Religion has been an integral part of human society since the beginning of time, and the role of churches in spreading and maintaining religious beliefs is central.  In rural communities, such as Summers County, churches also played a social role.  In the days before easy access to newspapers, let alone radios, that was where neighbors got together to hear the latest news, where future spouses met, and where major entertainment, mainly singing schools or “dinner on the grounds” took place.  The church also played an important role in maintaining societal norms of the time, i. e. no cussing, card playing, or drunkenness, as evidenced by church minutes detailing the removal from the roles of members who engaged in such conduct.

The impact of churches on the lives of many children is shown with the memory of a 75-year old who could still repeat the words of a song learned at Vacation Bible School.

This book gives the history of 137 known churches in the county, with the oldest dating to 1783, the same year that the American Revolutionary War ended.  Many of these churches no longer exist with no trace of their buildings, while some abandoned churches have been converted into other purposes.  There are photos of all churches still standing.

Numerous early congregations began in school buildings, and why not?  The school buildings were not used on Sundays, and money was scarce to build another structure which wouldn’t be used except perhaps twice a week.  When the church did decide to have their own house, donations were collected.  The book has several lists of who gave how much, some as little as 5¢, which in 1898 was quite a bit of money.

The book is a must-have for anyone with ancestors who lived in Summers County and who undoubtedly attended one of these churches.  It is also a very fascinating read for anyone interested in the general history of the county and its people.