Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-09-06

the work of four or five ordinary MIN
isters.' His time was so closely occu-
pied in spreading the faith that he had
no time to return to England to visit
his aged mother. Instead he had his
picture painted and sent to her so that
she might have knowledge of her sons
as man.
ION June 2, 1872, Asbury preached
in Haddonfield. The next day at five
he preached at Mantua Creek, and
had a time of power" He, in his jour-
nal tells of the great success of this
meeting. The house near Mantua
Creek at which Asbury preached was
standing one hundred years afterward
(1S72) when the Centenary camp
meeting" was held in the woods near
it. This was a short distance south
of the road leading from Sewell to
Barnsboro.
Time and space will not allow US, in
this brief collection of scattered
thoughts to go into details as to how
Asbury's work grew and prospered.
However, to return to the particular
society at this place, we learn that
meetings for preaching, prayer, and
class were held at John Early's house
where the scattered population for
long distance we're wont to convene
themselves together to worship God.
But when the appointment was estab-
lished or the first class formed, or
what the numerical strength was, can
not now be determined. Probably this
was the only place in the vicinity
where Methodist meetings were held
till after 1890 1t was also the princi-
pal place several years after thaI-date.
1t was that year that the great revival
broke out at Bethel (now Hurffy;lle).
Many of the people from this vicinity
attended that revival and were con-
verted Among this number were the
Abbots, Jacksons, Leddens, and Fis-
lers, viz: Jacob, Leonard, Samuel JOS
eph and Benjamin Fisler, sons of JAG
OBJ Fisher a native of Switzerland
The Bethel revival gave new impe-
tus to the feeble society located at
Father Early's, it was the occasion of
increased activity which held to the
holding of meetings in other private
houses. Jacob Fisler was soon made
class-leader. He afterwards was Ii
censed to preach and later ordained
deacon by Bishop Asbury, April %,
1902 His brother Benjamin entered
the itinerant ministry and was sent in
to the wilds of Canada to do mission
airy work
To what extent the Society increas-
ed before leaving Father Early's, can
not ascertain, nor have | any definite
data for time of its removal As to
the zeal of the people of that day DR..
FISHER, son of the Rev Jacob Fisler
in an essay on the rise of Methodism
in West Jersey speaks of going to
Quarterly meeting through pine for
ests from ten to fifty miles" He also
makes the following statement: Our
practice was to work till half past ten
o'clock, take our horses or oxen from
the plow, hitch to the wagon, all hands
get in and go to John Early's to meet
ing. At twelve, turn teams to wagon
let them eat while we went to hear
good sermon, have a powerful class;
then hitch up and go home rejoicing.
On Sunday we would go to Father
Early's again On some weekday
night we went to John Early's, Sam'l
Ledden's or Joseph Jackson's for
pray
The historical records of Clayton M
B. Church state, when it was propos-
ed to build a church difference of
opinion arose as to it's place of loca-
ton. Three or four different sites
had warm and earnest advocates. But
the Union people carried the point"
John Early, with his followers-the
families hereinbefore named were
the foremost people of Union at that
time. As Asbury had charge of Meth
odism throughout the State at that
time it is not improbable that it was
built and dedicated under his direc-
ton. He makes the following state4
ment in his journal,'I left Philadel-
phia and rode tWenty-four miles south
and stayed with old Father Early,
preaching in Union Chapel"
The church was erected on the
ground now occupied by the northwest
corner of the cemetery, number Of
rods north of its present location. 1t
then, and number Of years later, was
one of the several churches supplied
by the two itinerant ministers of Glou-
cester Circuit, which had been found
ed in 1903. After the Gloucester Cir
cult was dissolved it was on a charge
with Clayton and some other churches.
In 1878 the church was moved to it's
present location and rebuilt. The side
galleries were taken out and some
other changes made in order to mo-
dernize the building; but the frame of
the original structure is in the present
building.
At the re-dedication of the church,
in 1878, the famous pulpit orator Bish-
op Simpson preached.
Until about the year 1889 this
church was on charge with three
other churches, viz: Redwood, Frank
linville and Monroeyille. That year
the charge was divided, the charge of
today Aura and Redwood es-
tablished.
? The majority of the ministers who
have been regularly appointed to this
church, have gone to their reward. For
those who are still with us, we are
thankful We also are thankful that
the flame Of Christian devotion kin
died by Father Early one hundred and
thirty-six years ago, has never ceased
to burn Instead of being quenched it
has burned higher and higher and hun