USA > North Carolina > Mecklenburg County > The Semi-centennial of Mecklenburg Presbytery, 1869-1919 > Part 3
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The Presbytery of Kings Mountain was set off from the Presbytery of Mecklenburg October 23rd, 1902, and held its first meeting in Lincolnton, November 18th, 1902, Rev. R. A. Miller presiding by direction of Synod.
The territory of this new presbytery embraced the coun- ties of Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, Rutherford, and Polk. The organization of these two new Presbyteries within six years of each other deprived Mecklenburg of sixteen of her twenty counties, leaving only four counties, Mecklenburg, Union, Anson and Stanley. The growth of the churches in the territory of Kings Mountain Presbytery for the last fifty years has been constant and in some cases rapid. In 1869 in these five counties composing Kings Mountain Presbytery there were fifteen churches with 910 communicants. Today on the same territory there are 40 churches with 3,500 com- municants. There has been growth in all these coun- ties but especially in Gaston county where fifty years ago there was a combined membership of 488 in six churches, Goshen, New Hope, Olney, Union, Long Creek, and Dallas, whilst today there are 16 churches in Gaston county with more than 2,000 members. This rapid growth is to be accounted for by the presence of strong country churches, such as Olney, Union and New Hope, which after aiding in the organization of such new churches as Belmont, Lowell, and Gastonia are larger today than at any time in their history. Growth was made possible also by the build- ing of the largest number of cotton mills that is to be found in any single county in the state. This great enterprise brought both capital and population. A third cause of Pres- byterian growth in Gaston county was the unusual growth of the town of Gastonia. In 1882 this was one of the small towns of the state with not more than 500 inhabitants. Here on July 16th, 1882, we organized the first church in the place with 26 members all from neighboring country churches. Today the little town has become one of the growing cities of the state and the First Presbyterian Church is one of the strongest and most active churches in the Synod. The last report from that church is as follows: Elders, 20; Deacons,
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24; resident members, 817; in Sabbath School, 834, with con- tributions for Foreign Missions, $3,000.00; Assembly's Home Missions, $883.00; Synod's Home Missions, $226.00; Pres- bytery's Home Missions, $605.00; Congregational Home Mis- sions, $1,023.00. And for all causes this church gave last year $14,571.00. The Presbytery aided this church in build- ing its first house of worship. Has not this investment yielded an immense revenue ?
In concluding this part of the subject, let me say that if Mecklenburg and her two daughters, Asheville and Kings Mountain Presbyteries, were united in a Synod, such Synod would not only be larger than any of our Missionary Synods such as Arkansas, Florida, and West Virginia, but it would have over 16,000 members, and would thus be larger than either of the Synods of Missouri, Tennessee or Kentucky.
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The Policy of the Presbytery
As we turn the pages of this history the question arises what has been the policy of the Presbytery in prosecuting its work. There is no difficulty in answering this question. The facts are before us:
1st. It has been the policy of self-help. When twelve out of nineteen of her counties were practically destitute of Presbyterianism and her entire Home Mission fund was less than $3,000.00, not more than enough to employ two or three Missionaries for the twelve counties, to say nothing of a large number of vacant churches, this Presbytery deter- mined to prosecute her great task and to ask for no help from Synod or General Assembly. And from this policy of self-help it never departed. The records show that it has received small sums from the Synod to aid in supporting some of its Evangelists or in building some of its Mission Churches, but it returned these amounts to the Synod in annual contributions of perhaps ten dollars for one received.
