The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, November 12, 1970, Image 8
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New Hope One Of Oldest Methodist Churches In Central South Carolina
The early history of the Meth
odist Church in Newberry Co
unty has not been preserved
with any degree of accuracy,
except in a few instances, be
cause Mehodism was not in
troduced into the States by
immigration from Europe.Asin
the case of the Lutheran and
Presbyterian Churches but by
the labors of itinerant prea
chers who organized churches
in private houses, and who
served large numbers of prea
ching places and moved annually.
Then the early churches had no
record except classbooks for
societies; hence we have lost •
much of the valuable history of
Methodism in the first half cen
tury of its existence in this
county.
The first Methodist society
in Newberry County could not
have been organized sooner than
1784. For the next 36 years
the upper part of the state was
served by the Broad River Cir
cuit (extending from Butch Fork
to Pacolet). Saluda River Cir
cuit (attending churches on the
Saluda Side); Bush River Cir
cuit, and Enoree Circuit. In
1820 the Newberry Circuit was
formed. From the beginning in
1784. Newberry had enjoyed the
ministerial service of such
leading preachers as James
Foster and Stephen Johnson.
Bishop Asbury often preached
in Newl>erry District, as did
Bishops Coke and Whatcoat.
According to George L.
Summer Sr. in his book “New
berry County, South Carolina
Historical and Genealogical*
New Hope Church was organized
about the year, 1795. It is pro
bably one of the oldest Metho
dist Churches in the central
portion of the state. The church
is locHN about 5 miles north
of Poplria in Newberry Cou
nty. It is said that the first
meetings were held near Billy
Lakes’ Spring under a large
pine. The first building was a
small cabin which was on a
site about 2 miles from where
the present church stands. La
ter the group moved to the
present site where a frame
church was built in 1831. Steps
hewn from a large rock where
the ladies climbed onto their
horses still stand on the church
property. In the year 1799 or
1800, Salem Methodist Church
on Second Creek was organized
near the home of the late Fe
lix Asbury Graham (now Earl
Grahan). Salem and New Hope
churches merged in the year
1835. (Some records differ and
say the merger took place in
1801 or 1809, but Mrs. Sum
mer and Mr. O’Neal in his
“Annals of Newberry* say about
1835). Family names connected
with the early church were
Cromer, Kinard, Graham,
Adams, Hughey, Crooks, Sligh,
Hentz, Hatton, Lane, Glymph,
Wicker, Setzler, Wood, Lake,
Bishop, Thompson, and others.
New Hope Church was or
ganized by the Rev. Nathan
Boyd, son of Jolin Boyd of
Union District, (a Revolution
War Patriot and soldier). Rev.
Nathan Boyd, a leading spirit
in the early history of the
church, lived in the community
where he was married in this
county. He and his wife were
of the ole-time Methodist type.
Rev. Nathan Boyd’s son, Mark
M. Boyd, from the New Hope
Community exerted a great in
fluence on the moral and spir
itual life of Newberry County.
His record was without a blot
or stain and he was proud of
the fact that lie had three sons
who were members of the South
Carolina Conference. So as pre
achers, the name Boyd con
tinued for a whole century in
Newberry County.
Dr. J.W. Lee went out into
the ministry from New Hope
Church. He labored a number
of years, first in the South
Carolina Conference and later
in the North Carolina Con
ference. Newberry County has
given the church many Metho
dist preachers in the old days.
Some who were connected with
New Hope Church at sometime
or another were: J.W. Lee,
J. M. Boyd, G.M. Boyd, D.P.
Boyd, J.B. Traywick, H. W.
Whitaker, D.D. Dantzler, and M.
M. Brabham.
On July 22, 1890 J.M. Wicker,
surveyor, at the request of Job
L. Hughey and Silas Cromer,
laid off a lot containing 2 acres
of land owned by Mrs. Reb
ecca Cromer on which New Hope
Church now stands. On August
12, 1891 Mrs. Rebecca Cromer,
in consideration of $5.00 paid
by S.J. Cromer, W.H. Setzler
and J.L. Hughey, Trustees of
New Hope Church ofProsperity
Circuit of the Methodist Ep
iscopal Church, South, sold and
released to the trustees of New
Hope these two acres bounded
on all sides by land owned by
herself. The property was to
be used, kept, maintained and
disposed of, as a place of
divine worship for the use of
the ministry and membership
of the Methodist Church. The
property surrounding the
church today is owned by Mrs.
Bernice Suber.
It is not known what happened
to the New Hope Church build
ing of 1831, but the present
church building was erected in
1901 or 1902.
At the Conference of 1889
Prosperity Circuit was set up,
consisting of Prosperity,
Zion, Mt. Pleasant, and New
Hope. J.B. Traywick was app
ointed pastor for 1890-92 and
D. D. Dantzler was appointed for
1893.
