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The
first Methodist church organized in the territory of which Parker
County is a part, was on the Clear Fork in May, 1854. In those
primitive days church buildings were very rare in Northwest Texas,
or elsewhere in the state, and the shade of the sturdy oak, or
the rude dwelling of some pious frontiersman was selected under or in
which to begin the public services of the Christian religion. Two good
men, named Simeon Wright and Rev. B. A. Kemp, with Rev. J. W. Chalk,
took charge of the first meeting and established the pioneer church in
this, then, almost wilderness country, in Elm Grove, eight miles east
of the present county town. Almost simultaneous with this effort to
plant the banner of the Cross in this land inhabited by more Indians
than white people, Rev. Pleasant Tackitt, Samuel Leonard, Dr. T. 0.
Ellis, John H. Prince and his wife Harriet, Joshua Barker and wife,
Rev. John Godfrey and wife, and Mrs. Francis established a church in a
grove on Walnut Creek, at a place called Goshen, near the crossing of
the Veal station road. Thus the seeds were planted, twenty-three years
ago, which grew vigorouslyand produced precious fruit. For two years
these infant churches struggled and at times experienced seasons of
decided discouragement.
The M. E. Church, South, of Weatherford, was organized in April, 1857,
by Rev. Pleasant Tackitt, who traveled over the county of Parker and
adjoining territory as a missionary, on what was then designated the
Weatherford Mission. The society numbered only eleven members—J. H.
Prince and wife, Mrs. S. U. Creel, Isaac Anderson and wife, Mr. and
Mrs. Mulkins, Joshua Barker and wife, Mrs. Jane Curtis and J. J.
Beaman. Mrs. Prince, (now Mrs. Carson,) and Mrs. Creel are
still connected with the church. Rev. Mordecai Yell was the presiding
elder of the district in 1855 and 1856. In 1855, Rev. Lewis J. Wright
was pastor of the first organization on Clear Fork, and Rev. Benjamin
A. Kemp, (now deceased,) assistant. Rev. James A. J. Smith was pastor
in 1856 and 1857, and Rev. James G. Johnson, the presiding elder until
1861. Rev. James M. Jones succeeded Rev. Pleasant Tackitt in the
Weatherford church in 1858, with Rev. W. G. Veal, who was licensed to
.preach by presiding elder Rev. James G. Johnson at the quarterly
conference of Weatherford circuit, held in October, 1857, as his
assistant, the former continuing until 1860 and the latter only one
year. Rev. Albert G. May preached to the Weatherfordians one year. The
next year brought Rev. Thomas B. Ferguson, but the war attracted him
elsewhere, and Rev. Jackson Perry of the Keechie Mission, ministered
unto this flock during that year and 1862. Rev. A. G. May was pastor
in 1863; Rev. P. Tackitt in 1864 and 1865; Rev. Geo. W. Graves in
1866; Rev. John F. Neal in 1867, and Rev. James M. Jones in 1868.
During this year the firs't district conference was held in
Weatherford, which resulted in the most signal revival ever known in.
Western Texas. Rev. S. E.
Hale, Rev. W. G. Veal and Rev. T. W. Hines were among the prominent
clergymen present—the two latter conducting the exercises on the old
" camp ground," east of Capt. A. B. Gant's residence. The
Weatherford church was designated a regular station, and in 1869 and
1870, Rev. S. E. Hale officiated as its pastor. The Weatherford
district, formed in the autumn of 1869, embraced the churches located
between Jacksboro and the
mountain, ten miles west of Waxahatchie. Rev. J. P. Mussett was pastor
of the Weatherford circuit. Having but one leg, it was unsafe for him
to run the risk of meeting the savage Indians, whose depredations were
numerous throughout this entire section, and at the end of six months
after his appointment gave up the work. His successor was Rev. R. A.
Eddleman, a local preacher. In 1871 and 1872, Rev. W. W. Thomas was
pastor; in 1873, Rev. J. J. Shirley, with Rev. J. M. Jones as
assistant; in 1874, Rev. W. A. Sampey; in 1875 it was again changed to
a regular station with Rev. M. D. Fly as pastor, and Rev. Dr. A. D.
Gaskill in 1876 and 1877. The presiding elders in charge of this
district since 1861 were Rev. William McK. Lambdin, appointed that
year; Rev. Thomas Stanford, in 1865; Rev. W. G. Veal, in 1867, and
Rev. John S. McCarver, in 1869. As before stated, the Weatherford
district was formed in the autumn of 1869, when Rev. James M. Jones
was appointed the presiding elder. In 1872, Rev. T. W. Hines was the
recipient of this distinguished favor on the part of the conference;
in the spring of 1876, Rev. W. C. Young was appointed, and later in
the year, Rev. T. W. Hines was re-appointed, and still officiates as
the Methodist chief of this district.
