HISTORY OF THE WHITE PLAINS !~THODIST CHURCH

(Data by Mrs. T. C. (G€rtrude) Moore)

~~s. Moore lived most of h~r life in White Plains, GeorgiQ. She h~s love nnd pride in the PAst, present ~nd future of the Whito Pl~ins community. She has tho respect of Qil tho c1tizeng of tho town and it 1s through her perserver~nc6 thQt we ~re ~blQ to compile n partial history of our church.

(Compiled by Mrs. Ho.rt :·i,\rchmc..n)

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HISTORY OF rHE WHITE PLAINS l·reTEODIST CHURCH ------ i

Groene County, Georgia

According to Smith, in his book on George W. Pierce's life,

the st~te of Geor6in in 1806 had two districts and eight ~ppoint-

ments ~Dong the ~GthodiBt Churchcs. Perhaps the most import~nt

of the eight was the Apalache. It included nIl of Greene, Ogle­

thorpe ~nd Cl~rk Counties and ~t that time w~s thickly settled

with 28 societies and 646 members. Camp-meetings were held at

hl.S tings (Sllo~m) every yenr.

~ve hi".ve not been.."ble to find any record of the dn.tc when

the 1,'{hi te P1r-.ins Eethodist Church ',ms org:-tnized but 'dC do l11.VG

records \"lhiC~l estl1blish the f[".ct th~t 1t \'l'1..8:'.cti ve in 1817; 1'.s

found in the Resolutions on the de~th of Mrs. Snr~h Wright. Ive

We h~ve ~t this printing, the recording secretary's book from

1838 through 1881 with the nnmes of the Trustees, Secret~rieB,

Members, Pnstors ~nd Presiding Elders, together:with resolutions,

reports of committees I1nd minutes of the meetings.

Names of m~le members of White Pl~ine Kethodist Church in

1838 are ~s follows:

IB Stephen Wright 2B Zebulon Wright 3B Littleton M~pp 4B' Zaccheus Wright 5B William H. Wright 6B M.'\tth6w Pierce 7B Samuel Jones 8B BenjRmin Alfrlend 9B Daniel Wright lOB William A. Wright lIB Willinm Ashley 12B Ebenezer Smith 13B \Viley Wright 14B Jefforson Wright l5B Bunel Richards 16B Chnrlcs Ashley

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N~.mE 8 of Fom<::.le mOi.:bers in 1838:

lE l-hncy 1~right 2B S.:tr'1h H. WrightJB Sf,rE', i:fright 4B Iv.l<':.rthn King5B Mtu'Y Mnpp 6B NC'.ncy Alfriend 7:8 1..bCl12.th vv"rie;ht 8B Lucretin 11..... pp 9B N:'.:,:cy !"!cGibony lOB Mn.rthn Mf'..PP IlB Lucy C. Jones 12B Mn.rthn. 1~. Alfricnd 13~ ~';:'.ncy \'Tright 143 Elizabeth 1,~iri5r-~t

1:;3 Ch~,rlotte As hley 16B Cynthie. Smith , 70) ..L.i--' ~!:ourninG Pierce 183 Lucy PiGrce 193 Elize Smith 203 !:hrthc. ':fright 2__1 .:J:' l';".l1cy J,",cl~son 223 ~~::try I'Tri e;ht 2)3 :;\~,'l.rc;::,~et Syl[1.ven 243 S,~rf\h Jones 25~ P~tience T. Alfriend 26B M-:.ry Smith ')'--,'_ ( .b Hitty Copelc..nd 28B ~1.'''ry 11risht :295 S:;,rC'.h ~.~right 30B Emily Wri3ht 31B Eliz~beth Wright 32B Fr",nccs A. 1. ';frj,:,:ht

Nrs. IV. G. Armour of Groensboro S~tid the ','lhi to Pl'l.ins ~!Gtt:-

odist Church grew rnpidly when they st~rtcd using the ~ibcrty

Church grounds to drill soldiers during tlle Civil ~r~r. \/'

We hr-.ve ~,n

incomplete record of the minutes of tho church from 1838 dOWD to

the pro sent 1963.