In 1892 there were fourteen
Methodist Churches in the co
unty, divided into four pastor
al charges, and four parson
ages: one located in the town
of Newberry, one at Ebenezer,
one at Prosperity(where New
Hope’s preacher lived) and one
at Kinards. At that time there
were 1500 members in the
white churches.
In the year 1895 an Anniver
sary Service was held in the
New Hope Church. Itwasaform
of Centennial Celebration and
several of the Ruling Elders
were present.
As far back as the records
show that I can findthese
were ministers serving our ar
ea, Cokesbury District:
1870 - A.J. Cauthen, Pastor’s
salary for the Newberry Cir
cuit was only $1,323.00.
1871- A.P.Avant; 1872- H.W.
Whitaker; 1873- D.D. Dantzler;
1877- M.M. Boyd; 1878-79 -
W.P.Meadors- the 93rdSession
of the S.C. Annual Conference
was held at Newberry at the
Methodist Episcopal Church,
South on Dec. 11-16.
1880- J.W. Kelly, J.S. Porter.
1881- Appointments: A.J. St
okes, Thomas M. White, J.C.
Counts- Supply. 1882- A.J. St
okes, J.W. Neely, J.C. Clunts-
Supply; 1883-M. Brown, W.H.
Hodges; 1884- M.Brown, G.R.
Whitaker for Newberry Circuit
(included Zion, New Chapel,
Trinity, MT. Plesant, New Hope
Ebenezer,Lebanon,Prosperity)
1885 -, Manning Brown, G.H.
Waddell ; 1886- M.M. Brabham,
J.N. Steadman; 1887-88- M.M.
Brabham, A.W. Attaway; 1889-
M.M. Brabham,H.C. Mouzon;
1890- J.B. Trauwick; 1891-92
J.B Trauwick; 1893- D.D. Dant
zler; 1894-95-D. Tiller; 1896-
97-98- E.G. Price; 1899- 1900-
W.H.Arial; 1901- W.B. Whar
ton; 1902-03-G.R. Shaffer; 1904
1905- J. K.Mc Cain; 1906-07-
08-09- H.W. Whitaker; 1910-
13- S.C. Morris(Prosperity and
Zion pulled out- New Hope
went to Broad River Circuit-
On April 15,1914 D.W.Kinard,
R. P.Cromer, John W. Kinard,
J.P. Adams and F.A. Graham,
Trustees for New Hope and
Broad River Circuit and G.A.
Cromer and M.J. Smith,Trust
ees for Mt. Pleasant jointly
and severly accepted $500 as
payment in full for their part
out of the Prosperity Circuit
Parsonage.
On Sept. 18,1914, Mrs. Eva
J. Sliealy of Pomariasoldtothe
trustees of New Hope , Mt.
Pleasant and Morris Chapel M.
E. Church, South (Morris Cha
pel having been organized
around the year, 1913) o fthe
S. C. Conference, Broad River
Circuit, Cokesbury District, a
lot of land in Pomaria contain
ing l/2 acre more or less
fronted 0 n Folk Street on the
East and bounded on all other
sides by land owned by Thomas
A. Setzler, James Setzler and
Ben Setzler for parsonage pro
perty for $1200. Mrs. EvaSh-
ealy bought this property on
April 22, 1913 when it was sold
or auctioned in court for $850.
It has before belonged to Po
maria Oil and Manufacturing
Company. Dec. 1913-Dec 1915-
D. Pettus Boyd; In 1914 the
South Carolina Conference was
divided into S.C. and Upper S.C.
Conferences. We came under
the upper S.C. Conf. which
held its first annual session in
Spartanburg on Nov. 24, 1915.
Dec. 1915-Dec. 1917-Wa. A.
Duckworth -At the 1916 Con
ference Lexington F orkCircuit
was changed to Irmo Charge
and Caper’s Chapel was put
on the Broad River Circuit
with Chapin. Mt. Pleasant, Mor
ris Chapel and New Hope.Sc
at one time the charge con
sisted of five churches. At the
1917 Greenville conference of
the Broad River Charge was ch
anged to Pomaria Circuit of
which New Hope was a part.
Dec. 1917 - Dec.1918- J.E.
Strickland- In November 1918
Capers Chapel and Chapin chur
ches were removed to the Irmo
Circuit.
Dec. 1918-' 1920- J.M. Mason;
Nov. 1920- Nov. 1921- D.C.
Gregory (Supply) In Nov. 1921
Capers Chapel and Chapin Ch
urches moved back to the Po
maria Circuit. Nov. 1921- 22-
H.H. Merritt (Supply) 1922-23-
R.L.Dogett; 1923- 1926- J.H.
