Sydenstricker United Methodist Church

Here follows an excerpt about the church's history as written on the church's website:

Reverend Christopher Sydenstricker, a Methodist minister assigned to the Occoquan Charge of the Washington District, requested permission to establish a church in our community which, at the time, was served by a Methodist-Episcopal church nearby. In April of 1909, he spoke with local resident and general store owner John Quincy Hall, who offered Reverend Sydenstricker the use of his picnic grove for an evangelical camp meeting. On August 30 of the same year, 48 people were baptized at the site. This group began to hold meetings at a nearby dance pavilion and later at a local schoolhouse (now known as the Sydenstricker Schoolhouse) and Sydenstricker UMC was born.

Less than a year later, the group stepped out in faith to build a chapel. Caleb Hall conveyed approximately four-tenths of an acre on which to build it, with the stipulation that the "premises shall be used, kept, maintained and disposed of as a place of divine worship for the use of the ministry and membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; the name of which is to be Sydenstricker Chapel." The Chapel was erected by volunteer labor and Reverend Sydenstricker served there until 1911, when he relocated to West Virginia.

In November, 1955, Reverend Henry S. Amidon was assigned to Sydenstricker Chapel and was well-aware, as he preached his first sermon to the fifteen or so people in attendance, that the District had sent him to close the church. However, Reverend Amidon envisioned the important role that Sydenstricker Chapel could play in the growing community and he spent that winter revitalizing the church's building, membership, energy and faith. As a result, plans to close the church were postponed indefinitely. The transformation under Reverend Amidon was so profound that in January, 1957, ground was broken for a new Education Wing that included classrooms, a kitchen, a fellowship hall and office space for the pastor. By June, 1958, Sydenstricker had grown large enough to be named a station church, meaning our pastor served only our church rather than two or three. By the time the addition was completed in 1959, there were 145 members and 120 enrolled in Sunday School.

Reverend Amidon became Sydenstricker's first full-time pastor in 1961 and he and his family were the first to occupy the recently purchased and renovated parsonage on Sydenstricker Road.

With the rapid growth resulting from the development of Burke Centre and subsequent increase in membership, Sydenstricker was once again at a crossroads. A decision had to be made whether to reach out in discipleship to our new neighbors or remain a small country church. Under the leadership of Reverend Jack Martin, the church stepped out in faith and, in February, 1980, voted overwhelmingly to build a new, larger church building across Hooes Road from the Chapel on land that had been purchased by foresighted trustees.


<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>
<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

Here follows an excerpt about the church from the "Springfield Things" blog written by Wesley Clark:

Friday, March 27, 2015
Sydenstricker Road and Pearl S. Buck

When I first moved into Springfield, a Burke resident told me that Sydenstricker Road was named after a family who represented the "S" in famous novelist Pearl S. Buck's family. I accepted this as true for a few years, then began to have doubt. When the Internet Age began, I looked up details about the Sydenstrickers that Pearl S. Buck was a part of. No... those seem to be from West Virginia. Must be a different family.

But lo and behold, I was told the truth. Thanks to Mr. Marc Points, Historian of Sydenstricker United Methodist Church and Researched and Compiled by Mr. Dick Pape

Q: What does a street in Orange Hunt have in common with a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning author?
A: Its name - Sydenstricker

Early in the 1900's, Reverend Christopher Sydenstricker and a pastor from Baltimore approached a local general storekeeper, John Quincy Hall, about the use of his picnic grove for an evangelistic camp meeting. The outgrowth of this became Sydenstricker Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Rev. Sydenstricker began to hold services in 1910 at Mr. Hall's wooden dance pavilion located on Gambrill Road, (later renamed Sydenstricker Road).

When it was decided to build a church in the area Caleb Hall donated the land on which the chapel was to be built. While the chapel was being built, Fairfax County granted permission to Rev Sydenstricker to hold services in the Red Schoolhouse next to the building site.

Later when the schoolhouse burned down (in the 1920's), Sydenstricker Church gave permission to the county to hold school in the chapel.

The chapel was completed in 1911, and was used regularly for Sunday services until 1981, when a new sanctuary was built across Hooes Road.

The Rev. Christopher Sydenstricker was an uncle of the noted author Pearl S. (Sydenstricker) Buck. She was born in Hillsboro, IN, but grew up in China where her parents were missionaries. She received the Pulitzer Prize in 1932, for her book The Good Earth. In 1938, she received the Nobel Prize, the first American women to receive that award in literature. She graduated from Randolph-Macon Women's College in 1914. She has written more than 65 books.

Note: I am indebted to Lisa Becker and Lynn Garvey Hodge, who pointed out that the original story I was told was, in fact, correct. For the next several decades, Sydenstricker Chapel remained a small, country church with attendance varying depending upon the weather, farm activities and the seasons.
During this period of time, the women of the church were most influential in keeping the Chapel and the congregation going, organizing and staffing Sunday School and holding potluck dinners. With their efforts, the Chapel became an integral part of the community. By mid-century, however, Sydenstricker, like many other country churches, was fighting for financial survival. Then, God sent help.

On Palm Sunday, 1981, the new sanctuary was consecrated and over 650 congregants witnessed the start of a new era in Sydenstricker's history.

After a new parsonage was purchased in 1985 across Hooes Road from the new church, the original parsonage was re-purposed into a youth center. It was renamed and rededicated as the Agape House on November 23, 1993.

It did not take long to outgrow the new building and, in 1983, a Future Steering Committee made the recommendation that a new multipurpose addition be added to the new building. With the guidance of Senior Pastor Ed Wright and his wife, Associate Pastor Libby Wright, planning and fundraising ensued. Construction began in 1991. Named "Douglas A. Hottle Memorial Hall," it was consecrated in September, 1992. It provides a large space for both church and community activities and has office and classroom space on the lower level.

When Reverend Don Jamison became our pastor in 2016, he was passionate that we return to our roots as a church that reaches out and serves our community in Christian faith. Our vision is to "be Christ's love in action, bringing God to people and people to God." The energy, resolution and love of God that has sustained Sydenstricker Church over the decades still thrives here!