Page 144 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

Historical Sketch of Methodist Church in Lake City

By Mrs. T. P. (Pearli Jordan. Dec. 13.1949.

Dr. Isaac Boring, a noted Methodist preacher one hundred years ago, wrote from

Georgia, under date of April 13, 1829, as recorded in his diary, “I wrote to Brother
Roberts, who is living in the Alligator settlement, stating that, if spared, I would
hold a two day meeting in his settlement on the 15th or 16th of August.” Rev. J. C.
Ley, in his history of the Methodist Church in Florida, thinks that the above refers
to the beginning of Methodism in Lake City.

In 1845, when this conference was separated from the Georgia work and became

the Florida Conference, Dr. Ley was pastor at Ocean Pond Mission, which
included Branford, Columbia, Hamilton, and Suwannee counties. It is almost
certain that there was then an appointment at Alligator (afterwards named Lake
City) in the big circuit.

There have been three sessions of the Florida Conference in Lake City—the first
while it was still known as Alligator. In 1856, the thirteenth session was held in

Alligator with Bishop J. C. Andrews presiding. It is interesting to remember that
the division of the Methodist Episcopal Church into separate churches was caused
because this same Bishop Andrews owned slaves. He had married, and through his
wife had come to be legal owner of slaves, which he could not dispose of, for the
Georgia laws would not allow emancipation of slaves and the Church law would

not allow him to sell them.

In 1869, the twenty-sixth session was held, with Bishop Dogget presiding. At this
conference, R. H. Barnett was admitted to the conference. His father, Thomas R.
Barnett, was a member for fifteen years. Thomas R. Barnett and his wife are buried
here in Oaklawn Cemetery. These ministers were the father and grandfather of Dr.
R. Ira Barnett.

The fortieth session of conference was held in the present court house, which was
then a new building, in 1903. At this conference, Dr. J. F. Bell preached his first
time at an annual conference. This bit of history in interesting, since later, Dr. Bell
served this church four and one-half years—perhaps the longest term of any pastor
in the church’s history.

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