Churches: Sketch of Bethel M. E. Church from The Cecil Whig, Elkton, 1888: Cecil 
Co., MD

Transcribed and contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cyndie Enfinger 
< cyndiee@tampabay.rr.com >


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The Cecil Whig, Elkton, Saturday, January 5, 1889.

Sketches of Cecil County M. E. Churches.

Bethel.

  An interesting history of Bethel M. E. Church, Pivot Bridge, Md., has been 
written by Dr. W. L. S. Murray, President Elder of the Wilmington district, 
published by The Peninsula Methodist and copied by our county papers.  In that 
sketch you have become acquainted with the location, besides many items of 
interest not necessary to be repeated.  Bethel is one of the oldest Methodist 
Churches, standing upon what was once known as the Broad Creek bank.  The marble 
slab gives the date of its erection in 1790.  The piece of land being a part of 
a large tract of land called the three Bohemia Sisters, and that part known by 
the name of Judith's part was deeded by Ephraim Thompson to John Carnan for the 
purpose of erecting a preaching house for the people called the Methodists.  
This indenture was made the 16th of October, 1790, and five shillings received 
as an acknowledgement for the land in full.  Signed, Ephraim Thompson, Witness, 
Robert Armstrong.  Size of the building erected which was brick is supposed to 
30x45 feet.  The old building stood til 1848, when it was demolished and the 
present house erected in its stead, dimensions, 40x55 feet, one story with 
basement, the latter being divided into a lecture room and two class rooms.  The 
following names appear as a building committee:  N. Biddle, John L. Clayton, 
Samuel Thompson, Davidson D. Pierce, John R. Price.  Contractors, Pierce and 
Russell, of Chesapeake City, Md.  The contractors agreed to erect the building 
for the sum of $3000 in cash with the old edifice.  At the time of its 
organization this section was a wilderness indeed when our brother Samuel 
Thompson, who is present today and resides near the church, came to Cecil County 
from Kent Island in his ox cart with two (2) horses before him, four (4) sheep, 
four (4) cows, two (2) geese and two men hired to help him work out his fortune 
on 350 acres of land left him and his two sisters by his grandfather.  This 
place was almost covered with timber.  Just here to allow a little disgression, 
Sam'l Thompson has always been a temperance man.  He began building his fortune 
on temperance principles.  While it was customary in those days to have the dram 
in the harvest field our brother adhered to the principles of total abstinence, 
and never allowed the cup of death to steal away the brains of his men.  Brother 
T. says, without fear of contradiction, that he was the first man who ever cut a 
field of wheat without liquor in his district.  On these principles he has lived 
to his 84th year and is now in comfortable circumstances in life.  He is 
powerful sometimes in exhortations, earnest in prayer, class-meetings and all 
church work.  I pray God that the mantle of this grand old Methodist hero may 
fall upon the children of Bethel Church.  An interesting story in relation to 
brother George R. Harbert, one of the incorporators of Bethel cemetery in 1849, 
is still remembered by brother Thompson.  After brother T. had settled on his 
broad acres he soon took to himself a wife, a sister of George Harbert.  One 
cold December morning he was preparing to kill hogs, fires were kindled, irons 
heating, the ox team in readiness to draw water, when suddenly news came that 
brother Thompson was needed at brother Harbert's.  Not knowing the trouble his 
wife said Samuel the ox cart is all ready let us jump in and hurry on.  Brothers 
Biggs and Kane were there singing and praying.  Brother Harbert had been seized 
with an old time conviction when he could not sleep, so he went to praying and 
prayed all night, but at daylight the light of a new morning broke in upon his 
