Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-06-01
memoir Of rev. Jame. Cumminr.

Rev. James Cummings born in Pennsylvania, 0c-
tober 26th 1871, AT early his parents moved to
Virginia and in few years thereafter, tho entire fami
ly moved to East Tennessee whore the subject Of this
sketch spent his youth, manhood and age,
In the part Of his life his moral sky obscured by
tho murky clouds Of skepticsm, and he had well nigh
embraced in6dely.
When about thirty years Of age, friend Of the Lord
Jesus Christ gave him of Mr.. Wesley's doctrinal
tracts, which caused great change in his mind and in
short time AFTER to his skeptical notions to
read the New Testament and to seek and find through
jesus Christ the pardon of his sins.
Immediately after his profession he Joined the Metho
dist Episcopal Church. and short time thereafter
licensed to preach the Gospel
He was received on trial into the Kentucky Confer
ence (which composed at that time partly of Ten
nessce Territory in 1920.
His first appointment the Nolachucky Circuit, in
upper East Tennessee.
He was ordained Deacon near Greeneville, Greene
county. Tennessee by Bishop Enoch George. October
2Oth 1922, and appointed and travelled the Little
River Circuit.
The Holston Conference organized November
9TH 1924 and held its first session in Knoxville He
was present and ordained Elder BY Bishop R. r.
Roberts, and appointed to Newport; in 1925. he trav
eed Sulphur Spring. in 1896, Knox; in 1897, Mary
Vile; in 1923, Sulphur Springs
December 2ih, 1922 the Holston Conference was held
| at Abingdon Virginia, and Rev. James Cumming
appointed Presiding Elder of the Knoxville District by
Bishop Soule which Office he held and filed most
| ceptably for four years.
In 1888 he appointed agent to the Hosion Semi
nary; in 1894 he appointed to the Greene circuit
in 1885, Teco circuit in 1886 and 1887 he Chaplain
in the United States army; again in 1889 he APP
pointed to the Knoxville District and in 1882 trans
ferred to the charge of the Washington District where
ne remained but one year. and in 1S40 appointed
to the Sevierve Circuit While no was on the Wash
ington District he found his memory faing-which
caused by excessive labor during his last round
on that quarter He held thirteen camp meetings and
took eight hundred persons into the church. From the
effects of this oyerwork. he entirely recovered
During the twenty-five years Of his effective ministry
it is calculated that he received 900 persons
the Church of God This continued labor and exposure
or il in the early day of Methodism in this coun
try) wrecked both in mind any body causing the last
twenty-five years of his life to be almost wholly in
eectve yet he did all that he could for his Masters
cause.
During the great rebellion he was uncompromi-
sing Union man. for which he prosecuted and hunt
| cd by his foes He fed to the mountains and spent
weeks hiding in tho and among the rocks to
cape their vengeance This unreentins persecution
| troubled him much and caused his memory to fail
| much more rapidly. Rev. j. d. Lawson in company
with Others informed of visit he paid Father Cum
ming while thus in exile His Bible was his constant
companion, rough poplar puncheon his bed. and
bundle of fax his pillow. All this suffering and perse-
cution because he faithful to the old Government
During the war the Holson Conference of the Church
South treated him most unkndly, and expelled him
| from the connection. This he regarded the most
painful affection of his life, his only crime being faith
funess to the old Government; but it then crime
for which age. gray hairs feebleness could not
| atone, or oven mitigate.
| When tho Holston Conference of the NJ Z. Church
reorganzed he rallied to her standard and greeted