Members Of First Methodist Church
Transcribed by : Sandy Hardin from the 50th Anniversary Edition published 1933
History
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"In February , 1883 , Sunday evening at 7:00 o'clock , Rev. F.E. Taylor , pastor of the Greensboro Circuit , Jonesboro District, White river Conference , by request of a few men , came to Paragould and preached in an unfinshed store building situated on the south side of West Main Street about where the Gem Theater now stands. The house was cleared of shavings , lumber and debris and seats were improvised of plank. The house was lighted with lanterns and oil lamps and a small congregation met to listen to the message . " According to an eye witness , Dr. F.M. Scott , this was the beginning of Methodism in Paragould . The minister continued his visits to the new and growing town of Paragould and conducted his services in a small boxed building belonging to John f. dover , located on West Emerson Street, in the down town section . In the summer of that year he held a protracted meeting in this building , at the close of which he organized the First Methodist Church, with the following thirteen members:
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Dr. & Mrs. John M. Davis Mr. & Mrs. John N. Johnston Mr. & Mrs. David King Mr. & Mrs. E.P. Holt Mrs. Mattie Hammonds Miss Nannie Davis (who became Mrs. P.N. Moss) Dr. & Mrs. F.M. Scott Mr. (?) King Dr. Jas. A. Dickson , acted as secretary ,but did not join until later. Dr. A.G. Hammonds and Dr. F.M. Scott were elected stewards
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On August 18, 1883 W.S. Pruett deeded to this church lot 2 in block 6 of the town of Paragould with J.A. Dickson , John M. Davis and John N. Johnston as trustes of same , and on this lot a building was elected that summer and fall. The congregation occupied the building at once, though it was not finished until the following winter . It was frame structure and stood on West Emerson Street , facing what now is the Hotel Vandervoot . Of the thirteen charter members of this church members of this church only two survive , namely , Dr. F.M. Scott and J.N. Johnston. The town grew rapidly , and also the church , the only one in town at the time. All denominations were tendered the use of the new building. Below is a list of the members and some of their duties an years. |
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F.E. Taylor founder and paster in 1884 C.T. Stallcut organized first Sunday School 1884 John M. Davis 1st superintendent W.R. Foster pastor in 1885 W.W. Anderson pastor in 1886 W.L Reedy pastor for part of 1887 M.M. Smith pastor for rest of 1887 John C. Ritter pastor assigned Dec. 1887 Bishop Joseph S. Key 1888 J.V. Mills pastor 1892 G.W. Smith pastor 1893 John C. Ritter fall term of 1893 Z.T. Bennett pastor 1895 F.A. Jeffett 1896 served four years J.I. Maynard elder 1900 M.B. Umstead 1902 R.C. Morehead 1903- 1906 E.M. Pipkin 1907 - 1908 M.M. Smith 1909-1910 Fred Little 1911 - 1912 J.S. Seneaker 1913- 1914 c.M. Reaves 1915 T.Y. Ramsey 1916- 1917 J.B. Stevenson 1918- 1919 F.E. Singleton 1920 J.H. O'Briant 1921 -1922 J.B. Evans 1923 -1926 |
The Woman's Parsonage and Home Mission Society members were:
Mrs. G.B. Parker, Mrs. W.H. Jones, Mrs. H.S.
Trice, Mrs N. Donaldson, Mrs. W.W. Meriwether , Mrs. J.H. Biggs,
Mrs. M.E. Dickson, Mrs. M.g. Newsom , Mrs. A.G. Dickson pres. ,
Mrs. R. Jackson treas., Mrs. G.E. Parker cor. Secy.