2nd. The Presbytery has always placed high honors upon the Evangelist as a divinely appointed officer of the church. It has never discriminated between him and the Pastor to the discredit of the Evangelist. At its very first regular meeting it appointed an able committee to promptly secure an evangelist. It had no funds in sight to support him but in due time the Evangelist was found and his salary was paid. His first work was to organize churches in Wades- boro and Monroe and to erect houses of worship. And the Presbytery did not make the grevious mistake of sending inefficient and unacceptable men into its mission field as evangelists because they could not be used anywhere else. In other words, she did not make the mission fields a dump- ing ground for all the misfits in the ministry. The roll of her evangelists will show that they were the peers of their
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brethren in every respect. I need only mention a few of them, Dr. S. C. Alexander, Rev. Wm. H. Davis, Rev. Alfred J. Morrison, Rev. M. R. Kirkpatrick, Dr. A. G. Buckner, Rev. E. E. Ervin, Rev. S. Taylor Martin, Dr. R. P. Smith, and others. And the evangelists who are now serving you, Rev. Leonard Gill, Rev. R. J. McIlwain, and others, are wise mas- ter builders in your mission fields today. The history of Presbyterianism in the state and the United States cannot be written without telling the wonderful story of the evan- gelist and his work for more than 150 years.
3rd. The Presbytery has strongly favored the conserva- tive use of the revival meeting in its churches and mission fields. The protracted meeting was looked forward to in all our country churches, especially, as the one great event of the year. Great preparations were made. Hospitality was unbounded. The services usually began on Friday morning with two sermons each day. And where did they find preachers for all these protracted meetings? Did they im- port them from a distance? Did they send for some noted Synodical Evangelist? And if they failed to secure one from the Synod did they postpone their August meeting until they could get a more noted Evangelist of the General Assembly? They did nothing of the kind. The men who founded this Presbytery knew how to preach and they knew how to preach at a protracted meeting and, as Pastors, they multiplied their usefulness by assisting each other on these great revival occasions. Dr. A. W. Miller was one of the greatest preachers of his age and could easily have filled any pulpit in America. And yet it was his delight every sum- mer to spend his vacation in our mountain country. The news of his arrival soon spread to the remotest coves of the mountains. And when he preached on the following Sab- bath our little churches could hold only a fraction of the great gathering. Years have passed but Dr. Miller is still lovingly remembered among our mountain people. He was called the "apostle of the mountains," and richly deserved this honor. Rev. Walter W. Pharr was a great favorite among the churches in conducting their protracted meetings.
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He loved to preach the gospel and was in his glory in a re- vival service. No man was in greater demand to assist the pastors by doing all the preaching himself. Rev. G. D. Parks, long pastor of Sugar Creek Church, believed in re- vivals, prayed earnestly for them in his own church and shared abundantly in their blessings. He once told me of a revival beginning in Sugar Creek Church in December, 1874, and continuing for a whole year. His closing sentence was this: "Our third communion was administered on the 4th Sabbath of October, at which time 20 members were added to the church, which makes 44 added on examination since our communion in April. This precious work of grace ex- tended to other congregations and its happy effects upon Sugar Creek are seen to this day in the piety of many." I would like to speak of other great meetings conducted by these evangelistic pastors, of the meeting at Union Church in 1878 when 47 persons were received into the church on profession of faith, of the meeting at Swannanoa church conducted by Licentiate W. W. Moore and Rev. J. P. Gam- mon in 1880, when 44 members were received on profession to a church of only 40 members, thus more than doubling its membership and greatly multiplying its spiritual power. But time fails me to tell of all these precious seasons of grace. It would take a volume to include all these meetings and the pastors who so ably conducted them.
4th. Whilst it has persistently refused to receive help from Synod or General Assembly, it has never failed to help others. There has been no patience in this Presbytery with a narrow, selfish policy. It has set its seal to the truth that "The church that ceases to be evangelistic will soon cease to be evangelical, and the church that fails to live abroad will soon die at home." It has accepted the additional state- ment, "There is a scattering that increaseth and there is a withholding that tendereth unto poverty." Before I close this address I shall tell you something about what it has done for the Synod's Home Mission work, the Assembly's Home Mission Work, Foreign Missions, our Orphans' Home and education. And when this story is told no one can say that the churches of this Presbytery have lived simply for them- selves.
