USA > North Carolina > Mecklenburg County > The Semi-centennial of Mecklenburg Presbytery, 1869-1919 > Part 2
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W. L. Walker, Huntersville
W. W. Williams, Mills River A. Nick Hunter, Huntersville C. C. Orr, Sugar Creek H. M. Parker
R. J. McIlwain, Banks
S. L. Cathey, Paw Creek
C. H. Little, Williams Memorial Carson Irvin, Rutherfordton R. S. Eskridge, Shelby
J. M. Forbis, Philadelphia
D. M. Abernethy, Hopewell J. C. Griffin, Philadelphia Bros.F. M. Hawley, Polkton T.S. W. Moore, Hopewell J. B. Lawing, Paw Creek W. J. Garrison, Pineville H. L. Cathey, Steele Creek Boyce Robinson, Steele Creek Rolston Morrison, Castanea
December 4, 1888 March 18, 1888 April 10, 1889 April 12, 1889
September 11, 1889
September 11, 1889
September 28, 1889
November 26, 1889
December 17, 1889
December 17, 1889 April 22, 1890
July 31, 1890
April 16, 1891
May 15, 1891
September 1, 1891
September 1, 1891
September 1, 1891
September 1, 1891
September 1, 1891
September 16, 1891
November 15, 1892
November 15, 1892 April 14, 1893
May 9, 1893
September 8, 1893
September 8, 1893
September 8, 1893
September 8, 1893
April 11, 1894
May 10, 1894
May 10, 1894
September 12, 1894
October 16, 1894
April 10, 1895
December, 1893
April 3, 1896
April 3, 1896
April 3, 1896
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3
L. A. Bennett, Huntersville H. W. Hoon, Forest City F. B. Rankin, Stanley Creek
J. E. Flow, Mallard Creek J. H. Underwood, Hopewell J. E. Brown, 1st Charlotte D. S. Craig, Union
R. H. Morrison Brown, 1st Charlotte S. E. Hodges, Robinson Lawrence Yandle, Providence
H. W. Shannon, Gastonia
C. W. Allison, Sugar Creek J. G. Walker, (Col.) 1st Charlotte E. D. Kerr, Carmel
A. R. Harrison, Huntersville Lynn Howland, Westminster
R. L. Walkup, Waxhaw W. M. Walsh, 1st Charlotte F. L. Higdon, Abingdon Presbytery
W. H. Nicholson, Sharon L. W. Matthews, Providence Geo. P. Stevens, Matthews
F. W. Gray, Williams Memorial
A. T. Walker, Tenth Avenue W. A. Ramsey, Hopewell John W. Grier, Central Steele Creek A. S. Crowell
J. A. McMurray, Philadelphia
J. H. Abernethy, 2nd Charlotte
B. A. Benfield, Mallard Creek R. M. Pegram, Steele Creek
W. E. West, Montgomery Presbytery R. M. Tarlton, Philadelphia T. J. Hutchinson, 2nd Charlotte
L. C. Campbell, Paw Creek W. T. Mann, Philadelphia C. M. Campbell, Paw Creek John McDowell, Steele Creek
May 13, 1896 May 13, 1896 November 2, 1896
April 12, 1897 April 12, 1897
August 16, 1897
October 7, 1897
May 17, 1898 September 28, 1898
November 7, 1899
October 3, 1900
October 4, 1900
December 18, 1900
October 9, 1901
October 9, 1901
October 10, 1901
April 16, 1902
August 16, 1897 May 26, 1898
August 25, 1903
July 27, 1903
July 27, 1903
July 27, 1903
October 20, 1903
September 2, 1904
September 2, 1904
September 19, 1904
October 18, 1904
January 6, 1906
October 11, 1906
July 8, 1907
September 23, 1906
April 16, 1907
May 13, 1907
May 13, 1907
January 9, 1908
January 9, 1908 June 29, 1908
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B. B. Long, Philadelphia W. C. Jamison, 2nd Charlotte Locke White, St. Paul's J. C. Boyd, Tenth Avenue R. C. Long, Philadelphia J. H. McEwen, Philadelphia T. Frank Grier, Central Steele Creek Julius Horton, Salem W. C. McLaughlin, Wadesboro S. A. Ewart, Huntersville R. L. Forbis, Groveton S. M. Wolfe, Albemarle Eugene Alexander, Sharon
October 7, 1908
May 4, 1909
May 4, 1909
May 4, 1909
June 8, 1909
June 8, 1909
June 8, 1909 September 7, 1909
September 7, 1909
September 7, 1909
September 7, 1909
September 7, 1909
April 10, 1910
April 10, 1910
April 19, 1910
