History

THRASHER MEMORIAL
In 1801 Paul and Sallie Thrasher were in their early twenties when they married  and were converted at a revival meeting in Bonsack, Virginia. The Methodist movement was sweeping across new America, and this young couple decided to settle and carry the Gospel message to a small rural area in what is known today as Vinton, Virginia. At that time, the town was not called Vinton, but Gish's Mill, and Roanoke City was known as Big Lick because of a large salt deposit used by the local inhabitants such as the Indians who were ever present. Times were difficult and challenging to these newcomers to the area.

Paul and Sallie were children during the time in history when George Washington became the first President of the United States  and a new century was unfolding. When Sallie and Paul were married, Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was President. Two hundred years have passed, and the early wooden house in which the Thrashers lived and ministered has long since disappeared. But from that humble dwelling the stage was set, and from it grew Thrasher Memorial United Methodist Church, which sits proudly overlooking the surrounding area where these two young visionaries started their ministry.

Seeking the Truth About the Christian Faith