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The Presbytery and the Orphans' Home
It is somewhat remarkable that two great state-wide en- terprises should originate at the same meeting of Synod, but such is the case. At the meeting of Synod in Goldsboro in 1888, Synodical evangelism took definite form and the Or- phans' Home became one of the permanent instituions of the Synod. The matter was called to the attention of Synod by an overture from the lady managers of the "Home and Hos- pital" in Charlotte, N. C. This memorial was referred to a commission of which Rev. J. Rumple, D.D., was made chair- man on the adoption of the following resolution offered by a member of this Presbytery :
"Resolved, That in the judgment of this Synod the time has come to take steps looking to the establishing of an Or- phans' Home within our bounds and that a commission be appointed to take the whole matter in charge, to consider and execute whatever may seem wise and practicable in put- ting such an enterprise on a permanent basis."
This movement was most timely, and met with a hearty response in all parts of the Synod. The result is that the continued and ever increasing growth of our Orphans' Home has been most gratifying. Beginning without any assets in 1888, today, according to recent data from the superintend- ent, Rev. W. T. Walker, the Home owns 500 acres of land. There are seventeen buildings, thirteen of brick and four of wood, on the campus of the Home, and six or seven other buildings on land adjacent to the Home. This property has cost about $130,000.00 and is easily worth $200,000.00 today. The endowment fund has reached $36,000.00, with $30,- 000.00 more to be added to this amount. The Home is now caring for 230 children, all who can be accommodated with the present equipment. Of this number, 116 are mem- bers of our church. Since this Home was opened it has
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cared for about 1,000 children, and of that number only eight deaths have occurred in the Home. Now what has Mecklen- burg Presbytery done to found and foster this institution so dear to North Carolina Presbyterians. Our people mani- fested a deep interest from the beginning, the ladies of Char- lotte leading the way. The first superintendent of the Home was Rev. R. W. Boyd, of Unity and Castanea Churches, who guided for years with great wisdom and tact the affairs of the Home and did not leave it until its success was assured. It has been difficult to determine with accuracy what this Presbytery has given to equip and support the Home. For years, at the Home and in the minutes of Synod, donors were not given credit by Presbyteries. So by taking the amounts given by the Presbytery for the last eighteen years I find the average per year amounts to over $3,000.00, and this multiplied by thirty, the number of years since the Home was established, and we have the total of $90,000.00. The Home has had such a warm place in the hearts of our people that they not only gave to it whilst they lived but re- membered it in their deaths.
Mr. James H. Carson, of the First Church, Charlotte, be- queathed the Home, January, 1907, $1,000.00; Mr. S. P. Alexander, of the First Church, to erect the Industrial build- ing, gave $4,000.00; Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Burroughs, of the First Church, to erect the Art building, gave $3,500.00, whilst the large legacy left by Mr. J. C. Burroughs to the Home will perhaps amount to $40,000.00.
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Members Received By Mecklenburg, Asheville and Kings Mountain Presbyteries on Examination and Certificate in the Last Fifty Years
MECKLENBURG PRESBYTERY
Year
On Examination
On Certificate
1870
112
70
1871
82
65
1872
137
33
1873
155
86
1874
237
127
1875
126
101
1876
168
76
1877
206
132
1878
227
115
1879
259
97
1880
134.
87
1881
114.
97
1882
318
185
1883
248
180
1884
226
190
1885
323
164
1886
425
223
1887
467
225
1888
430
272
1889
293
215
1890
477
331
1891
552
329
1892
374.
341
1893
441
262
1894
659
389
1895
483
380
1896
415
331
1897
377
249
1898
341
373
1899
312
327
1900
352
457
40
Year
On Examination
On Certificate
1901
339
390
1902
359
327
1903
223
320
1904
659
389
1905
283.
268
1906
402
307
1907
263
348
1908
425
348
1909
419
388
1910
206
464
1911
395
284
1912
268
347
1913
458
498
1914
318
358
1915
566.
427
1916
894.
