Jones County, TX - History - Anson Methodist Church Celebrates 50 Years in 1932 **************************************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm **************************************************************************** The Western Enterprise Anson, Jones County, Texas Thursday, August 24, 1933 Methodist Church Celebrated Its Fiftieth Anniversary in 1932 (by Lenora Barrett) The oldest Methodist church in Jones county, is the Methodist church of Anson. It was organized in November, 1882, when the Methodist Episcopal Conference sent a pastor into this pioneer county to effect the organization of the church in Anson. Rev. J.C. Strickland was sent here as the first pastor. The church was not a full-time charge for some time. The golden anniversary celebration was fittingly observed in an elaborate program at the church building on Sunday, November 6, 1932. The first building was erected one block east of the present location of the large brick structure on north Commercial avenue with the largest auditorium in town, and a basement providing adequate accommodations for Sunday School work and for serving lunches. The old building was sold to the Primitive Baptists, who five or six years ago remodeled the building the second time. It stands where it was originally erected. The new building was completed and occupied in 1909. Charter members of the church follow: Dan M. Jones Sallie R. Jones Nancy E. Nales John W. Vaughan N. Clyde Vaughan H.A. Ward Sarah M. Ward John H. Lewis Minttor Northington Elizabeth Northington William F. Flint William T. Alford E.P. Newman B.F. Buie Carrie J. Buie During the 50 years of history the Anson Methodist church has been served by 28 pastors who served from two months to five years. Rev. H.C. Gordon stayed here five years. The following list of pastor was worked out by Rev. A.B. English, pastor of the church at the time of the golden anniversary celebration. Information as to whether former pastors are dead or living was furnished by the present pastor Rev. Ben Hardy. Where nothing is known no mention is made. 1. J.C. Strickland, November 1882, one year Ð unknown 2. J.B. Wood, November 1883, one year Ðsuperannuate Chilicothe 3. J.H. Wiseman, November 11, 1884, four years Ð died in south Texas[Fayette County] two or three years ago 4. D.C. Stark, November 1888, one year Ðdeceased 5. R.R. Raymond, November 1889, two years Ð died recently in New Mexico [transferred to Anson from Sipe Springs, TX] 6. Isaac Mills, November 1890, two year Ð died eight or ten years ago at Stamford [Isaac Mills held the first service and preached the first sermon at the home of County Judge and Mrs. W.B. Pelmons in Amarillo, Texas, the spring of 1888; transferred from Amarillo to the Anson church] 7. W.H. Crawford, November 1892, one year Ðdied at Midlothian three or four years ago [organized the first Methodist church in Port Neches in the home of Mr. And Mrs. William Gentz on 6 September 1881] 8. C.W. Irvine, November 1893, three years Ð unknown 9. J.T.L. [Jerome Thomas Larimore] Annis, November 1896, one year Ð his widow, [Serah Frances Foster Annis] resides at Merkel [co-founded Belle Plains college in Callahan County in 1881 and served as president; he died 21 Oct. 1911 and is buried in Merkel, Texas] 10. J.A.[James Abercrombie] Hyder, November 1897, two years Ð lives at Anson and Abilene [transferred to Anson from Merkel, Confederate Chaplain; he died 8 June 1935] 11. J.H. Trimble, November 1899, two years Ð died years ago 12. Samuel Gay, November 1901, one year Ð owned and published Stamford News several years, died at the age of 69 years at Dallas in 1920 13. Z.P. Pirtle, November 1902, four years Ð super annuated at last Conference at Amarillo 14. J.A.[Josephus Amariah] Biggs, November 1906, two years Ð unknown [transferred to Anson from Stamford; by 1913 he was the pastor of the DeQueen, AR Methodist church; he died at Cove, Arkansas] 15. W.H.[William H.] Terry, November 1908, one year Ð lives at Amherst [died 13 August 1940 and is buried in the Plainview cemetery, Hale Co., TX] 16. Thomas S. Barcus, November 1909, ten months Ð pastor of the Roberts Avenue Church at Beaumont 17. J.W. Mayne, September 1910, two years Ð Commerce 18. W.P. Garvin, November 1910, one year Ð Canadian 19. Thomas S. Barcus, November 1911, two years Ð West Virginia 20. A.W. Waddell, November 1913, two years Ð West Virginia 21. A.W. Maddill, November 1915, two years ÐArkansas 22. W.M. Pope, November 1917, one year Ð Oklahoma 23. C.S. Cameron, November 1918, two years Ð super annuate, Abilene 24. John E. Eldridge, November1920, two years Ð presiding elder Perryton 25. W.E. Hamilton, November 1922, three years Ð Chilicothe 26. H.C. Gordon, November 1925, five years Ð pastor at Seymour 27. B.W. Dodson, November 1930, eight months Ð teacher of Bible at McMurry 28. A.B. English, July 1931 to November 1932 Ð Roscoe [moved from Roscoe after two years to Borger, in 1956, he was living in Frost, Texas] 29. Ben Hardy, November 1932 Ð present, pastor [1933]