Frank and Hope Arnold were living in Richmond, Virginia when Frank felt the call to go to the mission fields but he liked his job as a metallurgist at that time. He volunteered at the state prison as a chaplain but decided to heed the call to the mission fields. He needed to have a church ministry for a year before going. He came to Ashburn in July 1962. He was ordained and installed, having previously graduated from Princeton Seminary. They continued to work with the young people and took the choir to different places to sing. It was a wonderful year that went too fast. On March 24, 1963 Frank preached his farewell sermon before going to Brazil. The Baptist and Methodist churches gave up their own services to join us. There was hardly a dry eye in the church as Frank and Hope were much loved by all.

The Reverend Palmer Robertson and his wife, Judy, were the next to come to Ashburn. The Robertsons spent a year and a half before returning to Mississippi where he became a professor at Belhaven College. During that time the youth groups began the intense clearing of the old cemetery. They removed poison ivy and trimmed trees. They filled in sunken graves and reseated fallen markers, and very much returned the cemetery to normalcy. A picnic area was created in the area that is now the main parking lot of the new sanctuary. It contained several picnic tables and a brick barbecue built by Tweed Howser and his brother, a brick mason.

The Reverend Doctor John Rhea of Union Seminary became the supply in October 1964 for a short time. He was a good speaker and leader. This also presented the church with opportunity to hear several seminary students again.

On July 18, 1965 D.B. Shackelford came to be our full time pastor after graduating from Union Seminary. He and his wife, Christine, and two sons moved into the manse. Reverend Shackelford worked hard and the church grew. The educational building with a fellowship hall was built during his ministry. He and the congregation were very proud of the new building. It meant that we were able to do many things that lack of space had prevented us from previously doing. D.B. resigned on October 15, 1969 to return to his native North Carolina for health reasons. He had a serious heart condition and had only been there a couple of years before he suffered a massive heart attack and died.