H. N. Alexander, Davidson J. H. Satterfield, Groveton W. W. Pharr, 2nd Charlotte J. A. McQueen, Morven Walter Martin, Groveton
May 24, 1910
September 13, 1910
September 13, 1910
September 5, 1911
April 10, 1912
September 18, 1912
October 6, 1912
September 16, 1913
1913
September 17, 1913
April 27, 1913
April 27, 1913
August 12, 1913
August 12, 1913
April 15, 1914
October 1, 1914
January 4, 1915
January 4, 1915
April 14, 1915
April 14, 1915
April 14, 1915
T. T. Stixrud, 2nd Charlotte O. C. Williams, Steele Creek T. A. Smith, Bethlehem Albert J. Harris, Pineville B. F. Handle, 1st Charlotte J. G. Caldwell, Ramah
R. W. Robinson, Steele Creek W. J. Hunneycutt, Locust J. Newton Hunneycutt, Locust A. R. Howland, Sugar Creek J. L. Neely, Pleasant Hill S. B. Hay, Cornelius Martin Holden, Bethany Frank Davis, Amity
J. W. Miller, Sherrill's Ford
W. C. Berryhill, Steele Creek W. C. Neal, Steele Creek F. R. Spratt, Steele Creek W. C. Williams, Matthews June 22, 1915 Peyton Davenport, Steele Creek June 22, 1915
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Coyt Hunter, Williams Memorial J. F. Pharr, 2nd Charlotte
Guy Neely, Central Steele Creek
Carlisle Thomas, Central Steele Creek J. L. Griggs, Salem
August 28, 1915
Clayton Alexander, Sharon
August 28, 1915
T. R. Alexander, Providence
April 11, 1916
R. C. Clontz, Bethlehem
April 11, 1916
John B. Belk, Knox
January 10, 1916 September 6, 1916
W. P. Andrews, 1st, Charlotte
D. C. Young, Knox
September 6, 1916
C. G. Brown, Steele Creek
September 6, 1916
J. S. Price, Unionville
September 6, 1916
R. D. Freeman, Steele Creek
May 15, 1916
C. J. Walsh, St. Paul's
Z. V. Robinson, Orange Presbytery
C. G. Long, Philadelphia
September 17, 1918
November 19, 1918
July 12, 1918
C. H. Rowan, Fayetteville Presbytery
D. C. Stogner, Roberdel
October 26, 1916
November 10, 1904
Claud Pepper, Fayette Presbytery
D. C. Williamson, Steele Creek Guy E. Weeks, 2nd Charlotte
September 17, 1919
The following ministers were members of our churches but for convenience were received as candidates by other Presbyteries: Rev. W. T. Matthews, D.D., was a member of Providence Church, Rev. R. S. Burwell was a member of the First Church, Charlotte, and Rev. George H. Atkinson was a member of the Second Church, Charlotte. All of these young men did not enter the ministry, but from this number the Presbytery has trained and sent forth conse- crated ministers of the Gospel into every Synod of our church. Some of them have heard the call to service in foreign lands and are today laboring in China and Japan and Korea whilst quite a number in these fifty years have heard
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June 22, 1915 June 22, 1915 June 22, 1915
May 28, 1917
S. P. Lentz, Paris Presbytery
September 18, 1916 April, 1917
R. S. Woodson, Wadesboro
W. L. Baker, Paw Creek
August 28, 1915
the call to lay down their earthly ministry that they might complete it in the church above. If our Presbytery had done nothing else but raise up in our families these men and train and send them forth to preach the Gospel it would not have lived and served in vain.
Two families of this Presbytery have been especially hon- ored by giving three sons each to the ministry. Mr. William Arrowood, an Elder of Long Creek Church, was the father of Rev. W. B. Arrowood, D.D., Rev. R. S. Arrowood and Rev. M. C. Arrowood. Mr. John W. Moore, long an Elder in Hope- well and Huntersville Churches, is the father of Rev. John W. Moore, of our Japan Mission, Rev. Samuel W. Moore, of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rev. L. L. Moore, of Taylors- ville, N. C.
