Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-01-01


ALEXANDRIA METHoDIsM.-I them +.
i Church South Yesterday Rev. L. L.
Carson delivered very in'rr..-''''' nd
Instructive discourse, historical ui Alex
andria Methodism, 1898 being the CEN
tannial wear of the establishment of the
Alexandria charge of the Methodist
church. He took for his text Acts 3 ch.
a. = and Psalms 81, w. Mr.. Carson
ssid that in 1913 there were only ten
Methodist preachers and ,l60 members
ofthe Methodist church in this country
about 100 of whom were in Virginia.
Now there were $1,000 preachers,
foo00 buildings and 100000 commu-
ni,-lpts who represented Il Methodist
nooulation of from fifteen to twenty
millions. Rev. VIM. Waters, who was
b,rn in Maryland in 17i5, was the first
american born Methodist preacher and
at one time he was the minister for the
Alexandria charge. The first mention
Of Methodism in this section was in
I-75 when there was charge known
as Fairfax" with membership Of 80,
and Alexandria was, no doubt, includ-
ed in that charge. In 1916 William
Waters was appointed to the Fairfax
circuit of which Alexandria was one Of
the appointments. The Presiding Ell
der districts were commenced in lIS5.
Among those who in early days were in
charge of the Alexandria church were
Richard Whatcoat, VIM Mckendree
and Enoch George, all OF whom had
risen to be bishops, as had also Alpheus
Wilson, who more recently had been
stationed in Alexandria.
Speaking of the church here, Mr..
Carson said the Alexandria district had
an existence before the Baltimore con-
ference. as conference was known.
Alexandria as a distinct charge from
Fairfax circuit was established in 1883
IL century ago-with membership of
Is white and TO cUlored members, all
of whom worshipped together. In that
wear 4 conference was held here for the
first time and Joseph Cosden was APP
pointed to serve the Alexandra charge
n It's first pastor. Under Joseph
Rowen i'm 1902 q great revival must
have occurred for IN 1903 he reported
nm increase of membership from $50 to
49,. Mr.. Carson then named many of
the len who had served the Alexandria
charge and paid Just tributes 10 their
christian deeds and work lie said
ooh what men OF t'od-men.
mighty in word and deed, have minis
tered to the last four generations Of
Alexandria's people-Wm. Waters,
who sleeps nearby, S miles, twice III
charge: Jno. Pitts. Enoch George,
Hamilton jefferson, Joseph Rowen,
Seely Bum, Alfred Griffith, lS06, twice
its pastor Jno. Davis. There were two
men who impressed me above measure
ut the beginning of my ministry-JoshTa
Wells and Henry Smith. They both
lived within Baltimore Circuit, my first
circuit How venerated these heroes.
Here also lived and labored such men
Us Stephen George Roszel, and the
brilliant a. 5. Roszel, The sanity Jos.
Merriken. and the wonderful eXhorter,
Thos. j. Dorsey. Coming further down
the wears, we find the Morgans, Leo
Rosser, James Duncan, Munsey and
others of great worth and weight in
their work for God and his church in
this place But what of the members,
what of the old Methodist families,
those who gave character and power to
Methodism in Alexandria in the years
gone by? / have rambled with pecu
liar delight among many hundreds of
recorded names of these fathers and
mothers of Alexandria station. What
a line of battle they presented to the
forces of evil, and what they achieved
again aud again for Christ and his
church They died in the faith and
hundreds went shouting home to glory.
How | wish could call over the roll of
other years and summon these saints to
love feast again with Alfred Griffith to
lead the meeting. What rejoicing in
spirit &c. Here are few Of precious
memory-back as far as 1910: Isaac
Robbins, Townsend Waugh, father of
j. H. w. Waugh; Loudouu Campbell,
VIM. Rudd, Jas Dudley, Jno. Creigh-
ton, Benoni Wheat, Thos. Jacobs, B.
Bryan, Ann r. Sloan, a leader of class !;
Isaac Kell, Charity Atwell, Mary and
Rebecca Wheat, VIM. Lyle, Benz. Wa
tiers, and then the Allisons Roxburys
Neitches, Mounts, Cooks, Makeleys,
Pr Brights. Later the
Stevenson, Atwell,
Pascoe, holland,
Wing, French,
chries, Wea-
-ou.nson, Smith,
or, Richards, Demaine, Grigg, Zim-