By Jarred Marlowe
For more than seventy years, Stone Memorial Christian Church has stood as a spiritual landmark in Collinsville, shaped by faith, community cooperation, and a shared commitment to Christian service.
The church traces its beginnings to September 1952, when a three-week revival led by Duke Jones of Reidsville, North Carolina, stirred religious interest throughout the area. The revival prompted a community church survey that revealed growing support for establishing a new congregation in the expanding Collinsville community.
In February 1953, interested residents met at Calvary Christian Church in Martinsville to organize the new church. The name Stone Memorial Christian Church was selected in recognition of a generous donation from the Stone family in memory of Clayton M. Stone of Horsepasture. That gift provided the foundation for turning the congregation’s vision into reality.
The church held its first official meeting on May 17, 1953, in the home of Paul and Elizabeth Shelton, where trustees were appointed and officers elected. Early worship services were conducted on Sunday evenings at Smith Memorial Methodist Church, reflecting strong cooperation among local congregations.
Soon afterward, land was purchased from Harvey Prillaman along Daniels Creek Road. Construction of the church’s first sanctuary began in August 1953, and within one month the basement-level worship space was completed. Stone Memorial held its first worship service on September 27, 1953, followed by a dedication service later that afternoon led by the Rev. Barney Stevens. By October, the church counted 30 charter members and had elected its first elders and deacons. William Schuermann, a ministerial student from Lynchburg College, served as interim minister during the church’s first year.
In 1954, Victor Whited, a student from Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee, began preaching on weekends and became the church’s first full-time minister in 1955. A parsonage was constructed that same year on Ford Street. Under Whited’s leadership, the congregation grew steadily. Members volunteered their own labor in 1958 to help build a full sanctuary, completed in early 1959. Whited also introduced an innovative Drive-In Church service at the former Castle Drive-In Theater in Collinsville, allowing worshippers to attend services from their cars.
John Baldwin became minister in 1961 and served for twelve years, guiding the church through a major period of expansion. An educational building and fellowship hall were added in 1967 and dedicated in 1968. Lawrence Harris assumed leadership in 1973 as attendance continued to rise. By the late 1980s, the church had grown large enough to require two Sunday morning services.
A capital campaign launched in 1991 funded construction of a new sanctuary. Ground was broken in 1993, and despite challenges such as an underground spring discovered during construction, the sanctuary opened in May 1996 and was dedicated later that year.
Youth ministry has remained a central focus throughout the church’s history. In 1981, Greg Sexton became Stone Memorial’s first full-time youth minister, followed by many others who continued that work. Today, under the leadership of Minister Tim Wood, Stone Memorial Christian Church continues its mission of worship, service, and outreach; honoring its past while looking confidently toward the future.
Jarred Marlowe is a local resident and historian. He is a member of the Col. George Waller Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Blue & Gray Education Society, and the committee chair for the Martinsville-Henry County 250 Committee. He may be reached at marloweja15@gmail.com.
