Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-06-18

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:-It
is said that old soldiers love to
fight their battles over, and take a
pardonable delight in emphasizing
the 81 was there and saw it,"
St. Paul took pleasure in re
counting to the churches hist Christ
ian experience and the conflicts
through which the Lord had led
him to glorious victory.
/ have been invited to deliver a
historical sketch of the rise and
progress of Methodism in this
community. My only fitness is
that l can say with only a few
persons present, 81 was there and
saw it" and its events enter large
ly into my own experiences. By
the misfortunes of fire | am de-
prived OF all papers relating to
early days, and am compelled to
draw on memory, which, however
tenacious of general facts, | fear
may be defective as to particu-
lars and dates. The ground on
which we now stand is sacred to
your speaker because it vas the
battle field on which the first great
conflict wac fought and won for
Christ. AT the time that the
event now to be narrated occurred,
Waynesboro was in its dying
struggle; not a vestige of the old
town now remains. Its young
rival, Goldsboro, had gained the
honor of being the county seat,
and nearly all the old inhabitants
of Wayresboro had followed the
court house.
From my earliest recollection
until perhaps 1910, there had
never been a church or public
school house in Waynesboro. All
religious services were held in the
court house; schools were taught
there, and thcatricals exhibited in
the same building. In the year
1910 a church was built, which was
commodious and would have even
been handsome had it ever been
completed. But it was a free
church, and like all of its class. it
has ssvapished away
The first public act of the citi-
zens of Goldsboro, headed by
Arnold Borden, John A. Green
and DR.. 5, A. Andrews, was to
build a school house, or academy
as it was called. 1t was built at
the Southern terminus of what is
now John street. So-called be
cause Jno. A. Green lived at one
end and jno. n. Andrews at the
other. The street was about three
hundred yards long. The acad-
envy stood on the spot where this
church is to be erected, and that
(the rear building of the pasonage)
is the house. All denominations OF
Christians who chose to come had
access to the school house in Colds
boro ano the church in Waynes-
boro, but none had an organized
membership.
l can recall the names of only
seven persons who at that time
profcssed to be Christians, viz;
Mrs. Gordon, Mrs. DR.. Andrews,
Mrs. Pike, Miss Jernigan, Mrs,
Langston, Mrs. Nelson and Col.
now Rev Chas. j. Nelson.
The preaching of the gospel was
with no regularity, and seemed to
produce no fruits. Spasmodit
efforts at holding Sabbath Schoo
we're made by Col. Nelson. The
towns were, with the honorable
exceptions mentioned, coldly and
almost stupidity Indifferent to thu
claims of religion. The elders
were engrossed in business ant
politics, the youngsters in pleas
ure.
In the month of August, 1849
Revs. Ira. T. Wyche and Jas. I'll
Brent held a meeting at Holt
mill, Johnston county, at whicl
your speaker and his wife wer
converted to God. On the frs
Sunday in September, 1S49, tn
same ministers began a meeting t
be held in the church at Waynes
boro in the day and school hous
at Goldsboro at night. At tn
morning service on the first da.,
your speaker and bis wife joine
the M. E. Church South, on 81.
months probation. At the open
ing service great solemnity reste
upon the congregation, and
large number of penitents came t
the altar. This was the beginning c
what was known among us as tn
great revival of 1849. The weathe
was delightful, immense congrega
tons assembled daily, coming
many of them, twenty or thirt
miles from the surrounding cour
ties. No accident occurred an
only one disturbance youn
man in a state of intoxicatior
dragged his sister from the alta
of prayer and cursed the minis
ters, for which he suffered seyerel
at the hands of the law. Ih
preaching was with great powe
and In demonstration of theSplrl