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Asbury Theological Seminary ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange Minutes of the Kentucky Annual Conference Methodist Episcopal Church, South 2017 1934 Minutes of the One Hundred Fourteenth Session of the Kentucky Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Methodist Episcopal Church, South Follow this and additional works at: http://place.asburyseminary.edu/mesouthminutes Part of the Appalachian Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Genealogy Commons Recommended Citation Methodist Episcopal Church, South, "1934 Minutes of the One Hundred Fourteenth Session of the Kentucky Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South" (2017). Minutes of the Kentucky Annual Conference. 8. http://place.asburyseminary.edu/mesouthminutes/8 This Periodical/Journal is brought to you for free and open access by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South at ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Minutes of the Kentucky Annual Conference by an authorized administrator of ePLACE: preserving, learning, and creative exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MINUTES OF THE One Hundred Fourteenth Session OF THE Kentucky Annual Conference OF THE Methodist Episcopal Church, South HELD AT VVinchester, Kentucky August 29· September 2, 1934 ROBERTS PRINTING CO. FRANKFORT. KY. A Brief History of the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South T~e first M~thodist "Society" in Kentucky was organized by the Rev. Fran~Is Clark, III th.e cabin home of John Durham, on the road between DanvIlle and PerrYVIlle, some time in 1783. Clark was local preacher re­ cently come ~rom Virginia. Durham was a class-leader, and had be~n a co-worker WIth Clark bef~re leaving the Old Dominion. They came to Kentucky about ~he same tIme, and both settled on land lying on the head waters of Salt RIver, between Danville and Perryville. Other immigrants came with them from Virginia, and doubtless some of these were Metho­ dists, but we know neither the number nor the names of those who com­ posed the first Methodist organization in Kentucky. The first itinerant Methodist preachers to come to Kentucky were James Haw and Benjamin Ogden. They were sent from the Methodist Conference which met in the city of Baltimore, May 8, 1786. These men came at once into the wilderness of the great West. How they came, and whether or not they came together, is not certainly known, but a few things lead to the conclusion that Haw came through Cumberland Gap, While Ogden came down the Ohio River, landed at the mouth of Lime­ stone, and soon found his way to the humble home of Thomas Stevenson, at Kenton's Station, not more than three miles away. Here he preached and visited the occupants of the few cabins in the Station, and probably formed a small "society." But he and Haw were soon together laboring faithfully amid great dangers and hardships, and at the end of a year re­ porting a membership of 90, gathered into several small "societies," or churches. Quite a revival sprung up under their ministry, and several were converted who became pillars in the Church in later years. Among these first converts were Richard Masterson and wife, at whose home in Fayette county the first Methodist Conference in Kentucky was held. Another was the mother of Rev. Jonathan Stamper, one of the truly great men of the Kentucky Conference in later years. Ogden labored but two years in this new mission field; was married to Miss Mary Perkitt, of Mercer county; left the Church for a while, but returned to its ministry, and died a member of the Kentucky Conference in 1832. He lies buried near Princeton Ky. Haw, in 1792, went off with the O'Kelly movement, ann became a 'preacher of the "Republican Methodist Church," but later joined the Cumberland Presbyterians. The first Methodist Conference in Kentucky wa.s held at Masterson's Station about five miles northwest of Lexington, May 15, 1790. Bishop Franci~ Asbury was present and presided. He had ridden horse-back from North Carolina, was met by an armed guard beyond Cumberland Gap, and was thus protected from the h~stile Indians while coming to Lexington over the Wilderness Ro.ad. ThIS first Conference :vas com­ posed of six preachers, viz., FranCIS Poythress, Jame~ Haw, Wll~on Lee, Stephen Brooks, Barnabus McHenry, and ~eter ~assle. Preachmg ser­ vices were held while the Conference was III seSSIon, and a gracious re­ vival blessed the efforts of the pioneers. "The house was crowded day and night and often the floor was covered with the slain of the Lord. and the h~use and the woods resounded with the shouts of the converted. o. Masterson had built a log meeting house near his home, said to have been the first Methodist meeting house erected in Kentucky. At this first