In 1797 thG Methodist Church Conference met ~t Ch'1rleston,

South C~rolina, where the nppoint~snts were mc.de giving Rev. !C~ck

George (aften!~rd3 becoming ~ Bishop) the Ge0r5i~ District ~nd

Rev. J~rnGs Jenkins the preacher in ch~rg8 of the ~nshin8ton Cir­

cuit. The GGorgi~ District in 1797 h~d three circuits Which

~overed most of the st~tc. Six preachers h~d the responsibilities

of thc::se churches. The \"T".shington Circui t i'_l~lLJded the count:l.c3

of Greene, T~li~forro, Wilkes, Lincoln, Elbsrt, H~rt, Fr~nklln,

M,:1,dison ,1.nd OglE,thorpo.

There have been two church buildi gs. The firot buildinG

atood where Bro~d Street begina at Sp~rtn Ro~d nnd the flrGt ~~r-

aon1.ge W1.S ~cross M~in Street in front of the B~pt1Gt Church.

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The prcsent auiIO-ing, our oecond r:ethod1st church, o..nd the pnr-

sO~~GO, which W~8 r~bui1t in 1962, wcro built i~ 1871. In 1950,

Sur..d.,,,-y School rooms i'lere 1.dded to the b",ck of the church. In 19E3,

the prC3ent 'J:'.rson~.se w~s completed ::.nd complotely furnic.hod 'cy

the p~o~lc of t~G Ch~r3e; for mo..ny ye~ro t~e ch::.rge inclu~8d only

Nhlts Pl~inc ~nd Silo~m, Liberty Church h~s.boo~ includcd ~nd fi­

n~lly, Knowles Ch~pcl (Hnncock County).

Dnt~ prcncntod st~tes, " ••• p~stor8 of thin church h~vo been

".illonc the mont outst3nding in the Conference. Bisho, Cnndler once

sr'.:C tlle ftihi te PI "..ins Methodist Ch"'.rge wns tl-.e only o.ppointr.:cn: ':L0

eVEr ".s~8d for. It W"'.8 not gr~ntcd. Ed T~~D"'.n 1s onid to hnV8

~Entloned this Ch~rGe to C~ndler so often th"'.t it excited his

int.cre3t".

Among the ministers 'Irho h'l.ve gonc out from this church ,".re:

C~~pcr S. WriGht John ~.~right Jr. J. J. Copel"1,n JO:..>i::'..h LCI'lis Hcn~J Stl'ozier Chn.rle s 51 ~cl{

C1'1':::0 Tnpp"'.n

Trustees of tho !'(ethodist Church South in ifhi te Pl~.ins in

th:: Yor'.r 1850 v!cre: Wiley i'[rie:ht, Henry C. ~Ir".re, ~Villi,'1.m 1. }l~,pp,

Willi~~ L. ~\lfriend, ~nd J~mes J. Eley. Com~ittees ~t th~t time

consistod of: Com~itt6e of Church ~nd St~to; Co~mittec of S~bb~th

Schoc13; Cos',nittce on Fine'.nce; ConnitteG on rUssians; COrJ:r'l,t,G(-; O;l

CO!1fcrencE: Funds ,'\nd 5uP1JOrt of the Bishor; Comilli ttOG on Church.. Litcr~ture; Com~ittee for Rollef of the Poer; Co~mitteo on CroJr~h

Rei),:"irs. Ke:nbc:cs of the Committee on "Suncll'.y-School" in 1853 ":Er8:

~:ilGS W. LeWis, Sr., Rufus ':T. Smith, Willi"D J. !I~."'.:op, l-D.GG Sr',llio

Swan, His6 }l".ry Eley.

In 1858 n Sunday School wnc orennized which inclucled both

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d(~omin~tions, ~ethodlst ~nd B~~ti3t. In ~ few YG~rs it w~c

·~hO'.1,3ht. hent for enoch denomino.t1on to htwe c.. ceperp..te Sundew Scl1.o('\l"

:~!1 1!3f53 thare \voro 7 ten..chor::" c.nd 35 ooholllrc in the !·~ethod:i.::t S'.1n­

d~y School.

In 1858, it w~n ~3reed to let the colored people U~8 ou~

c:l'.Jrch on first S:'.turdo.y o..~1d Sundrw provided thC1.t "they kec,? it tn

sood ol"'der".

In the ye~.r 1888 the Women's IUssion"-1.ry Society vT."\3 orgcm"i..zed.,

~~is ~~s done ~s soon ~s tho Conference gr~nted the nriviJ~~0. ~c

~c W8re ~mong the first to h~V6 ~ Y. M. S. now c~lled WSCS.

Ttt'l'O'J:hout the ye::.ro our church h1,FJ done 11:'.1"'£'.6 Gh~,ro of G:'1. J

·,( ,'­1"),

t,·C.:..,L13 the different org,:.nizo.. t1.onr. of the Conference.

