In 1952 the Sunday school enrollment was fifty-eight. There were no classrooms at all. Each teacher had a corner in the sanctuary. In August of that year plans were made and a committee was formed to build Sunday school rooms in the basement. The cost of the rooms was nine hundred dollars. It was like a gift from heaven. The rooms were completed in February of 1953. The Reverend William Smythe pastor of Faith Chapel Presbyterian Church in Lucketts was the stated supply at this time.

After Reverend Smythe resigned, young students from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond supplied the Ashburn church. The church started with two, Barton Hellmuth and James Coates, who would alternate weeks. They would come on Saturday night and stay in the home of Oscar and Ruth Boone. They would conduct worship service on Sunday morning, rehearse and conduct the choirs later that day and still later work with the Young Peoples Group consisting primarily of high school students. The seminary students were paid twenty-five dollars a week which included travel time and expense.

The Reverend David Crawford of the Leesburg Presbyterian Church served as moderator of the congregation during this time. He and the students would exchange pulpits in order to serve communion and hold congregational meetings. On one occasion when Reverend Crawford was at Ashburn, he made reference in his sermon about a mouse. As if on cue, a little mouse scurried its way across the pulpit. Reverend Crawford remarked, “I sure am glad I wasn’t preaching about a bear!”

The total budget for the year 1955 was $2500.

Plans to purchase a manse on January 31, 1956 became a reality on July 1 of that year for the price of $15,000.

Bart Hellmuth had graduated from seminary and a call was extended to him. He accepted the call and became our first full time pastor. Bart and his fiancée, Shirley Wooten, were married in the church and moved into the manse. On the day of their wedding the florist got the wedding time mixed up and there were no flowers. This upset the bride’s mother greatly, so Mrs. Albertha Fletcher, a faithful church member, went to her house and cut all the flowers available. This was typical of how the members of the church worked together and supported one another. That was a red-letter day for the church as we had a manse and a full time young pastor.

Bart and Shirley worked with the Young People, having Bible study, progressive dinners and other different events each Sunday evening. This group would reach sometimes fifty or more in attendance. They also began a Juniors group, which met on Friday evening for Bible study and fun. This group comprised of fourth through seventh graders numbered twenty-five at times.

There was also a Wednesday Night Bible Study geared for adults but open to any age and attended by as many as thirty people. This group rotated meeting places weekly by visiting in the homes of the participants.

Bart and Shirley continued working with the Adult and Men’s Choirs and began a Youth Choir. The Women of the Church was rejuvenated under Shirley’s leadership. They would have ham and oyster dinners held at the elementary school with members of the Methodist and Baptist churches helping. In fact at this time there was a community spirit with all churches and the people of the community. The church also held ice cream festivals on the church lawn. At that time there were many dairy farms in the area and the farmers would donate milk and cream for use. The day would be spent hand churning the ice cream in the garage part of the Ashburn Mill behind Partlow’s store. It would then be taken to the church for the community gathering.