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B S STARNES
The Presbytery of Mecklenburg and Synod's Evangelistic Work
October 23rd, 1888, was a great day for North Carolina Presbyterianism, for on that notable day the Synod's evan- gelistic work had its birth. And it was not born a day too soon. A full century of Presbyterian opportunity in the state had come and gone. The Synod of North Carolina was organized in 1812 and Presbyterianism in the state was at this time more than 75 years old and during this time had rendered excellent service along many lines. But it evidently had failed to evangelize the state in a way commensurate with its opportunities. In 1888 Orange Presbytery, the mother Presbytery of the state, reported to Synod that it embraced forty counties and parts of counties and in twenty of these there was not a single organized church of our faith and order. At the same time there were ninety-four coun- ties in the state and thirty-one of these were without a Pres- byterian Church and fifteen counties had only one church each, making a total of forty-six counties practically without Presbyterian ministrations-nearly one-half of the state un- influenced by our church. After more than 100 years of Presbyterianism in the state we had in 1888 one hundred and twenty-two ministers, two hundred and sixty-two churches and less than 23,000 communicants. Faced by such facts a number of ministers and elders met in Goldsboro a day pre- vious to the meeting of Synod, and spent the whole day in prayer and earnest study of the whole question of state evangelization, and the day following they memorialized Synod to take immediate action. Their aggressive plans were unanimously and heartily adopted. And with what re- sults? From that day to this we have had a new Synod. Every year has marked decided progress. The following counties have been entered by our evangelists and occupied
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by one or more organized churches: Allegheney, Ashe, Avery, Brunswick, Cherokee, Chowan, Graham, Hyde, Mar- tin, Mitchell, Person, Stokes, Pitt, Wautauga, Yancy, fifteen counties, in all, added to the domain of Presbyterianism in the state. There is not a county today without its Presby- terian Church in Mecklenburg Presbytery or Asheville, or King Mountain, or Concord, or Orange, or Fayetteville, or Wilmington. There remain thirteen unoccupied counties in the state, and all of these are in Albemarle Presbytery. In thirty years the work has grown from one man employed to thirty-nine, from $3,700.00 raised in 1888 to $22,000.00 in 1918. More than one hundred churches have been organ- ized and almost two hundred Sabbath Schools. Thirty-four thousand persons have confessed their faith in Christ and eighteen thousand have united with the Presbyterian Church. In these thirty years our people in the state have given more than a quarter of a million dollars to sustain this work and have been amply repaid. This work has greatly aided in carrynig our communicant roll in the state from 23,000 to more than 50,000, so that numerically, at least, we are the banner Synod of the General Assembly. And from the beginning of this work our Presbytery has borne an honorable part. Whilst the Synod hesitated as to what ought to be done or could be done to overtake the desti- tutions of the state, your representative men insisted in 1888 that unprofitable discussion ought to immediately end, and the conquest of the state begin. This was done by the prompt action of all the Presbyteries of Synod. Every year for thirty years this Presbytery has contributed to the sup- port of this work. The full amount cannot be accurately stated, but I am safe in saying that the Presbytery has given for Synod's work at least $40,000.00 in annual contributions. And not only have our members given regularly to Synodi- cal Home Missions, but some have remembered this cause in their deaths. Mr. S. P. Alexander of the First Church, Charlotte, bequeathed $5,000.00. Mrs. Harriet Reading, of Charlotte, $4,615.85, and Mr. John C. Burroughs, elder of the First Church, Charlotte, $30,000.00, making in all about $80,-
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000.00 given by this Presbytery. But our largest contribu- tion to Synod work has been the twenty-five years' work of Rev. Wm. Black. He was licensed by Fayetteville Presby- tery in 1893 and in the same year he was ordained by Meck- lenburg Presbytery and was immediately employed by the Presbytery and Synod's committee as a local evangelist in Union and Anson counties. In January, 1894, he was elected Superintendent of Synodical Home Missions and general evangelist. And since that time his labors have been won- derfully blessed. Dr. Craig in his book on "Presbyterian- ism in North Carolina," published in 1907 says "Rev. Wm. Black has held more than 4,000 services. He has witnessed the confession of several thousand persons and more than 4,000 of these have joined the Presbyterian Church. He has organized a dozen or more Presbyterian Churches and as many Sunday Schools."