581
1917
514
575
1918
264
369
1919
350
479
17,075
13,976
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ASHEVILLE PRESBYTERY
Received by Asheville Presbytery on examination and cer- tificate since its organization in 1896:
Year
On Examination
On Certificate
1897
65
75
1898
115
79
1899
98
51
1900
103
64
1901
55 79
90
1902
55
1903
88
79
1904
66
75
1905
63
74
1906
126
109
1907
30
89
1908
75
104
1909
61
159
1910
168
163
1911
74
100
1912
61
108
1913
69
134
1914
157
133
1915
99
133
1916
208
183
1917
153
145
1918
80
94
1919
88
118
2,181
2,414
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KINGS MOUNTAIN PRESBYTERY
Received on examination and certificate by King's Moun- tain Presbytery since its organization in 1902:
Year
On Examination
On Certificate
1903
130
113
1904
156
137
1905
170
105
1906
142
147
1907
94
139
1908
103.
166
1909
201
133
1910
131
130
1911
145
147
1912
123
123
1913
174
123
1914
158
180
1915
167
166
1916
252
136
1917
206
176
1918
135
125
1919
123
147
2,610
2,393
Received by Mecklenburg Presbytery on pro- fession in 50 years 17,075
Asheville since organization in 1896. 2,181
Kings Mountain since organization in 1902. 2,610-21,866
Received by Mecklenburg Presbytery on cer- tificate in 50 years
13,975
Asheville since organization in 1896.
2,414
Kings Mountain since organization in 1902.
2,393-18,782
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CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE PRESBYTERY OF MECKLENBURG FOR FIRST TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Year
F. Miss.
H. Miss.
Educa.
Pub.
Pres.
Congre.
Misc.
Inv.
Sal.
Col. Inst.
1870
$ 738.00
$ 2,753.00
$ 490.00
$ 338.00
$ 271.00
$ 13,681.00
$ 994.00
$
$
$
1871
523.00
2,630.00
430.00
332.00
229.00
17,686.00
1,553.00
1872
349.00
1,778.00
370.00
235.00
142.00
11,284,00
3,265.00
1873
793.00
2,400.00
446.00
223.00
.. 00
4,290.00
897.00
148.00
10,381.00
1874
669.00
2,339.00
240.00
336.00
.00
291.00
2,445.00
259.00
10,367.00
1875
686.00
4,289.00
469.00
158.00
.. 00
5,483.00
362.00
164.00
11,546.00
1876
1,166.00
3,160.00
322.00
149.00
.00
4,647.00
159.00
171.00
11,396.00
1877
940.00
1,486.00
671.00
206.00
280.00
11,447.00
125.00
142.00
11,735.00
1878
1,037.00
1,600.00
397.00
117.00
269.00
4,586.00
778.00
216.00
11,816.00
1879
1,203.00
1,600.00
381.00
219.00
396.00
13,249.00
805.00
319.00
11,667.00
1880
1,266.00
1,800.00
456.00
213.00
238.00
6,653.00
323.00
324.00
12,586.00
1881
1,505.00
2,300.00
443.00
196.00
334.00
8,800.00
861.00
232.00
15,474.00
44
1882
1,948,00
2.000.00
197.00
224.00
219.00
7,989.00
441.00
200.00
14,717.00
1883
2,285.00
2,350.00
497.00
201.00
297.00
8,952.00
491.00
227.00
14,180.00
22.00
1884
2,652.00
2,300.00
2,451.00
156.00
266.00
9,539.00
1,102.00
204.00
13,126.00
57.00
1885
2,925.00
1,572.00
3,060.00
180.00
385.00
13,560.00
822.00
246.00
16,075.00
61.00
1886
4,844.00
2,500.00
1,147.00
137.00
337.00
21,834.00
1,491.00
309.00
17,778.00
1887
3,851.00
2,600.00
805.00
199.00
378.00
8,106.00
3,009.00
222.00
17,219.00
58.00
1888
4,350.00
3,300.00
509.00
158.00
247.00
16,251.00
7,336.00
208.00
18,651.00
81.00
1889
5,112.00
4,657.00
1,471.00
293.00
278.00
14,068.00
4,336.00
265.00
17,851.00
103.00
1890
6,128.00
9,419.00
3,045.00
168.00
349.00
17,834.00
2,945.00
278.00
18,118.00
170.00
1891
7,015.00
11,000.00
1,304.00
208.00
336.00
24,941.00
5,250.00
336.00
18,820.00
195.00
1892
8,781.00
7,700.00
2,291.00
388.00
242.00
22,000.00
4,238.00
242.00
20.807.00
645.00
1893
5,596.00
7,000.00
1,354,00
212.00
325.00
17,598.00
4,828.00
171.00
21,069.00
213.00
1894
7,034.00
15,654.00
1,442.00
150.00
600.00
17,122.00
3,169.00
250.00
24,789.00
370.00
$73,295.00
$100,077.00
$24,588.00
$5,396.00
$6,416.00
$300,791.00
$52,024.00
$5,132.00
$340.168.00
$1,966.00
Total receipts for all causes for first 25 years
.. $909,852.00
CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE PRESBYTERY OF MECKLENBURG FOR SECOND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Year
