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The Place of the Local Preacher in Methodism

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The Place of the Local Preacher in Methodism Wofford College Digital Commons @ Wofford Historical Society Addresses Methodist Collection 12-7-1909 The lP ace of the Local Preacher in Methodism Joseph B. Traywick Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/histaddresses Part of the Church History Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Traywick, Joseph B., "The lP ace of the Local Preacher in Methodism" (1909). Historical Society Addresses. Paper 14. http://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/histaddresses/14 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Methodist Collection at Digital Commons @ Wofford. It has been accepted for inclusion in Historical Society Addresses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Wofford. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Place of the Local Preacher in Methodism With Sketches of the Lives of Some Representative Local Preachers of the South Carolin'a Conference BY REV. JOSEPH B. TRAYWICK An Address Delivered Before the Historical Society of the South Carolina Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Abbeville, S. C ., December 7, 1909. \ The origin of local preachers and their work in Methodi sm, like all else in that great SI)irituai awakening, was Providential. The work at the Foundry in London had been inaugurateu by Mr. Wesley for some lime. When he must needs be away for awhile. he nppoillted Thomas Maxfield. a gifted layman, to hold prayer meetings in hi s absence. But Maxfield's exhortations proved to be preaching with great effect. On Mr. Wesley's return, he was alarmed Jest he hOld gone too far; but the wise counsel of his mother served him well at thi s critical h OUT in the great movement. She warned John not to figh t against God, a5 Maxfield's pre.lchine- was honored by the presence and power o f the H oly Spirit. It was not long before other good men alliong the laymt!1l were preaching. The results are known of all mel!. Today, the local preachers of British Methodi sm arc a power for good. outnumber ing the itinerants. N o Methodist church or chapel is without preaching any Sunday. Bishop Galloway on his return from the Wesleyan Con­ ference said they could li se efiecli ve1y as many more, although thei r numbers go int o the thousands. Passing to Amcricf\1l Methodism, the same plan was pursued as in the mother country. It is a notable fact that the first three Methodi st preachers o f America were local preachers, Captain \Vebb, Strawbridge 2 and Embury. The first two churches were founded by these men­ Robert Strawbridge organi zi ng the church on Sams Creek, in Mary­ land, and Philip Embury organizing J ohn Street Church in New York. When Asbury and other itinerants began to move through the land, local preachers were li censed everywhere, and they became the "home guard" o f the on-march ing army of itinerants lllldcr the leadership of Asbury, But for their loyalty and faithfulness, much of the itinerants' work would have been lost. T hey visited the sick, buried the dead, officiated at marriages, and preached to the people, giving many churches Sunday preaching that would not otherwise have had it. All tbis ser vice was given without. financial compensation. There is one fact in the early hi story of Americ.1.n Methodi sm that made the local preacher a necessity to the continuance and growth of the Church. The salary of the itinerant was so small that to marry was Lo locate. And most of good men will marry. Only a few, like Asbury, Lee and McKendree, refrained from ctltcring into this holy estate. So it came to pass that the local ranks for the first half century contained more talent and far more experience than the traveling force. A large numbe r of the best men were forced to locate soon afler marriage. \Villiam Capers proposed to his wife to locale, but his devoted wife protested, being will in g to make the sacrifice. Bishop Andrew in my hearing gave this tribute to his first wife. H e suggested location to her. She said, "rt will never do. Some woman must be willing to share the hardships of the traveling preacher's life, and r will be that one." The Church owes a great debt to thc mcmory o f these two noble women, Mrs. A ndrew and l\.Irs. Capers. An olllstanding fact ill connection with thc influence of local preachers on the presem condition of our Church in South Carolina is this, that in every pJace where the old lime local preachers lived and worked in the formative period of our Church's hi story, there you will find Methodism strong ; but in those sections of our State where no local preachers lived and worked, there we are weak. To pro\'c the lalter assertion, look at that part o f our State extcnding frolll Barnwell to P arksville. There we are weak, and we nowhere find the footprints of the old local preacher. Then look at Marlboro and Marion, and what (tn army of Methodi sls there, where so many o f the old local preachers gaye their lives to the work! And their works do follow them. Thc most permanent work of the local preachers has been their church pl anting. The tradition o f many of our churches o f today is that they had their beginning in the work of these Jay preachers, who cOlllmenced to preach under a brush arbor or in a school hOllse or private home, and gathered a little band. Soon the place would be taken into some circui t, the itinerant preacher giving a week-day appointment for years--the Sunday congregation hearing only the local preacher, or being served by the class leader. 3 The local preacher has stood midway between the pastor and the layman. He is both a layman anel a preacher. Great honor was conferred on local preachers in apostolic times. Ananias baptized Paul and received him into the church. Philip did the first real missionary work of the infant church at Samaria with signal success in the conversion of the Samaritans and of the Ethiopian statesman. And Stephen, by his great boldness, became the first Chris­ tian martyr and spiritual father to Paul. They planted the first Gentile Christian church .It Antioch in Syria, as also at Rome. Let it be remembered that all those churches welcomed most gladly the Apostles to further the work. So the lay preachers oE early Methodism were following in the footsteps of Aquilla, Pbilip and other honored ones of apostolic days. Much is said of a "Laymen's Movement," as if it was something new under the SUIl. Wesleys, lay preachers and the local preachers of America, were but a "Laymen's Movement." This modern movement only presents itself under new conditions. Moses appointed laymen to prophecy. and the apostles appointed seven deacons, two of whom became powerful preachers, Philip and Stephen. The local preacher has been in evidence ill every great spiritual awakening of the Church. And unless our present laymen's agitation produces a large number of strong lay preachers who will magnify the spiritual side of church work, it will surely be of short duration. As we review the great company of local preachers, reaching from the humble, plain man [rom the plow, to the great and learned, such as Judge Longstreet and Governor Coiquit of Georgia, and Hugh Porter, Conrad Plyler, :Mark Boyd, Or. Moone, John Harper, Benjamin \VofTord, and hundreds of other good and true men of Ollr own Con­ ference, we arc made sad to see only a small company left. There are causes which have led to the passing of this noble, unselfish class of men. And the Church is suffering by this loss. One cause is, most young preachers aspire to be pa stors, and the increased support and comfort connected with the pa storate removes the necessi l.y of locating to make a living. Another cause, a want o f appreciation o f their work by the Church. They are made to feel that their work is not needed. Then, again, the charges have been made so small that they feel there is no room for them. But thc main cause is a want of spirituality in the Church. Good spiritual preachers are made by SI)iritual churches. I will now proceed to givc a brief appreciation of a few representative Inen who have passed away. In this lecture. only brief reference will be made to a number of our most worthy local preachers who have given large service to the Church, because biographies of these men have been written, and ha"c gone into the archives of our Society. MARK M. BOYD. First, I refer to Re\-. Mark M. Boyd, of Newberry County, who passed away in 1899. in the 95th year of his age and the 57th year of his ministry. He was perhaps the best-known local preacher in the bounds of our Conference. Having had three sons in the South Carolina Conference, he had opportllnitles to "1511 every part of th~ Conference. His coming was always hailed with delight in the homes of the people and in the services of the church. He thrilled JUore congregations in relating hi s experience than anyone I have ever heard speak. He loved to assert, "If 1 can't shout r will shine." For purity of life, zeal in the service of the Master, clearness of spiritual vi sion, un selfishness, and all-round Christian character, none have exceeded him in our hi story.
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