From 1908 to 1919 as evangelist of the Synod he has held 280 series of meetings, preached 4,480 times, conducted scores of other services, including several evangelistic insti- tutes for the Synod. In these meetings there were fifteen thousand professions of Christ and of these about five thou- sand joined the Presbyterian Church. Some fifteen thou- sand persons promised to establish family worship, and more than that number to read the Bible and pray daily. In ad- dition to the above, he has raised about $15,000.00 for re- ligious causes. Rev. Wm. Black stands in a class by him- self in the Synod of North Carolina for the length and fruit- fulness of his evangelistic labors.
But the Presbytery of Mecklenburg has by no means per- formed her full duty towards the evangelization of the state of North Carolina. Much land remains to be possessed. We have only fairly begun our great task, and must not rest content until every county, town and township in North Carolina has its well established Presbyterian Church or Churches.
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Mecklenburg Presbytery and Its Country Churches
When Cornwallis passed through this country lying be- tween the Yadkin and Catawba rivers, there were at least seven country churches, Sugar Creek, Steele Creek, Provi- dence, Hopewell, Rocky River, Poplar Tent and Center. These seven churches were then in Mecklenburg county ex- cept a part of Center, which lay in Rowan (now Iredell). The boundaries of these congregations were fixed as early as 1765 and their influence in church and state for one hundred and fifty years has been very great. Out of these churches came the men who framed the first declaration of independ- ence in America, and from that day to this these churches have been strongholds of intelligence, patriotism and re- ligion. A little study of the early history of Presbyter- ianism in the Carolinas make clear the following: These country churches were first in the order of time. When they were organized there were no town churches in the state. There was no Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville until 1800, none in Salisbury until 1826 and none in Charlotte or Wil- mington until long after the Revolutionary war.
In the second place for a long period they were first in the order of importance. In point of members, wealth, and influence, they surpassed all the town churches of that day. As a proof of this the following facts are in order. First. the best schools were then located in these old country churches. I need only refer to Providence Academy, estab- lished in 1800; Rocky River Academy, established by Dr. John McKamie Wilson; Caldwell Institute, founded by Dr. Caldwell in Buffalo congregation; Dr. McCorkle's school in Thyatira, founded in 1785; Queen's Museum in Charlotte, then a promising mission station of old Sugar Creek Church.
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And as late as 1837 Davidson College was located in the country in the bounds of Center Church.
The primacy of these old country churches was evident from another fact. The Synod of the Carolinas was organ- ized in old Center Church in 1788 and for thirty-seven years met invariably in country churches with only one exception. Add to this the fact that many of the very foremost preach- ers and theologians of that day freely gave their whole lives to these great country churches.
But some one replies that "times have changed" and the country churches are no longer what they were 50 or 100 years ago, that the "glory has departed" from the country church, that the country church has ceased to be a controll- ing factor in the religious life of the nation. Its main ef- fort today is to keep from dying. The scepter of leadership, moral, intellectual, and spiritual, is passing to the city churches. This admission is heard on every "missionary platform," in "rural surveys," and "re-echoed in all the mis- sionary literature of the day." Some tell us that investi- gators found 800 abandoned village and country churches in Ohio and 1500 in Illinois. That a part of this is true I do not question, but I am happy to say that our old country churches in this Piedmont country have been saved from any such a fate. What are the historic facts in the case ? When this Presbytery was organized in 1869 we had on our roll in Mecklenburg county the following country churches: Sugar Creek, Steele Creek, Paw Creek, Hopewell, Mallard Creek, Philadelphia, Providence, Sharon, Pleasant Hill and Ramah. Bethel and Central Steele Creek were received later, the former from Concord Presbytery and the latter from the A. R. P. Church. In Gaston county, Olney, Union, Long Creek, Goshen, New Hope. In Lincoln county, Unity, Cas- tanea Grove, Machpelah. In Rutherford county, Britain Church. In Polk county, Sandy Plains. In Henderson county, Mills River. In Transylvania county, Davidson River. In Haywood county, Bethel. In Macon county, Mor- rison. In Clay county, Hiawassee. In Buncome county,
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Oak Forest and Swannanoa. In Union county, Bethlehem. In Anson county, Lebanon. Here are twenty-nine country churches committed to our care in 1869. And not one of them has been disorganized. All of them are on our roll today. Some of these were small at the beginning and are small yet. But on the whole decided progress has been made in our country churches. In 1869 the combined mem- bership of these twenty-nine churches was 2,869. Today their combined membership is over 4,000. These country churches have made possible the organization of the follow- ing new country churches: Mulberry, Robinson, Amity, Carmel, Cooks Memorial, Williams Memorial, Banks, Siler and others with a membership of at least 1,000. They greatly aided in organizing and building up the following town churches: Huntersville, Matthews, Pineville, Newell, Monroe, Waxhaw, Lowell, Belmont, Mt. Holly, Gastonia, Loray, Kings Mountain, Bessemer City, West Asheville, Can- ton, Bryson City, Waynesville, Brevard and others with a combined membership of at least 3,000. This contribution from the country churches to help organize the town churches will be appreciated when I tell you that the First Church, Gastonia, was organized in 1882 with 26 members and all of them from neighboring country churches. And Huntersville was organized in 1878 with 46 members, 44 of these from Ramah Church and two from Hopewell.