F. Miss.
A. H. M. L. H. M. Cong. M.
Inv.
Edc.
Pub.
Bible
Pres.
Sal.
Cong.
Misl.
College
1895
$ 5,619
$ 263
$ 3,902
$ 357
$ 207
$ 1,379
$ 210
$ 101
$ 260
$ 23,476
$ 41,625
$ 2,961
$
1896
6,216
373
4,862
382
248
1,076
252
70
322
23,743
42,368
7,400
1897
7,213
353
6,916
146
223
1,153
223
66
384
19,604
17,773
10,387
1898
6,430
462
6,764
322
261
3,370
171
138
325
20,387
23,617
2,076
1899
6,141
486
7,840
335
231
2,806
193
129
393
22,007
25,039
1,569
1900
4,704
933
10,693
332
457
5,673
276
108
312
21,691
14,992
1,728
1901
4,805
800
9,337
193
408
1,717
235
72
438
21,804
18,491
2,985
1902
3,829
747
12,280
166
268
7,741
259
19
301
24,303
16,267
2,942
1903
3,571
569
10,972
127
203
7,652
141
28
264
17,421
14,915
2,056
1904
3,982
462
9,052
100
175
6,152
128
65
381
17,972
14,064
2,727
1906
10,817
477
13,014
118
258
8,006
154
41
419
17,533
18,762
2,261
1906
4,008
562
8,605
181
210
8,155
158
101
406
21.066
20,686
6,648
1907
6,037
673
6,316
175
873
6,213
138
68
411
22,579
16,835
3,548
1908
7,355
841
10,238
281
334
14,769
212
91
615
24,439
15,094
9,925
1 1909
10,748
1,489
8,316
192
231
9,560
201
162
120
21,942
24,589
8,242
1910
10,958
2,139
11,250
304
971
659
250
118
126
44,118
2,379
7,747
3,259
1911
10,908
2,441
10,157
280
334
1,235
402
117
65,390
6,347
6,966
1912
12,731
2,676
14,009
7,831
433
149
28,497
30,700
7,748
1913
15,819
2,772
12,084
5,494
787
264
31,684
38,920
11,179
1914
12,914
2,225
13,625
14,871
662
202
34,549
30,396
11,854
1916
13.931
1,769
11,009
1.133
604
203
33,989
34,050
7,536
12,051
1916
14,664
1,736
11,161
1,639
855
249
34,014
43,216
11,997
4,874
1917
14,221
1,615
9,604
2,594
993
198
37,983
40,424
25,875
7,878
1918
14,108
2,291
7,329
1,573
1,602
239
39,578
36,100
33,528
2,392
1919
16,826
3,317
10,200
2,325
1,233
601
43,683
47,838
17,168
18,200
$226,735
$32,268
$236,615
$3,991
$5,942
$123,776
$10,672
$3,275
$6,601
$703,451
$628,949
$207,423
$56,620
Total receipts for all causes for second 25 years
.. $2,223,178.00
Total receipts for all causes for first 26 years
909,852.00
Grand total for all causes for fifty years
.$3,133,030.00
The Presbytery of Mecklenburg and Davidson College
When this Presbytery was organized in 1869 Davidson College was then the only literary institution placed under its care. The Presbytery promptly and heartily assumed re- sponsibility and elected trustees. The number and high character of these trustees was a clear indication of the pro- found interest of the Presbytery in the welfare of the Col- lege. And during these fifty years the Presbytery has not failed to be represented on the Board of Trustees and in the student body. And why should not the Presbytery of Meck- lenburg have an interest in Davidson College, when the men who aided in founding the College also organized the Pres- bytery. Rev. R. H. Morrison, D.D., was pastor of Sugar Creek Church in 1835, when he offered in Concord Presby- tery the resolution which resulted in the establishment of the College. That now famous resolution is too well known to be repeated here.
