Page 66 - History of the United Methodist Church in Rockingham County
P. 66
History of Congregations of Winchester District June 12, 2024
On Sep. 17, 1821, a meeting was held by the official members of the Methodist Church in the
Rockingham Circuit, at which the following resolution was passed: Resolved that it Shall be the farther
duty of the Same Committee [Peachey Harrison, Joseph Cravens, Geo. W. Harrison, Reuben Harrison,
and Gerard Morgan] to prepare a petition to the next General Assembly of this State praying that Body
to pass a law for the better protection of Camp meetings and that G. W. Harrison be the Chairman
thereof. —Louis R. Fechtig, Presiding Elder
The camp meetings at Taylor’s Springs and other places had been much disturbed by disorder,
the sale of liquor, etc. On Feb. 19, 1822, the committee reported to the quarterly conference that a
memorial had been prepared and forwarded to the legislature. Says Mrs. Carr: The camp meeting was
one of the great features at that time. It was looked forward to with even greater pleasure than general
muster day. Everybody that could raise money enough to get materials for a tent was sure to be there
with their families. A good many would go if they had to stint themselves for months. For many years it
was held on Taylor Spring grounds. The water was so good and healthy that many people stayed there
all summer to drink the water. George W. Harrison had a nice two-story frame house on the corner of
the campground. Those that did not have a tent would go out in the morning to stay all day, and take
their lunch along.
From 1815 to 1820, as the old Minute Book shows, the quarterly conferences for Rockingham
Circuit of the Methodist Church were concerned frequently with the question of slavery. According to
the rules of the church and a prevailing sentiment, there were persistent efforts to secure the gradual
emancipation of slaves belonging to members of the church; and there was evidently a marked
disposition on the part of the Rockingham Methodists to make a test on this point with persons applying
for membership. About 1816 an elaborate memorial [memorandum] was draw up, addressed to the
General Conference in Baltimore, deploring the existence of slavery among members of the church,
together with the fact that the General Conference had authorized the Annual Conferences “to make
whatever regulations they judged proper respecting the admission of persons to official stations in our
Church!” The memorial concludes:
Therefore we most ardently desire that the General Conference would adopt some plan that would
enable us to look forward to the day when this great evil shall be removed and the Methodist Church
shall become the Glory of all the Churches; If nothing better should be thought of. Permit us, to suggest
the following plan; That no person shall be admitted to official stations in our Church, Who holds
Slaves, without emancipating them when the Laws of the State shall admit of Emancipation, and in
case they cannot Emancipate them in the State where they may live, to give the Slave the offer of
liberty by going to some of the States that will receive and protect free people of Colour, whenever he
or she may choose to go,— And that all persons coming forward to Join our societies, holding Slaves,
shall be informed, that we will take them on trial for Twelve Months, and offer them every information in
our power, on the Subject— And if they will submit to the same plan of Emancipation as in the case of
Official Members, we will consider them Acceptable Members, of Our Church; But if not, they can have
no place among us— And also that the General Conference, Strongly recommend to all our members,
conscientiously to avoid Hiring Slaves, in all cases where it can be dispensed with, as this practice
tends indirectly to encourage that sin which we long to be delivered from.
Armenian Union Church. Another interesting incident connected with the history of Methodism
in Rockingham was the formation of the Armenian Union Church, Aug. 12, 13, 1847, at Dry River
Church, by Benj. Denton, a minister of the M. E. Church, John L. Blakemore, formerly of the Lutheran
Church, and others. Later, Denton and Blakemore seem to have separated; and Denton, endeavoring to
get things more to his notion, organized another synod at Dry River Church in 1849. The members of
this body were Benj. Denton, ordained preacher; John D. Freed, licentiate preacher; Algernon F. Gilmer,
Madison Tyler, and John Denton, delegates. A house was built at Dry River, near the old one, in 1850,
and services kept up for some time. The old Dry River Church was originally Methodist. Denton
published a little book on his movement.”
