USA > South Carolina > History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. II pt 1 > Part 36
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Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners be granted. and that the congregation of Concord, be transferred to the Presbytery of Bethel, so far as to present a call to Mr. Stafford, a member of that Presbytery, for a part of his ministerial labors, and to make their report to said Pres- bytery and to be under their care, so long as they may continue to en- joy the labors of Mr. Stafford as their pastor, or he continue to be a member of said Presbytery." Minutes, vol. 1, p. 420.
#Presbytery afterwards became exceedingly dissatisfied with him for his neglect of ministerial and religious duties, and sought to reach him with their fraternal counsels and reproofs in his distant wanderings in the West. He is said to have abandoned the clerical profession and to have assumed that of medicine.
364
CATHOLIC CHURCH.
[1820-1830.
South Carolina. He was ordained at Winnsboro' on the 19th of December, 1826, was sent, as others also were, as a supply to Beaver Creek, and Mr. Campbell, from December, 1828, for half his time. The forty-first regular session of the Pres- bytery of Harmony was held at Beaver Creek, beginning the 5th of December, 1828.
We have recorded, in the earlier portion of the history of this decade, the creation of the Presbytery of Bethel, of the restoration of the churches which, for a season had been con- nected with the Presbytery of Concord and the Synod of North Carolina, of subsequently making the line between North and South Carolina the Northern boundary of the Presbytery, of adding to it the districts of Lancaster and Union, and the Catholic congregation in Chester, and we now proceed to give some account of the several churches which were included in the Presbytery of Bethel after these changes were effected.
CATHOLIC CHURCH .- This church is fourteen or fifteen miles from Chester Courthouse, in the direction of Rocky Mount, and between Rocky Creek and Little Rocky Creek. The Rev. Robt. McCulloch continued to preach to this people until his death, on the 7th of August, 1824, in the 65th year of his age. Of his general character we have spoken in the first volume of this history, pp. 508, 600, 601, 602. He was for a short time suspended from the ministry, viz, in the year ISoo, but by a petition from the church he was restored to his office, and enjoyed, in a remarkable degree, their confi- dence. He had nine children-six daughters and three sons. One of these was graduated at South Carolina College in 1831, bcame a lawyer, and removed to the Northwest. After Mr. McCulloch's death, the church was for some time without a pastor. It was visited by the Rev. Reynold Bascom, who was a native of Massachusetts, a graduate of William's Col- lege in 1813, and afterwards tutor. He received his educa- tion at the Theological Seminary at Andover, and was a missionary employed by the Missionary Society of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia. They were next visited by Rev. Wm. J. Wilson, a native of Salem, Black River, who, on his being licensed on the Ist of April, 1825. by the Presbytery of Harmony, was directed to visit various destitutions. Mr. Wilson labored here for a few Sabbaths with great acceptance. He was a young man, of ardent, humble piety,
365
ELIEZER BRAINARD.
820-1830.]
ut of a delicate constitution. He soon returned to the place f his nativity, was ordained and settled in the ministry, but oon after died. He was succeeded in the year 1826 by the Rev. Eliezer Brainard, a native of Connecticut, a graduate of Vale in 1818, and of Andover in 1822. He was sent as a hissionary, and for this service he was well qualified. He breached at this church and Bethlehem alternately. He aught the negroes by oral instruction in the intervals of vorship, and organized a large Bible Class among the whites. He held communion twice in the year in both churches. All enominations attended his worship, and would gladly have etained him ; but he was under the direction of the Society hat sent him. He eventually removed to Ohio, where he lied in 1854, aged 61. This year, George Brown, Robert Dunn, James Harbison (son of the former elder of that naine). vere ordained to the eldership. He was succeeded as a mis- ionary by the Rev. John LeRoy Davies, a native of Chester District, who received ordination as an evangelist on the 7th of June, 1827. In due time he received a regular call as the pastor of this church, and was installed as such on the 3d of October, 1827. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina, and, also, of the Princeton Theological Seminary. The entire bench of elders at this time consisted of James Harbison, John Brown, John Bailey, John Brown, Jr., ames Ferguson, George Brown and Robert Dunn.
HOPEWELL CHURCH, originally a part of Catholic, is set down in the statistical tables as vacant in 1825; in 1826, 1827, 1828 as having a stated supply, with ten members; and in 1829 as vacant, with twelve members.
