The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-12-23
A Short History Of Methodism in Bamberg.
By NJ. w. Brabham

the earthquake. Thus it seems that
the calamities emphasize the popu-
larity or need, or what ever else you
may choose to call it. When the
name OF Rev. J. l.. Stokes, now at
North Augusta, is reached, the recol-
lection of the writer comes to his aid.
DR.. Stokes's son, Marion, afterwards
known as college mate, was injured
by a falling piece of scantling when
Mr.. R. L.. Risher's present home was
being built. In this year also, that
is 1891, Rev. Thos. Leitch held a
revival service here, and that same
boy Marion united with the church
and he is now serving his Maker as
a missionary in far of Korea. In
1895 the beloved DR.. Elwell came
and stayed two years. Well do re-
member the first OF those two years
because Of personal sorrow.
But to revert back to another line
| OF thought so that another phase Of
the history may be followed. When
our circuit was first formed it was
composed Of Trinity (this church, ,
Buford's Bridge, or as it was known,
Mizpah, Andrews Chapel, moved in
1885 to what is known as Pleasant
Hill, and Zion. We were then in
Charleston district. Things remained
thus until 1866 when the districts
were changed and Bamberg circuit
was in Blackville district. This did
| not continue longer than the one
kyear, for in 1867 Charleston district
again found our people nesting with
st, Doy,ohnrY 4icfriaf n
pears in the minutes for the year
1858 and so continues until 1872.
The two presiding elders who have
the distinction of having served Bam-
berg district are Rev. D. j. Simmons,
called by some Denny" who served
three of the four years and Rev. F.
NJ. Kennedy, who served the other
year in which this place gave the
district name But the old mother
district seems to have been unable to
let the hustling circuit go, for we
again found ourselves in Charleston
district in 1872, there to remain un-
til the present Orangeburg district
was formed and in 1884 Bamberg
circuit was changed to that district
and there we find ourselves at the
present time.
Salaries.
The matter of salaries paid to the
pastors might be of interest, but as
this will appear more fully in the
table appended, I will only give a
running idea of what has been done
in that direction. The first record
of salary appears in 1869 when DR..
Raysor was pastor; the circuit COM.
posed of the four churches, paid DR..
Raysor $503.11. The following year
il was increased to 100000. In 1875
Rev. P. F. Kistler received 5000, and
this was the assessment for several
years. The minutes of the annual
conferences being arranged differ
emily so often, the matter of salaries
is of necessity given in different
manner some years. To illustrate
the foregoing amounts were listed
all together for the circuit, but in
1879 we are able to find what each
one of the churches Of the circuit
paid towards the pastors salary. So
Trinity contributed about $4,000
each year from that year until 1888
when Bamberg and Buford's Bridge
were made into circuit by them
selves. The salary then paid Jointly
was 1865. In 1898 Bamberg cir
cult was composed of Trinity, Miz-
pah, and Oakland, a small church
ever the river In 1894 Trinity alone
paid s765. In 1896 Bamberg was
raised to the degree Of a station and
we paid our first pastor for station
work $4,000. In 1902 we increased
the amount to 5000. In 1906 to ST.
10000 and in 1908 Bamberg station
paid 81, 10000, which is the present
salary of the pastor.
We have had three church build
ings and two parsonages for the
Methodists of Bamberg. The church
originally built in 1853, mentioned
in the beginning, the one built about
1883 on the spot where Mr.. ]. H.
Cope's residence now stands, and in
1904 the present handsome structure
in which we worship.
To summarize somewhat before 60
ing to the matter of the Sunday
school. There have been only four
teen presiding elders to serve this
work, this giving each an average
service here of about three years and
seven months, DuC IL muSL De re-
membered that one man served
twelve years and another six. There
have been twenty-one pastors, each
serving an average of two years and
about five months. We have had
four ministers who. have been re-
turned to us for four years, one of
these, Dr. Raysor, having served six
years altogether; he served two
year term and then after an inter-
val of six years was returned for a
full four years term. There have
been four ministers who have stayed
three years. There have been ten
pastors who have stayed two years
each, this being made to include DR..
Raysor's two year term and counting
the present pastors term as two
years. This leaves only four who have
stayed but one year. OF the minis
ters who have served this charge both