Isle of Wight-Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History.....Christian Church, 1944 

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MACCLENNY GIVES MUCH HISTORY IN CHURCH REPORT 

Tells of Early Missionaries of Denomination 

  Much of the early history of the Christian Church was given yesterday 
afternoon at Reidsville in the annual report of the historian, Major W.E. 
MacClenny, of Suffolk, to the 36th regular session of the Southern Convention 
of Congregational Christian Churches.  The report follows: 

  "We are now gathered in a city named for Governor David S. Reid, of 
Rockingham County, N.C.  He was the first Democratic governor ever elected by 
the people of North Carolina.  He became Governor in 1850 and was re-elected 
in 1854.  The county of Rockingham gets its name from Charles Watson 
Wentworth, Marquis of Rockingham, a very distinguished friend of America in 
the English Parliament.  In 1782 he was Premier of England. 

  "Some may ask, why bring this in?  While Governor Reid was in office an 
incident took place which shows his connection with our Christian Church at 
that time.  Rev. Isaac N. Walter, a traveling minister of the Christian 
Church, made a trip through North Carolina, and has this to say under date 
of August 30th 1852: "Yesterday I met the people of this City (Raleigh) and 
gave them two discourses with some effect upon the congregation. 

  "Dr. (J.B.) Hinton preached an ordination sermon in the afternoon of a 
colored brother, Isaac Scott, of good talents and deep piety; who was set 
apart to the work of the ministry.  He expects to sail for Liberia with his 
family and a number of others from this City about the first of November next 
to preach the gospel to his kinsmen in the flesh in that distant land.  The 
ordaining prayer was by Rev. H.B. Hayes (then Editor of The Christian Sun) 
and the charge and the Bible presented by myself.  His Excellency, Governor 
(David S.) Reid was present to witness the ceremonies." 

  "So far as we are aware this was the first attempt of the Christian Church 
to begin foreign mission work.  Of Rev. Isaac Scott's success or failure, we 
know nothing. 

  "While we are on this subject. we will give some other data relative to 
foreign mission work in the church.  In 1885, at a session of the Eastern 
Virginia Christian Conference held at Antioch in Isle of Wight County, 
Virginia, Rev. Z.A. Post, who was then laboring in that section, had 
volunteered to go to Japan as a missionary, but resigned before the time to 
start, and in 1886 Rev. D.F. Jones and wife of North Carolina volunteered, 
and reached the field in 1887, and located at Ishinomaki, east of Sendai, 
and began work there and in the surrounding places.  Other missionaries were 
sent to that post, and in 1892 Rev. D.F. Jones resigned and returned to 
America, passing his last days in San Francisco, Calif. 

  "In 1900, Rev. and Mrs. D. Palmer Barrett were appointed missionaries, 
expecting to go to Antioch in Syria [sic; Turkey], where the disciples were 
first called Christians, and there attempt to establish a new Christian 
Church, but when they arrived in New York, after consulting with other mission 
boards, it was decided that Porto Rico was a more promising field, and so 
they, in company with Rev. H.J. Jones, sailed for Porto Rico and established a 
mission in Ponce, on the south side of the island.  Other missionaries 
followed, and this mission work is still going on. 

  "Thus we have tried to give an outline of the beginnings of our Foreign 
Mission work in the Convention. 

  "We have undertaken mission work in one other field.  Prior to 1920 a 
preliminary survey had been made of the section around Fancy Gap in Carroll 
County, Virginia, and not so very far from the county seat Hillsville.  Miss 
Iola Hedgepeth of Barrett's church in Southampton County, Virginia, was sent 
to do teaching in that section.  In November, 1920, she secured a very 
inadequate and dilapidated building in which to open the school.  She soon 
had 80 pupils in the day school and nearly as many in the Sunday School. 

  "She was assisted by two other teachers the following summer for six weeks. 
A committee composed of President W.W. Staley, of the Convention, Miss Bessie 
I. Holt, superintendent of Young Peoples' work and Dr. J.O. Atkinson, Mission 
Secretary, went to Fancy Gap, Carroll County, Virginia, and made a purchase 
of 17 acres of land at a cost of $491.00 as a site for the school, and 
contemplated church buildings.  One acre was donated by G.W. Edwards, making 
a total of 18 acres.  The first church building was erected at a cost of 
$3,207.74, and was occupied by the teachers and school. 

  "Soon a minister was sent to work in that field, and with the teachers as 
helpers it had bright prospects, and soon other churches were erected.  It is 
hoped that the work may continue to prosper.  Thus in a way we have attempted 
to give the beginning of outside Mission Work done, by the Christian Churches 
of the Convention.  It has been slow, but it shows that the question has been 
kept before the people. 

