History
Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church: A Complex Story, Still Unfolding
Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church sits on land once occupied by Indigenous Peoples. Some early members also owned enslaved persons. Scroll down to learn more.
Who was that spiritual community?
Early 1700s
Scots-Irish immigrants gathered to worship on the banks of the Potomac River.
1743
A Presbyterian congregation was officially recognized.
1780
A log church was built on land deeded by a descendant of town founder Thomas Shepherd.
1836
A frame meeting house that followed the log church burned down and was rebuilt at its present location — now known as the Shepherdstown Meeting House.
Civil War Era (1861–1865) & Late 1800s
- SPC aligned with the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States.
- Members of the congregation enslaved people, referring to them as “colored servants.”
- The church ministered to an estimated 8,000 wounded Confederate soldiers after the Battle of Antietam.
1886
Fanny Bender, the last “colored” member of SPC, left to attend the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Shepherdstown.
1865 (Post-Civil War)
SPC purchased its first organ, a reed instrument placed in the rear gallery of the church.
1905
A Moeller pipe organ was installed and operated by bellows.
1959
A modern Moeller organ was purchased-the same one still in use at the front of the church today.
1975–2017
Pastor Randall Tremba served as SPC’s dynamic and beloved pastor for 42 years, retiring in 2017.
A gifted interpreter of faith, he was known for powerful sermons, engaging worship, and tireless relationship-building within and beyond the congregation. A strong advocate for social justice, he became an influential voice for LGBTQ rights in the Presbyterian Church.
...and who are we becoming?
2000
SPC hosted an interfaith prayer service during local peace talks between Syrian & Israeli officials.
Post-9/11 (After 2001)
- Following the attacks, SPC reached out to a local Muslim congregation in solidarity.
- This led to the first PEACEFEST, a community-wide celebration of peace in Shepherdstown.
2001
SPC ordained its first gay deacon, marking a commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
2011
LoveFest at SPC - a service of lament for and celebration of the LGBTQ community.
2014
SPC goes solar, pioneering an innovative community financing model that enabled SPC to install solar panels at no cost.
2015
SPC performed the first of many same-sex wedding ceremonies.
2017–Present
The congregation began a long-term journey to confront systemic racism & become a truly anti-racist, multicultural church.
2019–Present
Reverend Gusti Linnea Newquist became SPC’s first female lead pastor, bringing new and fresh direction to the church.
2023
SPC sponsors the first-ever "Guns to Gardens" event in West Virginia.