Montgomery; Jan.9,1926- E.J.
Adams, Oscar Graham, M.H.
Kinard, F.A. Graham. A.W. Ad
ams, W.J. Hentz, and J.F Cro
mer, trustees of New Hope
Church paid $5 to J.B. Cromer,
who gave a s a free gift a lot
between present 2 acres and the
road a strip of land 35 feet
in width and 355 feet in length
bounded by New Hope lot on one
side, road on the other and on
each end land belonging to J.B.
Cromer.(Given so church lot
can extend to new road).During
1925- 26 Epworth League was
organized with Miss Mary Hentz
as president, but it was dis
banded during the year.
1926- 29-C.R. Anderson(Supply)
At conference in 1929 Pomaria
Charge was changed from
Cokesbury to Greenwood Dis
trict..
1929- 1930- S.O.Sutton served
part of the year and George Duf-
fie completed the year.
1930- 1933 - T.D. George;!933-
’34-J.F. Ford’; ’34 - 37- C.N.
Potts. At 1935 Conference Po
maria Charge was placed in
the Columbia District. The pre
sent pulpit Bible was donated
by Mrs. Viola Adams Richard
son,Dec. 9,1935. 1937-38-W.F.
Johnson; 1938-40- A'.E. Smith-
In 1938 improvements were
made at parsonage and shrub
bery donated by Mrs. Mamie
Wilson. Ladies Aid Society
formed. Last conference re
ported by A.E, Smith,March
24, 1940. During this period was
the reuniting of the Methodist
Church and Morris Chapel Ch
urch went to the Southern and
New Hope Churches.Rev. A.E.
Smith was transferred from Po
maria Circuit to Turbeville,S.C.
by the Provisional Annual Conf
erence of Southern Methodist
Church on June 9,1940. This
caused quite a struggle in the
group of churches among the
families and particularly New
Hope, but it rose up in strength
to re-establish the work it was
set to do.1941-1950- Q.E. Gun
ter- New Hope began slowly
to make its comeback under
the loving and faithful care
of this preacher who served
longer than any other pastor
during its history. 1953- A.
E. Becknell. May 1953-Pomaria
Charge New Hope Charge un
derwent a great change,when
the trustees and membership
entrusted direction for the work
in the hands of Daniel Graham,
who worked diligently at his job.
The entry to the church was
changed placing double-doors
in the center of the inside wall
of the vestibule, and the enlarg
ing of the areas on either side
of the vestibule, and the enlarg
ing of the areas on either side of
the vestibule to form two class
rooms. The old gallery or bal
cony^ served the slaves -
Cannons, Glasgow, others- who
were compelled to attend ser
vices with the families of their
owners) was dismantled and
rebuilt to make two classrooms
in that space making a total of
4 classrooms. The entire in
side of the church was covered
with sheet-rock on the walls and
celotex on the ceiling, which
was painted ivory. The con
gregation rejoiced when servic
es were held in the newly re
novated church on Sunday, July
27. In the Summer of 1952 the
MYF bought 2 dozen church
school chairs.
1953-1956-T.E. £>errick-1956
the MYF purchased brass al-
terware for the church.1956-
’57-Weston Stevens; 1957-1960
Thomas P.Paston 1957- the ch
urch was undermined with
brick. 1958- the church sign
was erected of brick. Choir
robes purchased around 1958.
1959- the church was refloored
with oak floors and in 1959 the
aisle and around the altar was
carpeted with a light pink car
pet. 1960-1966- John P. Griffith
1961- new church pews donated
by Mr. andMrs.H.M. Hentz. 19-
63 the church voted to build
an educational building which
was surveyed off on January
1963. Carol Hipp of Newberry
was the contractor with Bobby
Morse supervising the work.
The building itself, of white
frame construction to match
the church, was completed in
1963 at $7,851.90 and was first
used on June 20,1963. It con
sisted of a large assembly area
to be divided later into class
rooms by folding doors), a kit
chen, and two rest rooms. The
Dedication Service was held
on Sept. 22,1963 with Dr. Fran
cis Cunningham District Supt.
presiding over the dedicatory
service . During the next couple
years the congregation worked
faithfully to furnish the building
with tables,chairs, and the kit
chen equipment increasing the
value considerably. A Hammond
Organ was installed on Nov.9
1963 donated by Mr. and Mrs.
H.M Hentz and the Dedication
Service for the organ was held
on January 26, 1964 with Mrs.
Vernon Epting, Prosperity, S.C.
as guest organist. Hubert Gra
ham donateed to the kitchen a
coffee urn,Dec. 1963 and the
Jacob Waites donated an organ
light also on that day. O.Z. Kin
ard donated a brass bell, church
clock, pulpit stand light in Feb.