PURITY .- This church had been destitute of the care and abors of a pastor for some two years, and had received only occasional supplies. In the fall of 1821 they were visited by James Biggers Stafford, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Hanover, Va. They entered into arrangements with him to supply them, which he did for two years, in connection with a congregation near Beckhamville, in the southeastern part of the district, some twenty-four miles from the Courthouse, where, also, Wm. J. Wilson, in his missionary tour, had visited and preached. In the fall of 1823 this church, in con- nection with Concord, united in a call to the Presbytery of Concord, N. C., at that time holding jurisdiction over these churches, for the pastoral services of Mr. Stafford. Presby-
366
BECKHAMVILLE-FISHING CREEK. [1820-1830.
tery met at Purity Church on the 7th of June, 1824, when Mr. Stafford was ordained and installed the joint pastor of these churches. He was soon after united in marriage with the daughter of Robert Hanna, an elder in Bethesda Church, York District, and became thus identified with our people. He was born in Rocky. River congregation, in North Caro- lina. He entered Hampden Sidney College, Va., in 1812, was converted there in the revival of 1814, studied theology under the direction of Mr. Kilpatrick, and was licensed as a proba- tioner, in 1818 or 1819, by the Presbytery of Hanover. The church enjoyed great harmony and moved on prosperously through the remainder of this period.
On the Ist of June, 1822, Robert Walker, one of the ruling elders, departed this life, at the age of 76. In the year 1828, James McClintock and Abraham White were ordained as elders in this church and congregation. (History of Purity Church, by Rev. John Douglas, 1865 ; J. B. Davies' History of Bethel Presbytery, November, 1837.) In 1825, Purity Church had sixty-nine communicants, of whom ten were received that year. In 1828 the united membership of Purity and Concord was 120.
BECKHAMVILLE .- This is a postoffice village in the south- eastern portion of Chester District, a station often visited by our missionaries and neighboring ministers, but we do not learn that it was the seat of an organized Presbyterian Church.
FISHING CREEK .- This church still enjoyed the faithful labors of the Rev. John B. Davies. In the even tenor of his days there are naturally but a few incidents which the pen of history can record. He was active and diligent in his work. He was blameless in his life, and enjoyed largely the con- fidence of his people. The eldership of this church embraced the names of Hugh Gaston, Charles Boyd, Samuel Lewis, James E. McFadden, John Boyd, Wm. Bradford, Edward Crawford, Dr. Alexander Rosborough, and John Neely. In June, 1827, the eldership were Charles Boyd, Samuel Lewis, John Boyd, John Neely, Edward Crawford, William String- fellow, Robt. Miller, Alexander Gaston, John H. Gill. Three of the former names have disappeared, and three new names occupy their places. Fishing Creek and Richardson together in 1825 had 202 communicants. The membership of Fishing Creek in 1820 was 162; in 1822 it was 170; in 1830, 135.
367
820-1830.]
RICHARDSON -- BULLOCK'S CREEK.
During the ten years from 1820 to 1830, 67 members had been added to the church on examination, and 12 by cer- ificate.
RICHARDSON, or LOWER FISHING CREEK, embracing in the circuit of its congregation the northeast corner of Chester District, still remained a part of Mr. Davies' chargc. Its elders, in 1820, were Alexander Crawford, Isaac McFadden, r., and Robt. White. Its membership in 1828 was thirty-three.
BULLOCK'S CREEK .- Rev. Aaron Williams, who had become pastor of this church in 1819, continued to serve it in this capacity through the remainder of the period of which we how write. He continued also to minister to the Salem Church, on the other side of Broad River, in York District, which had been so long associated with Bullock's Creek. These two churches combined under one pastorate, reported, n 1825, 170 communicants, eleven of whom were received vithin the twelve months; in 1826, 173, seven of whom were newly received ; in 1828, 180, nineteen of whom had been received during the year preceding.
BETHESDA (York) .- In 1820 its present house of worship vas erected at a cost of $5,coo. This was the third in "order of their places of assemblage (see Vol. I, p. 515). The original tract of land on which the church stands was donated by John Fouderon, who lived east of the church 200 yards. To these seven acres have been added five bought of Richard Straight, five bought of John Swann, five donated by Dr. J. R. Bratton, and five donated by John M. Lindsay ; total, twenty-seven acres. John Swann, Sr., father of the above- hamed, was architect of the first building on the present site. Abner Straight and Nathan Moore were contractors for the building constructed in 1820, whilst Dr. John S. Bratton, Robt. Cooper, Jno. Starr, Samuel Ramsey and Samuel Moore were Congregational Committee on Building. The primeval forests on every side, two excellent springs ncar at hand, a large cemetery enclosed with iron railing and densely popu- lated with the dead; a dozen or mor tents for the annual encampment, as practiced for sixty years, and a large, neat and substantial arbor, having capacities for two thousand persons, all combined to declare that Bethesda Church was happily located for its purposes, has many and unusual facilities for accommodating its worshippers, and that around it must hang precious and sacred memories and associations."