The Sunde'.}" SC~1.oo1 no"", known ':'oC"; the Church-School, b,.s fr·.~2c:

very fSH Sund?ys to h"'.ve services'i,nd there h·~.ve been ,"'..lwC'.ys :,r.c

f"'.i thful who r..ttend ~.nd c,"'..rry on the Lord' n vfOrk IIl1ile ':ro ~rs ~CTN

in nur.-ber vre feel the mc..ny '..... ~10 hClve gone out from our church h;-'.vG

helped to spre,"1,d the ~"'onderfL11 story of Christ.

Tho followinc io gathered from thG p~pcrc Gcnt by I~~. C. C.

Wills of Greensboro:

In lt393 Revcrsnd Ji.mcs J • .L\ohl€y, p~.ntor of tho Greer::.boro

Circuit, undertook to est~b1ish so~e ~istoric~l f~ct8 concerni~5

Gr80nE:' County i:sthodist Churcl1en. He 'ITrote to tte RSVErE-wi ','!. J.

Cotter who w~s the ~:.stor of Greensboro Circuit in 1862 ~nd 13~~.

Hl~ reply 1s ~8 follows:

"Turin, Georgi.:. Feb. 15, 1893

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Dear Brother Ashley,

I w~s p~stor of Greensboro Circuit in 1862-63 during the dGrk

days of war~ The work cmbrnced Greensboro, H~stings (Silo~m),

Union Point, irhlto Plains, Liberty, New Salem, Ridge Grove and

Fort Chflpel.

The 1tTar w,~,s tho ctbsorbinl3 question at that tiille, hence church

work suffered. At Hastings I pren.ched t\'Tic8 a month, once in the

week ~t 11:00 n.nd once at 3:00 on Sundays. The church prospered

during the t'IVO yonrs Jnmes Do1vin n.nd Hordens i-IGre among the len.d­

inr ~embers at Hnstings. The leaders at Greensboro were W. D.

We~ver, Isn[tc Hnl1, Thomas Cunningham. Sister Wenver wns one of

th€ most superior women I ever ~et, cultured, refined, intolligent

and clevoutly Christian and there ~,re others, male n..nd femr..le who

deserve to be mentioned end pr~ised. There were old debts hanging

over the Greensboro ehurch o.nd so f?r as I con remel::Jber we paid

0.11 \'i'hile I wn.s there. Among tho le,".ders nt U~lon Point W8re

w. P. Printup n.nd L. D. Cn.rlton.

White Plains had one of the bost stewards in Wiley Wri6ht.

The leo.ders at Liberty were Uncle Jackie SDi th, .)f:J.mc3 Sui th,

Thomo.s Smith, the Copelans ~nd Rev. Bryant. The wives of all

these Soi ths 'tlero good wo:nen. Obe~a.h Copelan t s !''fife w~.s 0. modest

wo~an and thGt modesty refined by grace.

The leaders at New Snlem '.'Tere Dr. Cn.rtwrirsht, Colonel vr"'.rd

c..nd the ArLlors. Sister Billingslny was the 'trldovl of 0. old lac".l

pro~ch0r and "..n excellent womnn; so was Sister Po.rJc, n widow n.nd r

the ~other of ~. B. ·P~rk (Ridge Grove).

At th~t ti~~ Greene County h~d ~ good citizenship ~G I ever

found in GeorgiQ. ~\nd thG ~o~bor8hip of the churches were t:1.S 3 00d

e.s I ever found. ThQY were 5CYlf;rous, liborn.l :'.nd kind. Their

pnstor sh~red ~ll the good things they possGssed: chickens, ha~s,

etc. wero SGnt to the parsonnge, ~nd if I were to say thoy 6~vc De

first ::.nd lo..st 200 Ibs. of butter it would not be rn eX::'50rntion.

As I hQVG s~id, it w~s wnr times ~nd ~ strug3le to live, but they

sent us c.-I,ray ·,.r1 th DonI, flour, whoo..t, ~nd other supDlios to run as

fnr ,"..8 1:'08 S 1blc into the next ye::.r.

