The history of Tabor Presbyterian dates back to 1747. At that time, the Church of England was the official church of Virginia, and anyone worshipping elsewhere was breaking the law. Despite that deterrent, colonials established many “preaching points” -- nontraditional places of worship -- across Virginia, Tabor being one of them.
Around this time, immigrants from Scotland and Ireland began settling in the Shenandoah Valley, and -- emboldened by the mountains and distance between Anglican officials and themselves -- began establishing churches outside the authority of the Church of England. Michael Woods, an Irish immigrant in what would later become Crozet, established Tabor.
By 1824, a series of supply pastors alternated between preaching at Tabor and nearby Lebanon Presbyterian Church in Greenwood, though, during the Civil War, members of both churches worshiped at Lebanon Presbyterian due to a shortage of ministers. UVa Professor William Dinwiddie filled the pulpit at this time.
The end of the Civil War and the dawn of railroads brought significant growth to Crozet, and Tabor Presbyterian Church was officially established on August 7, 1879. Rev. Hugh Henry was the first pastor, and he reflected that, “The people of this church, as a whole, have been active, energetic, and self-sacrificing.”
In 1883, Tabor began a relationship with Olivet Presbyterian in nearby Charlottesville, sharing pastors until 1890.
The congregation became involved in mission under the leadership of Joseph Crockett Painter, and began to provide services at Midway School. As the village of Crozet continued to grow, congregants decided they needed a new and permanent location for the church. The lot of the current church was purchased on November 13, 1912 for $8,036. The original sanctuary built on this lot was completed in August of 1915; the sanctuary is the sanctuary we still use today.
After the sanctuary was built, the church organized the Sabbath School and began working with youth. The Women’s Auxiliary was also formed, and shortly thereafter raised money to provide transportation for about 30 children from Jarman’s Gap to attend Tabor Sunday School. Throughout the late 1930s and most of the 1940s, Tabor was without an installed pastor and was served by student pastors.
The educational building was added in 1962 because the congregation recognized the need to have a physical space for education and fellowship. IN 1966, Tabor in stalled its first female deacon, Mrs. Florence Dillener Massie, and in 1973, Tabor called its first female pastor, Rev. Sara Payne. Tabor was only the third church in the Presbyterian Church in the United States to have a woman minister. And Rev. Payne isn’t the only female minister in Tabor’s history -- in 1994, Tabor called Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, and in 2005 Tabor called Rev. Dr. Jewell-Ann Parton.
The church expanded again in May 2012 with the addition of the Pickford-Chiles Fellowship Hall.
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam was called to Tabor and installed as pastor on February 12, 2018.
