HISTORY OF THE CANAL POINT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
by A. Roswell Harrington , Sr.
The worldwide Methodist denomination had many beginnings before it became firmly established. In 1736 John Wesley landed on Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia, where he preached his first Methodist sermon. He did not use the term “Methodist” here except to say he was the leader of the “Methodist Holy Club” which had been founded by his brother Charles in Oxford, England, earlier (1729). His text was from Christ’s words to his disciples who, being caught in the sea in a rough storm, became frightened. John’s words were: “Be not afraid.” This was a very timely subject because it was a long and rough journey at sea from England to Tybee Island. At this time, John was an Anglican Missionary traveling with his brother, the song-writer Charles. They were chaplains to Oglethorpe. After only one year and a very unfortunate experience, he returned to England. Less than four months later came the Aldersgate experience in which John not only found his way, but also his direction – when he found his hear strangely warmed. After this and with the help of George Whitfield, his gospel preaching brought forth much fruit. The year was 1739; classes were organized; the name Methodists was used to describe them; the word was no longer a slur, but a beautiful word.
In 1742, the South responded much more readily to the Wesley doctrine and mode of baptism. Since this was just prior to the American Revolution, the devoted and able ministers who were sent to America by Wesley labored under a dark cloud of Loyalist vs. independent American sentiment since they were Anglican. As expressed by the “Boston Tea Party” these feelings were stronger in the northern states than in the South. Therefore seventy-five percent of the new converts were from the South. The North viewed the new Methodist Church as Anglican. The South viewed it as independent and American.
The Anglican vs. American sentiment was further expressed by Francis Asbury and Thomas coke in 1784. They were appointed as superintendents by John Wesley to oversee the work of Methodists in America. They refused this appointment since they would be presiding over their American peers. These American ministers were not considered to be Anglican nor were they ordained Anglican Ministers. To harmonize these feelings, Asbury and Coke requested that they both be elected by these peers. This election was held and Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke became the first Methodist Episcopal Bishops in America. On December 24, 1784, at the Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, the Methodist Episcopal Church was constituted, becoming the first denomination to be organized in the United States of America.
Since Florida was Spanish and Spain was Catholic, the Methodist Church did not officially move into Florida, however, until Florida became a state in 1842. Methodist laymen were already working hard to move Protestant churches there. A second handicap was that Florida was not only Spanish, but it was also recognized as hostile Indian territory and very dangerous. My great-grandmother and all but one of her daughters were massacred and scalped. The daughter was found years later as a slave to Indians in or near Augusta, Georgia. The Christian work done by these laymen in the area between Lake City, Florida, and made it much easier for the circuit riders to move in to these areas when Spain ceded them to the United States. The area between Jacksonville (or Cowford) to St. Augustine, being historically both Indian and Catholic, was slower and harder to change to Protestantism. Be that as it may, where the Christian patriot had gone before, the dedicated circuit rider was sure to follow.
The beginning of the Methodist Church in Canal Point, Florida, parallels that of the spread of Methodism by the pioneer circuit rider except for the mode of travel and the year on the calendar.
Travel was either by foot or boat. This being the last American mainland frontier, it had no fewer hardships, dangers, and obstacles. The early circuit rider had from six to twenty preaching appointments. The buildings used were or may have been homes, one-room school buildings, brush arbors, or even beaches and shade trees. His schedule was most often bi-monthly or monthly. Very often on Sundays, there were sermons in three different locations. Saturdays usually had only one. Their food and lodging were wherever they were caught by night or rough weather.
These men of God inspired the congregation to organize churches. The building of churches, their maintenance and organization were the responsibilities of laymen as were prayer meetings and church schools. Early schools and colleges were sponsored by churches. Not too much effort or thought was given to record-keeping or denominational boundaries – that came later. If there are conflicting figures or names hopefully the above reasons may account for them.
Early in 1920, the Reverend Perry McClenahan came to the Everglades to take charge of a circuit on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. In the fall of 1920, the Reverend E. L. Housley and his wife returned as missionaries from the Philippine Islands and took over the Methodist Church work on the south end of Lake Okeechobee. The Rev. McClenahan then was stationed at Canal Point and served four preaching appointments from there north, one of which is now Port Mayaca. The Rev. Housley was a Methodist minister from Canton, Ohio. His circuit was under the Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville District of the St. John’s River Conference.
It was no accident that most of the early Methodist churches on the lake were built and supported by the St. John’s River Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The reason was that Florida was on the eve of a major expansion era and most of the new residents were from northern areas and members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Nationwide, the Methodist Episcopal Church made missionary funds available to church supported by the membership. Three of these churches were built on the lake beginning in 1920 in this order: South Bay, Canal Point, and Belle Glade.
In 1921, the Rev. Housley then took over the work at Canal Point with preaching appointments there also at Belle Glade and South Bay. In 1924, the churches at Canal Point and Port Mayaca were turned over to the Reverend W. Jessie Thomas. He retained these two churches until 1925. The first Canal Point church building began under the leadership of the Rev. Housley in 1921 and was completed in 1925. It was located on the south side of the West Palm Beach Canal near the Sears Shell Service Station. This church was completely destroyed in the 1926 hurricane. From 1926 until 1929, the congregation met in store buildings and homes until a new parsonage could be built on the north side of the West Palm Beach Canal. Then the church congregation met in the parsonage until a new church could be built adjacent to the present church and east of that parsonage.
