The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-19
PRESIDING ELDERS IN THE LONG AGO
By Rev. r. H. Whitaker.

y Ivrv. for q copy 81 the Southern
Methodist Handbook for 1907
which is flied with history, biogFt-
phv. literature and statistics pertain
Iag - ~thodis giving many ln-
c.dcuts which antedate the setting 40
81 the southern Methodist church,
ana contrast shows the reader tn'.
progress the church has made sine"
us Introduction INTO our state. IL y
n book which every Methodist ought
10 nave. for it gives ln~foflna'loi
elich cannGt anywhere else be 50
easily gained. Every phase Of wo;K
in which the church Is engaged. -
noticed and 30 carefully system
atfealIy are the topics arranged thdi
ono finds anything just where re
iairht expect il would be, n as u
should be. H. t. a most invaluable
H4b8inatiou. ana | am sure that ii
grows better rs it grows in age, TOR
the urc-ent is an improvement on
those OF other years. Price only 80
cents. prepaid, per copy.
Tho student Of Methodist histpGy
viii !iad in the said book man"
things Of interest with reference TO
The rise Of Methodi3m in North Car
aItra. For Instance, he Will find n
g. aiaan, that Rev. Joseph Piimoof
va tn first Methodist that ever
preached i'll North Carolina, which
.at4 il.l112. The first Society form
al IN the state was organized in
I4i2. The first circuit was formed
(t44c Carolina c~ircuit) ia 1916, me
urnachcfs being Edward Dfumgool"
l.r2ncc5 Pyythress and Isham Ia
tum. The first Presiding Elders dIs-
t.ict ia North Carolina was formed
in 1900, and extended from beyon':
the Blue Ridge to the seashore, being
of the following charges:
MorgantOn. S"Wannanoa, salisbury.
iIaW River. Guilforl. Franklin, cas-
well. 1ar River, New Bern, Goshen
Wilmington, C~ontentnea, Pafnilc"'
i,o.noKc. MattamuSkeet II Banks.
TN. book is filled with valuable
Information which can but be inter
es.ing ana profitable. Get 1t by al
means.
what a mighty district that FIRST
Presiding Elder had from mountain
to seashore. Now there are twenty dls-
t.i.ts. each one Of taem having as
many charges in it as that first \
had. And what n preacher was that
old time Presiding Elder. His COM
ing meant something; and when he
LEFT the people had something u
taiak and talk about. for he dld ana
said something that made him and
his visit memorable. He was a big
preacher n did big preaching. Con-
soquentIy, he swayed h multitude
His theme was Christ and Him crd-
cited: ana like Paul, he preached not
with cnticing words but III demon
stration Of the Spirit.
The old-time Presiding Elder went
on horse back, of course. and for his
labors. h~ardships and privatiOns he
received u hundred dollars, perhaps,
added to which the women knit him
some socks, and possibly in the fall,
some good woman might nave given
him q suit of wooden jeans.
There being sixteen charges IN that
Il: -t.:n+ arl c,1nnGCtno th91 11c6
paid a hundred dollars toward the
support of the ministry, it is probable
that the presiding elder received one
hundred and fifty dollars to his snare.
vt NEST, the sixteen circuit preachers
and the presiding elder did not get
more than sixteen hundred or I've
thousand dollars. about what it takes
to support one pressing elder in these
days. of plenty and prosperity.
We have twenty presiding elders n
North Carolina who are paid aDoul
forty thousand dollars-tWo thousano
each, counting in parsonage rent, ana
( about FOUR hundred preach
ers who are paid two hundred ano
fftv thousand dollars-an average OF
six hundred and twenty-five dollars
TO the preacher. The pay OF the pre-
siding elders would, at that rate, puI
about fifty preachers on circuits ano
missions and, / expect, the preachers
would all behave themselves as Wei
preach as well, and do as faithful
work, without presiding elders, a.
they do now. But, then, we are
bound to have them, for the looks @
the thing and to keep in touch ant
in line With the old times, when pre-
siding elders were really needed.
In the olden times a presiding eldel
was q John Wesley on horse back
the incarnation and the mouth piec'
of the doctrine sof Methodism, as wei
as of the law and the gospel; ant
when he came the people were glad e
see and hear him.; for, coming as n
did, Drawing the cold, the heat, tn
rain and the storm, they had prea
respect for him. To them he was in
Iced = hero.
II would be q marvel to that frs
presiding elder. whose district reache'
from the mountains to the seabOard
call Of which distance he had to traVe
over hilly, rocky. muddy, stumpy am
sandy roads, could he come back t
earth and see our Wet paid, wei
housed and we'll dressed presiding
elders; and, going around with then
see how pleasant and easy are thel
labors. compared With those he ha'
to perform 4 hundred years ago, Whel
being paid and fed and clothed Wer
things of secondary Importance, bul
going out as the Master said, carryin
( IN 4 49, 49, 1e1N
granted that The laborer was worthy O
his hire. not doubling that food, pa
and raiment would be provided.
Yes, ld like to be along and Sc
the establishment of that old %presidin
elder. as he accompanies one of GU
modern elders around his district.
The old presiding elder is going t
his appointment wearing a suit c
Jeans (home made a green OVercOa
q wool hat. and, to keep his leg
warm and tho mud from soiling III
homespun pantaloons-the only pal
he has along-he wears "leggings,
wrapped two or three times about HI
legs and tied on with a kind of CARTE
Hes cominsi" some me announce
and all turn to look. He rides u
to the Church ca log -hut) n afte
hitching his horse, goes in, carryin
his saddle bags on his arm, the pcopl
following. cold? OF course he is
but there is neither fireplace o stoy
in the church: on the contrary tn
~chinkingS are out. and the win
has free course through every cracl
The circuit preacher and the cOngrt
CATION have spent the last half hot
about q fire outdoors. out they al
ready to shiver as soon as they ente
the cold log hut. Having said h
prayers, the elder starts. as he rise
from his knees:
How firm a foundation