Profiles of Past Ministers of Cunningham Parish, 1811-1934

The Ministers of Christ Church, Millwood (Cunningham Chapel Parish)

The following profiles were extracted (and edited) from Old Chapel and The Parish in Clarke County, Virginia,
A History from the Founding of Frederick Parish, 1738, to the Centenary of Christ Church, Millwood, 1932
Author: B. Duvall Chambers, Rector
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William Meade,1811-1835

During his tenure at Cunningham Chapel Parish, William Meade served as lay-reader, deacon, priest and bishop. He secured his early training at home and attended an excellent school in Clarke County (then Frederick). At age seventeen he entered Princeton and two years later graduated with honors and as Valedictorian of his class. Upon leaving Princeton he studied theology under Reverend Walter Addison in Maryland. Shortly thereafter he returned to Clarke County due to poor health where his mother set apart a small farm from her acreage, on which he built a house which later became "Mountain View."

In February of 1811, he was examined by Bishop Madison and Dr. Bracken and was ordained deacon the same day in the old Bruton Church in Williamsburg and subsequently served under the Rev. Dr. Balmaine who placed him in charge of the services held at Old Chapel where he had assisted with services as a lay-reader prior to advancing to the priesthood two years later. An indefatigable worker, as deacon he served in seven parishes. He commenced his ministry at Christ Church where he served as pastor for more than 30 years, which he interspersed with his duties as priest in and out of the Diocese, and as bishop, traversing from the Chesapeake to the Ohio River and from the Potomac to North Carolina, often assisting in the Carolina Diocese. He became the 3rd Bishop of Virginia.

Bishop Meade was a prolific writer, his masterpiece being "Old Churches, Ministers and Families in Virginia," which required extensive research and has been regarded as the standard authority for Virginia church history.

Horace Stringfellow, 1835-1840

Having studied in Richmond and graduated with honors, Horace Stringfellow took up the practice of law in Culpeper and Madison and eventually became Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Heavily influenced by readings of Voltaire and Paine's "Age of Reason" and his associations with "intellectuals" while studying in Richmond, he turned away from his faith for a brief period, during which time he became increasingly unhappy and discontented. A decade or so later, he resigned as the Commonwealth's Attorney, sold his law books, moved his family to Alexandria and enrolled at the Virginia Seminary. Following graduation and ordination he came to Christ Church where he served as rector for five years, at which point he resigned to accept a call to Trinity Church in Washington, where he became a powerful preacher with a personal touch. Daniel Webster has been credited as exclaiming,, "Come with me and hear God Almighty's Prosecuting Attorney!" His later parishes included St. Paul's, Petersburg, and Fork and Trinity Churches in Hanover.

William G. H. Jones, 1840-1847

While little account is made of the Rev. William G. H. Jones in the parish vestry book, other than his having accepted a call in 1840 and resigned seven years later, the journal of the Diocesan Conventions indicates that, preceding his tenure at Christ Church, he distinguished himself 12 years earlier as minister of St. Luke's Church, Newport Parish, Isle of Wright, where a once struggling congregation flourished under his ministering.

John Francis Hoff, 1847-1858

Shortly after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania is 1833, Mr. Hoff studied theology at the Virginia Theological Seminary for two years prior to completing his course work at the General Seminary in New York. He was ordained deacon in St. James Church, Philadelphia and spent his diaconate ministering to several churches on the Juniata River (PA). In 1838 he was advanced to the priesthood by Bishop Onderdonk in Carlisle. Later that year, he accepted a call to Christ Church, Gerogetown, followed by a three year tenure at St. Mark's, Petersville, preceding his eleven years at Christ Church, Millwood. He won the hearts of Virginians and on his departure, Bishop Meade wrote, "I will not attempt to describe my feelings at the thought of losing you from Virginia and my old congregation..." Rev. Hoff was the first to take up residence in the Old Rectory.