Piney Grove Baptist Church was founded September 1895 during a revival meeting held in a home in the small community of Camptown, Virginia. Camptown is located across the Atlantic and Danville Railroad which was renamed in 1962 the Norfolk, Franklin and Danville Railroad in Isle of Wight County just northeast of Franklin, Virginia.

Church Members attending the revival along with a council that was formed consisting of Reverend Guy Powell, Brother Jackson Barrett, Brother Robert Holland, and Brother Willis B. Holland convened in a meeting after the revival to fulfill a mission to start a church to address the tremendous need for a house of worship to serve the people of the Camptown and surrounding community. The newly organized church was named Piney Grove Baptist Church and Brother William A. Shanks, the husband of Sister Laura Shanks, founders of the Beulah Heights Holiness and Industrial Institute and Orphanage became the first clerk of the church and Brothers James Parham and William Sessoms became the first deacons who were both former members of other churches. Sister Gertrude Gaskins, a new convert, was the acting secretary.

Since the founding of Piney Grove Baptist Church, under the leadership of Reverend Elijah Perry, the first pastor, to the iconic fifth pastor, Reverend George W. Johnson who faithfully pastored the church for over four decades, a legacy of transforming the church both physically and spiritually begin and continued throughout the leadership of other pastors, as well as the current pastor, Rev. Alfred D. Brown, Sr., who has not only transformed many lives and renewed hope and faith in God’s people, but continues to preserve the edifice because we believe and teach that Jesus Christ is our Chief Cornerstone.

Since the revival meeting more than 125 years ago, Piney Grove Baptist Church has served the community and continues to stand today like a giant oak with arms outstretched with strong roots anchored in the Lord. So, as we look toward the future, we will continue to build upon the legacy of this great church by carrying out our motto: “To fulfill our commitment to Love, to dwell together in Unity and Strive for Excellence in ministry.

If you are looking for a church home, we invite you to visit and worship with us at our 11:00 a.m. service each Sunday. The church is located at 1071 Carrsville Hwy., Franklin, VA.