Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-02-09
RELIGIOUS IxFLUExcEs.
The Cause Of God in KnOxviiie-The
.sEt6f Workings Of Our Churches


4 Fora number of years prior TO the year.
1874, the Old NJ. Z. Church did successful
labors in East Knoxville, but from 1874 to
1865, or at least a portion of that time this
part as well ps the remainder of the city
was held by the M. E. Church South. Our
object at present is to speak more particu-
larry of the reorganization of the NJ. r..
Church in that part of the city, as well as
its organization in North Knoxville after
the close of the war.
In the year 1865 Rev. j. L. Spence, with
the assistance of Governor Brownlow, and
tothers. had the Temperance Hall refitted
and repaired, it having suffered much
from the effects Of the war. After the nec-
essary repairs had been made an organ
ization was effected, consisting of somo 20
members, and the holding Of regular ser
| vices commenced. .--r .
During the spring Of 1866, Rev. J. F.
| Spence held series Of meetings, in which
he was assisted by Rev. 7. H. Pearne.
These meetings were attended with most
glorious results. A deep religious feeling
was awakened in the hearts Of the people
in that part of the city, and gracious re-
yival followed, in which about so souls
were converted and about 100 names were
| entered upon the church book. During
| the year Of 1866, the membership reached
| to $50 COMMITMENTS, while the church
was warm with the love of God, ready to
put forth her hand in the cause and come
| up to the help of the Lord against the
| mighty. .-.---. .......
In the fall of 1865, Rev. J. J.. Marker
| was appointed as the regular pastor Of this
charge. How faithfully he Iabored and
with what earnest, piOus zeal he worked
| to build up this particular church and
| Christ's kingdom in general, is too well
| remembered by most of our readers to
need more than passing notice. During
his years ministry with the people of East
Knoxville he had another gracious
revival and the membership was fully
doubled from what it was when he first
commenced to preach there. That year
was prosperous year in Zion, and that
banded and brought forth an abundant
harvest to the glory of God and the saliva.
ton Of immortal souls. There are many
now who, when reading this, will feel to
| thank God for his wonderous works among
the children of men, and especially for
what he did for them. o.5 s7,,-a'e 9 81
The following year Rev. j. Workman
was appointed pastor of this charge, andwe
regret to have to say that, for some cause Or,
another, the work was greatly. neglected,
and the church grew cold and Indifferent.
On Rev. J. Worthman's retiring from /
the charge, Rev. d. Hocket was appoint
ed, and for six months served North and
East Knoxville with wonderful sue 1
cess. In North Knoxville he held pro-
tracted meeting which lasted something
over two months, and which resulted in
the conversion of over one hundred souls
and in an addition to the church member
ship of one hundred and twenty-one
names. That meeting will long be remem-
bered as one of the best ever witnessed in
this country; a meeting in which men,
who had heretofore seemed almost
abandoned by everything that was good
and noble, and whose souls had been
blackened by sin, until it seemed almost
impossible to reach their hearts at all with
religious influence and bring them to see
themselves in their true light, were
and deeply repented of their past crimes,
determined with the help of God to live
better ia the future, and were happily con-
verified to the religion of our Lord and |
Savior Jesus Christ; q meeting in which
one sin sick soul, who had been seeking
the God of love and pardon for sixteen
long years, threw off her load of sin and
grief at the foot of the Cross and learned
to love pardoning God; a meeting in
which the CHRISTIANS heart was set on fire
with holy love. and in which he was great |
ly strengthened to go forth in the discharge
of his duties a valiant soldierSof the cross; |
meeting in which the cause OF God pros
pered most wonderfully, while Satan with
his host trembled as they reluctantly
fell back before Christ and his victorious |
army. 90
This was really the beginning Of a re-
llgiOus work i'll the northern part of Knox |
vile, and from that time forward the most |
interest. seemed to be manifested in the |
North Knoxville werk.S A thorough or-3
ganiZatlon was effected III O small frame |
building erected by DIR. Pearne, in which |
building they have continued to worship |
up to the present time.
During the years 1869 and 1870 Rev. G. |
". Coleman was pastor of this charge |
who labored with great zeal and some sue
cess. |
In the year of 1871, Rev. g. ". Cole
man being removed to the Kingston sta
ton, he was succeeded by Rev. NJ. II. |
Nichols, who remained with the charge |
only about three months. During the re-
mainder Of the year this charge was with
out any regular pastor, but was served &C.
caslonalIy Dy Key. MIR. FORD, past or OF the
Clinch street church, and Rev.. H.
Spence, then Presiding Elder, and by such |
young ministers as they could induce at
times to preach to them,
At the present time, North and East
Knoxville are under the pastoral charge
of Rev. ]. +. Spence, who is zealOusly la
boring to bring the scattered sheep of the
flock together again into the fold. Ser
vices are held each Sabbath morning in
East Knoxville and at o'clock in the -af-1
ternoon in North Knoxville. These meet
ings are pretty well attended and much of
the old spiritual feeling Is returning to the
church. ,5,.,...
One of the main drawbacks to the adj
vagcement of Gods cause in North Knox
vile, has been the want of a suitable build
ing in which to hold Divine worship.
This, however, will soon no longer be the
case An eligible lot has recently been
obtained, and some 50 goo already procur-
ed and the work of erecting a church will
J:I- So IL |