrooms, no stairs, and no central heat. The space heaters did a fair job, along with a big circulating heater set in the basement which provided some heat upstairs. The first service was held on Dec 19, 1970, with 86 people present, 57 Bibles brought an offering of $1,237.82.

In March 1971 the first wedding ceremony was held, uniting Linda Carothers and Frank Brooks. This was the largest crowd to date, with 160 people present.

The work progressed as the money became available. The basement was divided into separate rooms. In April the men and women worked together, digging the ditch for the waterline that would run from the parsonage to the church basement, a distance of several hundred feet. The women also helped carry blocks.

In 1972, a visitation outreach was started, as well as a bus ministry under the direction of Pastor James Beatty. Several hundred pine trees were set out by the young people. They were furnished by the sunshine 4-H Club, led by Bessie Baker.

The parking lot was built in 1973. As attendance grew, a lower lot was built. The carpeting was installed in April 1973, and the pews were installed on June 14, 1973. New songbooks were bought in 1968 and 1975. A weekly publication, “The Runner” was first published on May 10, 1973. In September 1976, the Ladies Fellowship was organized with Anna Smith as its first president.

In September 1979, the parsonage was dismantled and cleared away to make room for a new, larger building. Bu the year 1982, the foundation and basement, with roofed sub-floor, was finished on a 50’X100’ all-purpose building. A comb roof was added to what is known as the Jones Rune Activity Building.

By January 3, 1980, a total of $48485.97 had been spent on Jones Run Church. Six missionaries have supported a cost of $2,520.00 annually.

The church has held ten annual Ladies Rallies. The Love and Fellowship continue and the spirit of the Lord abides.
JOSHUA 1:8

“This book of the law shall not depart out of their mouth but shalt meditate
Therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written
Therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and thou shalt have good
Success.”
“TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER” PHILLIPIANS 4:20

Many donations have been made in memory of loved ones and in thankfulness to God for His
Brenda & Harold Bracken Missionaries to Indonesia for many years
Piano & Piano Lamp———————————————————-Larry & Nadine Carpenter
Communion Table and Candelabra ————————————–Built by Don indescribable Gift.
Excavating for Basement ————————————————-Wayman Baker, Sr.
Piano—————————————————————————-Robert and Otavea Harbert
Sallman Head of Christ and Large Aluminum serving Tray——–Phyllis Pigott
Landscaping and parking lot ————————————Riffle Equipment company/keith Rogers
Christ at Heart’s Door——————————————————-Mae Scyock
Communion set, projector and screen———————————-Wesley and Grace Stire
Offering Plates & Bread Plates ——————————————–Maude Stewart and Children in
MEMORY OF Ernie Stewart
Pulpit Built By——————————————————————-Don Simmons
The American Flag————————————————————-Mr.&Mrs. Claude Walters
The Christian Flag————————————————————-Francis and Leona Rogers in
MEMORY OF David F. Rogers
Indonesia on Batik Cloth—————————————————-Brenda and Harold Bracken
Missionaries to Indonesia for many years
Piano & Piano Lamp————————————————————–Larry & Nadine Carpenter
Communion Table and Candelabra——————————————-Built by Don Simmons
Water Fountain—————————————————————-Robert Harbert in MEMORY of
Otavea Harbert
Pulpit Clock———————————————————————Ruth Harbert in MEMORY of
Wayne Harbert
Yamaha Clavinova Keyboard———————————————–Leona Rogers and Many
Relatives and Friends In MEMORY of Francis Rogers.

*PASTORS SERVING THIS CHURCH*

Carl Benedum December 1968- June 1970
Don Ford October 1970 – August 1971
James Beatty January 1972 – June 1974
Mark Kouns January 1975 – September 1978
Robert Clater March 1979 – November 1980
Robert Ream May 28, 1981 – December 1986
Mike Shuman May 17, 1987 – March 1988
James McClain July 1988 – December 2008
Jason Wojciechowicz June 2011- July 2019
Jeff Parsons July 2019 – TO PRESENT

**CHARTER MEMBERS**

LIVING DECEASED
Francis Rose Carothers Eleanor Ash
Linda Carothers James Ash
Marilyn Carothers Bessie Baker
Nancy Lee Pigott Dolly Baker
George Carothers
Rosa Deberry
Delbert Deberry
Ruth Harbert
Otavea Harbert
Robert Harbert
Wayne Harbert
Geraldine Lyons
Ruth Martin
Arthur Martin
Maxine Martin
Fern Murray
Mabel Lyons Parrish
Clovis Pigott
Lawrence Pigott
Priscilla Pigott
Lynn Pigott
Pearl Pigott
Phyliss Pigott
Carl Rogers
Francis Rogers
Hazel Rogers
Leona Rogers
Robert Rogers
Ruth Rogers
Mary Smith
Grace Stire

Jerry Stire
Wanda Stire