1 Corinthians 3:1-11 It is not known how many Presbyterians there were in this area 350 years ago. What was then all called Somerset County. But we know there were some. There is one name that appears in records from that time – a David Brown. He came here from Glasgow, a self-affirming Presbyterian. His name appears in records dating back to 1670, as he served on several juries and grand juries, as a justice of the peace, a member of the Lower House of Assembly, and a militia officer. Although I cannot give you their names, there is no doubt that David Brown had the company of other Presbyterians in Somerset County. Because there were enough in 1672 to form four worshiping communities alongside the rivers, which were the primary routes of travel back then. It was a ruling of the Somerset County Grand Jury in March of 1672 […]
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Pillars of Faith, Part 1: Faith Acts
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 I don’t usually go in to the church on Fridays, but last Friday I was there to meet a couple named Billy and Liz McCullough. Billy and Liz are from Northern Ireland and they are visiting the area indulging Billy’s special interest: Francis Makemie. That’s a name that is very familiar in our region ofthe world. Francis Makemie is known as the founder of several churches on the Delmarva Peninsula, including ours. We all claim our founding date in 1683, because that is the year Francis Makemie arrived on our shores. He was invited to come here by Colonel William Stevens, who was an Episcopalian living in Somerset County. Makemie was apparently a good organizer, because he traveled among the Scots-Irish communities, who were all Presbyterian, and helped them organize into congregations. Later, he helped organize the first presbytery in America in Philadelphia. He was also, I’m guessing, […]
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