The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, June 18, 1970, Image 4
PAGE 4—The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, June 18, 1970
“It is a useful employment
for societies as well as indivi
duals to look back through their
past history and mark dealings
of a kind Providence towards
them.”—Bishop Meade.
And the record of Methodism
in Newberry County should
cause us to raise our hearts in
gratitude to God for its wonder
ful preservation and should
make us of today more faithful
and zealous in using the proper
means for its further advance
ment.
The first settlers of South
Carolina were of different reli
gious persuasions. None of
these sects had any particular
connection with the government,
nor had any sect pre-eminence
over another. The plan in the
New England states of co-ex
tending settlements and reli
gious instruction by having a
meeting-house and a minister
as appendage to every new town
was far from being common
in the Carolinas; and the dis
trict in which Newberry was
situated was no exception to
that rule. As for Methodism, it
was not introduced by immi
gration from Europe as were
introduced the Lutheran and
Presbyterian churches, but by
the evangelical labors of itiner
ant preachers; then too, the
early Methodist churches were
generally organized in private
homes, not being served by
resident pastors, but by itinerant
preachers who were usually
changed annually and who serv
ed large numbers of preaching
places. Very few records were
kept; hence little of the val
uable history of Methodism in
Newberry County during the
first half century of its exist
ence remains.
The history of Central is the
history of the circuit from the
organization of this in 1832 un
til it was made a station in
1854.
It is believed that the first
Methodist Society in Newberry
County was organized by Ed
ward Finch, in his home located
near where Mt. Bethel Aca
demy was built about 1784.
From The Observer for De
cember 2, 1902:
“The South Carolina Confer
ence of The Methodist Episco
pal Church South held its 117th
annual session in Newberry.
This is the fourth session to be
held here, the first having been
in 1856, the second in 1864 and
the third in 1878.
“Newberry County was the
first place outside of Charleston
selected for these annual gath
erings, ihe eighth session com
mencing January 1, 1794 being
held at Finch’s in the fork of
Saluda and Broad Rivers some
twelve miles from Newberry.
This was the seat of the Mt.
Bethel Academy, founded by the
early Methodists. Edward Finch
gave 30 acres of land to the
institution.
“This is an old town—one of
the oldest in the state. It was
organized in 1785. The Methodist
Church was in the county, how
ever, a year before the town
was organized, being then offi
cially represented by the ‘Broad
River Circuit’ extending from
the Dutch Fork in Lexington
County to Pacolet in Spartan
burg County.
“The circuit was restricted
somewhat in 1794, there becom
ing ‘Bush River Circuit’. In
1820 ‘Newberry Circuit’ was
formed. Then it included every
Methodist church in Newberry
County except Ebenezer, near
Maybinton, and Mt. Tabor near
Whitmire, and included also
Hopewell, Salem and Sardis
churches in Laurens County.
Now it includes only Ebenezer,
near Newberry, Lebanon, Trin
ity and New Chapel.
*
“In 1854 the church in New
berry was set off to itself and
made a ‘station’, its first pastor
being John R. Pickett.
“The Methodist Church in the
town of Newberry was organiz
ed and the building erected in
1833. There seems to be no
doubt that among those who
united in the organization were:
Philip Schoppert and his wife,
Mrs. Polly Schoppert, Mrs.
Schoppert, the mother of Philip
Schoppert; Martha Turner, Mrs.
Sarah Lorick (now Mrs. Sarah
Pope), Mrs. Precious Shell (and
probably Mrs. Sarah Cheshire),
Josiah Bishop and his wife;
Thomas Pratt, Jr. and Daniel
Boozer.
“The architect for the building
erected in 1900-1901 was Mr.
Hunt of Chattanooga, Tenn. and
the contractor and builder, Mr.
C. C. Davis of Newberry, S. C.;
the cost of the building about
$12,000. The membership of
the church was 266.
“The church was called sim
ply the ‘Newberry Methodist
Church until 1900 when the name
was changed to Johnstone St.
Church’, the name being deriv
ed from the name of the street
that ran in front of it. In 1901,
when the new church was com
pleted on Caldwell Street the
name was changed to ‘Central
Church’ and it is now so known.
