Methodism, a worldwide Protestant movement, began in 1729 by a group of students attending the University of Oxford. The group, often referred to as the "Holy Club", assembled for worship, study, and church services. Amongst the members of the Oxford group was John Wesley, who would later become the father of Methodism.
By preaching the doctrines of Christian perfection and personal salvation through faith, Wesley quickly won an enthusiastic following amongst the English working class.1 In 1769, Wesley sent his first missionaries to America. Yearning to spread the Methodists faith, a young English itinerant preacher, Francis Asbury, answered Wesley's call and went to America to preach. Asbury would later be noted as an influential leader in establishing the American Methodist Church. In 1816, Francis Asbury died. When he arrived in America, there were 316 Methodists and upon his death, there were 214,235 Methodists in America -- more than in England.2 It is through Wesley and Asbury that the roots of the Methodists Church were first created.
While John Wesley and Francis Asbury played a significant role in the spread of Methodism throughout the 18th century, the 19th and 20th centuries would bring new leaderships that would take Methodism to even greater heights. In 1803, two of these leaders, Hope Hull and General David Meriwether, moved from nearby Washington, Georgia to Athens, the site of the newly-activated University of Georgia. Over the next decade, the Hull and the Meriwether families would play a significant role in the rise of Methodism in the South.
During its earliest days in Georgia, Methodism was exclusively a rural church. As more and more Georgians began to move into towns, the need for Methodism grew. Two important figures of this time, Reverend Hope Hull and General David Meriwether, would revive the Athens Methodist movement and would in turn, cultivate the town of Athens.
Reverend Hull, an itinerant preacher from Maryland, joined the Methodist Conference in 1785. During this time, he became a close and personal friend of Bishop Francis Asbury and came to Georgia as Asbury's personal assistant.3 In the pulpit, Hull was a man of rare persuasion.4 His voice was of amazing range, "from the softest whisper of love to the sharpest thunder pearls of wrath."5 The mighty power of his ministry earned him the nickname "Broad Axe". Hull was sent to Washington, Georgia in 1788. To many, he was the first Methodist preacher of his kind in that area. In 1803, Hull and his brother-in-law, David Meriwether, moved to Athens. Unlike most Methodists of the time, General David Meriwether was a man of considerable wealth. As part of a large migration of Virginia residents, Meriwether moved to Wilkes County, Georgia in 1785.6 He became a Methodist in 1787 and would soon become active in the Methodist Church. In 1788, the first Methodist Conference in Georgia was held at General Meriwether's home. In addition to contributing to the Methodist movement, he was also elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1796 and served until 1802. In 1802, Meriwether was elected to the United States House of Representatives for the Seventh Congress. In Congress, he was not a conspicuous member. He worked mainly to secure payment for the use of state militia in the Indian troubles of 1793 and 1794.
In 1801, Hope Hull joined Abraham Baldwin and others in arousing public support and interests in activating an institution that would be know as the University of Georgia.7 Having been instrumental in creating sentiment for the activation of the University, it was but natural that Hull and Meriwether should come to Athens to educate their sons. In 1803, Hull and Meriwether moved for Wilkes County to Athens. Soon afterwards, they began teaching at the University of Georgia, as they both believed that next to religion, education was the most important thing in life.8 Upon their arrival in Athens, they found few Methodists who congregated in a small log cabin "about 23 by 24 feet in size, presenting externally the appearance of a Negro cabin without a chimney."9 This log cabin was said to be the first Methodist Meeting House built west of the Oconee River. In 1810, a more commodious building was erected; this building was known as "Hull's Meeting House" and would serve as a place of worship until Hull's death in 1818. In addition to his contributions to the Methodist Church, Hull also organized and helped pay for the University's first chapel in 1808. The Chapel was open to all denominations and stood until 1832, when a larger chapel was constructed. During his ministry in Georgia, Hull would be remembered as the father of Georgia Methodism.10 In reference to Rev. Hull, Dr. George G. Smith says: "Hope Hull, if not the father of Georgia Methodism, yet was the man who was second to no other in fostering it."11 Having been instrumental in establishing Georgia Methodism, Hull's death greatly influenced the Methodist movement in Athens. It has been said that after Hope Hull's death, Methodism in Athens almost perished.12 The contributions of Hull and Meriwether would stabilize the Methodist movement, however the future of Methodism was far from being certain.