of Kentucky Conferences, a school was determined upon. Aspury says: "We flxed a plan for a school, and called it Bethel, and ob- tained a subscription of three hundred pounds in land and money toward its establishment." The chief promoter of this enterprise was Francis Poythress, the Presiding Elder of the District, who went from place to place, begging means with which to put up the large brick building, and get the institution in operation. It was built on land given by Mr. John Lewis on a high bluff overlooking the Kentucky river, at a point about three miles from where Wilmore now stands. It was the first school built by any religious denomination in the great West. It prospered for a while, doing a splendid work, then failed for want of funds to carry it on. In 1789 there were two circuits in Kentucky, the Lexington and Dan­ ville. A third circuit, the Cumberland, lying around Nashville, was wholly in Tennessee at that time. In the two Kentucky circuits there were 812 white members, and 51 colored. In 1790 the Kentucky circuits were increased to four, the Madison and Limestone being added to Lex­ ington and Danville. This year the General Minutes show that the mem­ bership had increased to 1024 white members and 66 colored. Francis Poythress was the Elder; Thomas Williamson and Stephen Brooks werp­ appointed to the Danville circuit; Barnabus McHenry and Benjamin Snell­ ing to Madison; Samuel Tucker and Joseph Lillard to Limestone; ann. Henry Birchett and David Haggard to Lexington circuit. Of these men, Samuel Tucker was killed by the Indians while coming down the Ohio River. Joseph Lillard went to Illinois, and is said to have been the first Methodist preacher to visit that State. He preached, and formed the first Methodist Society in Illinois, then returned to Kentucky, located, and lived for many years in Mercer county, where "Joseph's Chapel" is named in his honor. David Haggard went off with O'Kelly, was a preacher in the 'Christian' (New Light) church, and lived for some time at Burkesville. Ky. Between 1790 and 1800 Conferences were held annually in this west­ ern field, eight of them in Kentucky and two in Tennessee. Including that of 1790, six of these Conferences were held at Masterson's, one at Lewis's chapel, near Bethel Academy, and two at Bethel. Up to 1800 these western Conferences were held in the spring; but in this year a change was made to the fall. Two Conferences were held in 1800, one in the spring at Dunworth, in East Tennessee, the other in October, at Bethel Academy. The ten years between 1790 and 1800 were lean years for all the churches. "At, the close of the American Revolution the proportion of church members in the whole population of the United States has been estimated as one to every twenty-three, but in the frontier communities it was probably considerably less than that." With some exceptions, the early settlers were rough and rude, and but little inclined toward re­ ligion. The moral conditions were bad. Drunkenness, profanity, fight· ing, gambling, sabbath-breaking, and lawlessness of every kind were frightfully prevalent. Infidelity was immensely popular among the pOlitical and social leaders of the day. It has been stated that at least two-thirds of these were openly and proudly skeptics. Religion was at a low ebb. Churches languished. Many organizations in all the denomi­ nations were disbanded. Revivals were few and scattered widely apart. Spiritual deadness pervaded the entire. country. In 1795, Kentucky Methodism reported 1880 white members. In 1800, the number had dropped to 1626, a loss of 254 in five years. The historic revival at the beginning of the nineteenth century brought about a very marked change. This revival, beginning in the Cumberland country, swept over the entire State, and thousands were lifted out of darkness into light. Existing churches were quickened into new life and zeal. Many new organizations sprang into being, wicked­ ness and unbelief were rebuked, haunts of evil were broken up. At least two new denominations-the Cumberland Presbyterians and the Dis­ ciples-had their beginning in this revival. Many remarkable physical manifestations attended this gracious work, such as "the jerks," "the falling," "dancing exercise," "barking," etc. It is undeniable that much III wild fanaticism was indulged in by ignorant and emotional people. It is equally unquestionable that the mighty sweep of the revival was stayed by the reaction which set in against the unbridled enthusiasm of these people. Taking advantage of the excited state of the people, Shakerism, with its wild extravagances, came in, and two flourishing colonies were established in Kentucky, another in Ohio and one in In­ diana. Some of the leading promotors of the revival went off with this movement.

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