1
368
BETHESDA (YORK).
[1820-1830.
The Rev. Robert. B. Walker was then pastor during this decade. He had passed the meridian of his days, but he was in the full vigour of all his faculties, the beloved and revered pastor of this large and growing church.
" Of the elders of this church the following were appointed during the period of which we write. John M. Lindsay was a man of great energy of character, and an earnest minded Christian, and so a very prominent and efficient elder, to which office he was admitted in 1824, the same year in which he professed religion. Having spent his life of fifty-seven years within a few miles of his birth place, he entered into his hea- venly rest December 4th, 1847. One of his sons was a dea- con in the church.
" Samuel McNeel served only four years in the eldership, being elected in 1824, and being released by death, April 4th 1828. at the age of fifty-two,
" James S. Williamson, son of a former elder, was enrolled among the eldership in 1826; with much earnestness did he discharge the duties of his station until his removal to Panola Co., Miss. in 1846."
" William Wallace was appointed to this office in 1826. but removed to Mississippi about 1830. He was a firm and zealous Christian, and is remembered for his official fidelity."
This church and community has throughout its history shown great steadfastness in its adherence to the gospel. Allusion has been made to this on a preceding page. " The advent of John L. Davis, a disguised follower of Barton W. Stone, who came about 1818 and remained until 1825, made no permanent impression ; although he made many laborious and insidious efforts to instil his tenets, which were only ex- ploded errors of Socinianism, into the minds of the people, he gained none to become his followers. They had been too well indoctrinated and had too much affection for the pure gospel of the son of God, to be seduced to deny the 'Divinity of Christ,' his 'vicarious atonement,' the personality of the Holy Spirit and 'original sin.' The impressions he made on the minds of the people vanished with his own disgraceful flight from the community from which he was driven by popular indignation against his corrupt character and vicious habits which time and circumstances had unmasked and exposed.
Of the ministers of the gospel who entered in their office during this decade we may mention the " Rev. Lossing Clin-
369
EBENEZER-BEERSHEBA.
$20-1830.]
on, son of William Clinton, who completed his course at outh Carolina College in 1821. In the outset of his minis- y he went to Georgia where he laboured and died. He has vo brothers who are prominent lawyers, but from them the riter (Rev. John L. Harris) could elicit no Information. lis ministry was short but we have reason to believe very ffective. MS. history of Bethesda church by Rev. John .. Harris prepared by order of the Synod of South Carolina. Bethesda had in 1825, one hundred and ninety-three com- unicants of whom 12 had been received on examination in he last year. In 1826 one hundred and ninety-eight commu- icants, nine of whom had been received in the last year. In 829, one hundred and ninety-four communicants, thirteen of f whom had been received during the year.
EBENEZER CHURCH AND UNITY were united under the astoral care of Rev. Josiah Harris, at the organization of Bethel Presbytery in 1824. The average membership of hese two churches during this decade was ninety-seven ommunicants, and the average addition of new members was rom four to five. "In September, 1827, the church peti- ioned Presbytery for a release from the pastoral charge of their minister, he consenting, the relation was dissolved. He vithdrew from the Presbyterian Church probably with a view o a connection with the Associate Reformed Presbytery. I have no knowledge of his character as a preacher, but as a eacher I have heard him spoken of in terms of commenda- ion. (Rev. James H. Saye's semi-centennial sermon.) One third of the time of Rev. S. L. Watson was devoted to his church in 1828. Rev. John Douglas' history of Steel Creek.
BEERSHEBA .- The Rev. J. S. Adams was the stated supply to this church in connection with Bethel, until about 1823, during which year Rev. Samuel Williamson was its supply. The ruling elders at this time were Wm. Brown, Sr., Jas. Dickey, Jas. Wallace, Wm. Caldwell, Robt. Allison and John S. Moore. The first session of the Presbyteay of Bethel was held at this church on the 5th of November, 1824. Cyrus Johnston had accepted a call from this church and Yorkville while yet they were under the Presbytery of Concord. The Presbytery of Bethel adjourned therefore to meet at six o'clock on the evening of the same day at Yorkville, where Mr. Johnston passed the usual trials for ordination and was 24
370
YORK VILLE-BETHEL (YORK). [1820-1830.
ordained and installed at Beersheba Church as pastor of the congregation of BEERSHEBA and YORKVILLE on the 6th of November, 1824.