The pastor is the Rev. Walter
I. Herbert.
“The Board of Stewards of the
church: John W. Chapman, W.
W. Hodges, C. H. Cannon, .W.
White, J. H. Wicker, S. J. Woot
en, P. C. Gaillard, R.L. Tar
rant and W. G. Mayes. The
Superintendent of the Sunday
School is C. H. Cannon and the
secretary of the Sunday school
is P. C. Gaillard.” (End quote
from The Observer.)
Central Methodist Church of
Newberry, S. C. is located on
an entire city block, corner of
Caldwell and Johnstone Streets.
It is surrounded by a large
lawn, with a stone terrace in
front at the front entrance,
which leads up wide stone steps
to the porch, with an entrance
on each side through a small
vestibule. The interior presents
an amphitheatrical form of seats
on a sloping floor, in the rear of
the church an elevated pulpit,
and in the center of it a large
pipe organ. The building is con
structed of beautiful white
pressed brick. The architectural
style is Gothic, with tall steeples
and high gables, with a steep
roof. The arched effect is car
ried out in its porch entrances
and its memorial windows of
varied colored designs.
The Sunday School or “Edu
cational Building” as it is now
called is in the rear of the
church on the corner of College
and Johnstone Streets. This
building was built during the
pastorate of the Rev. R. L. Hol-
royd and dedicated as a mem
orial to Mary Frances Wright,
mother of Mr. Z. F. Wright.
A centennial celebration was
held in the church on November
13, 1932, presided over by The
Honorable Eugene S. Blease, at
that time the Chief Justice of
the South Carolina Supreme
Court. It was also a memorial
meeting, commemorating the
following members who were
active in helping to build the
new church: Former Chief Jus
tice, The Honorable Y. J. Pope,
The Honorable Z. F. Wright,
The Rev. W. I.Herbert (one of
the former pastors of the church
and presiding Elder), Mrs.R.D.
Wright and former Governor
Cole L. Blease.
In 1928 the Woman’s Miss
ionary Society celebrated its
fiftieth anniversary, the first
Woman’s Missionary Society of
the South Carolina Conference
having been organized in this
church in 1878.
The church membership has
constantly grown and the church
occupies a prominent place
among her sister churches.
The church has been served
by many able pastors, some of
which are: Coleman Carlisle,
John Murro, Malcolm McPher
son, J. W. Humbert, W. I. Her
bert, M. M. (Uncle Mark) Boyd,
R. L. Holroyd, T. H. Vickery,
our present pastor George S.
Duffie, and many others.
Carlos Swindell
service Sunday
Carlos Andrew Swindell, 52,
died early Friday morning at
the Newberry County Memorial
Hospital after a short critical
illness.
Mr. Swindell was born in Ten
nessee, the son of Mrs. Onie
Chandler Swindell of Mansfield,
Tenn. and the late Andrew Jack-
son Swindell. He was a retired
employee of the Joanna Plant of
Greenwood Mills, a veteran of
World War II, a member of the
West End Baptist Church and
was on the Board of Deacons of
the Church.
Besides his mother, he is sur
vived by his wife, Mrs. Ernest
ine Gibson Swindell; one son,
James Robert Swindell; one
daughter, Mrs. Carleen Beard,
all of Newberry; one brother,
Hulon Swindell of Mansfield,
Tenn.; three sisters, Mrs. Brook-
sie Cooper and Mrs. Jewel Wal
ters, both of Vale, Tenn. and
Mrs. Mildred Brown of Mans
field; and two grandchildren.
Funeral services were con
ducted at 4 p.m. Sunday at the
West End Baptist Church by
the Rev. Ralph E. Rhyne. In
terment was in Newberry Mem
orial Gardens.
June is
daiiyl
month
[nergytoBurn
KIRK PONTIAC-CADILLAC
COMPANY
2100 Nance Street
TAKE Milk ALONG
STOP IN AND SEE
VS BEFORE YOU
LEAVE
• • §
WELL MAKE
CAR VACATION
YOUR
READY
City Filling Station
FRIEND STREET
ACROSS FROM THE CITY PARKING LOTS