In October, 1872, under the ministerial administration of Rev. J. J.
Shirley, the church corner of East Church and Walnut streets,
commenced in 1867, was again put under contract in the hopes of
completion. M. C. Varner was the contractor. One or more persons were
disappointed in not receiving the contract for the job. HI luck was
predicted for the new structure, and croaking enjoyed by some. The
size originally determined upon, 40 feet by 60 and two stories high,
was eventually carried out. The first story was to be 12 feet high,
with entrance on the north end, and to be used for the Sabbath
schools, lectures, class, prayer and social meetings; the second was
to be 16 feet high for an audience chamber, with the entrance on the
south, and the building surmounted with steeple and bell. Mr. Varner
resumed work on that portion of the first story walls, midway between
the bottom and top of the windows. Along through that year and 1873,
the work progressed slowly, with the pastor aiding, to the extent of
his physical ability, in the capacity of hod carrier, stone lifter, or
anything else his hands could find to do. The fearful crash of
September 1873 caught them and completely paralyzed the work. The
contract was relinquished for want of funds and a condition of dire
distress overwhelmed those disposed and unable to help, except with
their labor. The crisis had to be met. A public meeting was called and
held in the Court House, at which Presiding Elder Hines made a
spirited and earnest appeal, which inspired confidence in the ability
of the people to finish the church. A committee, consisting of Mrs.
Bettie Carson, Mrs. Martha Couts, Mrs. Mary Duke, Mrs. Mary Fain, Mrs.
Eddie Graham, Mrs. Isabella Jordan, Mrs. Emma Lewis, (now in the
church triumphant,) Mrs. Mary Loving, Mrs. Lulu Milam, and Mrs. Kate
Shirley, were appointed for the emergency. Man cowardly stood back and
cried "can't:" woman instantly stepped forward and
faithfully said, "I will try." These noble women promptly
entered the field, despite the croakers, through a love that knows no
hesitation, no doubt, no fear. Their sense of duty was keen. Their
determination to surmount any and every obstacle was of that blessed
sort which always brings success.
In a very few days they collected one hundred dollars each, and handed
the men who should have done the soliciting, the handsome sum of eight
hundred dollars—an amount sufficient, with the materials the ladies
also secured, to complete the walls and floor the audience room.
Thus we find another illustration of women doing men's work in the
churches. What responsibilities and labor many men who want to be
prominent in church affairs, miserably shirk and falsely say they
cannot do, generous, self-sacrificing, loving women come forward and
accomplish with ease, with pleasure and with the grandest results.
Numerous instances have occurred where women of this same
characteristic energy and devotion to the cause of religion, if they
conscientiously believed they were called upon to obey the command of
Christ—" go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature "—and were to get up before a congregation for
the purpose of preaching a sermon full of gospel truth and replete
with the love of a Crucified Saviour, like Miss Sarah Smiley, Mrs.
Edith Van Cott, Mrs; Hannah Whitall Smith and other active female
evangelists, would be opposed—nay, bitterly denounced and
calumniated by the very bigots in the shape of men, who assume, with
Pharisaic bravado and arrogance, the credit of the glorious labor of
the women. ….
After completing the masonry of the church, the building stood several
months without a roof, and on two occasions high winds threatened its
destruction. It withstood such a calamity, and during the winter of
1873 and the early portion of 1874, a revival in the Weatherford
Methodist church resulted in the ingathering of many souls. The
circuit, which embraced the country lying between Weatherford and the
Brazos, east to Acton and west to Grindstone Creek, numbered 92
accessions to the church that year. Rev. James Hiner, one of the most
popular men of Northwest Texas, occupied
this field for six years, laboring earnestly and faithfully, but was
never paid sufficient to keep him in corn bread. At this time, to the
shame of the Methodists be it said, he is an invalid in the town of
Acton, and absolutely existing on charity. He traveled the circuit
until the fall of 1875,
and was succeeded by Rev. S. S. Yarbrough, who came sixty-five miles
from his home to preach to this people. For one whole year's service
he received less than $70 in cash, pecans, turnip tops, wild turkeys,
(he, himself, shot,) snap beans, sorghum, and other similar luxuries.
The presiding elder inquired of the people why they neglected their
pastor and failed to support him. After some hesitation one of the
bravest meekly replied, " we are informed that our pastor has a
nice farm and a good residence, and is better off than we are."