I bell cv(~ I hn.VE; o..bout cODplicd with your request ::'-.8 I 'Jndor­

st:'J1C: it. ',"lith '::.ly friendly wishes for you ~d old Gro6DG count:!,

I qD yours fr~t8rn~1Iy,

Willi::.~ J. Cotter

The following is copied froD ~. ,1:. ParIes' records:

Rov. G. G. Smith gives us ::.n n~usinB incident ~t ~ Methodi3t neeti1l5 L1 Grcc'ns Cou lty nbo'L.1t 1£303. Duringd!D.t YS1.r the. re W' 3 :'1.

cert::'.ln Gerl"1".n llren.cher nr.'.Ded Le"ris ~~ers, who C.'l;r:1e fro!;. South C"'.ro11n~ "'-nd ror8o.chod :1.n thj 3 scction. Kr. S~i th s,id, MHe C"V.. 8

once t:1. r:onth to ~ church in Greene County ~.r:.d ::.fter Snturdo.y's preCl.Cl1ing requested the peo:")16 to st~":r for cl!'.ss, but inGt8~:.d of holdinG cl fl.ss, 11.0 gave the~. "'. t~ll~ to ttis effE:ct, 'Brcdrsn, I dinks 30~O dings ulght be DeEded here. The cl~p-bo~rds on the house nre loose, you ~iEht n~il the~ on ~nd keep the r~in out. Tho \.rcc3r-::r bo"..rd1i1g is rlpr-sd off, you night ~u~ do~ b"'.cl~. ':.'!18 ~c:

bi te tob0.cCO F.tnd 3Di t on the floor, a very b:<.d ho.bi t, brc:.don; :"J: 1 n.l~osether things look shoc~ing ~bout hereto By this ti~e, the con[.re3~tiol1 ",:erE: ti tterinl;j 1".nd Hr. H. .Cor.., then ~. Y01Jn,~ [","',n. \'1'[',,:; ovcrco;,"o by thE:: old Q[\.n' S W'l.y thClt 1 e h:->.rl bent t ~:; hr;r,.d or, the be: C~1 to cohcc".l his !"Jerri:.:cnt. At thttt, the !Jre,'\.chcr :;".id, I"n:i

you younG "]['n who h[1.s your hGA.d on the bench, ','!ill pr~.y for U:J. i

No records h1lve been found on Superintendents except Kr. 11. S. M[1.PP o.nd Iv:r. T. T. Enson were sGcret::.riE.s durin8 this pc rj od.

During 1890 to 1894, the Superintendents onclosed in our

records vlere, ~enry S. M::,pp, l!r. Alex Sr:Jith ~nd Mr, Ed Purks.

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In 1894, r.!r. Ed T:>.ppan beCaDiG Superintendents. From 1897-·1911

IYT.r. Ed ':In,pp!"\,n \"1."..8 S1.'pE rintE:ndent. FroD this time, Dr. C~ o. Cope~

1 {;.nd, ~,Ir. Vi. C. Drtvidson, ]Tr. H. E. Minton, ~:r. ill. A. Purl·:s, 1-':1'.

''1. H. Ho,rper, :~r • .?<,>rlm Pricket, l,~r. Fr".nl: Cheery, l-:r. Hol'::8 C".n­

troll, H1.". E'~rt'y Tho,:,p£Jon, and ?!.rs. E. L. McCorkle ho..ve Ser'TCcl. .:'.3

Superintendents.

Anons the te~chers n~~es given in our records ~re: Se~born L.

Jord2.n, John H. E1ey, R. W. Sr:;ith, Jf'>mes Dolvin, 'of. S. 1J!2.pp, ~'r. 11."

LewiS, and ~'T1ley \'fright. L("',ter in 1886, Mrs. 82.11ie SI;\lth, !Jirs.

Ann Tcpp'm .1.nd Hrs. S~.llie T1.pp:-tn 'tlEre nn.r;ted ".s ter'..cher3.

NOTES:

The Bnptist useG our Methcdist Chruch in 1848 while they built their second church building. In 1871, the r.futhodist used the B~ptist church while bUilding the present bUilding

In ~ebru~~J, 1962, our church lnstC'.lled an electric organ.

II T'!tlcreforc sE:e1n3 we ~rc1.1so cor,'pr.ssed ~,bout 1,>/i th 80

srco..t a cloud of witnesses, let us lny ~side every weight, nnd the sin which doth so e~si1y beset us, rtnd let UB run with pr.tieDce the r!-\ce that is set before us."

(Dntn by r.1rs. T. C. Moore, cO".llpilcd by Mrs. Ihr't IJTn.rch r :,1.n conl("_O by Lr..rry D. Pm'i'el1 on this eighth day of Doc():1ber, 1963.)t