         Organizations 

  "In the early days of the Christians, there were held General Meetings of 
the denomination, sometimes they were called Union Meetings, but as travel was 
slow, not many came together.  By 1811 those meetings appear to have been 
discontinued, and there was no concerted action until 1816, when the ministers 
and prominent laymen in Eastern Virginia at the Big May Meeting at Holy Neck 
Church in Nansemond County, Virginia, began to discuss the benefits of a 
regional conference, this was discussed in 1817 and 1818, and the first 
regular conference was held at Cypress Chapel in 1819.  This so far us we know 
was the first conference in the South after the division in 1810 at Pine Stake 
in Orange County, Virginia. 

  "The other conferences were organized, and in 1844 the first step was taken 
to bring the brotherhood together by publishing a church paper, The Christian 
Sunday [sic; Sun] by Rev. D.W. Kerr, the first issue appearing in February 
17th, 1844, just a little over 100 years ago.  This led to the organization of 
the Southern Christian Association which was organized at Good Hope, Granville 
County, N.C. in 1847, this functioning in a way until the Southern General 
Convention wae organized at Union, Alamance County, N.C. in 1856, and the 
first regular session was held at Cypress Chapel in Nansemond County, Va. in 
1858. 

  "Before another session could be held the war between the States had broken 
out in all its fury, and it was not until 1866 that the leaders were able to 
meet at Mt. Auburn, Warren County, N.C. and organize the General Convention 
of the Christian Church South, which has continued to the present, and we are 
now in a session of this body.  At the 1866 session there were only 14 
delegates, and they remained in session 4 days.  At that time there were about 
10,000 members in the South. 

  "At the 1866 session the Principles and Government of the Christian Church 
were put in printed form so that the world and our members might know what the 
Christian Church believed in and practiced.  The manuscript for this volume 
was prepared by Rev. John N. Manning, who had been a student of Washington 
College, now Washington & Lee University, assisted by other ministers and 
laymen.  This work has been revised from time to time but not much change has 
been found necessary. 

  "This document has carried us on very well in its present form and there are 
some who see no reason for changes at this time. 

  "In looking over the ranking officers of the Convention we find that they, 
as a rule, have been ministers with town or city charges, and as we are mostly 
a rural people, it appears that it is time to elevate a country minister to 
the Presidency of the Convention at this session." 

  All of which is respectfully submitted." 


Organization of the Christian Church South, 
early ministers & missionaries, 
report to the 36th regular session, 
   Southern Convention of Congregational Christian Churches, 
   Reidsville, 2 May 1944, by Major W.E. MacClenny, 
"Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 22, No. 37, Wed., May 3, 1944, p. 7 

Additional information: 

A more in-depth history of the Christian Church South, also by Major 
   MacCLENNY, focusing on founder Rev. James O'KELLY, ("Suffolk News-Herald," 
   Apr. 4-8, 1941) is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/history/chr_ch.txt 

An article ("Suffolk News-Herald," Mar. 2, 1969, II-11) on Rev. William Brock 
   WELLONS, D.D. (1821 - 1877), Christian minister, Confederate chaplain, & 
   editor of the "Christian Sun," is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/history/w452wwdd.txt 

Newpaper articles (text corrected) at: 
   https://virginiachronicle.com/ 

The author generally spelled his surname MacCLENNY, although his parents, 
   David [Jr.] & Ann Maria (HOLLAND) McCLENNY, did not. 

A Spanish-American War veteran, he was the author of "The life of Rev. 
   James O'Kelly and the early history of the Christian church in the South" 
   (1910: Raleigh, NC, Edwards & Broughton Printing Co.) 
   LVA: Closed Stacks BX6793.O4 M3 

His obit ("Suffolk News-Herald," Mar. 5, 1950, p. 3) is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/m245w3ob.txt 

He & his parents are buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk - Block H, Lot 56. 
   Cedar Hill list, an extension of the 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_m.txt 

Antioch Christian Church, near Windsor, is the mother church of the remaining 
    Christian congregations in Isle Of Wight Co. - Mount Carmel, Isle Of Wight 
    & Windsor.  (King, "Historical Notes on Isle Of Wight County," p. 317 &c.) 

Rev. David Palmer Sr. & Eva Olyn (REED) BARRETT & their family 
   are buried in Antioch Christian Church Cemetery. 
   Antioch list, an extension of the Southampton County Historical Society 
   {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/cemeteries/antioch.txt 
   Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} 
   Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} report #20: 
   http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/history/chr_chs.txt