On January 9, 1781, Thomas Lord Fairfax granted a tract of land supposed to be about 400 acres but later ascertained to be slightly more than 465 acres, in Shenandoah County, west side of Stony Creek, to John Painter, Peter Fultz and George Dellenger, elders of the Lutheran church and congregation in the said county for the church, with nominal considerations mentioned. The survey was made by Robert Rutherford.

On January 1, 1861, an agreement was made by the members of Zion Church to divide this land -- the congregation was also divided. The one group remained at the old church and adhered to the Tennessee Synod. These were represented in the transaction of division by Moses Fry and George H.P. Lindamood, elders and Isaac Bowman and Aaron Coffelt, deacons. The other group, represented by George Coffelt and Wm. H. Cline, elders, and Eli Coffelt and Aaron C. Keller, deacons, adhered to the Virginia Synod. This group built a new church, Bethel, at Hamburg.

On June 28, 1919, the foregoing agreement was reaffirmed and embodied in deeds which were exchanged by the two congregations and recorded.

William Tysinger was county surveyor in 1861, when the original division was made; in 1919 P.S. Rhodes was county surveyor.

The Synods were merged in January, 1925 -- all are now of the Synod of Virginia.

Bethel Church house was begun in 1861, but not completed, on account of the war, until 1867 or thereabouts. The church house was remodeled and rebuilt in 1908.

Zion Church was rebuilt also not many years ago.

Zion Church had been rebuilt jointly by the Lutherans and Reformed, and was used by both congregations until St. John (Reformed) was built nearby in 1892.

Writing under date of May 22, 1901, Eld. A.J. Kagey said: "Whether the church [Zion] was built soon after the grant of land was made I cannot tell; but I do know that the German Reformed Church went in with the Lutheran, and that the church house was built in partnership and was used by both denominations down to a late date."

"I do not know who the first preachers were. John Nicolas Schmucker preached for them about 1840 and perhaps much earlier, as he then was an old man. At that day he preached in German, and was one of those who preached long sermons. Ambrose Henkel of New Market preached for them some later; he also preached principally in German. Socrates Henkel came still later, and preached English. These were Lutheran. The first German Reformed minister that I remember was one Mesler - I do not remember his given name. He was German -- I do not think he attempted to preach anything else. He talked like a foreigner, though he may have been a Pennsylvanian. Henry St. John Rinker was, I think, the next that preached for them. He preached English."

"I will give a few names of those who worshipped at Zion Church since my recollection, and a few of their fathers' names, who may have worshipped in the church soon after it was erected. George Foltz (son of Joseph Foltz, who was the father of 25 children, who all grew to be men and women); Jacob Helsley, Col. Philip Helsley, Capt. Geo. Coffelt, Henry Cline, Jacob Keller, Geo. P. Bender, Adam Bender, L. Philip Bender, L. Geo. Bender, Big Philip Bender and John Bowman, known as 'Smith Bowman.' All the above were Lutheran. The following were Reformed: Absalom Rinker (Col. Levi Rinker's father); John Tysinger (Wm. Tysinger's father); Henry Empschwiller (son of Jacob Empschwiller); Geo. Lantz, Jacob Bowman (son of John Bowman, known as 'Lantz Bowman'); John Stout and Isaac Wilkins. You will notice that the name Bender has been changed to Painter."

Adding a postscript to his letter on May 23, 1901, Mr. Kagey said: "I left out some names of the members of Zion's Church, which I will give here: John Fry and his brother William Fry -- they were sons of Jacob Fry, who lived near Buck Hill. John Fry died in 1872, aged 80 years. Moses Fry, Andrew Lindamood and George Lindamood, nicknamed 'Thunder George.' These were Lutheran. Joshua Foltz, grandfather of Isaac and Harrison Foltz -- he lived near Swover Creek -- and Jacob Rosenbarger were Reformed. Of course, there are still others that I might name."

Evidently a school was maintained, at least occasionally, in connection with the church. In the spring of 1825, Nicholas Druch, George Bender, Henry Cline and Jacob Fry, trustees, were advertising in the Shenandoah Herald for a teacher at Zion's Church. In June, Jacob Coffelt had an advertisement in the same paper, discrediting the gentlemen named above, and claiming himself to be the only authorized trustee for the business of employing a teacher for the said school. Coffelt said he expected to have arrangements ready for school in September (1825); and he desired a teacher who was able to teach both German and English. He gives his post office as "Stony Creek." The same place was at the same time called "Shryock"; and about twenty years later the present name of Edinburg began to be used.

It is probable that the descendants of Nicholas Druch later spelled the name "Trook." A family by this name was living near Zion's Church about 1880.

Excerpted from John W. Wayland's A History of Shenandoah County, Virginia

Klaus Wust's history of Zion Church is more recent than Wayland's.

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