And what can I say, what ought I to say as to the service rendered by these country churches in multiplying our strength in the city of Charlotte ? In 1869 we had only one church in Charlotte with 260 members. Today we have twelve churches and about 4,000 members. The city has grown in 50 years from 5,000 or 6,000 to 50,000 or 60,000 inhabitants. Our church has grown in organizations twelve fold and in church members fifteen fold.
What has so largely contributed to this rapid growth of our church in the city of Charlotte? The excellent system of public schools, the presence of Queens College, the large opportunities for business and especially the best of church
27
privileges, have proven very attractive to our country people. They have moved their homes to Charlotte in great numbers and in many cases to their advantage. The Second Church, Charlotte, is one of the greatest churches in our General Assembly. It has grown from thirty-one members in 1873 to more than eleven hundred resident members in 1919. Few churches in America have a larger or more efficient corps of officers than this church. It has 47 officers, 22 el- ders and 25 deacons. And where were these men born and reared ? Only three of the 25 deacons were reared in town and all the elders were born and reared in the country churches of their fathers. And the pastor, Dr. McGeachey, belongs to this roll of honor, as he was born and reared in St. Paul's Church, in Robeson county, in Fayetteville Pres- bytery, received into full communion in his tenth year and licensed to preach by Fayetteville Presbytery.
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The Evangelistic Work in Union County
The story of the Home Mission work of the Presbytery would be incomplete without a reference to the work in Union county. This county was formed from parts of Meck- lenburg and Anson in 1844 with Monroe as the county seat. Somewhere between 1850 and 1855 a Presbyterian Church was organized in Monroe with twelve members, and four elders were elected. These elders were D. F. Hadin, Aaron Stegall, F. C. Williams and Mr. Alexander. For some reason unknown, this new church in a new county and a new town was permitted to die. And for twenty years or more there was no Presbyterian Church in Monroe and only one small country church of forty members in the county under our care. During these dark days it really seemed that if there ever was an opportunity for Presbyterianism in Union coun- ty that day had passed. The field appeared to be thoroughly occupied by other denominations. But the growth of Mon- roe, the building of new railways, the springing up of new towns along these lines, the incoming of Presbyterians seek- ing business and homes, ushered in a brighter day for our church. The Presbytery was not slow to take advantage of new conditions. In 1873 Evangelist, Rev. S. C. Alexander, organized the present Monroe Church with thirteen mem- bers and two elders, Col. Samuel H. Walkup and Wm. H. Fitzgerald. From this date to the present the following churches have been organized in Union county: Waxhaw, in 1888; Banks, in 1891; Beulah, 1892; Altan, 1893; Marsh- ville, 1893; Siler, 1895; Salem, 1895; Walkersville, 1908; Re- hoboth, 1911; Bethany, 1912; Indian Trail, 1913; Unionville, 1915, and Rocky River, in 1916. In this connection the Pres- bytery of Mecklenburg makes grateful recognition of assist- ance rendered in its mission work by a great old country
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church known as Tirzah, located in the southern part of the county, and a part of its members living in Lancaster county, South Carolina. Its history runs back for more than one hundred years and it has become the Mother of Churches. It has added materially to the membership and officers of Waxhaw and Monroe Churches, whilst the Unity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and our Walkersville Church are colonies from this old historic church. Counting this church and Bethlehem Church of about forty members there were two churches in Union county in 1869. Today there are 18 within the limits of the county and two others organ- ized on the border lines, making twenty churches in the Union county work against two churches in 1869.