Dr. Morrison was unanimously chosen the first President of the College, and in 1869 his honored name heads the list of the first Trustees of the College appointed by our Pres- bytery. The College, like most of our Church Colleges, has had its dark days but it was never so firmly fixed in the hearts of our people as it is today. And it richly deserves the favor of both church and state. It has matriculated about 5,000 students. It has graduated about 1,500 men and 654 of its students have entered the ministry. With the loud call of today for well educated men to reconstruct the world, now in such confusion and unrest, Davidson Col- lege ought to have at least 1,000 students and an endowment of one million dollars.
46
The Presbytery of Mecklenburg and Queen's College
More than sixty years ago the Presbyterians of this part of North Carolina determined to give the same educational advantages to their daughters as their sons were receiving at Davidson College or the State University, and so they established what was then known as the "Charlotte Female Institute." I am sorry that no adequate history of this Col- lege has been written. But in these sixty years the College has been making history. If we could only follow one in ten of the educated Christian women who have been students in this College, we would have a wonderful story to tell. How many sick rooms they have brightened, how many beautiful characters they have helped to fashion in the school room, and how many Christian homes they have established, eter- nity alone will reveal. Now what have the Presbyterians done for Queen's College? They have in recent years re- moved the College from narrow, noisy surroundings to broad, airy, beautiful surroundings in Myers Park. They have erected new, modern buildings unsurpassed in the state in those qualities which make a great educational plant. From first to last the friends of the Colege have spent at least $300,000 to establish and maintain the College.
In closing I quote a few sentences from the Charlotte Ob- server of yesterday under the heading, "Queen's Brighter Day": "For the first time in its history, this institution has been obliged to turn away girls for lack of room; as against a high water mark of 105 boarding pupils last year the College opened its doors last Thursday with 141 students who had engaged rooms and made a deposit to hold them. The finances of the College are also in excellent shape. The future of the College was never quite so bright as today."
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The Presbytery of Mecklenburg and Union Theological Seminary in Virginia
Founded in 1812 with only one professor, without build- ings or grounds or endowment, it has steadily grown for more than a century until today it is the largest and best equipped Seminary in our General Assembly.
Its removal to Richmond, Va., in 1898, was the beginning of great things for the Seminary. Its location in Richmond is ideal. There are 111/2 acres in the campus proper and 34 acres in the immediately adjoining Westwood tract. There are ten large and substantial brick buildings, not counting the frame cottages at Westwood. The cash value of these buildings and grounds is over $300,000.
This Seminary has laid our whole Southern Church under obligations by training 1,877 young ministers. The Synod of North Carolina is peculiarly indebted to Union Seminary, for out of 255 ministers and licentiates in the Synod, 135 were trained at Union Seminary. Now that is what the Seminary has done for us, and the question properly arises, what has our Presbytery done for the Seminary? Finan- cially, we have done very little. I am embarrassed by having to say to you that in the fifty years of our life, from 1869 to 1919, so far as known, we have only given about $10,000 to Union Seminary.
But I would do a great injustice to the city of Charlotte, to the First Presbyterian Church of that city, to the Presby- tery of Mecklenburg, if I did not recall a great gift made to Union Seminary by the Presbyterians of Piedmont Carolina. We have made a gift to the Seminary which cannot be com- puted in the banking houses of the world. We have given
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the Seminary Dr. Walter W. Moore. He was born among us and reared by a most godly mother, a member of the First Church, Charlotte. He was received under the care of this Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry May 2nd, 1879, and by this Presbytery licensed and ordained and after a few years' service in our bounds and in Kentucky, he was called to this Seminary. And it now appears that we have given Dr. Moore to the Seminary for life.
