Rebuilding Gretna Christian Church

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

It is the fall of 1928  Reverend Coffey is faced with the dilemma of rebuilding a church that was blown down by a tornado, thrown back together, then abandoned.  Not only does he have  to find the money for lumber and necessities, but he has to find the heirs of the property to return the land back to the church.  The members have all gone to other churches and have lost hope in the little church.


This is what he says about that problem in "My Life With God".  
We borrowed rough lumber to put in temporary seats and soon we had the building packed.  I went to the court house and found the deed as described.  I wrote the heirs and got them to sign another deed, made in fee simple, to the Trustees of the church.  Then I said, "Let us make pews for the building."  I went to the Lumber yard had lumber dressed and the pew ends sawed out with band saw, then we set a day and made the pews.  I said, "Let us ceil the building." and we ceiled it with number one ceiling in artistic style.  Then I said, "Let us put a metal roof on it," as the old rubber roof leaked. We put in electric lights with nice fixtures.  And when we settled up, all debts were paid and some money left.  We had more than 70 members, including the banker, undertaker, dairyman and three merchants.
Then I said, "Let us brick-case the building," and a woman said, "Let us build a vestibule also," so this was done and was paid for in a few years and the work has been prospering ever since.
All this was done because we took the Lord in the work at the beginning and He does not fail.  to Him, belongs all the glory.  Coffey could not have done it.
People ask, "Are you not afraid to trust the people, when you have the material for the buildings charged to you?"  Yes, I would be, but I am not afraid to trust the Lord.  In many, many, church buildings, I have had material charged to me and have never lost out or had to pay more than my part.  How do you account for that, if God did not deal with people on earth?


And so ends the story of Reverend Coffey's rebuilding of Gretna Christian Church.  He gathered the people around him and encouraged  them to renew their fellowship.  He charged lumber and found the heirs to the estate.  A deed was recorded on October 3, 1928 from the heirs at law of A. B. Hodges, deceased Mary C. Hodges, his widow,  Lesta Adams and D.V. Adams, her husband, Benjamin H. Hodges and Elina F. Hodges, his wife, Mae Lane and J. E. Lane, her husband and Carrie W. Mattox and C. B. Mattox, her husband (all the heirs of A. B. Hodges) to C. V. Adams, Ryland Love, S.L. Martin, Sam Crawley and John Ramsey, trustees of the Gretna Christian Church.


In the end Reverend Coffey,  the trustees of the church, a banker, a undertaker, a dairyman, three merchants and all the new members of the church stood together and with their faith rebuilt the church again and the doors have been open ever since.

Reverend Coffey is the center person on the front row.  If anyone knows the names of the other gentlemen, please contact me.






Thank you to:

Mark E. Poole  photos

Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

My Life With God by H. D. Coffey

Pittsylvania County Circuit Court Clerk's Office