Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-11-19
himself with the South Carolina Presbytery, and
baosn b;o ,;one IN w rhav Church where

himself with the South Carolina Presbytery, and
began his ministratieus in Waxhsw Church, where
be hbored until I771, extending, in the meantime,
his ministerial duties to surrounding communities,
and among them Bethesda. Who may have sup
pHed the Church for some years after being organ
lied, it Is difficult to ascertain. The late Rev Il.
B. Walker gave it. as his opinion thata Bolch--
whom We take to be Hezeklah James Bdlch, at
ready referred to-and an Alexander, who is$ eyi;;
denfly Rev. DR.. James Alexander were among
the earliest ministerial supplies Of Bethesda.
.goneerning Mr. Boleh, We may here record the
facts, in the language of DR.. Sprague,* that he
had somewhat brilliant, though brief career, be
was horn nat Deer Greek, in Hartford County, Md,
then the residence of his father, in 1746 :, was
graduated at the College Of New jersey, 10 1766; ;
was licensed to preach by the Presbytery Of Done
gal, in I767; and; was ordained BY the same Pres
bytery, In ITO. In 1769, ,hswent on mission to
the Southern States, and shortly after became
pastor Of Rocky River and Poplar Tent, in North
Caroline, which he served till his death. q In the
famous Mecklenburg Convention, May 19, l775,1
he was present and had an important agency in
framing the well known. Declaration of IDdepen-
dence' issued by that body. He died, unmarried,
in the summer Of the same year. He is said 70
have been q man Of fine personal appearance, an
accomplished scholar, and to, hays disappointed,
By his death, many hopes of extensive usefulness
lin the church a*sGgtfy1 isv' *od .si5 ,i.rT j"i"#
/ 0fDr. Alexander, by whom frequent visits we're
paid to Bethssda, ap 10 his death, and His labors
remembered. By the Oldest citizens it is proper to
make also brief record He was graduated at
the CoIlegeofI New Jersey, in l760 was licensed
.toapreach the Gospel by the Presbytsy Of New
castle, in f67, and IN. October Of the same year,
joined Hanover Presbytery, and accepted call
from Sugar Greek Church, n. C. Was ordained
at Buffalo on the 4th Of March, lT6s, and the
May following wasinstalled Pastor Of Sugar Greek.
He subsequently tprobabH about the year l775,l }
moved to Bullock's Greek, g. g., where be e1er.
cised his ministry, and taught school Of high
order, as he had done in North Carolina. He re-
ceiyed the degree of Doctor Of Divinity from the
College of South Carolina, in 1907. He died q
bout 1908. A. volume of seven sermons was pub
hshed By him In 1907. He was man Of small
stature. but Of fine talents and accomplishments,
and an uneommonly animated and popular preach
er, (beSore the in6r1nities of age took away his
power of distinct enunciaion,G j. he was an ardent
patriot in the Revolution. His wife was a.daugh-
ter Of President s. Davies
In the year 1774-fye years after organization
the Church was without the means of Grace. 1t
WAS at this time that Rev. John Simpson, who
had been preaching at lower Fishing Greek, in
Chester District, afterwards known as Richardson
Church, and the upper Fishing Greek Church,
gave up his lsbors in the former and engaged to
supply Bethesda half his tune, (which he did unti
about the close of the Revolutionary war.
In 1883, after short vacancy in the Church,
man by the name Of McCarar, from Scotland, was
engaged as supply. He was pronounced man
Of considerable brilliancy of mind, pleasing and
fascinating manners, and, at times, truly eloquent
in the pulpit but, as the event proved, stranger
to converting Grace. After laboring here year
or more, developments of his character began to
be made, which excited the suspicion, and then
caused him to forfeit the confidence of large SEQ
ton of the Church, ,Butiby the misplaced chari-
ty of some, who still adhered to him, and his own
ambitious efforts to retain his position, even after
his character was under censure ifnot actual blight
there were apples of discord in the congregation,
whose bitterness was felt for many long year.
After his final dismission from the Church, which
occurred IN 1885, this man sunk from view and
nothing more is known of him. ''The name OF
the wicked shall rot. - ..-,..-....- .-.t;: D.:
Rev. John Simpson was again invited and Sc
cured to supply them until another minister could
be Obtained. But so wide was the breach in the
congregation, created by the wrangngs alluded to-,
that all efforts to secure Pastor were unsuccess-
full. Hence, for six years more, Rev. John Simp-
son continued his labors here. This man Of God,
whose name was so precious to the past generation,
and after whom many were named in the commu-
nifty, was born in New jersey, in l74O; was grad
uated at Princeton College, in 1858; married Miss
Mary Remer, in l765; studied Theology privately
was licensed to preach in ITO, at East Town, in
New Jersey; came to Fishing Creek, in l772; or.
dained by Orange Presbytery, In l774; and occu-
pied the field above indicated, until l79l, when he
removed to Pendleton District, and took charge OF
Roberts and Good Hope Churches Here he fin
ished his earthly labors, in October, 1907. Of his
ministerial character, all his contemporaries and bi-
ographers speak in terms of highest commenda-
ton. Was greatly beloved by the people to whom
he miuistered, and was highly successful in build
ing up his Churches Of the active part he took in
the Revolutionary struggle, and the privations and
losses he sustained at the hands of the British,
who pursued him with the most malignant fury,
this is not the time place to speak, for history,
familiar to all, has canonzed him as one Of the de-
voted patriots of l776. Of his family, consisting
Of seven Sons and one daughter-let it suffice to
say that they all, except one, who died in infancy,
early embraced and professed their fathers God,
lived to good old age, exemplifying the power of
true religion, and rewarding the fidelity of paren-
tai training.
For the three years following the removal Of Mr..
Simpson, we have no intelligence as to who may
have preached for Bethesda. In all probability,
the supplies were only such as the Presbytery
could furnish at intervals, and among them, DR..
Alexander, of Bullock's Greek, was prominent.
Thus, for twenty-five years, the Church had en-
oyed the miuistrations of many men, but as far as
can be determined, had never been blessed with q
Pastor Now we have arrived at the stage when
the Pastors of the Church may be named.
The first of these was Rev. Robt. B. Walker.
In 1894 he wasIcensed by the Presbytery of South
Carolina and called Immediately to this Church,
over which he was installed Pastor, in the same
= T1;s relationship continued for forty years.