There has been two
additions to the Church from the school, one teacher and one scholar.
There has been collected
and expended for Library the sum of $30.
The school to a great
extend is composed of Scholars, whose parents are members of other
denominations.
Dec. 9th, the Clerk of the
Session is ordered to inform the Treasurer of the Presbytery that the Leesburg
and Catoctin Churches have perfected their arrangements of r a separation to
take effect on the 1st day of January 1872, and that this Church will want the
aid promised by Presbytery at its fall meeting 1871.
- 1872 -
April 22nd, the following report
was ordered to be made to the Presbytery; on the 1st of January last, the
separation of the Leesburg and Catoctin Churches took effect. Since which
time our Pastor Rev. J.W. Lupton has given the whole of his time and labor to
this Church, having regular morning and evening services on the Sabbath, with
prayer meeting during the week. The Church is in better condition
(spiritually and temporally) than it has been for years.
We have adopted the envelope
systems for all purposes of the Church except for repairs and find that it works
well, thereby enabling us to be prompt in the payment of salary and all other
Church expenses. We raise more money in this way than by any other plan
heretofore adopted.
Our congregations are good and
increasing . The Sabbath School in connection with the Church is under the
control of the Session and has assumed more definite form, although small, we
hope that it will be the means in the hand of God of doing good.
August 4th, the Session was
called and the Moderator informed the Session that he had accepted a call
recently tendered to him from the Presbyterian Church in Clarksville, Tennessee
and requested that a congregational meeting be called to unity with him in a
request of Presbytery to dissolve the Pastoral relation existing between himself
and this church.
August 5th, a Congregational
meeting was held and Rev. Lupton laid before the meeting the following paper.
To the members of the Leesburg Church, my well
beloved people. After long and prayerful consideration,
I am led - so far as I am able to know the will of the
Great Shepherd to conclude that He calls me to tend
another part of his flock, distant from you but no less
dear to Him. And the only path of safety for you and for
me is the path of duty.
I therefore tender you my resignation and ask you
to unity with me in requesting the Presbytery of the
Chesapeake to dissolve the Pastoral relation, which for
nearly six year has existed between us.
This change has not been sough by me, except in so
far as to express a willingness in accordance with my
ordination vows to serve the Lord wherever He in His
providence might call me. An unwillingness to do this
much would have violated the spirit of the commission I
received - to do more than this would have been unworthy
the kindness and love which you have always shown me.
And I desire here, as I have always done, to bear
testimony that neither by looks, nor words, nor actions
toward me or mine, have you as a Church, or any one of
you as individuals, made our lives uncomfortable among
you. You have borne with my weakness and many failures
and have manifested charity towards my family in such a
way as will cause every one of us to love you while life
lasts.
These evidences of love, while they make the
parting more severe, will ever be an evidence that we
have endeavored to live together as becometh Members of
the Household of Faith; and that will cause me to look
back through life upon this place as one of the greenest
spots in all memories field, and I trust the same
feeling will still lead you to follow us with your
prayers and so far as it is lawful, with you hearts best
affections.
I know that you are my friends and you that I am
your truly and affectionately.
Your Pastor J.W. Lupton.
- 1873 -
January 27th, a congregational
meeting was held to proceed to the election of a pastor for this church.
The salary was fixed at $1000 per year. It was also resolved that in case
the call be to an unmarried man and he shall accept the call, the Trustees of
the Manse property be required to rent out the Manse reserving the Ice House,
sell the ice and collect the rents. The monies to be applied first to the
payment of any deficiency in the salary that may exist, and secondly the
balance, if any, pay to the Catoctin congregation to discharge the interest of
said congregation in the Manse property.
March 23rd, a congregational
meeting was held to nominate Mr. John F. Cannon, a student of the Union
Theological Seminary (of the senior class) under the care of Mecklenberg
Presbytery North Carolina to fill the Pastoral office in this Church.
March 31st, the following letter
was ordered sent to Presbytery:
We are glad to say
that we consider the Church here in very good condition. Since we
have been without a pastor since the first of September last it is in as
good a condition, perhaps better than might have been expected.
The prayer meetings
were kept up regularly weekly until during the month of January when it
was though best to suspend them on account of the extreme weather we
were then having. It is now our intention to revive these meetings
and to hold them regularly from this time forward.
We believe the
prospect is now very good to build up the Church here and hope before
many days to have a regular Pastor around whom we can all rally.
The Sabbath School has
been regularly kept up during the whole time not missing one Sabbath
unless the weather was so extremely bad as to prevent the children from
attending. The school is in only a tolerable condition.
The pulpit we have
endeavored to have as regularly supplied as possible, and have missed by
comparatively few Sabbaths in no having some one of the Brethren preach
for us and are glad to say that the most, if not all of them, have
expressed a willingness and have come to help us in this our time of
need.
October 31st, the Rev. John F.,
Cannon was ordained to the full work of the Gospel Ministry and installed Pastor
of this Church by Chesapeake Presbytery at Leesburg on this day.
- 1876 -
Session minutes contain
information on meetings held regularly to evaluate and receive new members, on
April 15th the following report was prepared and ordered to be certified to
Presbytery of Chesapeake.
Dear Brethren,
Our Church has been open for public
worship every Sunday excepting two since the last meeting of Presbytery.
The attendance has as a general rule been large and more encouraging.
The weekly prayer meeting has also been kept up with increasing interest
and attendance. In addition to these religious services, daily
services were held for about two weeks during the winter in which we
were favored by the ministry of our beloved brother Dr. Mitchell.
