My Rogers were Methodist Episcopal according to records in both Tennessee and in Stanly Co. NC. I am wondering if there are any old Church Records available in Stanly Co. NC on the Methodist Episcopal or Methodist Churches that located there in the 1779-1823 period ? I did find a record in the Rogers files in Stanly Co. NC library the following concerning Methodist Churches in Anson Co. NC :

"Methodist in Anson County" by John A. Petty : "The Rocky River Circuit was organized in 1805 by the South Carolina Methodist Conference meeting in Camden, S. C. The circuit was composed of approximately 13 churches and preaching places within the present bounds of Anson and Stanly Counties. Methodist records for those early years are scarce and with the exception of the Rocky River Minutes, ( illegible ) by Miss Viola Kiker of Wadesboro, no Anson County local church records are known to have survived."

As our Rogers lived in both Anson from 1774 until 1779 when they too signed the petition to form Montgomery Co. NC and then are listed as having their land entries in Montgomery Co. NC along Long Creek, Riles Creek, and Curltail Creek, I am wondering as this land is now considered to be in Stanly Co. NC if there are any Methodist records of these early Methodist or Methodist Episcopal Churches in Stanly Co. NC during that 1805-1823 period that would list known members ? Anyone know about Methodist and Church Records and how to obtain them, if they do exist, contact me please at e-mail below or post on Stanly Site.

Tina Rogers Beller jkpb3@bellsouth.net

-- Tina Rogers Beller (jkpb3@bellsouth.net), June 29, 2002

Answers

The region was first under the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Annual Conference. Not sure of the exact date the NC Conference was formed. But the earliest Methodist Church in the area would be Bethel in now Midland, Cabarrus County NC. From Asbury's diary, he did ride through the area and I believe preached in the area. It is believed people met in the historic brush Arbor at Bethel as far back as 1784. But the the first log church was built on land given by Thomas McEachearn in 1804. Interestingly the church history provides deed specifics but the deed does not survive. It may have been recorded in church histories prior to a fire in the early 1900's that burned the church. Note that Thomas Love was one of the Trustees of the 1804 deeding. Later, in 1849, Thomas Love again served as trustee for receiving of land donated by his brother Jonah for the founding of Love's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. And again, in 1868, Thomas Love's daughter Pheobe, donated land for Love's Grove Methodist Protestant Church. The Protestant split was due to a movement desiring greater voter rights for the congregation. Both of these churches are in Stanly County in Stanfield. They were in the Bethel Charge. I visted with their historian a few weeks ago and learned that their books do not survive before the 1860's. Not sure of any earlier Methodist Churches in Stanly County. As for Anson/Union Counties... I believe Mt. Moriah would be the earliest. Also, Thomas Love's children were members of Zion UMC in Union.

All this about the Love family and Methodist roots, and yet, in the 1821 obituary for James Love, he is eulogized as being an "Anti pedo Baptist Minister." He is the father of Thomas and Jonah. An still.... James Love's father died in 1800 Stokes County. In his last will and testament, he bequeaths a colt known as "Aaron's colt" to seven men. He desired that if any one of these shall die, the colt shall not pass on to their heirs. It turns out that all seven were heavily involved in the Methodist Church as founders. Several of the men are mentioned in the earliest records of Bethel Church on Belew Creek less than ten miles away in Guilford County. Any ties to the naming of that church and the naming of Bethel in Cabarrus? And the grandson of James Love who died in Stokes was John C. Love who married Flora Campbell, the daughter of Archibald Campbell. Archibald signed the will of James Love as witness. He later moved to Iredell County where he helped form the prettiest church I have ever seen... Snow's Creek Methodist Church. And yet that Campbell family founded several other churches in the area.

And in Asbury's Diary, a 1799 entry reads:

On October 3, we rode twelve miles to Convey's in Guilford County. Friday, October 4, we rode twelve miles to Mrs. Campbell's on the south fork of Haw River. We had to work our way through woods and on Sunday we attended the quarterly meeting at Bethel upon Belews Creek where I ordained five deacons; preached on 1 Timothy 6:11-12. We had a gracious time and rode only twelve miles in two days. I lodged at McDaniel's and on Monday I rode through Stokes County and attended the meeting at Loves Church, which had glass windows and the yard was fenced in."

As for your need to dig through records, I would suggest contacting the folks at the wonderful Lake Junaluska in Haywood County NC. The retreat for the western NC Conference, they do have an Archives and online information as to how to access their holdings.

-- George Thomas (geothos@bellsouth.net), June 30, 2002.

Goerge, Thanks so much for your prompt and always most informative knowledge of these Stanly Co. NC and etc. families and histories of this region. I know that when our Rogers left Montgomery Co. NC and then moved to Carroll Co. TN, that it has been said by another of our Rogers researchers that Frederick Rogers b. abt. 1803 chartered and built the "Old Pisgah Methodist Episcopal Church" near Vale in Carroll Co. TN. Frederick Rogers was the pastor according to this same Rogers researcher and most of the early family is buried in the Church Cemetery there in Vale. The Old Pisgah Church is long gone, but the cemetery while in sad shape, still had the carerra marble tombstone of my GGG Grandfather, William Rogers b. 1770 NC ( said to have been born in the area that became Montgomery Co. NC ).

After I've fully reread your valuable information, I will try to locate more on these records that you've spoken of. I realized the other day that the Belew name was also spelled Belyeu as well, and on their family records are the Daniel Davidson Sr. of Anson Co. NC who may also be in my maternal line. Anything I find on these Churches I will also post as maybe it will help others as well. Thanks again for all this information. Tina Rogers Beller

-- Tina Rogers Beller (jkpb3@bellsouth.net), July 01, 2002.

Came across another site today by accident. Not sure if or how this might fit into your puzzle, but do a "find on page" at the following site:

http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:- coH8wptjswC:www.concordcentral.org/Study/Church_History_With_Pastor_P hotos.PDF+%22Frederick+Myers%22+Cabarrus&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

-- George Thomas (geothos@bellsouth.net), July 27, 2002.

...that did not work, is a defunct site with cache info.... try typing in:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=% 22Frederick+Myers%22+Cabarrus

-- George Thomas (geothos@bellsouth.net), July 27, 2002.

Did not work either... try doing a google search for:

"Frederick Myers" Cabarrus

-- George Thomas (geothos@bellsouth.net), July 27, 2002.