By 1824, Methodism in Athens continued to suffer from the loss of one of its most beloved leaders - Hope Hull. The fact that "Hull's Meeting House" had no organized congregation would further hurt matters. In order for Methodism to survive, Athens needed a formal place of worship with an open and organized ministry. Dr. Robert Wilson recognized the fragility of the Methodist movement during this time. In his book, Methodism in Athens- A Historical Sketch, he states, "This serious condition evidently prompted Mr. Thomas Hancock to give a lot for the erection of a building which would be permanently owned by the Church."13 Hancock was a devout and loyal Methodist from Jefferson, Georgia. His gift of land would offer stability to the Methodist movement and would in turn, stimulate the Methodist to activity.14 The first building on this lot was erected in 1825. Dr. George G. Smith, a famous historian of this time, recognizes the first Methodist Church as, "the first house of worship of any name to be built in Athens."15 Dr. Lovick Pierce was assigned as Pastor of the church and at the end of 1826 he reported: 107 white members, 70 colored members, and a total collection of $9.41 from Athens and Madison.16 Dr. Pierce's findings help put in perspective the growth of the Methodist movement in Athens. Like Hull and Meriwether, Pierce too, would be remembered as an influential member in the spread of Southern Methodism.
While Methodism seemed to be on the rise again, concerns over legal statues left many Methodists with unanswered questions. To cope with this problem, a Legislative Act was passed on December 20, 1828. The Act, which was signed by Governor John Forsyth, declared the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Athens, Georgia. The five original Trustees were: James Meriwether (son of Gen. David Meriwether), William Lumpkin, Cicero Holt, Asbury Hull (son of Rev. Hope Hull), and Right Rogers. The Charter proclaimed the Board of Trustees and their successors, "to be invested with all manner of property, both real and personal...and all privileges and immunities which may belong to the said church...and have full power and authority to make all by-laws and ordinances necessary for the government of the said church."17 As noted above, two of the members of the Board of Trustees were sons of influential leaders in the spread of Methodism. Like their fathers, James Meriwether and Asbury Hull, would also contribute to the Methodist movement in Athens.
James Meriwether, son of General David Meriwether, was born in 1789 In Wilkes County, Georgia. James graduated from the University of Georgia in 1807. Meriwether was an active and beloved member of the Clarke County community. Like his father, he too, served as an instructor at the University and would later serve as a Revolutionary soldier. Meriwether also served as a U.S. Commissioner to the Creek Indians in 1813, trustee of the University of Georgia from 1816-1831, and member of the State House of Representatives from 1821-1823. Along with his political contributions, Meriwether was also noted for preparing a survey of Athens in 1833. This sketch can be viewed at the Clarke County Courthouse in the Superior Court vault. Upon his death in 1854, Meriwether would leave behind a rich legacy of commitment to the establishment of Clarke County and to the Athens Methodist movement.
Asbury Hull, the son of Rev. Hope Hull, was born in 1797. Just as his father did, Asbury too, earned a respectable reputation throughout the state of Georgia. Asbury Hull was a lawyer by profession, but gave most of his time to the administration of business affairs.18 He was active not only in the Methodist Church, but also in politics. He was called to preside at all public meetings of the day, and served in the Legislature, both as Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.19 Hull also served as Cashier of the State Bank, President of the Southern Mutual Insurance Company, and Treasurer of the University of Georgia. His dedication to the Methodist Church and his hunger for "civil politics", would leave him well respected and admired by his community. Hull's obituary, found in the Southern Watchman on January 30, 1866, best describes the impact that he had on Clarke County. In the obituary, Hull is noted for his, "strong common sense, conservatism, and above all, for unbending integrity, lofty patriotism and unaffected piety."20 Asbury's influence on the Athens community would not only touch the Methodist movement, but would also contribute to the "civilization" of Athens.