The increase in the value of church property in Union county in 50 years has been surprising. In 1869 the prop- erty of Bethlehem and Tirzah did not exceed $4,000. Today the value of church property is as follows:
Altan
$ 7,500.00
Bethany
2,500.00
Unionville Church
3,000.00
Unionville Manse
3,000.00
Rehoboth Church
5,000.00
Waxhaw Church
3,000.00
Waxhaw Manse
3,000.00
Tirzah Church
2,500.00
Tirzah Manse
2,500.00
Banks Church
7,000.00
Siler Church
7,000.00
Indian Trail Church
3,000.00
Indian Trail Manse
3,000.00
Bethlehem Church
1,000.00
Marshville Church
2,500.00
Marshville Manse
1,100.00
Salem Church
2,500.00
Pageland Church
5,000.00
Pageland Manse
2,000.00
Monroe Church
30,000.00
Monroe Manse
3,000.00
Walkersville Church
3,000.00
Walkersville Manse
3,000.00
Midland Church
1,000.00
$106,000.00
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Mecklenburg and Her Two New Presbyteries-Asheville and Kings Mountain
This Presbytery has always taken a special interest in its mountain country. This interest was manifested in the very beginning of its history. At its very first regular meeting at Steele Creek Church April, 1870, its first stand- ing rule was that all its Fall meetings should be held in its mountain country, and this rule was faithfully observed for years. This partiality was costly. It called for sacrifices of time, labor and expense with which few of us are ac- quainted today. There were then no automobiles, no ma- cadam roads, no railroads and in some cases scarcely any roads of any kind. And yet, the Presbytery, to save nine or ten little churches in those eleven mountain counties, with less than 400 members, and to build up the cause of Christ in that beautiful "Land of the Sky," would, in a body, visit its mountain churches once every year. Strong men were sent there to hold meetings or to labor permanently as pas- tors or evangelists at the expense of the stronger churches of the cast. But the Mother Presbytery has had her rich reward in seeing one church after another grow into self- support and become helpers to others. The growth of the First Church, Asheville, would alone justify all our expen-
ditures in that region. In 1869 it had 83 members and 60 pupils in the Sunday School and gave for all purposes in- cluding pastors salary less than $2,500.00. Today that church under the wise leadership of its pastor, Dr. R. F. Campbell, has become a mighty spiritual force in the Pres- bytery of Asheville and the new Synod of Apalachia. It is served by 19 elders and 21 deacons, has 862 resident mem- bers and gave last year for Foreign Missions $2,657.00, for
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Home Missions (all branches) $3,695.00, and for all pur- poses $22,500.00. Dr. D. I. Craig in his excellent book, "Synodical Home Missions in North Carolina," very correctly says, "There have been great transformations in that part of the country in the last ten or twelve years and whatever of good has resulted in this region from Presbyterianism through evangelistic efforts a large share of that good is due to the earnest missionary spirit and great liberality of the First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, under the able leadership of its beloved pastor, Rev. R. F. Campbell, D.D. And in conjunction with this church, due credit should be given for the success achieved to Rev. R. P. Smith and Rev. E. MacDavis." And be it remembered that when the Pres- bytery of Mecklenburg sent away the brethren that they might form the new Presbytery of Asheville, they were fol- lowed with her prayers and benedictions. Among the rec- ords of Presbytery I find this: "Resolved that $1,000.00 be given to the Presbytery of Asheville and that we pay for one-half of the time of Rev. R. P. Smith, their evangelist." The response of the Presbytery of Asheville to such thought- ful consideration was in such a beautiful spirit and so beau- tifully expressed that I quote it entire: "The Presbytery of Asheville desires to express to the Mother Presbytery our deep appreciation of the continual parental love and fos- tering care manifested by her in not only extending for an- other period of three years, but also in increasing her origi- nal contribution to our mission work. Hearts are warmed and hands made strong for labor in the Master's vineyard by this evidence of your sympathy and helpfulness of spirit. May the God of all grace grant you peace in all your borders and prosperity in all your churches! May He return to you with rich usury all that you may put into His treasury for the extension of His empire over the hearts and lives of our mountain kindred." This Presbytery was organized No- vember 12th, 1896, and held its first meeting in the First Church, Asheville, December 2nd, 1896, with Rev. E. A. Sample, Moderator.
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