II.B. Harrisonburg City Churches 54 Volume 5
On Sep. 17, 1821, a meeting was held by the official members of the Methodist Church in the
Rockingham Circuit, at which the following resolution was passed: Resolved that it Shall be the farther
duty of the Same Committee [Peachey Harrison, Joseph Cravens, Geo. W. Harrison, Reuben Harrison,
and Gerard Morgan] to prepare a petition to the next General Assembly of this State praying that Body
to pass a law for the better protection of Camp meetings and that G. W. Harrison be the Chairman
thereof. —Louis R. Fechtig, Presiding Elder
The camp meetings at Taylor’s Springs and other places had been much disturbed by disorder,
the sale of liquor, etc. On Feb. 19, 1822, the committee reported to the quarterly conference that a
memorial had been prepared and forwarded to the legislature. Says Mrs. Carr: The camp meeting was
one of the great features at that time. It was looked forward to with even greater pleasure than general
muster day. Everybody that could raise money enough to get materials for a tent was sure to be there
with their families. A good many would go if they had to stint themselves for months. For many years it
was held on Taylor Spring grounds. The water was so good and healthy that many people stayed there
all summer to drink the water. George W. Harrison had a nice two-story frame house on the corner of
the campground. Those that did not have a tent would go out in the morning to stay all day, and take
their lunch along.
From 1815 to 1820, as the old Minute Book shows, the quarterly conferences for Rockingham
Circuit of the Methodist Church were concerned frequently with the question of slavery. According to
the rules of the church and a prevailing sentiment, there were persistent efforts to secure the gradual
emancipation of slaves belonging to members of the church; and there was evidently a marked
disposition on the part of the Rockingham Methodists to make a test on this point with persons applying
for membership. About 1816 an elaborate memorial [memorandum] was draw up, addressed to the
General Conference in Baltimore, deploring the existence of slavery among members of the church,
together with the fact that the General Conference had authorized the Annual Conferences “to make
whatever regulations they judged proper respecting the admission of persons to official stations in our
Church!” The memorial concludes:
Therefore we most ardently desire that the General Conference would adopt some plan that would
enable us to look forward to the day when this great evil shall be removed and the Methodist Church
shall become the Glory of all the Churches; If nothing better should be thought of. Permit us, to suggest
the following plan; That no person shall be admitted to official stations in our Church, Who holds
Slaves, without emancipating them when the Laws of the State shall admit of Emancipation, and in
case they cannot Emancipate them in the State where they may live, to give the Slave the offer of
liberty by going to some of the States that will receive and protect free people of Colour, whenever he
or she may choose to go,— And that all persons coming forward to Join our societies, holding Slaves,
shall be informed, that we will take them on trial for Twelve Months, and offer them every information in
our power, on the Subject— And if they will submit to the same plan of Emancipation as in the case of
Official Members, we will consider them Acceptable Members, of Our Church; But if not, they can have
no place among us— And also that the General Conference, Strongly recommend to all our members,
conscientiously to avoid Hiring Slaves, in all cases where it can be dispensed with, as this practice
tends indirectly to encourage that sin which we long to be delivered from.
Armenian Union Church. Another interesting incident connected with the history of Methodism
in Rockingham was the formation of the Armenian Union Church, Aug. 12, 13, 1847, at Dry River
Church, by Benj. Denton, a minister of the M. E. Church, John L. Blakemore, formerly of the Lutheran
Church, and others. Later, Denton and Blakemore seem to have separated; and Denton, endeavoring to
get things more to his notion, organized another synod at Dry River Church in 1849. The members of
this body were Benj. Denton, ordained preacher; John D. Freed, licentiate preacher; Algernon F. Gilmer,
Madison Tyler, and John Denton, delegates. A house was built at Dry River, near the old one, in 1850,
and services kept up for some time. The old Dry River Church was originally Methodist. Denton
published a little book on his movement.”
II.B. Harrisonburg City Churches 54 Volume 5
