Through the years, 1901-1997 : the story of Mineral Springs United Methodist Church, Mineral Springs, N.C. /

134 Pages·1997·7.7 MB·English

by  Bill Howie, Clara McDonald

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TABLE OF CONTENTS!
Part I Our Story Pages 1 - 44
Part II Our Special Ministries Pages 45 - 89
Partlll Memories Pages 90-113
PartlV Conclusion Pages 114-115
Written and compiled by Bill Howie and Clara McDonald
Presented to the Church on Heritage Sunday November 16, 1997
Acknowledgments
The writing of history, in large part, is the bringing together an
accumulation of written records researched from many sources, verbal
accounts lodged in the memories of those who were and are a part of the
body and assembling these in a manner which tells the story.
The writing of this, a history of our church, is no different. Many
different sources were tapped to make one story ;is complete as is practical
and appreciation is expressed here to the following
- The individuals who thoughtfully preserved the written records for us
locally—some of whom are the church secretaries, the committee and board
secretaries, and the leaders ofmany special groups.
- Olive Howie who has labored so faithfully in preserving our story in
pictures.
-To the stories and news items appearing ir the Monroe Enquirer and
The Monroe Journal.
- To the Waxhaw United Methodist Church "ecords.
- To the South Carolina Methodist Archives at Wofford College.
- To many ofour members contributions for our memories section.
- To our present Pastor Jim Yow and many past ministers.
Then there is the much needed appreciation to those who have spent
many hours in typing, proofreading, editing, processing the pictures, and
assembling this book.
They are Diane and Mike White, Frances aid David Helms, Jim and
Susan Yow, without the dedicated efforts on their parts, and the endless
hours spent, this book could not have been published.
Cover by Marilyn Wooten.
Forward
This book is dedicated to the members of Mineral Springs United
Methodist Church, past, present, and future.
It is dedicated to those who have gone on before and who have given us
so rich a heritage those who have completed their pilgrimage in life and
who have moved from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant.
It is dedicated to a host ofthose yet living, who have labored to bring us
to where we are today.
It is dedicated to those who yet will follow in the earnest and prayerful
hope that they will carry the banner of Jesus Christ to yet still greater
accomplishments.
And last, it is dedicated to our parents, Baxter and Leona Howie who
were a part of that great "Crowd of Witnesses" v/ho have preceded us and
who have left to us a legacy ofan enduring faith.
CLODFELTER,BENC.
MITRS,GLENNI.JR. TOW.JAMESL
PARTI
OUR
STORY
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2013
in
http://archive.org/details/throughyears190100bill
—
Born in the spirit ofthe old Camp Meetings at McWhorters, nurtured in
the love and care of Pleasant Grove, our mother church, established and
sustained by the affections and dedicated efforts ofgenerations past
Mineral Springs United Methodist Church stands today as a beacon on a hill,
pointing the way to Jesus Christ to all who come within the sphere ofits
continuing and expanding influence.
The story ofour church does not have its beginning here in the village,
but rather on a deserted hilltop a few miles away.
It was there, at McWhorters Meeting House and Camp Meeting that
our roots were first planted, in 1787, as those hardy mostly Scotch Irish
immigrants established the Methodist faith for the first time in what is now
Union County.
Credit for bringing Methodism, with its unrelenting zeal for the lost in the
early years to present day Union County rests upon the supreme dedication of
a band ofmen known as circuit riders.
Called by God and commissioned by Asbury, they went out in the face of
the post Revolution spiritual decline to fashion a new nation in the image of
God and to "spread scriptural holiness throughout the land".
They were appointed to circuits where, perhaps there wasn't a single
society (church) -just people without any organized religion. They preached
and lived wherever and whenever opportunity offered~in taverns, private
one room log homes, in town halls, poorhouses on the trail side, in barn-
yards and wood clearings. As a testament ofthe rigors oflife faced by these
circuit riders, their average life span was 35 years.
Their instructions were "Go into every home in course and teach
everyone therein, young and old, to be Christians inwardly and outwardly-
fix it in their memory-write it on their hearts".
"In order to do this, there must be line upon line-precept on precept, what
patience, what love, what knowledge is requisite for this". Such was the
setting for the first circuit to be formed in this area.
1
It eventually was a circuit of24 "preaching places" stretching from
Providence on the north side tojust short ofCamden on the south. Services
were held whenever the circuit rider and horse could arrive on the scene.
In the late 1700's, a great revival broke out all across America, known as
"The Second Great Awakening" and from this movement sprang The Camp
Meeting.
In these years, this area was still looked on as the frontier and was
settled mostly by hard living sturdy pioneers seeking a better life in remote
settings. It was into the lives ofthese people that the Camp Meeting fit
perfectly; providing two needed aspects oflife, spiritual renewal and social
fulfillment. In those early years over 800 Camp Meetings flourished in
America.
It has been said that this one movement played a major role in Americans
formation - one which bases our national image upon Christianity and its
influence upon our lives.
Between 1787, when McWhorters Meeting House was established, and
1800, a Camp Meeting was formed there. This location served until 1 829
when, due to a failing water supply and a growing participation, a new
location was formed, which was Pleasant Grove, where two large springs
were found.
The Camp Meeting was begun here in 1829 and soon thereafter a local
church was also formed; a church from which several ofour present day
churches sprang. Here the spirit moved mightily and both the camp meeting
and the church grew, serving a large area ofthe county, serving many ofour
present members ancestors for three or four generations.
Except for outside influence, in all probability, it is at Pleasant Grove that
we at Mineral Springs would still be worshipping.
As railroads have played a very significant part in the development of
much ofour country, so did they play a part in the birth ofthe community to
become known as Mineral Springs. In 1888, the Georgia and Northern