soul and upon brother Thompson's arrival he was praising the God of his 
salvation.  Many times of refreshing have been experience by the Bethel people 
in olden times when they were stricter than they are now.  Our sisters were not 
permitted to come into a love-feast with feathers on their bonnets, or as the 
Rev. Henry White called it "the devil's livery."  Bethel has seen days of 
greater financial prosperity than at this time, but thank God the fires of the 
fathers are burning upon her altars today.  During our revival of five weeks, 
beginning the 23d of September, 17 professed faith in Jesus, while the church 
was much quickened.  During Rev. E. C. Atkins' pastorate the audience room was 
beautifully furnished.
  The lecture room has been renovated and made mere inviting during the present 
pastorate and today you will scarcely find a more beautiful church or cemetery 
in any country place, beautiful for situation, the joy of those who worship 
there.
  The early preachers were Richard Wright, John King, Mr. Webster, Isaac Robins, 
Mr. Rodda, Mr. Urin, Mr. Hartley, Abraham Witworth, Wm. Waters, Mr. Gatch, John 
Cooper, Mr. Ruff and Freeborn Garretson.
  The following is a list of preachers who served Bethel beginning with the year 
1790, Emory Pryer and W. Fountain; 1791, J. Wyatt and J. Beard; 1792, R. Sparks 
and J. Wilson; 1793 and 1794, B. Abbott and F. Curp; 1795, Isaac Robinson and J. 
Moore; 1796, W. Hunter and F. Aldridge; 1797, W. Hunter and Z. Kankey; 1798, W. 
Hunter; 1799, T. Jackson and W. P. Chandlee; 1800, D. Crouch and D. James; 1801, 
J. Lattamas and L. Tayler; 1802, A. Foster, G. Moore and J. Wiltbank; 1803, E. 
Larkins, T. Everad and D. Best; 1804, R. Sneath and D. Ireland; 1805, R. Sneath 
and D. Early; 1806, J. Aydelott and W. Fox; 1807, A. Smith and T. Walker; 1808, 
W. McLenahan and T. Boring; 1809, A. Smith and G. Sheets; 1810, T. Smith and G. 
Sheets; 1811, J. Aikins and W. Torbert; 1812, J. Aikins and T. Miller; 1813, T. 
miller and J. Moore; 1814, T. Walker and J. Price; 1815, J. Goforth and S. P. 
Levis; 1816, J. Sharpley and E. Stout; 1817, J. Sharpley and D. Ireland; 1818, 
and 1819, W. Torbert and J. Woolsin; 1820 and 1821, S. J. Griffith and D. 
Fidler; 1822, J. Smith and W. Lummis; 1823, W. Rider and J. Thompson; 1824 W. 
Rider and J. Long; 1825, T. Miller and J. Talley; 1826, E. Page and J. Goforth; 
1827, S. Sharp, J. B. Ayers; 1828, S. Sharp and W. Cooper; 1829, T. miller and 
W. Ryder; 1830, S. D. Jones and W. Ryder; 1831, W. Torbert and J. Nichols, 1832, 
W. Torbert and W. Spry; 1833, E. Reed and G. M. Yard; 1834, E. Reed and G. 
Woolley; 1835, Shepherd and George Barton; 1836, John D. Owins and C. Morris; 
1837, W. C. Thomas and J. W. Pierson; 1838, W. C. Thomas and W. W. Foulks; 1839, 
Wm. Ryder and John D. Curtis; 1840, William Williams and Wm. Ryder; 1841, Thomas 
B. Tibble and A. Gayner; 1842, Thomas B. Tibble and Samuel Grace; 1843, Stephen 
Townsend and J. H. Carter; 1844, Stephen Townsend and John C. Thomas; 1845, John 
Lednum and Wm. C. Thomas, sup.; 1846, Jno. Lednum and Jno. B. McCullough; 1847, 
Robert McNamee; 1848, Robert McNamee and William H. Brisbane, 1849, William H. 
Elliott and Wm. H. Brisbane, 1850, L. A. Fernley and J. H. Lightbourn; 1851, L. 
A. Fernley and T. Snowden Thomas; 1852, J. D. Owins; H. F. Hurn; 1853, E. J. Way 
and Wm. L. Boswell; 1854 and 1855 William Rink, alone; 1856 and 1857, James A. 
Brindle; 1858 and 1859, G. W. Lybrand; 1860, W. J. Paxson and William J. 
Wheaton; 1861, W. J. Paxson; 1862 and 1863, J. B. Quigg; 1865 and 1865, A. M. 
Wiggins; 1866, H. H. Bodine and William H. Fries; 1867 and 1868, J. W. Piersin; 
1869, W. W. Redman; 1870 and 1871, T. S. Williams; 1872 and 1873, C. F. 
Sheppherd; 1874, 1875, and 1876, G. R. Brister; 1877 and 1878, L. C. Matlack; 
1879, 1880 and 1881, L. W. Layfield; 1882 and 1883, H. Colclazer; 1884 and 1885, 
E. C. At; 1886, J. T. VanBurkalow, 1887 and 1888, A. Burke.