The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-07-18
AMELIA CHURCH.
By Richard McIlwaine. d u

BY Richard McIwaine D. D.
Inc morning after my first service at Namozine
drove up to the resident of Captain S. S. Wei
siger afterwards Circuit Judge with his residence
al letersDurg' where made my home during my
Passionate IN Amelia. On the next Sabbath was
ordained to the full work of the ministry nv tbe
TresDytery OF East Hanover the ministers pres
ent and constituting the Presbytery being Rev
" l. V. Moore, OF Richmond; Rev. DR. Arnold
Miller OF petersburg; and Rev. Edward Martin
OF Nottoway. The preaching places in the upper
part OF the county for the first year were Amelia
court House and Paneve, each once month
~ weekly prayer-meetng was held from spring to
tall at the court house After l gave ND Namo-
zihe' sunday services were arranged for the court
mouse twice month; Paneville once and letters
VILE once, the fifth Sabbaths being given to other
polntstas occasion seemed to require
1hls church was not strong one, though COM
posed OF excellent material, men and women. The
women were forward in every good word and
work, and the men were responsive do not
remember that any Presbyterians except one
young man, lived in the village at the court house
The dweers there, far as connected with
churches, were Methodsts and Episcopalians, with
one FAMILY OF Jews They generally attended
our services. l distinctly remember the Jews
among my hearers. This family afterwards re-
moved to Richmond, and its head became promi-
nent in business circles. Within two or three
miles of the court house there were number of
Presbyterian families The residence of others
My first business, besides attending to the puo
TIC exercises OF worship, to get acquainted
with the people i'll their homes. To this end |
gave Monday and Tuesday of each week and the
afternoons OF other days to systematic pastoral
visiting Along with this / inquired diligently
Tor the location of families not affiliated with any
church, OF whom there were good many and
VISITED them. Many of these became regular at
PENDANTS on our services, and some of them mem
bers OF the church. Thus / took under my charge
those within reach who had no pastoral attention
and the usefulness and influence of the church
were enlarged.
In devoting whole day to pastoral work nv
plan was to strike out early in the morning for
the family most remote that road, spend about
an hour IN conversation, try to get into touch with
old and young, making the acquaintance of the
children as well as the grown people, and closing
the visit with reading the Scriptures and PRAYER
linen struck out for another family nearer home
endeavoring to get there soon after IL o'clock
as possible, SO that it might be understood that
expected to take dinner. In the afternoon | would
seek to make another visit, and arrive at home
about rundown, having accomplished good DAVIS
work and ready for good nights work at nv
books in sermonizng.
Among the first all-day visits made and per-
haps the very first, / met with condition which
gave me pause i made my distant call and
got through with it all right reached INV second
point on time where ! expected to take dinner was
cordially received by the head of the house. and
after awhile his little daughter three or four wears
old, bright and beautiful, came running in. This
was pleasant diversion / expected dinner to
be announced about o'clock, but we talked
and talked and talked until we were pretty nearly
run out OF talk. | was told that the lady of the
house well and would be in after while so