Smokey Mountain News
10-19-05 |
| |
|
Shook helped Methodists spread word in WNC
By Michael Beadle
Haywood County holds a strong, historic connection to Methodists.
In addition to a rich tradition of circuit riding preachers and historic
Methodist churches, the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the U.S. United
Methodist Church and World Methodist Council are headquartered at Lake
Junaluska in Haywood County. Some of the earliest evidence of Methodist
preaching in Haywood County took place in the historical Shook-Smathers
House.
The history of Methodism goes back to early 18th century England when John
Wesley, his brother Charles, and a collection of friends at Oxford
University began holding religious meetings in 1729. Wesley and others felt
the Church of England had lost some of its fervor and charity. They set out
to reinvigorate the Church with a revival movement. Known as zealous,
Bible-Christians and labeled “Methodists” by their critics for following
strict “methods” or rules, the Methodists organized religious societies and
went out preaching to the poor and working classes who were often excluded
from churches. Wesley urged not only a greater spiritual awareness of Christ
but a greater concern for humanity and social justice. Wesley preached to
abolish slavery; advocated caring for the poor, orphaned, widowed and
imprisoned; and promoted education and temperance. Unlike the Calvinist view
of predestination, Methodists emphasized free will and free grace — that
personal decisions for holy living and faith in God would lead one to
heaven.
The Wesley brothers put forth truly Herculean efforts — John logged an
estimated quarter million miles (mostly on horseback) as a preacher and
preached more than 40,000 sermons, while Charles wrote an estimated 6,000
hymns. Methodism in England found legions of new converts under their
leadership.
Fifty years later, a new generation of Methodist missionaries — bishops
Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke — came to America to spread the Word. In an
effort to convert new populations, the Methodist Church designated a local
preacher to a circuit. About a dozen churches would be grouped in a circuit,
and ministers toured around to these churches rather than being stationed at
one church. Circuit riders might come around every three or four months to
hold worship services, celebrate marriages, or preside over funerals and
baptisms.
As one of these traveling preachers, Bishop Asbury came through Western
North Carolina’s rugged terrain and kept a journal of his arduous travels,
often sharing candid remarks. One of these journal entries lists a visit to
Jacob Shook’s House in Clyde. Asbury, who had come from Cataloochee down
into Clyde, refers to the German Jacob Shook as “Vater” or “Father” Shuck.
On Nov. 30, 1810, Asbury’s journal reads, “After crossing other streams, and
losing ourselves in the woods, we came in, about nine o’clock at night, to
Vater Shuck’s. What an awful day!” This quote is on the historical marker in
front of the newly restored Shook-Smathers House in Clyde.
After converting to Methodism late in life — perhaps influenced by Henry
Boehm, who preached in German — Shook opened his house and property as a
meeting place for Methodist worship services, singing classes, and camp
revival meetings.
Camp meetings, which became a major religious and social phenomenon in the
early 19th century, brought together hundreds — even thousands — of people
for evangelical preaching outside the church on campgrounds for a week at a
time. The camp meetings had a more egalitarian goal of reaching all classes
of people and energizing congregations as sinners proclaimed their faith in
Christ and celebrated fall harvests with annual community gatherings. Area
settlers would arrive on horses and horse-drawn wagons and set up brush
arbors and tents.
Jacob Shook not only used his property for camp meetings. He also deeded
some of his land for the site of the Louisa Chapel United Methodist Church
in 1837. The chapel is one of the oldest Methodist churches in Haywood
County.
Today, there are more than 75 million Methodists in more than 130 countries.
Nearly two dozen colleges and universities in the United States have
“Wesleyan” or “Methodist” in their names. Some 40 different Christian
denominations can trace their roots to John Wesley’s Methodist movement. |
| |
|
