Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-02
OUR CHURCHES.
McKendree Church.

| The following interesting incidents con-
nacted with Methodism in this section are
taken from Dr.. McFeTfn's "History of
Methodism in Nashville, Tenn, and were
| written by Mrs. John johnson, the wife of
the first Methodist minister stationed at
this place:
cat Nashville we found a comfortable
home. had never been in so large a town
before; and, as we first approached it, there
seemed to ME to be MY riad of ciIinneys;
and even after a long stay-for we were
there nearly three years. did not know,
or greatly care to know. much about the
town. l suppose the population was then
about 5000. 1t was an incorporated city,
and contained bank, markethouse, a
| college, an academy for young ladies,
rope-walk, two diStilleries, and three
churches Methodist, Presbyterian and
Baptist.
Il never ifGt With IS kind. and generous
! people as we found at Nashville. Few
days, indeed passed without some mani
| festatiOn of this kindness. An article of
dress for some of the family, some rarity
for the table, some deliCacy suited to the
season, came with every week, and almost
every day. 1t tried my very heart to give
up everything to be sold on leaving our
home in Kentucky, but believe our friends
in Nashville by gifts alone, more than re-
placed all that | then gave up. wish
particularly to mention among our friends,
Joe Elliston and his family, Matthew
Quinn and family, DrS. ROane and New
man, E. II. Foster, Mrs. Harrison, Parson
Hume, Principal Of the Academy, Mr..
Southland, or Suthard Mrs. Ewing-but
time fails.
"Mr. Johnson kept an account of every
thing that we bought for the table, and the
church made good this amount, and paid
him the disciplinary allowance-which was
then one hundred dollars to the preacher,
the same for the support of his wife, and
sixteen dollars for each child under seven
years of age. SO our salary, besides table
expenses, was about 1922.
This was an ample allowance and far
more than we had ever received before; yet
l felt that, though rid of many of the diff
culties and hardshipS with which L had to
contend heretofore, l was still bound to DO
what | could to aid in gaining a Competen-
cy, and, if possible, something for a rainy
day SO, as soon as We were settled in
our new home, | set ont to find work to do.
| soon found a halter, a quiet little MethO-
dist, whose shop was only few rods from
our door, and readily made an arrangement
to trim hats for him at so much apiece. |
allotted myself the task of earning IS cents
per day, and SO zealously did, apply myself
to the work, and so regularly did he fur
nish Inc work to do, that l think there were
not dozen days in the year that | fell
short Of that amount, except when sick"
His second year is thus noted: Mr..
johnson was sent to Nashville by the Con-
ference-the Tennessee Conference, for the
Kentucky Conference was not yet formed
which met at Nashville, in October, 1919.
He now proposed that the society pay him
a fixed salary, and dispense with the neceS-
sity for keeping accounts. Brother 10 Ell
liston and DR.. ROane declared that less
than a thousand dollars would not support
a family in NaShville-at least, it would
not support either of theirs; but Mr.. John
son said six hundred dollars would be
enough to support his family, and that was
all he desired. At his request it was fixed
at that amount"
The first regular Methodist preaching in
Nashville was in an old stone house on
what is now the Public Square. After this
it was removed to the jail, the Tailor him
self being a Methodist. The third house
occupied as a church was house, still
standing, on the north side Of Broad street,
near its crossing with Vine. The fourth,
house on Church street, next door east of
UNION AND AMERICAN Building. (This
building is now being removed, to be re-
placed by fine building suitable for bust
ness hOusGS.) McKendree was opened i'll
the autumn of 1888. The Tennessee Con-
ference met in Nashville for the first time,
Oct. |, 1919, at which time there were fifty
travelling preachers connected with it.
The following is list of the pastors of
McKendree Church from Oct. 1, 1915, to
the present time:
1S1S-19, 1920, JnO Johnson; 1S20-21,
HartweIl Brown; 1922, ThOs. L. Mad
din; 1929, Ben. p. Sewell; 1924,
Lewis Garrett; 1S24-25, 1886, Robt.
Payne; 1862 Jas. w. Allen; 1S27-2S,
Jas. Rowe; 182S-29, Jas. Gwinn; 1S29-30,
Jas. Gwinn and A. L. 2. Green; 1S30-31,
J. NJ. Holland and \. L. p. Green; 1881
81, L. l.. Overall and j. 3. McFerTin;
1928, A. L. P. Green and p. B. Robin
son; 1884, F. Z. Pitts, d. T. Alexander |
and Sam'l Moody, 1S34-35, F. E. Pitts; |
1856, J. b. McFerrin and Ruben Jones; |
1867, RObt. l.. Andrews; 1878, a. L. |
p. Green, Alex. Winburn; 1889, A. l.. |
P. Green, w. d. F. Sawrie; 1S39-40, J. B. |
McFerrin; 1S40-41, 1S41-42, Jno. w. Han |
ner; 1928, Thos. w. Randle; 1884, |
p. P. Nicely; 1S44-45, 1856, T. E. Pitts; |
1861, 1S47-4S, E. G. Slater; 1S4S-49, A. |
S. Riggs; 1880, L. C.. Bryan; 1S5051, |
1852, Jos. Cross; 1928, 1884, E.
1886, 1886, A. r. Erwin;
1867, A. S. Riggs; 1878, w. G. Doris;
1889, W. DE- Sawrie; 1890, 1S6O-61,
J. w. Hammer; 1S61-62, 1886, S. d.
Baldwin; 1S66-67, 1867-6S, 1S6S-69, 1859
70. r. A. Young; 1S70-71, 1S71-72, d. G.
Kelley; 1S72-73, r. K. Hargrove.
In 1918, the church had a membership Of
whites and thirty-six cOlored. |
In 1886 the colOred members were formed |
into a separate church. Last year there
were SOS persons belonging to the McKen-
dree Church, and the number now belong
ing cannot be much less than 1000.
The following named constitute the Off
cial board of the church:
Stewards. A. McAlister, w. B. Coop
err. Geo. W. Smith, Thompson. Anderson,
w. III. Evans, DR.. ThOs. Menees, DR.. w.
Fl. Morgan, Warren Jackson, ThOS. ID.
Fife. E. D. Richards, John w. Barry, j. A.
Jennings, L. r. Stanley, G. W. Petway,
3. w. Cole, e. 3. Ellston, J. NJ. Hawkins,
Matt. McClumg J. o. Griffith, II. Z. Jones,
]. e. Woolwine, John H. Baskette, f. A.
Gaines. j. L. Thomas, J. d. Hamilton, F.
E. Williams, John Lellyett, DR.. j. W.
Maddin.
Trustees.-Thompson Anderson, Presi-
dent: J. A. McAlister, NJ. Hamilton, n.
Mcclure, H. E. Jones, T. D. Fife, E. w.
Cole. G. W. Smith, l. c. Nicholson.
A SUNDAY School was started in connec-
ion with the Mckendrce Church a few
years after the church was established.
The Sunday School now numbers some