YORKVILLE .- Cyrus Johnston, pastor of these churches, now united under one pastoral charge, was brought up in the Poplar Tent congregation, Cabarras County, N. C., was edu- cated at Hampden, Sydney College, and was licensed by Concord Presbytery. This connection continued till near the close of this period. The churchcs under his charge in- creased in numbers from 87 communicants in 1825, to 145 in 1829, the largest increase being in 1828, when 23 were added to the church.
SHILOH .- How long the depressed condition of this church continued we cannot say. But in the year 1826, the Rev. Mr. Payson, a Missionary, spent some months in the bounds of Shiloh which was not left entirely unblessed of the Lord. He was instrumental in organizing a Sabbath school which has been the means of doing much good .. In the year 1827, Rev. G. Johnson labored in the congregation three months, whose labors were owned and blessed. During this year they erected a new house of worship, the remaining commu- nicants scattered through the bounds of the congregation were gathered together, the Lord's supper was administered and between twenty-five and thirty members were received for the first time into the communion of the church. Elders were elected and ordained, the church re-organized and in 1828 enjoyed a stated supply from R. C. Johnston, which continued to the close of this decade. MS. of J. B. Davies The statistical tables give in the year 1828, 46 communing members, 23 of whom had been received within the years 1827, 1828.
BETHEL (York). This large and influential church, which has given its name to the Presbytery, so called, enjoyed, through these ten years, the services of the Rev. James S. Adams, the greatly beloved and eminently successful min- ister. He is spoken of as pastor of Bethel and supply of New Hope. The latter church, we suppose, was in North Caro- lina. The united membership was represented in the year 1825 to be 530 communicants, twenty of whom were received within twelve months; in 1826. 539; in 1828, 560.
" This region of country was first settled by Scotch-Irish, who reached it by way of Pennsylvania. In religion they
371
WAXHAW CHURCH.
1820-1830.]
were rigid calvinists, and Republicans in politics. Two of her elders bore commissions as colonels during the Revolution. Colonel Neil commanded under Williamson in the ex- pedition against the Cherokees in 1776. Two of his sons, both officers, were slain in battle." (S. L. W., May. 1'85 1.) But while her people were inspired by the spirit of patriotism, they have been attentive to the duties of religion; and this attention to their spiritual interests has not been unfruitful in good to others. The ministers who have come from the Bethel congregation are not few in number. Among them are the names of Gilliland, the brothers R. G. and S. B. Wil- son, Thomas Price, James S. Adams, Henry M. Kerr and his brother, who was a licentiate, S. L. Watson, J. M. H. Adams, A. M. Watson and J. F. Watson. About 1823 or '24, Josiah Patrick, of this vicinity, was licensed, and removed to the West, where he soon after died. He commenced his educa- tion when over thirty, graduated at South Carolina College, making the money needed as a mechanic before entering on his studies at the Bethel Academy. At this academy P. J. Sparrow, D. D., was educated, and was boarded by the neighborhood gratuitously. He was born in Lincoln County, N. C. Lawson Clinton lived for some time in Bethel, and also in other places, being an orphan. He settled in Georgia, where he died. Whether a native of Bethel or Lancaster, we are not informed. He had relatives in each place. The Wil- sons were born in what is now Lincoln County. Their parents were members of Bethel. But at that time all this section and the greater part of this District was considered a part of North Carolina, and called Tryon County. The change was made soon after the Revolution. Bethel con- gregation then extended into North Carolina some five miles beyond the present line, and still covers a small portion. Beersheba, Olney and New Hope were cut off from Bethel, to say nothing of an independent church or two. Olney was set off to gratify the fridnds of W. C. Davis, who once essayed to become pastor of Bethel, but failed." (Letter of Rev. S. L. W., Oct. 16, 1869.
WAXHAW CHURCH -The last minister of this church men- tioned by us was John Williamson. After Mr. Williamson came W. S. Pharr, who was with them several years, and was ordained November 18th, 1820. Mr. Pharr married Jane, the daughter of the Rev. Samuel Caldwell, of Sugar Creek,
372
LITTLE BRITAIN, DUNCAN'S CREEK, ETC. [1820-1830.
so that the grand-niece of Mrs. Richardson, wife of the sec- ond pastor, was, after the lapse of seventy-five years, wife of the then present pastor of Waxhaw. Mr. Pharr, being attacked with hemorrhage, ceased to preach for several years, but on his recovery resumed the labors of the ministry in Mecklenburg, N. C. About 1825, Robert B. Campbell was engaged to preach as a licentiate, and he continued to do so until 1830, when he was regularly installed as pastor of the churches of Waxhaw and Beaver Creek.