1964.1964- a barbecue pit and
shed was built on the church
grounds.
The presentations and Dedi
cations of Memorial s and Gifts
was on August 23, 1964-.Bis
hop Cyrus B. Dawsey of Co
lumbia, former missionary to
Brazil was guest speaker. The
children of the late J.B. and
Ella L. Rawls presented the
brass cross- The children of
Mrs. Lula K.Wicker presented
the pair of brass candlesticks
Children of Mr. and Mrs. H.
Livingston presented the pair
of brass vases-Children of Mr.
and Mrs. Oscar Graham pre
sented the pair of brass offering
plates. - Daniel Graham,pre
sented an engraved plated lect
ern as a memorial to his father,
Felix A. Graham- The J.F. Yar
boroughs and- Daniel Graham
presented a blond-colored oak
Altar in the education building.
The MYF presented the brass
Bible stand for the Altar in the
educational building. 1964- Miss
Mary Helen Graham and Mrs.
Annie Dickert donated a Bible
as a memorial to W.A. Hentz
for the altar in the educational
building. 1965 - O. Z. Kinard
completed a 159 foot well on the
church property on which he
donated $190- Total cost was
$640. Hand rails were installed
at church entrance- 1965. Also
in 1965 the WSCS purchased
draperies for the educational
building at a cost of $300.In
the same year the church roof
was redone. 1966- the instal
lation of the new frosted-glass
windows in the church was com
pleted at a cost of $1,143.56.
Many of these were donated by
individuals and others.
The first church cemetery
Committe was appomted on the
5th of June, 1966 consisting of
O.Z. Kinard, Henry Livingston
Sr., and Jacob Waites. A cem
etery is near the site of the
first church.
On June 26, 1966 the congre
gation honored the Griffith fam
ily andpresentedtothemachair
as a farewell gift. The MYF
presented him with a desk pen
and pencil set. Rev. Griffith had
spent 6 years at New Hope,
the second longest stay for a
preacher at our church. He
received into the church 30
persons, 18 by transfer of letter
and 13 by confirmation. He also
baptized 26 persons inthe New
Hope congregation. 1966- 1967-
Charles M. Rector,formerly of
Whitmire.On March, 1967, the
Official Board unanimously vot
ed to unite with Capers Chapel
and Chapin churches and be
come known as the Pomaria
Methodist Charge, releasing
Mt. Plesant who desired to go
station in 1967. 1967- Albert
L. Cox; In January 1968 the
WSCS purchased the first com
plete parament set using all
the liturgical colors for the
church year seasons. In August
of 1968 a lot was purchased from
Mrs. J.C. Berley for $1,200 on
which a new parsonage was to
be built. 1968- the Clyde Miller
family purchased the old par
sonage. 1969- Pastor and Mrs.
Albert Cox moved into a new
brick veneer parsonage cost
ing $21,000,including 6 rooms
and a pastors study.
In October 1968 Earl Graham
and Henry Hentz shared the
cost of new walkways at the
church. On January 1970 Earl
Graham purchased the old New
Hope Zion School property con
sisting of 4 acres for $2,000
from St Matthews and Bethle
hem Lutheran Churches and
New Hope Methodist Church.
Pastor Cox has received into
the church 6 members by Letter
Transfer and 13 members by
confirmation. We can give him
credit for the construction of
the new parsonage.
The present trustees of the
church are: Daniel Graham,
Lindsey Livingston and Mc
Donald Rawls and Thomas Liv-
ingston(parsonage).
The charge now consists of
New Hope, Capers Chapel and
Chapin Churches, known as the
Pomaria Methodist Charge in
the Columbia District with the
Rev. David Reese as District
Supt. and Dr. Paul Hardin, Jr.
as Bishop of the S.C. Con
ference, Southeastern Jurisdic
tion.
We, at New Hope, do not have
a beautiful modern structure,
but we are proud of its very
historic meaning and value-for
it holds many enjoyable mem
ories for the eldest of our con
gregation.
(Above history compiled over a
period of 7 years by Mrs. Bon-
nelle G. Yarborough).
Welcome...
Friends And Visitors To Our
County During Our Tricen-
tenniol Celebration.
We Are Glad To Be A Part Of
Progressive Newberry County And
Extend Congratulations To South
Carolina On Their
300th Anniversary
PURCELL'S
Main Street
Newberry. S. C.
Chevrolet
We Are Proud To
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Newberry County.
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Gli
And
Extend Best Wishes To
South Carolina On Its
300th Anniversary
nmur-eifM umrSM..
TUGGLE CHEVROLET-OLDS, INC
NEWBERRY, S.C.
Columbia 765-1715 Newberry 276-1610