Drummondtown Baptist Church holds a unique history - one that begins twenty-two years before the organization of the church. On December 3, 1849, Mrs. Annie Taylor, a resident of Drummondtown, executed her will. In this simple legal document, Mrs. Taylor stated the sum of $1500 was to be applied to building a Baptist church in Drummondtown. Although she was never a member of the church, her gift for its construction was the seed that has continued to grow since that day.
The original church building was constructed and dedicated on October 23, 1870, however it was not organized until December 30, 1871. During the time before its official organization, Rev. H. Petty served as pastor to the twenty members of the congregation. The church was served by 13 pastors and supply pastors between 1871 and 1911, when Rev. A.B. Dunaway became the pastor of Drummondtown Baptist.
The church continued to grow, resulting in the need for construction of a larger building. The decision was made by the members of the church to construct a new brick building as their sanctuary. The original church building was sold to Mrs. Evelyn M.B. Tiffany for $500. Mrs. Tiffany then presented the building to the town’s public elementary school. The building was moved to its new location a few blocks from the original site. Despite the closing of the school in the 1900s, the original building is still being used by Accomack County.
Construction began on the new church building and the sanctuary was formally dedicated on November 2, 1913 with an address presented by Dr. F.W. Boatwright, President of Richmond College. The sermon was brought by the senior editor of the Religious Herald, Dr. R.H. Pitt. During the 1950s, Drummondtown Baptist was involved in various construction projects away from its own walls. In 1951 the church contributed $300 toward the creation of a library on the campus of the University of Richmond. As a part of the Accomack Baptist Association, DBC participated in the construction of the “Accomac” Cottage at Eagle Eyrie. In the1960s, the members of Drummondtown Baptist Church realized the need for additional educational space. An educational building was constructed next to the sanctuary. It was dedicated on November 28, 1965. The building consists of a meeting room, Sunday School rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a church library, and a pastor’s study. In 1993, renovations were made to the second floor of the educational building providing two additional Sunday School rooms.
For many years, members of Drummondtown Baptist Church have enjoyed various ways of celebrating the church and worshiping the Lord. Special services, some of which have existed for many years, are quite popular in both the church and the surrounding community. DBC’s annual Thanksgiving service is held on Thanksgiving morning. Our popular Christmas Candlelight Service is held on the evening of the 23rd of December. On Good Friday our sanctuary is open for Communion for anyone who wishes to partake and on Easter Sunday we share a Sunrise Service with Zion Baptist Church.
One of the most important annual services is our Harvest Home Celebration. The service includes a special offering for Harvest Home and the worship hour is followed by a huge feast. None of the members of DBC remember exactly when Harvest Home began, only that it was held each Fall during harvest time. The earliest mention of this celebration was found in the Minutes from 1941. At the time, many of the church members were farmers and it was at harvest time that they were able to honor their commitment to the church. The offering collected during Harvest Home is used to maintain the church’s Building Fund. In past years, this collection has made many things possible. Those include protective covers for the stained glass windows, carpet and padded pews, air conditioning, new roofs and repairs, a sound system, fresh paint, new appliances, and much more. Harvest Home continues to be one of the most important traditions in the life of Drummondtown Baptist Church.
Drummondtown Baptist provides various activities and opportunities for members to serve both the congregation and the community throughout the year. We have hosted both week long and weekend VBS programs. Wednesday Night Dinner and Bible Study are also very popular during the Fall and Winter months. For the past several years we have also hosted our ever-popular Fourth of July BBQ, which is held immediately after the Town of Accomac’s Independence Day Celebration. Many church members and friends donate money, time, baked goods and manpower for this event. All proceeds benefit the Youth Missions Programs.
For over 140 years, Drummondtown Baptist Church has remained strong, with an emphasis on “service to God, its members, and its community.” Through God’s grace and the dedicated members, Drummondtown Baptist Church’s future looks bright and encouraging.