The elders that were ordained during this period were Robert Stinson and John Foster, about in the year 1825. The Waxhaw Church seems to have been connected with the Presbytery of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, until 1829. In the Statistical tables of that year it is reported among the churches of Bethel Presbytery, with a membership of 101.
BETH SHILOH was one of the churches of Wm. C. Davis. Its first house of worship was built in 1829.
LITTLE BRITAIN, DUNCAN'S CREEK AND AMITY CHURCHES .- We find that Rev. Henry M. Kerr is noted as the pastor of these churches in 1825, and that they have a united member- ship of 143 communicants. We suppose that some of these churches were in North Carolina. Little Britain being in Rutherford County, Amity in North Carolina. We find Williamson, Johnston, W. B. Davis, P. J. Sparner and Adams appointed variously to supply at Olney, Long Creek, Wash- ington, Hebron, Bethlehem. We suppose that these were localities in North Carolina which disappear gradually from the records of Bethel, the State line becoming its northern boundary in 182S.
We have now gone through with the history of the churches of the Presbytery of Bethel as far as the materials before us have enabled us.
CHAPTER V.
INDIAN CREEK, the place of Mr. McClintock's ministry in the olden times. (See vol. 1, pp. 414, 522, 524, 528, 617), no longer appears in our ecclesiastical documents. The same is the case with Mount Bethel Academy, which seems to have been but a temporary place of Presbyterian preaching.
373
1820-1830.] INDIAN CREEK-GILDER'S CREEK.
Indian Creek had applied to the original Presbytery of South Carolina, which was set off from the Presbytery of Orange in 1785, for supplies as early as October 11, 1786, and Francis Cummins was appointed to supply it. So in 1787 was Rev. Thomas H. McCaule. Francis Cummins was appointed again in 1789. It was reported among the vacancies unable to sup- port a pastor in 1799 when this Presbytery was divided into the first and second Presbyteries. We have no further notice of it in our regular minutes. As it had been served by Rev. Robt. McClintock, and he was a member of the Old Scotch Presbytery of Charleston, it may have been regarded as dis- connected with us and so not mentioned longer on our eccle- siastical records. GILDER'S CREEK is its probable successor. The Rev. John Renwick, of Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church once preached in the church now known as Gilder's Creek. It was convenient for him to do so, as he was teach- ing in its immediate vicinity. But his son, Esquire Ren- wick, who, in his lifetime, was regarded as an excellent authority in matters of history, is remembered to have said that this church was first known by the name of McClintocks Church. The original site of Gilder's Creek was quite near to the stream so called, and at some distance from the stream of Indian Creek, perhaps half a mile from the former and a mile and a half from the latter. But the building has of late years been moved over upon the stream of Indian Creek. But there was a reason why the church should have in the entire time borne the name of the larger stream than of its affluent. And it would naturally follow the name by which the neighborhood was popularly known.
Gilder's Creek and Little River sent up a contribution by the hand of Rev. J. B. Kennedy, to the Presbytery of South Carolina of five dollars on the 6th of April, 1822, and again in 1826, by the same, in connection with Little River and Rocky Spring, five dollars. The people at present living in the vicinity of Gilder's Creek have no recollection of any one preaching there earlier than the second decade of this cen- tury and the preacher then was the same John B. Kennedy whom we have mentioned. There is a tradition that a Mr. Zachariah Wright assisted at the organization of a Sunday- school at this church in 1821. This was something new and was much talked of in the community. And that when the leaders went to Columbia to buy books for the school, the
374
GILDER'S CREEK. [1820-1830.
people of Columbia did not know what was meant by a Sun- day-school.
This is doubtless true of some people in Columbia. Never- theless " The Columbia Sunday-school Union" embracing the several denominations and a number of schools, dated back to A. D. 1820.
Gilder's Creek appears in the statistical tables of the Gen- eral Assembly of 1825 with a membership of sixty-seven. Baptisms sixteen, fourteen of which were of infants. In 1826 as being under a pastoral charge, with seventy communicants, two of whom were added in the preceding twelve month. No report was rendered in 1827. In 1828 it was under pastoral care, with a membership of seventy-five, five of whom were added since the last year, and seven adults baptized.
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