Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-10-03
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT
LEXINGTON.

What is now designated "LeXington
Station" was first known as "LeXlng-
ton Circuit, Missouri Conference
This Circuit falls into ranks in 1876,
but disappears the next year., and APP
pears again in 1880. So far as a he
definitely as%certained, Rev. Thomas
Wallace was the presiding elder, and
the first preacher Oh the then circuit
was Rev. Bewley, who preached every
three weeks in a little frame Union
church, or in the court house in what
is now called Old Town. The first
class met at the residence of Mr.. Jas.
Clowdsley. Rev. Dodd was the
second preacher; then followed Rev.
Westerman, and he in turn was sue
ceeded by Rev. Jas. l.. Forsythe.
In 1913, Lexington Circuit was Or
ganized as Lexington Station, with
Rev. Jas. l.. Forsythe as the first sta
toned preacher, and Rev. Jesse Greene
as the first presiding elder. During
the time it was il circuit, the following
named persons were the trustees:
David Gillespie, Cyrus Osborn, John
Austin, Thos. Galloway and David
Groves.
The old church building, which
stood upon the site of the present editice,
was begun in 1910, but not completed
until afterward, and was used for
worship before being fully finished.
To the zeal and industry OF the lady
members was the church much in
debted for its success, p%ecuniarily and
otherwise; it was by their efforts that
seats were procured for the house
the same that are now used in the
lecture room. They organized a sew
ing society, and by dint of perseverance
raised sufficient money to pay for this
indispensable furniture. One of these
same honorable women" says" | used
to get on my pony, take my boy, Jim,
and go down in the evening to help
light up the church. Nearly all the
members lived in Old Town then"
The present handsome building was
erected III 1860 at n cos of $4,000.
The membership at that time was 523,
of whom SCI were colOred. Rev. Il.
A. Young, now Of Nashville, Tenn,
was presiding elder, and Rev. r. j..
White, pastor in charge. Since the or
ganization as a station, the church has
been served by twenty-five different
ministers who followed each other in
the order in which their names are
given:-Jas. L. Forsythe, Benz. F..
Johnson, Thos. L. Ashby, w. w.
Jones, Jos. Boyle, A. L. Hamilton, F..
A. Morris, a son of Bishop Morris, N.
Scarrit, Thos. NJ. Finney, John E..
Cobb, DIR. B. T. Kavanaugh, r. j..
White, w. B. Mcfarland, j. c..
Shackelford, j. r. Hail, w. G. God
hey, W. F. Camp, A. G. Stacey, F. j.
Boggs, F. NJ. Cobb, NJ. M. Pugh, NJ.
G. Williams, G.. w. Walker, w. M.
Prottsman and W. M. Poage. The
last named having removed to Florida
before the close of the conference year,
the pulpit was filled, for a short while,
by a former pastor, Rev. &. w. Walk
er, and at present by Rev. w. L..
Dempsey, who was Sent by the presid-
ing elder as a supply to fill out the I'M
expired portion of the year.
The Sabbath School connected with
the church was organized in lS4l, with
Mr.. Silas Silver as superintendent,
then MI. Warren Jackson succeeded
to the superintendency. Upon his re-
moval to Nashville in 1S47, Mr.. Silver
again held the office and continued
therein until his death in 1862, since
which time Mr.. E. Winsor has filled
the position.
The first conference held in this city
was in the same year that Lexington
Circuit became a Station, viz: 1S43,
Bishop Andrews presiding. In 1852
this church again entertained the con
ference, Bishop Payne being the pre-
siding officer. In 1866 the church
again had the pleasure of seeing the
conference v in our city, with
Bishop Doggett at its head. Bishop
Keener presided when, for the fourth
time, the annual session was held in
Lexington in 1874. This present annual
session of the conference is therefore
the fifth that has met with the church
here since its organization, forty-two
yoorc ann