The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1891-12-10
BY OUR METHODIST EDITOR.

The Mississippi Conference of the VI. +.
! Church South met in Brook haven yester-
day ~ its 18th annual session. Bishop
/ Hendrix, of Missouri, presiding, and Rev.
e. }. Andrews, of Meridian, acting as Sec
Rotary. 1t is rs genteel aud fine looking
a body of men as one often sees. As
| BrookhaYen has but once before been hon.
orCd by the presence of this distinguished
body, u few facts about the early history
of the church in Mississippi which it so
crcditahly represents, cannot fail to prove
of interest to a majority of the LEADERS,
readers.
The first Methodist church in Misslssp-
pi was organized at Washington, near
Natchez, some time III the spring of 1899,
by Tobias Gibson, who came as Il mission
AIRY from South Carolina. To this work
he WAS appointed by Bishop Asbury at the
session of the South Carolina Conference,
held in Charleston. Jan. 1, 1899.
Promptly,as Methodist preachers moved
in those early days, Mr.. Gibson started
for his new field of labor; and, after a
600 mile ride on horseback to the Cumber-
land settlements in Tennessee, en-
baTked in II canoe ut II point near the
site of the present city of Nashville, and
alter voyage of II month or more ar
rived at the Na:chez bluffs.
The first session OF the Mississippi Con-
ference was held Nov. |, 1913, ut the resi-
dence of Rev. Newt Wick, about five
miles southwest from Fayettc. Samuel
Sellers was appointed by the Bishop to
preside, aud Vim. Winans was elected sec.
Rotary. Including the president, ten
members were present. AS nearly all of
these were prominent for many years in
the annals of Methodism in the South
west, their names may be read with inter
est. Besides those mentioned, above they
were Miles Harper, Richmond Nalley,
Lewis Hobbs, John S. Ford. John Phepps
and John |. +. Byrd. At this conference
five new men were admitted on trial:
Jonathan Kemp, Simon Gentry, Thomas
Owens and Josiah b. Daughtry. rhe
field of labor for these thirteen preachers
included all the State of Louisiana South
of the Arkansas river and all of Missis-
sppi Territory south of the Tennessee
river and eastward to the ChattahoOche.
The number of members reported was
1867 whites and 2i0 colOred. Within the
same territory there are now five annual
conferences, with over six hundred tin
Grant preachers, and membership of
nearly 200, 900. The Conference funds all
told amounted to about 500, aud of this
S30:was voted to VIM. Winans to enable
him to plant Methodism in the city of
New Orleans.
OF the foregoing names two have
representatives among our fellow-citi-
zens; J. l. +. Byrd, who was the father of
Mr.. John Marshall, and Josiah b. Daugh
try, great uncle of the mayor of Brook
haven. Two others, Peter James and
John $. Ford, have descendants who are
connected as laymen with the present
session of the Conference. Several other
honOred names occur in the present Con-
ference r0ll, -either as Christian names
or patronymies keeping alive the
memory of those great and good men
who bore the burden of hard battle in
the early days. The recurrence of the
initials w. W., calls to mind that heroic
pioneer, profound logcan and great
preacher, William Winans. b. NJ. Drake,
the wise and good, holds his
place in the persons of his sons +.
$. Drake, II layman, and distinguished
lawyer, of Port Gibson, member of the
Board of Missions; Rev. j. Z. Drake,
pastor of the church at Shubuta, and two
grandsons b. NJ, professor in Centenary
College, aud w. W., Jr., preacher on
the Bolton work. John G. Jones, whom
nature made for herculean work, and who
survived until less than two years ago,
the patriarch of the Mississippi Confer
ence and the historian of MethOdism in
the,Southwest, will have present one son,
John A. b. Jones, and several nephews
and grand nephews, VIM. II. Watkins,
the learned and eloquent, has also one
son, Bruokhaven's former pastor, Rev. A.
F. Watkins.
The first Methodist Bishop that came
to Mississippi was Francis Asbury, who
presided at the annual Conference of 1917,
held at Old Midway church, near Center
vile, Miss.
The Methodist pioneers in the country
around Brook haven survive In numer-
Gus offspring who yet live in the neigh
borhood of the old homestead, and are
| true, in the main, to the faith of their
fathers. OF these the following are men,
toned in the History of Methodism in
Mississippi by Rev. John G. Jones:
"Adams, White, Winbourn, Tarver, etc,
on the Amite; and Oh the waters of Tan
ripahoa and Bogue ChittO Peter Fielder
| Ia man of frrvent piety whose
house seemed to be in the way
of every passing Methodist preach
cry, Sandell, Bickham, Bullock, Connerly
and others; and in the valley of the
| Pearl River in addition to Rev. John
Ford, already mentioned, we find the
| names of the Rawlses, two of whom we're
preachers, John Reagan, local preacher,
and Hope Fl. Lenoir with many more who
| were dear TO the church in those days.