At the close of the historical address the Presbytery took recess. The pastor, Rev. J. W. Orr, announced that the ladies of the church had spread dinner in the grove near-by. And what a dinner! There were at least a thousand persons present and yet there was no embarrassment except the em- barrassment of a superabundance of good things. After recess the great congregation re-assembled to conclude the exercises of the day.
As was stated in the historical address, the Presbytery was organized in 1869 in the home of Mrs. Robt. Pearson, in the town of Morgantown, N. C. Therefore it was peculiarly appropriate and gratifying to the Presbytery to have with us Miss Sue Virginia Tate, of Morgantown, granddaughter of Mrs. Pearson, and to have her introduced to the Presby- tery. Miss Tate bore greetings to the Presbytery from her aunt, Mrs. Laura Pearson Ray, the only living member of Mrs. Pearson's family and the only living witness of the proceedings of Concord Presbytery in the organization of this Presbytery fifty years ago.
To the Moderator and Members of Mecklenburg Presbytery at Steele Creek Church, September 17th, 1919.
"Greetings. Being the only now living member of the Presbyterian Church in Morgantown, N. C., at the time Mecklenburg Presbytery was organized by Synod held in
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Morgantown, October, 1869, I am requested by Rev. W. E. McIlwain to let the wheels of thought move backward fifty years and tell of the birthday of this child of the church, born in the parlor of my mother, Mrs. R. C. Pearson, October 16th, 1869. When overtures were sent to Synod by Concord Presbytery asking to organize a new Presbytery and the motion was made by Rev. A. W. Miller, D.D., pastor of the First Church, Charlotte, a cloud was seen and felt through this body of God's elect people at the thought of severing a link from the strong chain of Concord.
"Sermons, addresses and prayers were made, calling to mind the ravages the Civil War had made in Church and state and that things might look lawful and yet not be expe- dient. Fifteen clergy and elders could not be dissuaded; they believed the hand of God pointed to new fields, greater work, bidding them 'Go forward.'
"Today a thanksgiving should ascend for the ripe harvest our Father has given this child of His love. One hundred and seventy-five ministers sent out to give the 'bread of life' to starving souls, not only in this, our own Christian land, but Mecklenburg Presbytery has sent the 'glad tidings' of Christ and His love to far off China, Japan, Africa and Korea. She has organized two new Presbyteries and 77 new churches. 'Behold what great things the Lord hath done for us.'
"No organization was ever more perfumed with the in- cense of earnest, importunate prayer than Mecklenburg Presbytery.
"Today the Calebs and Joshuas in the 'General Assembly and church of the first born in Heaven' know, see and re- joice with you. I, the daughter of Mrs. R. C. Pearson, wish I could be with you in the body as I will be in spirit.
"Yours in Christian bonds, "Mrs. LAURA PEARSON RAY, "Fayetteville, N. C."
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Immediately following the reading of this very interesting letter from Mrs. Ray, there was presented to every member of the Presbytery and to all visiting ministers a picture of the brick building in Morgantown which was formerly the home of Mrs. Pearson and in which the Presbytery had its birth. This building is now a business house on one of the main streets of Morgantown.
Then followed the presentation by Rev. R. J. McIlwain, Evangelist of Union county, of two very large and well exe- cuted maps of the Presbytery. One of these maps, fifteen feet long by eight feet wide, showed the Presbytery at its formation in 1869 with only one church in Charlotte and thirty-eight churches scattered over nineteen counties of its territory and in six entire counties no church at all. The other map, eighteen feet by eight feet, showed the Presby- tery of 1919, which had grown into three Presbyteries. The division lines between Mecklenburg, Asheville and Kings Mountain Presbyteries were clearly drawn and instead of thirty-eight stars representing the churches of 1869 there were 147 stars representing the churches of 1919 and not one county in all three Presbyteries without its stars. The thanks of the Presbytery were given Rev. R. J. McIlwain, Dr. Jno. M. Belk, Elder R. W. Elliott, county surveyor of Union county, and others for these excellent maps.
