Twiggs-Laurens-Wilkinson County GaArchives History .....Methodist Preachers - 1850's to 1860's 
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Rebecca Nagle rlnagle@comcast.net September 5, 2004, 12:54 pm

Reverend Charlie G. Johnson, Methodist Minister and Brush Arbor Evangelist, 
born June 10, 1810, died June 14, 1891.  During the 1850’s and 1860’s the 
Reverend Charlie G. Johnson of Wilkinson County and the Reverend WILLIAM 
GRIFFIN of Twiggs County conducted many Brush Arbor revivals from which sprang 
Methodist churches.  One of these was Swift Creek Methodist Church, 
originating from a Brush Arbor revival held shortly after the War between the 
North and South, probably during the summer of 1865.  (The author, Willie 
Catherine Ivey, footnotes this paragraph by stating that it is partly from the 
History of Asbury Methodist Church in the History of Wilkinson County, by 
Victor Davidson and partly from the History of Swift Creek Methodist Church, 
by Wilmuth Dennon).
 
Prior to 1860 there was no church in the Asbury community located in Wilkinson 
County near the Twiggs County line, so Fletcher Reed and his wife built an 
arbor for religious service and the Reverends Johnson and GRIFFIN conducted 
the first services there.
 
Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, south, named in honor of Bishop Francis 
Asbury, was built in 1853 on land donated by Hardy Durham and deeded to the 
five trustees:  Reverend Charlie G. Johnson, Reverend WILLIAM GRIFFIN, William 
Dennard, Kelley Glover and A.E. Moore.  Reverend Johnson was the first pastor, 
serving five years – 1851 – 1856.  Reverend WILLIAM GRIFFIN was his 
assistant.  Reverend Johnson was founder, first trustee and first pastor of 
Asbury Methodist Church.  In later years (about 1896), Swift Creek Methodist 
Church was transferred to the Gordon Circuit with Asbury, Liberty Hill and 
GRIFFIN’S CHAPEL making a four church circuit.  Reverend Charlie G. Johnson is 
buried in the Asbury Church Cemetery.
 




Additional Comments:
Source:  Chapter XVII, Gazetteers and Digest of the Laws of the State of 
Georgia, chapter title page, Georgia State Gazetteer; Business and Planters 
Vol. 3, 1883 – 1884 Twiggs County, Georgia; Pages 295-296

William Griffin (January 8, 1825 – November 23, 1884) was the son of Etheldred 
Griffin and Malinda Burton.  He was married to the former Mary E. Lingo, 
(November 26, 1832 – January 10, 1910) daughter of Richard Taliaferro Lingo 
and Lucinda (unknown maiden name) Clements Humphries.



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