The loyal commitment of the Hull and Meriwether families can be traced to almost all aspects of early Methodism in Athens, Georgia. These families laid the foundation of Methodism by helping to organize and administer the principles of the Methodist doctrine. Thanks to the dedication and support of its early leaders, Methodism would soon rally and membership would increase drastically. In 1831, there were 21,385 Methodist in Georgia and by 1861, the number had grown to 47,507. These numbers indicate a 222 per cent gain in thirty-one years.21 Although the enrollment did not make an advance every year, it registered gain much more frequently than loss.
In addition to the contributions made by the Hull and Meriwether families, revivals would also contribute to the success of early Methodism. In 1835, a great spiritual awakening visited Georgia. These revivals would attract people from all parts and would eventually become powerful religious tools used by all denominations. By 1844, the Methodist movement continued to make progress and a revival held by pastor, W.J. Parks, "was unusually effective as it brought into membership 163 white and 97 colored members."22 Following this revival, the colored membership had become so large that they demanded a church and pastor of their own. This was the first step toward expansion of Methodism in Athens. Churches continued to expand in the 1840s and 1850's. By 1850, Clarke County had twenty-one churches representing five denominations. Out of these twenty-one churches, ten of them belonged to the Methodist.
In 1852, the rise of Methodism in Athens became even more evident as the Methodists erected a "Brick Church" to accommodate its new members. The existing "frame church building" was given to a colored congregation and moved to the "foot of Hancock Avenue".23 Revivals during this time were popular means of attracting "spiritually hungry" Athenians. Perhaps the most significant revival in the antebellum period of Athens occurred in 1858. The revival started in the Methodist church in March and quickly spread to other denominations soon after. By the end of the revival, more than one hundred had joined the Negro Methodist congregation and 90 had joined the Methodist church. This revival revealed the power of faith and particularly illustrated the strong roots of the Methodist church. By 1859, it was evident that Methodism was here to stay. The editor of the Southern Banner noted that in June of 1859, overcrowding had caused many persons to go away from the Methodist church because there were not enough seats. He urged the church to put campstools in the aisles to accommodate its large following.24 This was a far cry from the earliest years of Methodism, in which membership was low and seats were plentiful.
The 19th and 20th centuries brought new beginnings to the Methodist church. Through strong leadership and dedicated members, the Athens Methodist movement was able to survive and would ultimately become one of the more popular denominations in Clarke County. All of this would not have been possible without the influence of leaders such as the Hull and Meriwether families. Their dedication to the Athens community is inspiring and worthwhile. These families brought to Athens a spiritual revolution and left behind a community enriched in religion and social progress. Their presence will never be forgotten.
For more information, please visit the following sites:
http://www.umc.org/index.asp http://rylibweb.man.ac.uk/data1/dg/text/method.html
http://www.1wellbrock.org/methodism.htm
http://www.epworthbythesea.org/museum.html
http://www.umc.org/churchlibrary/discipline/history/roots.htm
1. John McEllhenney, et. al, United Methodism in America: A Compact History, (Abingdon Press, 1992), 112.
2. John P. Bondurant, The First United Methodist Church, Athens, Georgia, (Bondurant, 1988), 12.
3. Bondurant, 6.
4. Alfred Pierce, A History of Methodism in Athens, (North Georgia Conference Historical Society), 223.
5. Pierce, 127.
6. Bondurant, 258.
7. George Smith, History of Georgia Methodism From 1786 to 1866, (Atlanta, Georgia: AB Caldwell, 1913), 36.
8. Robert Wilson, Methodism in Athens, (Bondurant, 1988), 11.
9. Wilson, 365.
10. Smith, 72.
11. Smith, 73.
12. Smith, 73.
13. Wilson, 9.
14. Bondurant, 287.
15. Wilson, 10.
16. Ernest Hynds, Antebellum Athens and Clarke County Georgia, (Athens: University of Georgia Press,1974), 113.
17. Bondurant, 50.
18. Smith, 201.
19. Smith, 201.
20. Bondurant, 70.
21. Pierce, 101.
22. Bondurant, 18.
23. Bondurant, 20.
24. Southern Banner, 7 July 1859.