From Two Paths To One How a Small Gathering Became A United Church in Buena Vista
On New Year’s Day in 2023, just 11 people gathered inside a VFW post along U.S. 60 in Rockbridge County. There were no guarantees, no permanent home — just a shared belief that something was beginning.
Three years later, that small group has become a congregation of more than 200, now meeting in a historic church building at the corner of Forest Avenue and East 22nd Street in Buena Vista, originally constructed in 1908 with a major expansion completed between 1964 and 1966.
What happened in between is a miracle, say church leaders. A story of timing, transition, and two congregations whose needs unexpectedly aligned.
The Rockbridge Campus is one of three locations of Fincastle Baptist Church, alongside its original campus in Fincastle and the Highlands Campus in Covington. When the Rockbridge group first began gathering, it was the newest and smallest of the three — but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
Fincastle Baptist’s Rockbridge Campus officially launched its first service on March 26, 2023, after volunteers transformed the VFW Post 1499 space with fresh paint, new carpet, and updated technology. Growth came quickly. Within months, attendance climbed to around 60, stretching the limits of the building and leading to the addition of a mobile classroom for children.
“We knew early on we weren’t going to stay small for long,” said Gary Fish, a deacon at Fincastle Baptist’s Rockbridge Campus. “But we didn’t know what the next step would be.”
By early 2025, that question became more pressing. The congregation continued to grow, drawing people not just from Rockbridge County, but also from nearby Lexington and Buena Vista. Leaders began searching for a larger, more permanent space — but options were limited.
At the same time, just a few miles away, another church was facing a very different challenge.
The Stone Church, formerly the Stone Church of the Brethren, had been a fixture in Buena Vista for more than a century. In recent years, attendance had declined — particularly among younger members — making it increasingly difficult to maintain the historic building.
Rather than potentially facing the decision to close its doors, church leaders began asking a different question: how could the space continue to serve the community?
That question intersected with another in January 2026, when leaders from Fincastle Baptist reached out to Stone Church to explore the possibility of renting the facility during times it was not in use. What began as a practical inquiry quickly opened the door to a much larger conversation.
The answer came on Jan. 30, when discussions began between leaders of both congregations.
George Burch, a member and leader at Stone Church, summed up the moment simply: “You were a congregation looking for a building — we were a building looking for a congregation.”
In the weeks that followed, those conversations were brought before both congregations, allowing members to consider what a shared future might look like.
The talks were announced publicly on Feb. 15, giving both congregations time to reflect ahead of a formal decision.
One month later, on March 15, both congregations voted unanimously to unite. That evening, 152 people gathered inside the historic sanctuary for a joint prayer service — longtime members of Stone Church sitting alongside newer faces from the Rockbridge Campus, many meeting for the first time as part of one congregation.
“It was emotional,” said Kevin Bradley, a longtime member of Stone Church. “You could feel that something bigger than either group was happening.”
A week later, on March 22, the newly unified congregation held its first official service in the building, drawing approximately 325 congregants and guests — more than many had ever seen gathered there at one time.
For longtime Stone Church members, the moment carried both memory and meaning. The building, which has served the community for more than a century, will remain active and enter a new chapter filled with renewed activity.
For members of the Rockbridge Campus, it marked the end of a search and the beginning of something larger than they had planned.
Jenny Hartsock, a member of the Rockbridge Campus, reflected on the partnership: “The people of the Stone Church were truly a blessing to our congregation, and it turns out we were a blessing to theirs. This doesn’t happen by chance.”
What makes the story stand out locally is not just the growth, but the way it happened. In a region where churches often face decline or closure, this partnership preserved a historic space while creating room for a growing congregation.
Now, the church draws people from across Rockbridge County, Lexington, and Buena Vista, bringing together individuals who might never have crossed paths otherwise.
As the newly united congregation looks ahead, it is already planning ways to stay connected with the broader community. The church will host its second annual Easter Egg Hunt in partnership with Buena Vista Parks and Recreation on April 4 at Glen Maury Park from noon to 3 p.m., with all families in the area invited to attend.
Church leaders also emphasized that weekly Sunday services are open to the public, beginning at 10:45 a.m. at the Buena Vista location.
What began with 11 people in a VFW hall has become something much larger —shaped not by a single plan, but by two stories that met at the right time.
