Greenbrier County, West Virginia - 160th Anniversary Booklet - Part 6

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Historical Booklet - Greenbrier County
160th Anniversary - 1778-1938
Published 1938
Transcribed by Lori Samples <dawg @mail.us-net.com>

EARLY METHODISM IN THE COUNTY

Methodism in Greenbrier County can be said to have started with Methodism in
America.  As a matter of fact Methodist families were in Greenbrier, a
Methodist church was organized, and a Methodist preacher was appointed to
the Greenbrier circuit before the first General Conference of the Methodist
Church was held or before American Methodists had ever elected a Bishop.

By the year 1784 Methodist families had come into this area.  In this year a
group of these families organized themselves into a "Society" in charge of
three local preachers J. Hemphill, James Christie and John Wiseman.  Among
these families were the Blantons, Warrens, Christies, and McMullens.  Edward
Keenan who was a sturdy and substantial citizen, a steward and a class
leader in the early society wrote Mr. Asbury early in 1784 asking him to
send a preacher to Greenbrier.  William Phoebus was sent and arrived this
same year.  Thus, a Methodist preacher was in Greenbrier under appointment,
before the "First General Conference" was held.  This Conference known as
""The Christmas Conference" was held in Baltimore on December 25, 1784.  It
was at the General Conference that Mr. Asbury was elected Bishop, the first
Bishop ever elected in America.

When William Phoebus came to "Greenbrier," the rude log homes were being
used for preaching services.  Plans were made immediately for building
churches.  Near Union, West Virginia, in what was then Greenbrier, but now
Monroe County, a church was built which was called Rehobeth.  Near that same
time another church was built near Frankford called Gilbo.  Both these
churches were dedicated by Bishop Asbury.  It is claimed that the celebrated
evangelist Lorenzo Dow, when visiting this part of the county, preached
several of his best sermons in this house.  Gilbo crumbled as a consequence
of another log house having been built in Frankford, which in turn was torn
down in 1826 to make room for the brick building now owned by the Methodists
in that place.

"Among the first preachers among the Methodists in Greenbrier was John
Smith.  Coming in 1787 he traveled the Greenbrier Circuit from Pendleton to
Giles and 'never dreamed of getting more than a suit of clothes and $64.00 a
year.'  Frances Poythress came in 1783 and William McKendree in 1797.  Both
of these men removed to Kentucky.  McKendree was a young man living in
Pocahontas, when sent by Asbury to Kentucky.  Fifteen years later he was
elected bishop."

In addition to the preaching services held in the homes of the people there
was at least one Annual conference held in the home of Edward Keenan.  It is
said that because of dry weather there was no feed for the horses.  Taking
care of the delegates was no burden but the question of feed for the horses
was.  Without hesitation the devout host of the conference turned the horses
of his guests into his rye field.  During the deliberations of the
Conference the rye was cropped close to the ground.  Nevertheless, there was
at harvest time a better crop of grain in his field than in the fields of
his neighbors.

By 1787 the Greenbrier Circuit appears in the written minutes.  The name of
the circuit was changed many times and its relation to the districts and
conferences likewise varied.  For a time the circuit was in the Richmond
District.  For years the Greenbrier circuit was in the Greenbrier district.
Then for a while it was connected with the  Kentucky Conference in the
Kanawha District and Rockingham District.  Since 1832 it has been identified
with the Lewisburg District.

"Old Rehobeth" enjoys the distinction of being the oldest church west of the
Alleghenies still standing.  It was largely through the industry and
liberality of Edward Keenan that this church was built.  This old church
furnishes an excellent primitive example of the pioneers' place of worship.
Two years after American Independence was declared a county was granted to
the people of Greenbrier under the commonwealth, in May 1778.  Seven years
later, in 1785 "Rehobeth" was "raised".

NEXT:  LATER CHURCHES IN GREENBRIER COUNTY