Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-08-19

sorrows, held the gates of life ajar so
far as human may, while they entered
into the mansions Of the blessed.
One thing concerning Father Dixon
ought not to be passed over. 1t was
he who led Sharon out of the A. r. p.
church. Authorities differ. One says
the cause was the decision of the A.
r. p. authorities to discontinue the
frequent communions and the days of
fasting and thanksgiving held in con-
nection with the communion. Anoth-
er says it was the influence of Rev.
Peter Mcmillan, pastor Of Due West
This man was victim of strong drink
and being under discipline, went out
and connected with the Associate
church. 1t is not charged that Father
Dixon was guilty along with him, but
that he went out of loyalty and SYM
pathy for one to whom he was deeply
indebted as a former teacher. He lies
buried in our cemetery (0.
b. The second pastor was the Rev.
William Meek .McElwee, D. D., also
of the Associate church. He accepted
a call to this church October, 1925,
and labored here until 1882. DR.. McEl-
wee was born April 1, 1902, son Of
William McElwee, graduated from
South Carolina college 1920, and from
Associate seminary at Cannonburg,
Pa, 1926. Married the same year the
daughter Of the president of the semi
nary, Miss Maria Ramsay. He was
pastor of Sharon and TirZah six years.
1t was during these years that the or
der was promulgated by the Associate
synod that all OWNERS of slaves free
them forthwith. DR.. Latham says the
Southern churches were opposed to
slavery, but that order to free them
forthwith" was one too many for
them. At any rate the pot was soon
boiling at a rather brisk rate. DR..
McElwee was in sympathy with this
order it seems, and finding that he
could not enforce 1t, Identified his
charge October, 1882, and removed to
Beaver county, Pa, where he served
as pastor two Associate churches for
many years. Died June 1, 1896. I
have heard my father tell how my
grandfather sent the wagons and
slave to drive and care for them along
the way. That slave never came back,
though several efforts were made to
find him. OF DR.. McElwee as a
preacher nothing is told us. He is de-
scribed as a man Of large influence in
his own church courts, and Is said to
nave Idu d ldISe part III DIliSiu6
about the union Of his own Associate
church with the A. r. p. church of the
North, thus forming the U. p. church.
This is the record of the Centennial
Volume, and have heard 1t confirm
ed by those who knew him and were
acquainted with the facts. His pic
ture hangs here.
c. The third pastor was the Rev.
Robert Armstrong Ross, d. ID. This
picture is his. This pastorate extend
ed for fifty years, 1S43-1S9S. There
has been no other of this length in the
history of the A. r. +. church so far
as l know. Except Rev. Horatio
Thompson so years, Father McLaugh-
line, so years, but neither of one
charge). Synod met here in 1898 and
celebrated the 50-year pastorate, only
a month before he died. This was
within the memory of the most OF us,
and most of us knew him. His des-
cendants are here, and his spiritual
children. are a great multitude. Many
of them are here today, and many
more of them are in other parts of the