Our History
This congregation was founded as Powder Springs Lutheran Church (Basye) in 1871. At that time it was part of a union church. Union churches were common in the Shenandoah Valley and consisted of several different denominations sharing the same facility. In 1952, the Lutheran congregation left the union church and moved to its current site closer to Orkney Springs, taking the name Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in the process. Pastoral leadership was shared with other congregations until 1991.
The church ended its mission status and separated from nearby Morning Star Lutheran Church in 1991. The Reverend John Koehnlein, who had served both congregations, also resigned that year. Supply pastors (including the Reverend W.W. Pendleton, rector of the Episcopal Beckford Parish) served Prince of Peace until 1993. It was then that Prince of Peace called its first fulltime pastor, the Reverend G. William Nabers. During his seventeen-year tenure, the congregation’s relationship with the community at Bryce Resort was strengthened and the church campus was expanded considerably.
The church building grew with the addition of Stidley Hall in 2002. An up-to-date kitchen, handicap accessible bathrooms, and an office suite were part of the project, most of which was done by members of the church. The hall was named in honor of local resident Della Stidley Jones, whose bequest made the addition possible.
The Canaday picnic pavilion was completed in 2008, again with most of the work done by church members. It is dedicated to the memory of Mary and Hank Canaday.
The Reverend David C. Drebes was ordained and installed as Pastor to Prince of Peace on 10 October 2010 The Reverend James Mauney, Bishop of the Virginia Synod, presided and the Reverend Chip Gunsten, Assistant to the Bishop, preached.
The sanctuary was enhanced with the remodeling of the chancel in 2011. The altar was moved out from the wall and refurbished, the dossal curtain was removed and replaced by a stained glass window designed by local artist Charles Barone. In a service presided over by Bishop Mauney on September 19, 2011, the chancel was dedicated. Once again, the carpentry for this renovation was completed by members of the church.
Pastor Drebes accepted a call to serve as pastor of College Lutheran Church in Salem, Virginia, and the congregation began a search for a new pastor. The Reverend Pastor Robert Wise was Called as Pastor in 2019. Pastor Wise resigned his call in 2020.
We formed a Call Committee and started the search for a new full time pastor in 2020. We called our current Pastor, the Reverend Sherrie Hofmann in October 2021.
For 68 years, Prince of Peace has been a welcoming and supportive part of Basye, Orkney Springs, and the Bryce Resort, through blood drives, clothing drives, disaster support appeals, and partnerships with local service groups. We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.
The church ended its mission status and separated from nearby Morning Star Lutheran Church in 1991. The Reverend John Koehnlein, who had served both congregations, also resigned that year. Supply pastors (including the Reverend W.W. Pendleton, rector of the Episcopal Beckford Parish) served Prince of Peace until 1993. It was then that Prince of Peace called its first fulltime pastor, the Reverend G. William Nabers. During his seventeen-year tenure, the congregation’s relationship with the community at Bryce Resort was strengthened and the church campus was expanded considerably.
The church building grew with the addition of Stidley Hall in 2002. An up-to-date kitchen, handicap accessible bathrooms, and an office suite were part of the project, most of which was done by members of the church. The hall was named in honor of local resident Della Stidley Jones, whose bequest made the addition possible.
The Canaday picnic pavilion was completed in 2008, again with most of the work done by church members. It is dedicated to the memory of Mary and Hank Canaday.
The Reverend David C. Drebes was ordained and installed as Pastor to Prince of Peace on 10 October 2010 The Reverend James Mauney, Bishop of the Virginia Synod, presided and the Reverend Chip Gunsten, Assistant to the Bishop, preached.
The sanctuary was enhanced with the remodeling of the chancel in 2011. The altar was moved out from the wall and refurbished, the dossal curtain was removed and replaced by a stained glass window designed by local artist Charles Barone. In a service presided over by Bishop Mauney on September 19, 2011, the chancel was dedicated. Once again, the carpentry for this renovation was completed by members of the church.
Pastor Drebes accepted a call to serve as pastor of College Lutheran Church in Salem, Virginia, and the congregation began a search for a new pastor. The Reverend Pastor Robert Wise was Called as Pastor in 2019. Pastor Wise resigned his call in 2020.
We formed a Call Committee and started the search for a new full time pastor in 2020. We called our current Pastor, the Reverend Sherrie Hofmann in October 2021.
For 68 years, Prince of Peace has been a welcoming and supportive part of Basye, Orkney Springs, and the Bryce Resort, through blood drives, clothing drives, disaster support appeals, and partnerships with local service groups. We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.
Called Pastors to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
- the Reverend G. William Nabers - 1993-2010
- the Reverend David C. Drebes - 2010-2019
- the Reverend Robert Wise - 2019-2020
- the Reverend Sherrie L. Hofmann - 2021 to the present