Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1934-07-26
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH RE-DEO|CATEO
AND CENTURY Of EXISTENCE CELEBRATED

The Methodist Episcopal church
has been beautifully remodeled and
| will be reopened Sunday with ap-
propriate exercises. A former pas
| tor, Charles w. Stoneburner, of
Girard, will preach at 10:30, and
DR.. Reinhold F. Mayer, former su-
perintendent, now of Steubenville,
will preach at 7:3O.
All former pastors are invited.
| 1t is suggested that resident friends
! here invite any former friends or
/ members Of the church. Please
| notify the reception committee.
which consists of Mrs Cora Ken
nedy, Miss Simpson and Miss Pyle.
Anyone wishing to entertain former
ministers should let them know that
they will entertain them.
Aug. S, DR.. Clark w. Cooper will
preach the rededicatory sermon at
10:30. DR.. Cooper is the recently
appointed district superintendent.
At 1880 memorial service will be
held in honor of Mrs. c.. H. Morris,
by the Malta and McConnelsville
church. This will be a musical SER
vice in which the hymns written by
Mrs. Norris and sung all over the
world, will be used. The program
will consist OF solos, duets, and
choruses, and songs sung by the
congregation. Tributes to her men,
CRY and "reminiscences of her life
here will form part of the service.
The furniture work for the
church was done by Ossit Bros. of
Milwaukee, Wis, and the other
wood work by the Ernest Scott COM
pany. The floors were covered by
Kraps C Betz.
Sunday morning the congregation
elected r. M. Winegardner, lay del
egate, and Oliver Lindsay, reserve
delegate, to the lay annual confer
ence to be held at Elyria, O., Sept.
Ills.
The earliest history of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church in NcConnels-
vile, like nearly all churches that
have passed the century mark, is
enveloped in obscurity. The first
meetings were held in homes, be-
fore the church building was erect
ed Glasses We're formed guided
by class leaders. The leader had a
great place in early Methodism.
Such class was formed in 1924.
The preaching was very irregular
for while, there being no settled
place or time of meeting. Among
the very early preachers the name
of Thomas Drummond appears
The first recorded quarterly con-
ference occurred Sept. 2S, 1888. 1t
was held at the home of Stephen
Bates, in Bloom township. John E.
Hanna was elected secretary, an Of
flee he held for FIVE years. From
this time on there was held regular
preaching by preachers of the Pitts
burgh conference. The first two ap-
pointed regularly were Pardon Cook
and Henry Wharton. Until 1883
there were appointed yearly a SEN
ior and a junior preacher. The
junior preacher was nearly always
a very young man who was prepar-
a
was often what is called a local
preacher, not yet having been taken |
into conference membership The |
office of exhorter was the first step |
to being a local preacher, nearly |
every minister starting that way IN |
the early days. The first presiding |
elder on the district was Wesley |
Browning. Today he would be call |
ed the district superintendent. AT
first 16 charges comprised the Nc |
Connelsville circuit. Later there
were 20 or more. Not even the !
spot where many of these early
churches stood is now known.
The circuit at time McConnels- |
Vile became regular preaching |
place was composed of following |
churches: McConnelsville, Zoar, Far
ra, Sammons, Big Bottom, Wells,
Preston, Emery, Lebanon, Rehobeth,
Asbury, Wesley, Bethlehem, Bloom,
Mt. Zion, McKendree. Later are
found the names of Neely, Ludlow,
Harvard, Mores, Duvalls, Hiatt, !
Henderson, Finley, Beverly, Bethel,
Carmel Imagine the two ministers
trying to reach so many churches
over mud roads and in wintry !
weather, holding revival services at
each one, each year.
Our first church was of stone, in
1886; the first parsonage, in 1887; |
the first Sunday school, 1888. The |
brick church was built in 1860 and |
dedicated in 1861. 1t is recorded
that Rev. Finch of Pittsburgh |
preached the first sermon. The
Pittsburgh annual conference was |
held here soon after, presided over |
by Bishop Ames. The cabinet met |
in the home of Brother Geo. P. |
Morris.
We have the names in regular or
der of all the preachers appointed |
from 1893 to 1884, period of |
101 years. The first were appointed |
by the Pittsburgh conference: Then
from the East Ohio conference from
1870 to 1911; in 1911 was formed I
the North East Ohio conference.
Here are the preachers in the or
der of their appointment: 1888,
Pardon Cook, Henry Wharton;
n MI u. D%I Il.