The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-02-04
PRESBYTERIAN
ANNIVERSARY
Cumberland Branch of the Church
Has Been In Existence for
100 Years.
0BSERYANCES ARE Held TODAY
Origin is Found in Great Religious Re-
vival Which Swept Over kentucky
and Tennessee in Nine
teenth Century.

NASHVILLE Tenn, FEB. 4.-TnrOugn-
out the South and i'm all other parts
of the country where congregations of
the Cumberland Presbyterian church
are to be found celebrations are being
held today in honor of the centennial
anniversary of the denomination which
was given birth i'm a little log cabin
in the backwoods of Tennessee on
February 4 ,1S10. From every pulpit
of the church centennial sermons are
to be preached next Sunday, and the
anniversary will be further observed
with appropriate exercises under the
auspices of the educational, mission
airy and other societies maintained by
the church.
The origin of the Cumberland Pres
byterian Church is to be found in the
great religious revival which swept
over Kentucky and Tennessee at the
beginning of the nineteenth century.
There existed at the time a great need
of additional ministers i'm that section.
AS a consequence the Presbytery of
Cumberland, which had been formed
from the Presbytery of Pennsylvania
i'm 1902. licensed and ordained a num-
Der of young Presbyterians who had
not received the required classical and
theological training for the ministry.
This action, which was taken on the
recommendation of Rev. Mr.. Rice, the
Oldest Presbyterian minister in Ken
lucky. was contrary to the rules and
Il
considerable opposition. The synod of
Kentucky refused TO sanction the act
and dissolved the Cumberland Pres
bytery in 1906. This decision was
partly confirmed by the General AS
sembly, which withheld its sanction
of the new movement but manifested
willingness to recognize the Cum
berland Presbytery as an independent
Organization.
Differences of doctrinal belief also
entered into the controversy, es-
pecially with reference to so-called
"fatalistic teachings" of the Confession
of Faith. This finally resulted in the
withdrawal of the dissatisfied members
and the formation of an independent
presbytery called the Presbytery of
Cumberland, in 1910.
1t was on February 4, 1870 that the
first presbytery of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church was organized in
what is now Dixon county. Tennessee,
but which was then known as Cum
berland county. Three ministers,
Hinis Ewing. Samuel King and Samuel
Meadow were the organizers. King
called on Meadow at his old log
cabin and laid the question before h.
OF forming an Independent presbytery.
Meadow spent the night i'm prayer and
on the following morning announced
readiness to join the organization. 1t
was agreed that the adherents of the
new church should recognize as their
standard of doctrine the Confession of
Faith of the Presbyterian Church. but
provision was made to meet the OBJ
jections of those opposed to the So
called fatalistic teachings.
The new church grew in three years
to synod composed of three presby-
teries and numbering sixty churches.
The first synod was formed November
8. 1912, at Lebanon Church, Christian
county, Kentucky. on oct. 27, 1928.
at Franklin. Tennessee, the first sy-
nod adjourned sine die. after 1t had
divided itself into four synods pre-
paratory to the organization of a gen.
eral assembly.
The General Assembly held its first
meeting i'm Princeton, Kentucky, in
May, 1929. In the preceding year the
church had established college In
Princeton, which was afterward re-
moved to Lebanon, Tennessee, and
chartered as Cumberland University.