The presiding elder asked whether they had given the farm and house or
contributed toward their purchase, when they answered, "no."
"Then, why," said he, "take the minister's time and
labor for nothing? You deserve a pauper for your minister—one who is
too lazy to work and too tired to receive the friendly contributions
of those unwilling to pay for their gospel privileges." Rev. J.
W. Kizzier is the present pastor— a young man of eloquence and
piety, devoted to his work, and full of the love of the Master. This
circuit has a large membership, and many of them "well to
do," but few are willing to sustain the preacher. Having lost his
horse Mr. Kizzier is compelled to walk the circuit or give up the
work! Come down, gentlemen; pay your minister; pay for the gospel. If
the Lord withholds His goodness to you; if the refreshing rains from
the clouds of heaven are withheld, or the fructifying influences of
the sun and the elements ordained by the Creator are turned to
channels other than those from which your crops and your increase
come, then will you behold deserved rewards for ingratitude and
forgetfulness of the promises " Give, and it shall be given unto
you," and "with the same measure that ye mete withal it
shall be measured to you again."
In November, 1869, the first annual conference was held in
Weatherford—Bishop Wightman presiding. The Walnut Creek circuit,
embracing Parker County, north of the county seat, was formed. Rev. A.
A. Connett was appointed pastor, and Rev. John G. Warren, assistant.
In 1871, Rev. H. B. Smith was pastor; early in 1872, again, Rev. A. A.
Connett, and later the same year, Rev. Burrell Jones, a local
preacher. In 1874, Rev. W. W. Thomas was pastor. Conference, that
autumn, divided the circuit, calling the western portion the
Cartersville circuit, and the eastern, Springtown Mission. Rev. H. S.
P. Ashby was appointed pastor of the new field, but occupied it for a
brief period. At the next conference his place was filled by Rev. W.
W. Thomas; in 1875, Rev. John G. Warren was pastor; in 1876, Rev.
James Grant, and in 1877, Rev. John E. Akin.
The Cartersville circuit had Rev. J. M. Jones for its pastor in 1874,
with Rev. J. M. Truitt as assistant, a portion of the time, and
subsequently, Rev. H. S. P. Ashby filled the position; in 1875 and
1876, Rev. A. K. Miller officiated. In the fall of the latter year,
although the accessions to the church from the formation of the
circuit were large, the support of the ministry was so meagre that
Cartersville circuit was reduced to a mission and had to be sustained
from the conference fund. Rev. J. M. Jones is now the pastor.
When
we consider how society is organized and what peculiar inclinations
there are to accumulate dollars and cents, and especially for labor
performed or service rendered, it is a matter of the greatest surprise
that earnest Christian ministers can be induced to toil and undergo
the hardships and privations that fall to the lot of some who
preach to the Methodist congregations of Parker County. As a general
thing, the Methodists are possessed of more wealth than any other
denomination in the county, and pay their ministers less salary. The
stewards estimate correctly enough, perhaps, but the amounts are never
collected, consequently the ministers suffer and are frequently
compelled to engage in other pursuits to obtain a livelihood. To see
how faithfully they labor, and what rich harvests of souls are
produced, it is only necessary to refer to the statistics contained in
the minutes of the Northwest Texas
conference, held in Calvert, November 8, 1876, over which
Bishop Doggett, of Virginia, presided. This conference was organized
in Waxahatchie in 1866, by Bishop Marvin, of Missouri, who is now in
China. Eleven years ago the rolls contained 49 traveling preachers and
4,300 members. In the Centennial year, 265 local preachers, 19,379
members, and 139 Sabbath schools, with 867 officers and teachers,
6,713 scholars and 7,580 volumes of library books. During the same
period 108 church edifices were erected at .a cost of $114,075 for the
buildings and $36,277 for other church property, besides 25 parsonages
costing $16,756. This shows a very rapid growth and a commendable
liberality of $167,108, or an average contribution of $8.63 1/3 from
every member for churches and parsonages. During the year ending
November 8, the amount raised for the salaries of the 119 ministers
was $29,902.06, or an average of $1.54 ¼ from each member, and
$251.20 for each minister. From the same report we find that
Weatherford station, with a membership of 126 members, contributed
$425.69 for the salary of ministers, which was $3.38 for each
member. The statistics show that, deducting from this sum the
pro rata of the presiding elder, the "worthy pastor received less
than one dollar per day for all his services. If these ministers were
to adopt the business principles of the colored orchestra
director—"no pay the fiddler, no dance "—we fear there
would be much less gospel in this vicinity.
[Transcribed and Submitted by Veneta McKinney] |
