Page 70 - History of the United Methodist Church in Rockingham County
P. 70
History of Congregations of Winchester District June 12, 2024
bringing together many different perspectives, and are young and old, married and single, male and
female, but together, we can face life’s choices and challenges, share joys and concerns, and seek to
follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We are a church of open hearts, open minds, and open doors, please
come in! Asbury is a member of the Harrisonburg District, one of the sixteen districts of the Virginia
Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Historical Sketch. Asbury Chapel
(now Asbury UMC) was built in 1848 and
named for Bishop Francis Asbury; who
evangelized throughout the Shenandoah Valley
from 1783 to 1805. During the Civil War, the
congregation met irregularly, and the church
was used as a hospital, probably after the Battle
of Front Royal. In 1916, the building was
dismantled, revealing bloodstained floorboards.
Using original materials when possible and
following a similar design, the congregation
completed the present structure the next year.
The reconstructed church was dedicated on the
fourth Sunday in Oct. 1917.5
Mission and Outreach. Members of Asbury UMC are involved in a variety of ministries within
our community, and around the world. Examples are Reaching Out to Honduras; Better Dancing;
Communion Offerings; Mission Field of Clio, S.C.; God’s Pantry; Panama Mission; and Stop Hunger
Now. Other ways that Asbury in serving in the local community and beyond are the following: Arts &
Mission Camp; Asbury Members in Mission; Boy Scouts; Crop Walk; Disaster Relief Response;
Equipping the Saints; First Step; Food Collection (Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, etc.); Fresh water
project (Brazil); Gideon Bible Ministry; Harrisonburg and Rockingham Thermal Shelter (thermal shelter
for the homeless in the winter); Harrisonburg Rockingham Free Clinic; Heart Havens, Inc; Industrial &
Commercial Ministries; Interfaith Fellowship; Kingsway Prison and Family Outreach
(http://www.kingswayoutreach.com/); Kits for Conference; Lighthouse Daycare Center at Furnace UMC;
Mercy House; Mission of Hope Bolivia; Native American Ministry Sunday; One Great Hour of Sharing;
Our Community Place; Out of the Building and Into the ‘Burg; Outreach Ministries of Asbury; People
Helping People; Refugee Resettlement; RISE, a new United Methodist Faith Community; Rockingham
Native American Cooperative-Lumberton/Clio N.C.; Russian Initiative; Samaritan Fund; Santa Bags
(Salvation Army); Society of St. Andrews; Souls for Jesus; Stop Hunger Now; United Methodist Family
Services of Virginia; United Methodist Student Sunday; United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
(UMVIM), which includes Project Crossroads Youth Mission Trip to Marion, Va.; United Methodist
Women benevolent giving local, national, and international; Virginia Council of Churches & Virginia
Interfaith Center for Public Policy; Voices of Youth; Volunteer Farm; World Communion Sunday
Offering; World Hunger Offerings; and World Service.
Discipleship Emphases. Spiritual Formation is the process of being conformed to the image of
Christ by the gracious working of God’s spirit, for the transformation of the world—we have on-line
resources at Asbury UMC for “A Divine Love”; “Bring Me”; “Give Thanks”; “God’s Guidance”;
“Homemade Children”; “How Do I Uncover my Spiritual Gifts”; “Look Up”; “Passion”; “Peace”;
“Relationships”; “The Genesis of Spiritual Formation”; “The Importance of Prayer”; “The Lord’s
Prayer”; and “Winning at the Cross.” Care Ministry. At Asbury, we want to follow Jesus’ teachings by
5 http://www.shenandoah.stonesentinels.com/Front_Royal/Asbury_Chapel.php.
II.B.1 Asbury UMC 58 Volume 5
bringing together many different perspectives, and are young and old, married and single, male and
female, but together, we can face life’s choices and challenges, share joys and concerns, and seek to
follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We are a church of open hearts, open minds, and open doors, please
come in! Asbury is a member of the Harrisonburg District, one of the sixteen districts of the Virginia
Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Historical Sketch. Asbury Chapel
(now Asbury UMC) was built in 1848 and
named for Bishop Francis Asbury; who
evangelized throughout the Shenandoah Valley
from 1783 to 1805. During the Civil War, the
congregation met irregularly, and the church
was used as a hospital, probably after the Battle
of Front Royal. In 1916, the building was
dismantled, revealing bloodstained floorboards.
Using original materials when possible and
following a similar design, the congregation
completed the present structure the next year.
The reconstructed church was dedicated on the
fourth Sunday in Oct. 1917.5
Mission and Outreach. Members of Asbury UMC are involved in a variety of ministries within
our community, and around the world. Examples are Reaching Out to Honduras; Better Dancing;
Communion Offerings; Mission Field of Clio, S.C.; God’s Pantry; Panama Mission; and Stop Hunger
Now. Other ways that Asbury in serving in the local community and beyond are the following: Arts &
Mission Camp; Asbury Members in Mission; Boy Scouts; Crop Walk; Disaster Relief Response;
Equipping the Saints; First Step; Food Collection (Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, etc.); Fresh water
project (Brazil); Gideon Bible Ministry; Harrisonburg and Rockingham Thermal Shelter (thermal shelter
for the homeless in the winter); Harrisonburg Rockingham Free Clinic; Heart Havens, Inc; Industrial &
Commercial Ministries; Interfaith Fellowship; Kingsway Prison and Family Outreach
(http://www.kingswayoutreach.com/); Kits for Conference; Lighthouse Daycare Center at Furnace UMC;
Mercy House; Mission of Hope Bolivia; Native American Ministry Sunday; One Great Hour of Sharing;
Our Community Place; Out of the Building and Into the ‘Burg; Outreach Ministries of Asbury; People
Helping People; Refugee Resettlement; RISE, a new United Methodist Faith Community; Rockingham
Native American Cooperative-Lumberton/Clio N.C.; Russian Initiative; Samaritan Fund; Santa Bags
(Salvation Army); Society of St. Andrews; Souls for Jesus; Stop Hunger Now; United Methodist Family
Services of Virginia; United Methodist Student Sunday; United Methodist Volunteers in Mission
(UMVIM), which includes Project Crossroads Youth Mission Trip to Marion, Va.; United Methodist
Women benevolent giving local, national, and international; Virginia Council of Churches & Virginia
Interfaith Center for Public Policy; Voices of Youth; Volunteer Farm; World Communion Sunday
Offering; World Hunger Offerings; and World Service.
Discipleship Emphases. Spiritual Formation is the process of being conformed to the image of
Christ by the gracious working of God’s spirit, for the transformation of the world—we have on-line
resources at Asbury UMC for “A Divine Love”; “Bring Me”; “Give Thanks”; “God’s Guidance”;
“Homemade Children”; “How Do I Uncover my Spiritual Gifts”; “Look Up”; “Passion”; “Peace”;
“Relationships”; “The Genesis of Spiritual Formation”; “The Importance of Prayer”; “The Lord’s
Prayer”; and “Winning at the Cross.” Care Ministry. At Asbury, we want to follow Jesus’ teachings by
5 http://www.shenandoah.stonesentinels.com/Front_Royal/Asbury_Chapel.php.
II.B.1 Asbury UMC 58 Volume 5
