Lincoln Chapel United Methodist Church Gallery

Laity Sunday 2003
October 19, 1853
     During a time when the wilderness was wild and homesteads were few and far between, a circuit rider started visiting the families in the western part of Union County as early as 1791. Circuit riders, itinerant preachers of the Methodist congregation, served a 'circuit' consisting of 20 to 40 appointments. Traveling on horseback was economical and suited for the forest pathways and cross country paths. A circuit rider preached nearly every day and twice on Sundays, covering his circuit every four to five weeks. Appointments were in pioneer cabins, schoolhouses, the local courthouse, a meeting house, outdoor forest settings or even tavern barrooms. Even though the rider often had a limited education, he was usually effective in preaching and lived a very self-sacrificing life.
     Early circuits were sometimes referred to as a 'charge.' A pastor was appointed to the charge by his bishop and during the course of a year, he was expected to visit each church on the charge at least once, and possibly start new ones. At the end of the year the pastors would meet with the bishop at an annual conference, where they would be appointed new charges. A charge containing only one church was called a station. Traveling preachers responsible for caring for these local churches or stations, became known as circuit riders or saddlebag preachers. They traveled light, carrying their belongings and books in saddlebags.
     Francis Asbury (1745-1816), the founding bishop of American Methodism traveled 270,000 miles and preached 16,000 sermons as he traveled the circuits. Peter Cartwright (1785-1872) wrote 'A Methodist preacher, when he felt that God had called him to preach, instead of hunting up a college or Biblical Institute, hunted up a hardy pony, and some traveling apparatus, and with his library always at hand (a Bible, Hymn book, and Discipline), he started and with a test that never wore out nor grew stale, he cried, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.' In this way he went through storms of wind, hail, snow, and rain; climbed hills and mountains, traversed valleys, plunged through swamps, swollen streams, lay out all night, wet, weary, and hungry, held his horse by the bridle all night, or tied him to a limb, slept with his saddle blanket for a bed, his saddle bags for a pillow. Often he slept in dirty cabins, ate roasting ears for bread, drank buttermilk for coffee, took deer or bear meat, or wild turkey for breakfast, dinner and supper. This was old-fashioned Methodist preacher fare and fortune.
     Not only did the preacher face physical hardship, but often he endured persecution. Of those who died up to 1847, nearly half were less than 30. Many were too worn out to travel and they did not earn much in dollars but were given grace on earth and glory in heaven. These riders distributed Bibles and books as well as Methodist periodicals and these materials were often the primary reading materials of the early pioneers. Circuit riders were also teachers and paved the way for the establishment of Methodist schools and colleges across the frontier.
     Meetings were held in school houses in Hartleton and Glenn Iron in western Union County. John and Hannah Lincoln took up residence in their newly built farm house in 1826. The spirit of the Great Awakening of the late 18th century that was transforming England an spreading across colonial America touched the Lincoln family and others in the valley.
     By 1835, Henry Tarring was appointed to the Northumberland Circuit and this route became permanent. During this time when circuit riders traveled from one town to another preaching the gospel, a group of men gathered to form a Board of Trustees in a small school house in Glenn Iron in the year 1852. Those trustees were Thomas Church, Samuel Corl, John Diehl, Christian Gann, Samuel Knight, John Lincoln, and Josiah Showalter.
     On December 30, 1852 a deed was recorded to purchase land from Hannah Lincoln on which to build Lincoln Chapel. That corner lot was purchased for $1.00 and is today Paddy Mountain and Lincoln Chapel Roads.
     During the summer of 1852 Enoch Miller was hired as an architect and Joseph Boop as a carpenter and a church was built and land was dedicated for burial purposes. This church was located 25 to 30 feet south of the current church but still on the north side.
     John Moorhead and F. M. Slusser were the two pastors who preached at Lincoln Chapel in 1853. They were assigned to the Northumberland Circuit which was a two week circuit. One preacher would follow the other so each appointment had church the same day every week, not necessarily on Sunday. The circuit included five Methodist owned church buildings and approximately twelve other appointments. The circuit included Snyder County; Union County, south and west of Lewisburg; and Point Township of Northumberland County.
     Worshiping in Lincoln Chapel has changed over the years as the congregation has seen the altar platform extended to fill the front of the church. An Amen Corner was present to the left of the altar and the choir and organ were located on the right side. Segregated seating was evident as the men would sit on one side and the women and children on the other. Gathering before the service was quiet and reverent as the congregation awaited the arrival of the circuit rider. The service would begin with a hymn, then prayer (done by kneeling in the pews), an offering, followed with the sermon (lasting for several hours), prayer was offered again, and lastly, the benediction.
     Once the circuit rider leaves, the congregation must wait another week before they can gather together again to hear the word of God while worshiping in the same church that we have worship in today.
     And so on a morning similar to a morning in 1853, Lincoln Chapel once again experienced the extraordinary worship service given by a circuit rider. As the men were guided to the left section of pews and the women to the right, the congregation awaited the arrive of John Moorhead. The congregation shared a brief glimpse back in time as Hannah Lincoln, dressed in her authentic 1853 clothing, arrived to share in our worship service.