Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-02-09
Burton-Oah Grove church.

| i7Vl, picpaIcu Wy mIe' w. ~ EdoOI
and read on Sunday, January 18th
the day its centennial wa. celebrated
will be OF interest to the most of GU
readers:
J Before giving the history, perhap
1t would be well to relate the cir
cumstances that led to founding tn,
church whose centennial is to-da,
celebrated. One hundred years ago
when Methodism was ia its infancy
an unfortunate feeling OF jealousy
sprang up between the Episcopa
and Methodist churches. which wal
vigorously maintained by both de-
nominations. The Episcopal clergy
man had been 30 far Influenced by
the excitement as to announce that
on the approaching Christmas Day
OF 1900, he would preach the funeral
sermon OF Methodism in Accomack
county. On the appointed day a
large and excited audience assembled
in the Episcopal Church to hear the
discourse, among whom was Captain
Thomas Burton, man OF means and
good social position, a churchman,
an ardent supporter OF his church,
and in full harmony with the feel
ings of the hour. The learned Episco-
palian delivered an able and elo-
quent address, turning the point Of
his sermon against John Wesley him
self, and pouring all the odium
possible upon the Methodist Church
and especially upon her ministry.
That an effort to persecute a
christian people invariably gives
new life to their cause and fresh i'm
petus to their progress is fully ex
emplfed in the far-reaching result
OF that Christmas Day sermon, which
entirely revolutionlzed Captain Bur
toms opinion Of and feelings toward
the Methodist Church. Before, he
was so strongly prejudiced against it
that he would not allow one OF his
servants to 60 to a Methodist meet
ng-house, now, he believed them TO
re a prosecuted people, misunder-
stood and unjustly maligned. Like
Ill really strong characters, when |
convinced of having erred, he was
lot long in acknowledging his error,
Ind at once set about to rectify it by |
INVITING the Methodist minister to
,isit him in order to compare the
doctrine of the two churches, which
lie found to differ only in form.
Then, to the boundless astonish.
nent of all, the Methodist preacher
vas invited to hold a service at
captain Burton's home on New
ears Day of 1901. At p. m, on
hat day, Rev. Thomas Smith, stand
az in the front door, surrounded by
n immense audience, awed into
rofound reverence and silence, gave
ut the hymn
o for thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise,
he glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace"
After prayer, he preached from the =,
KIT, Romans XVI, 10, 20: II would
ave you wise unto that which is
bod, and simple concerning evil, :
I'D the God of peace shall bruise =
atan under your feet shortly. The
ace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
it'll you, Amen" To quote Mr.. :;
NTH, Before the sun rose the next
" the enemy's flag was struck, -
I'd the banner of Jesus Christ was
avlng there" To give the details .
that service and of those that fol- :,
wed for thirteen consecutive days 7
ID nights, without any intermis -
IN whatever, would take too much >.
ne. Sufficient to tell that in the
use, in the yard, in the quarters, >,
groups in the fields and along the
adside, the revival went on until it
ally closed for lack of physical
'ength on the part OF the partici-
nts.
At the close of the meeting, Janu- 1s
Y Is, 1901, class of fifty members u
s. formed, Captain Burton and his !,
fe heading the list, then all their
Ildren, followed by many of their ..
ends and neighbors; besides anoth-
class of forty members was organ. u
d, consisting for the most part of ~
plain Burton's slaves and some of
neighbors. The conversion of a at
n of such strong and weIl-known H.
'iudices as Captain Burton, So
turally exerted a marked influence
On the community, and the rapid 49,
rease Of Methodism in shat sec ~
n from 1900 to 1912, was, doubtless ~
re largely due to this fact than to !"
? other event or influence bear
upon that period The weekly
etings at his house became the
center OF attraction. =,
the results attending them were IT,
rcely less than marvellous. 49,,
D reviewing the progress of the g..
iety formed under the circumstan-
as related, the history OF the 49,,
rch that developed from it will -,
divided into three periods. One g,
ering the time during which SER 49,,
IS were held in the original build "a
another from the time of it's en-. -,
ement until the second church -.
burned, and the third from then ~
he present, including in all, just 49,.
century, and each of these Pc
8 being about thirty-three years