Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-10-25
Old Folks Sunday Observed al
Methodist Church

MeLuOulst Cuurcu
Sunday mornings services at
Trinity Methodist church were
observed as "Old Folks Day."
| with a sermon suitable to the oc-
casion by the pastor, Rev. j. DIN
Knott. The church was tastefully
decorated with autumn leaves,
chrysanthsmums and other flowers.
An interesting feature Of the
services was the reading by the
pastor Of greetings from some OF
the former pastors of the Lsxing-
ton church, as follows: Rev. DR..
Isaac w. Cantor now of Martins
burg, WA; Rev.F.J. Prettyman OF
Baltimore; Rev. H. P. Hamill of
Staunton; Rev. j. H. Light of
fredericksburg, Rev. DR.. j. s.
Gardner of Middletown and Rev.
DR.. A.M.Cackley of Keyser, VIVA.
From the Church Bulletin of
Sunday the following facts are
gathered:
'Lexington circuit was organic
ed in 1882. Lexington was made a
station in 1854. Rev. PHI. Wits.
ner was the first pastor after the
union of the Southern Metho-
dist forces in Lexington. The
pastors next following were:
Sam'l Rodgers, 1. R. Finley, w.
G.. Cross, J. L. Clarke, w. K.
Boyle, 1. w. CAnter, W. H. Seat,
L. G. Miller, W. A. Wade, j. H.
Waugh, A. NJ. Cackley, F. J.
Prettyman, J. S. Gardner, j. I.
Wightmen, II. P. sHamill, j. H.
Light, j. o. Knott.
"In the days of Mr.. Boyle the
membership was 179; in Mr..
Prettyman's day it went to 297
and then fell to 274. 1t was re-
ported by DIR. Wightman as 300.
1t now numbers about 200. The
largest ingathering for one ear ls
recorded by Mr.. Prettyman, in
1892. He received in all los that
Conference year."
The following extracts from the
letter written by Mr.. Prettyman
and read to the congregation by
Mr.. Knott will be Of interest to tho
many friends in Lexington Of this
former pastor, who was very pop
uler here and ia still held In high
esteem:
81 thank you for allowing me
the privilege of saying a word at
your odd Folks Day service.
What a beautiful idea it is, and
how precious the memOry Of the
former days, There isn'ta recol-
lection of the place or people that
does not awaken a kindly response
in my heart.
SIN the first place there is only
one Lexington in the wide, wide
world. There is charm of his
tory and trandition, OF vast variety
of natural scenery and of quaint
ness of manner and life that
surpasses any place I have ever
known. / should be glad to spend
the rest of my days in dear old
Lexington.
"My first memory of the town
fingers around the little hired
house right in front of the church
which we used as parsonage.
Here the ladies met US. God
bless them. You remember what
Sam Jones said about the women.
He said, If the Bishop should
send me to u church where there
were no sisters, the first text l
would take would be, "Finally,
brethren, farewell" How much
at home they made us feel, the
parson and his young wife.
"The first work was to finish
the new church. IL was nearly
completed whom came. What
q monument it lie to the faithful
ness and skill of DR.. Csckley, who
projected the plan and carried it
to SO successful a completion, l
know of no church which has
shown a more liberal spirit or
which has worked more hAr-
moniously In such al enterprise.
"Next came the organization Of
the Christian Endeavor. We start
ed with the unlucky number Of
thirteen. 1 don't think there was
man at the first meeting. No
wonder we did 80 well. But it
was a new thing in Lexington.
The idea of women speaking in
meeting was almost sacrllege. l
felt like an iconoclsst when we
broke down the traditions of q
century. But God favored us in
our work and it was largely
through the efforts of the G. E..
that we had great revival. 1
shall never forget those two Sun
days. On the first we received
forty members and sixty on the
next, making one hundred in all.
| hope that they have all been
faithful and that those who re-
main are still on their way to the
'better land
but were those days better
than theseH l guess not, but l
love to think OF them still, and
| will carry them on to the cad as a