Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/523

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 463 under the charge of F. S. Beggs. The society at McKendree chapel, in Cape Girar- deau county, which was the oldest Methodist church in the state, remained faithful to the old organization and within this county there have been a considerable number of its ad- herents. In 1864 the Farmington circuit, embracing the counties of St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, and parts of Iron, Madison, Washington and Jefferaon, was reorganized, with Rev. N. J. Giddings as the Presiding Elder. This circuit was divided in 1866. One year later the church purchased a building at Farmington. formerly occupied by the Christians, and used it as a place of worship. In 1887 there were churches at Perryville, Cedar Fork, Cross Roads, St. Mary's and Independence. At the present time there are in Southeast Missouri the following church organizations, all of which are contained in the Farmington district which is a part of the St. Louis Con- ference, besides the names of the organiza- tions there are given the pastors of the dif- ferent places at the present time : Belgrade, C. W. Jennings; Bloomfield, 0. R. Sides; Bloomfield circuit, D. W. Fields; Bonne Terre, A. Tremayne; Chapin, V. L. ]Iiller; Cornwall, M. W. Krieger; Courtois, J. H. Hicks; De Soto, Arthur A. Halter; De Soto circuit, Albert Maynard ; Doe Run, Jesse J. Pruitt ; Farmington, J. W. Borah ; Plat River, D. B. Barrett; Fruitland, A. H. Barnes; Irondale & Graniteville, Robert Tre- ganza ; Ironton, W. T. Street ; Lutesville, D. R. Cole; Mountain View, C. V. Bryan; Patten, ; Perryville, M. 0. Morris; Poplar Bluff, F. E. Duboys; Poplar Bluff eircuif, G. W. Davis ; Puxico, J. A. Kirkman. Baptists In 1821 the Bethel Association of the Bap- tist church had fourteen churches and a mem- bership of 417. Some of these churches were in Arkansas and they were later dismissed to form a new association in that territory. In 1825 Pendleton church was organized in a settlement six miles west of Farmington. The settlement was made up of immigrants from Pendleton district, South Carolina, and the church became a member of Bethel Association in 1826. At that time James Hol- bert was pastor, remaining as such until 1838 when he was succeeded by Elder William Polk. Bethel Association held its meeting in 1827 at Providence church in Fredericktown, Sep- tember 22 to 24th. The sermon was preached by Elder D. Orr; Wingate Jackson was the moderator and Simeon Frost, clerk. There were present messengers from nine churches: Providence, Bellevue, St. Francois, Hepzi- bah. New Hope, Pendleton, Crooked Creek, Little Flock and Liberty. The minutej of this association show that there had been 17 baptisms during the year and that there was a total membership of 227. The meeting of the association in 1837 was with the Pendleton church in St. Francois county and in 1838 at Ilepzibah church in Ste. Genevieve county. In 1840 the meeting was held with Bethel church, in 1841 the as- sociation met with New Hope church in St. Francois county. At that time a church known as the Colony church in a settlement five miles east of Farmington was received as a member of the association. In 1859 the as- sociation met in New Hope church in St. Francois county. The sermon was preached by Elder William Polk who was also modera-