These meetings were attended, as we believe, by special manifestation of
the Spirit's power. God's people were greatly edified and
refreshed and some were born into the Kingdom of His Dear Son. A
few have been added to the Church in profession of faith, other are
indulging a hope in Christ, and have signified a desire to be members
soon with His people, and still others seem to be under genuine
conviction of sin and we trust will be brought to a knowledge of the
truth as it is in Jesus. We are encouraged be seeing some of our
members more than usually interested in God's truth and striving after a
closer walk with Him and more likeness of His image ... On the part of
some, likewise here is a tender anxiety about unconverted friends, and an
earnest spirit of intercession for them. We thank our Lord for
these tokens of His favor and are encouraged to hope for good results
from them. Family worship is generally, though not universally,
observed by heads of families, and parental instruction is not
neglected.
The Sunday School has been carried
on with usual regularity and efficiency. Collections have been
taken up for the several causes of benevolences and to all of them the
majority of the people have contributed with commendable liberality.
Our organization has been
strengthened by election of two additional Deacons. They are now
doing their work more systematically than heretofore. They are now
doing their work more systematically than heretofore. They hold
regularly monthly meeting and make regular reports of their work to the
Session.
The ladies of the Sewing Society
have displayed a laudable activity and have been every ready to assist
in any good work.
Our missionary enterprise at
Farmwell station is making encouraging progress. The building has
begun and we hope to have it ready for occupancy early in the summer.
Our thanks are due to Franklin St. Church in Baltimore, Central Church
in Washington and Second Church in Alexandria for contributions to the
building fund.
Statistical reports as follows:
|
Number of Elders |
2 |
|
Number of Deacons |
4 |
|
Communicants added
on Examination |
7 |
|
Communicants added
on Certificate |
2 |
|
Total Communicants |
70 |
| |
|
|
Adults baptized |
2 |
|
Infants baptized |
6 |
|
Number baptized
non-communicants |
26 |
|
Number children in
Sabbath School |
55 |
| |
|
|
Funds Contributed |
|
|
- Sustentation |
$22.24 |
|
- Evangelistic |
$8.57 |
|
- Invalid Funds |
$11.57 |
|
- Foreign Missions |
$45.10 |
|
- Education |
$9.38 |
|
- Publication |
$9.41 |
|
- Presbyterial |
$15.20 |
|
- Pastor's salary actually paid |
$816.55 |
|
- Congregational |
$482.31 |
|
- Miscellaneous |
$80.25 |
| |
|
|
Sabbath School |
|
|
- Teachers |
8 |
|
- Scholars |
55 |
|
- Average Attendance |
37 |
December 20th, a meeting was held and the
Pastor, Rev. J. F. Cannon reported to the Session that he had examined the
following persons belonging to the Farmwell congregation: Mrs. Fannie
Longacre, Miss Adelia Louisa Davis and Thomas Edgar Davis as to their religious
experience, and that they made satisfactory profession of their faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and recommended that they be received to unite in the
formation of a Presbyterian Church at Farmwell, Virginia.
- 1877 -
The Session resolved to meet
regularly on Wednesday preceding the first Sabbath in each month. they
continued to meet in regular session to examine and receive members. Other
business was discussed on the meeting held August 1st, a committee was appointed
to raise funds for Sunday School. A resolution was made that two boxes be
obtained and placed in each aisle of the Church to receive contributions by
members of the congregation for the benefit of the poor of the Church.
September 4th, the narrative on
the state of religion in the Church was adopted and ordered presented to the
Presbytery of Chesapeake. We rejoice to be able in grateful recognition of
the continued favor and goodness of God to report a good degree of success and
prosperity. We have lost but two of our members by death while at each
successive communion season we have had one or more additions making in all
seventeen additions during the present synodical year. Our organization
has been strengthened by the ordination of two additional Elders and three
Deacons. Our congregations are good and show improvement in numbers and
interest. The Sabbath School is under the conduct of one of our Elders,
efforts have recently been made and are now in progress to give it a greater
degree of vigor and efficiency . All the regular collections directly by
the Church have been taken up and while we regret that they have not been
larger, yet they do not exhibit and decreases of interest in the great object of
Christian benevolence but are fully up to the present ability of our people.
We desire especially to record and commend the valuable aid we have received
form the Ladies of the Church through the organized efforts of their Sewing
Society. In addition to their usual contributions to the cause of Foreign
Missions, we have received from them funds sufficient to enable us to place in
our Church edifice a new walnut pulpit with all its furnishings.
As part of the labor of our
pastor in his own appointed field he has from time to time, as occasion and
opportunity offered, preached and conducted services at Cool Spring Chapel, at
the residence of Mrs. Lewis, at Farmwell and various other pints in the
neighborhood. At Farmwell there has been recently erected a handsome
church building, the largest Presbyterian Church in the county, here the
congregation very generally numbers from 200 to three hundred people.
There is yet no organized Church there, but w e cannot too earnestly call the
attention of Presbytery to this field as one extremely uniting and promising and
which ought at once to be occupied by an active and earnest working man.
There are but few members of the Presbyterian Church there at present, but a
large element not specially attached to any particular denomination, which may
not only be brought under the influence of the blesses Gospel, but may be
gathered in Church relations and molded under the forms of our own cherished
polity.
Our people are thoroughly united
and harmonious.
October 4th, at the regular
session meeting, the Moderator presented rules of proceedings or a series of
formal questions to be asked and answered at the regular meeting of the Session:
