Smyrna times., 1925-08-19
OLD CHURCH AT CHESTERTOWN
All-Day Celebration OF ChestertOwn's
Old Edifice Observed

Inc one nunQfeQJn anniversary OF |
the founding of st. James Methodist
Protestant Church of Chestertown,
Md, was observed recently, with
an all-day program, hundreds of
Methodist ProteStants from all sec
tiOns of the county and many former !
members of the congregation from
Baltimore, attending the exercises. The |
Rev. DR.. F. 7. Little, of Baltimore,
the first stationed pastor of the church |
and the Rev. DR.. Sewell S. Helbun, |
rector of old l. L. parish, who repre-
sented the Protestant Episcopal de- |
nomination, of which st. James was
originally a part, brought greetings. |
At 1870 o'clock Rev. DR.. G. l. Humph- |
ries, president of the Maryland Con-
ference, preached.
A basket luncheon followed on the
lawn of the church.
After services were in charge of the
Revs. Avery Donovan, of Fawn Grove,
Pa, and George A. Morris, of Har-
rington, Del, former pastors. The
evening services was devoted in eXer-
cises by the Young Peoples Society of
Christian Endeavor, in charge of H.
Stockton Startt, the president. Form
er pastors of the charge who had some
part in the program were the Rev.
Drs. F. T. Little and J. NJ. Sheridan,
of Baltimore; H. b. Jester, of Brook
lyn, Md; Avery Donovan, of Fawn
Grove, Pa; George A. Morris, Har-
rington, and Dr. J. W. Trout, Ken
nedyville; the Rev. n. o. Gibson,
Christ Church, Chestertown; the Rev.
DR.. Sewell S. Hepburn, l. L. parish,
and the Rev. J. w. Dawson, of Wesley
Church. A feature was the presence
of Wilmer Little, Baltimore, son of
the Rev. Dr. F. 7. Little. Mr.. Little
was the first baby born in the parsOn-
age, and he spoke feelingly of his
recOllections of old st. James.
St. James is the oldest Methodist
Protestant church in Kent, and was
among the first charges of that de-
nomination to be founded on the East
ern Shore. In 1925 the property upon
which the church now stands was
purchased by the Protestant Episcopal
denomination, and called "ParsOn
Handy's Church." in honor of its first
and, as far as is known, only rector
In 1892 it was taken over by the
Methodist Protestants for the sum OF
S5. The Rev. w. c. Poole, who was
in charge of Kent circuit, was its first
pastor. The process of the work was
such that at the annual session of the
Maryland Conference in Centreville il
March, 1879, St. James was made {
separate charge, and the Rev. f. T
Little, now retired, was sent as the
! first stationed pastor. The Origina
trustees Of the church were Franci
Lamb, Joseph Kennard, William Coop
er and David Arthur, many of who's
| descendants are still identified witt
| the church.
The present pastor is the Rev. j
/ Colvin Randall.
| The original building has been re
/ modelled and converted into one o
| the finest country charges in the con
= ference at a cost of $4,000. 1t has
q membership of 200, a Sunday schoC
9 enrolment of 175, over which RObei
G. Nicholson has presided for the pa:
seventeen years, and a Christian FL
deavor Society numbering 180, {
which H. StOckston Startt is presider
The present officials of the church al
Robert G. Nicholson, John p. Nicho
n son, ]. ElwoOd Morris, Harry |. Pa
sons, Samuel Liller, Sewell J. Lee,
Stockton Startt, Ralph UsiltOn, Mr.
Walter Taylor and Harry Rash.