Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-16

gether. The principal churches were
Beersheba, York district, 8. c., and
Long Creek, Lincoln county, N. c.
About the time of the above date
(1793) the harmony of the churches
was interrupted by the introduction OF
hymns, which, to respectable minor
ity Of Beersheba, was an innovation
not 10 be endured, and consequently
led to u division in the ranks. The
Associate Reformed church of the Car
oliras was their only hope, and An
drew Ferguson and John Miller were
authorized to attend a meeting of that
body on Black River, s. c., and petit
ton for supplies. 1t seems that the
Psalm singing party of Beersheba still
claimed the right of worshipping at
the old house, and Mr.. Rodgers, of
the A. R. church, who came first to
supply them, met Mr.. McWhorter
at Beersheba and both claimed the
pulpit for the day. Mr.. Rodgers, how
ever, retired with a'portion of the peo-
pie 10 a private house and preached.
The names of the persons breaking
off and forming the nucleus of the new
organization Bethany were as follows: !:
VIM. McElwee, Sr., who had been an
elder in the Presbyterian church, and
his sons John and VIM. McElwee, VIM.
Henry, Alexander Henry, James Hen
ry, VIM. Crawford, James Crawford,
Francis Rea, James Dunn, Joseph
Carroll. These, with other families
in distant neighborhoods in the same
condition, petiIioned for the stated la
bors of VIM. Dixon, licehtiate of the
Associate Reformed body, and for lS
months, or more, worshipped at the
head of Crowder's creek, on the skirts
of Kings Mountain, in a log house
Immediately above George Ferguson's.
This house, at the present date, (1S56)
is performing the menial services OF
barn on the former premises of George
Ferguson.
The people worshipping at this
Kings Mountain house and Sharon
and Carmel, united and called Rev:
VIM. Dixon, who was ordained and
installed at Sharon in the year 1887
by DR.. John Hemphill, James Rodgers
and Mr.. McMullen. The first elders
that were elected and ordained in
Bethany were as follows VIM. Nc.
Elwee, Sr., who had been an officer in
Beersheba, Samuel Leslie, James Craw-
ford and Alexander Henry. These
were installed in Office and Bethany
was organized in 1897 at stand near
the spot where the present church
stands.
The first time the Lords Supper was
dispensed to this society, was in the
unbroken forest in the ravine leading
up from the spring, west from the
present house. 1t is proper in this
connection to refer to the fact that
previous to the organization of Betha
ny, the mountain house was the com
mon and joint place of preaching for
both Bethany and Pisgah and about
the same time Pisgah was organized
under the pastoral care of Mr.. Dixon.
According to the statement OF Francis
Henry, the stand was erected at Beth
any, aud that became place of wor-
ship in 1896. In March of that year
Rev. Mr.. Dixon moved his family into
the bounds from the neighborhood Of
Cedar Springs, Abbeville district, 5. 9.
In 1901 Peter Galloway and james
Montgomery moved into the congre-
CATION, and as they had been elders
previously, they were accepted by the
people as ruling elders in Bethany.
Rev. VIM. Dixon was of Scotch Irish
extraction and obtained his theological
training under the celebrated John
Brown of Haddington. Bethany en-
loved his service for about 33 years.
The most of that time this people were
in connection with the Associate synod.
About the year 1902, Messrs. McMul-
len and Dixon left the Associate Re-
formed church for reasons unknown to
the writer of this sketch, and drew
along with them many of the churches
in the Carolinas.
From the report of the presbytery
of the Carolinas, dated "Little River
Meeting House, Fairfield District, S.
c., March 26, 1925" we get the date of
Mr. Dixon's resignation. This part of
the report reads as follows: "Mr.