The second candidate for the ministry to be received by Mecklenburg Presbytery was John Franklin Cannon, of Sharon Church, August 18th, 1871. On receiving an invi- tation to be present at our semi-centennial, he replied as fol- lows:
St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 10, 1919. Rev. A. A. McGeachey, D.D.
Dear Brother: Your kind favor of the 2nd inst., convey- ing an invitation to attend the semi-centennial of Mecklen- burg Presbytery September 17th, has been received.
I am deeply grateful to the Presbytery and the Committee of Arrangements for remembering me in this way, and sin-
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cerely wish it was in my power to accept the invitation. It would afford me peculiar pleasure to be present on that in- teresting occasion and to revive memories and associations of former years. But unfortunately circumstances are such as compel me to forego the pleasure. My own Presbytery meets on the 16th, and there are some reasons which seem to make it imperative for me to attend that meeting. Please convey to the brethren of the Presbytery my sincere thanks for their invitation and my assurance that I will be with them in the spirit. I cherish grateful memories of the ven- erable body that commissioned me to preach and rejoice in every report of its prosperity.
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God, even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."
Fraternally yours,
JOHN F. CANNON.
A very tender interest attaches to this letter of Dr. Can- non, for since it was written he has passed to his heavenly ministry.
There was received and read to the Presbytery the follow- ing telegram:
North Wilkesboro, N. C., Sept. 17th, 1919.
Dr. A. A. McGeachey,
Chairman Centennial Committee.
Cordial greetings from Orange Presbytery, the mother of all, we congratulate you upon your fiftieth anniversary and pray God's blessing upon you always.
D. I. CRAIG, Stated Clerk.
The exercises of the day were brought to a close by appro- priate addresses by a number of our visiting brethren. Rev. R. F. Campbell, D.D., and Rev. R. P. Smith, D.D., represented
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Asheville Presbytery, Rev. J. T. Dendy, Rev. G. A. Sparrow and Elder A. Nixon represented Kings Mountain Presbytery, and Rev. E. D. Brown and Rev. J. M. Grier, D.D., represented Concord Presbytery. Rev. Walter W. Moore, D.D., a be- loved son o fthe Presbytery, was heard with great pleasure by his brethren. And it was no ordinary privilege to wel- come home again Rev. Jas. H. Morrison, D.D., of Arkansas, and Rev. Geo. Summey, D.D., of Louisiana, and have them take part in our semi-centennial. Out of five original can- didates for the ministry assigned to Mecklenburg Presbytery at its organization, they alone remain to this day. The mother Presbytery rejoices in their spared lives, their per- fect health, and the rich blessings which have rested on their abundant labors in the ministry.
The following resolutions were then offered by the Mod- erator, the Rev. Dr. Black :
Resolved, That the thanks of the Presbytery are due and are hereby tendered to Rev. W. E. Mellwain, D.D., Rev. W. W. Moore, D.D., Rev. R. F. Campbell, D.D., Rev. R. P. Smith, D.D., Rev. J. M. Grier, D.D., Rev. E. D. Brown, Rev. G. A. Sparrow, Rev. J. T. Dendy, Rev. George Summey, D.D., Rev. J. H. Morrison, D.D., and Elder A. Nixon for their most ex- cellent addresses.
Resolved, That the thanks of the Presbytery are due and are hereby tendered to the Semi-centennial Committee for the most excellent program.
Resolved, That the Committee on Program of the Semi- centennial Exercises of Mecklenburg Presbytery be and are hereby requested to have the addresses printed and that said committee is requested to ask Rev. W. W. Moore, D.D., or another suitable person, to write an introduction or fore- word in which shall be set forth in a suitable way the work done in Mecklenburg Presbytery by Rev. W. E. McIl- wain, D.D., if the way be clear.
The order of Presbytery providing for the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary having been fully and successfully executed, the Semi-centennial of Mecklenburg Presbytery passed into history.
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