The Rev. Thomas served the Canal Point church from May 16, 1924, until the fall of 1925. The District Superintendent at that time was L. H. Shumate and Mr. G. W. Snyder was the Church School Superintendent. Rev. Thomas’ preaching schedule was Belle Glade and South Bay on the first and fifth Sundays, Immokalee on the second Sunday, Palmdale on the third Sunday, and Canal Point on the fourth Sunday. On December 25, 1925, the Reverend J. O. Filley arrived in Canal Point. He was a retired sea captain from the Virginia Conference. He immediately went to work as carpenter and minister, working alone most of the time, building a new church. This was made possible by the use of lumber salvaged from old buildings in Jacksonville and brought in by barge. Lumber was brought in from out of state cities also. Local funds were supplemented by a $1500 gift from the Livingston Memorial Fund of the St. John’s River Conference and $500 from the Home Mission Board. In 1926 the first Ladies Aid Society was organized. In the same year, an Epworth League was also formed.
The 1927-28 Board of Trustees were J. W. Barret, W. F. Buchanan, H. A. James, Elizabeth Bergan, Mrs. Ida Staley Bouhanan, A. L. Pope, and Alfred Erickson. Rev. Filley (or Capt. Filley) served the church both as pastor and carpenter until he died on February 16, 1930. The first service held in the new church was his funeral. Bishop Shular F. Garth conducted the service. Internment was at Arlington National Cemetery. His birthplace was Saxony,
England.
This marked the close of an era of staunch, strong-hearted men and women of God who carried the Gospel by rowboat, motorboat, or even walked the snake-infested paths and trails along the shore of the lake from settlement to settlement, fish camp to fish camp preaching to a strong people who met in homes, stores, and under shade trees until a church could be built. Heat was provided by an oil heater or coal pot. Air conditioning was a palmetto fan. Summer and fall hurricanes were a calculated risk. Comfort and beauty were not frowned upon; they were not number one among the things needed most. In due time they would come. As the economy stabilized, a rapid succession of modernization followed, all in due time. As the depression lifted, so did the condition of the churches.
In 1954 a new and larger church building was needed. This was completed with a maximum of dedication and a minimum of effort. Where there is a need and a will God will provide a way. Debt has never been a burden that we needed. With more than half the funds necessary for this further expansion in hand and a second gift of $5000 from The Livingston Board in Jacksonville, we began the construction of a beautiful and comfortable new sanctuary that would do honor to the bounty and love of a heavenly Father. Earlier in 1948, it had become evident that a church school annex was badly needed. When the new sanctuary was fully paid for, we completed the second phase of a Church School and Fellowship Hall, continuing the practice of paying as we built. This building was dedicated in honor of Mr. N. V. Maxson, a faithful worker of many years. To relieve our crowded parking conditions, a generous member gave us the balance of the corner lot on which all the building had been done. This more than doubled our parking space.
At this time, the remaining old building that had been used both as a church and parsonage was seriously damaged by a devastating hurricane. The roof was completely gone and the structure itself seriously damaged. The Home Mission Board gave us a generous gift to repair it. After ample deliberations, the Board of Trustees deemed it unwise to spend that much money repairing an old building when with a little more money we could build a new parsonage on a new location. This new parsonage was built in 1960 during the tenure of the Rev. Bob Shelley. When this building was completed and paid for, Bishop John Branscomb very graciously led our Dedication Service for both the church and the parsonage.
Our yearning for the best in keeping with our ability to pay was not yet satisfied. An adjacent piece of property with a structure on it suitable for a nursery and primary classroom was offered to us at an attractive price. This we did with money set aside over the years for this purpose.
Very recently we have bought new air conditioning for the church and church school buildings. We have also replaced the sound equipment with the best that could be recommended for our sanctuary. New carpets have also been added. All of this not to make a showplace, but to make the house of God as beautiful as we would like our homes to be.
Many dedicated, fine, Godly ministers have filled our pulpits but none can detract from the example and Christian commitment of these pioneering men and women of God and dedicated, hard-working lay men and lay women who knew first-hand of the love, protection, and solace of a heavenly Father who was always on call and near. Those that have left us have left us a Christian heritage that we can never exhaust or excel. In doing all of this we have tried to lead the District Conference in connectional and mission giving. We are not an affluent people, but a proud people and a grateful people.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Most of the early church history has been verified by copies of the Official Minutes of the St. John’s River Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church dated Jan. 11-15, 1922; April 18-22, 1923; April 9-13, 1924; April 15-19, 1925; April 13-18, 1926; and April 20-24, 1927. Most of the research for rest of the article came from old issues of The Everglades News edited by Howard Sharp and Paul Rardin, historical research by Lawrence Will of Belle Glade, Our Christian Heritage by Sarah Lee Creech of Belle Glade, memories of Mrs. A. L. Pope, Mrs. J. S. Harrington, Mrs. W. P. Jernigan, Mr. N. V. Maxson, the Frank Wilsons, and Mr. D. L. Hooks of Canal Point and many others of this era. Information also came from Florida Flame by Robert M. Temple, Jr., and my late wife Gladys, a fourth generation Florida Methodist from the area of Monticello, Florida, who was a very thorough researcher, especially when it concerned her Christian, moral, or social convictions.
The Ministers who have served our church from
its beginning in 1920 are listed below:
Rev. Perry McClenahan 1920-1921
Rev. E. L. Housley 1921-1924
Rev. W. Jessie Thomas 1924-1925
Rev. J. O. Filley 1925-1930
Rev. R. E. Starr 1930-1935
Rev. G. E. Bennett 1935-1937
Rev. M. A. Soper 1937-1938
Rev. M. O. Slawson 1938-1942
Rev. E. S. Doherty 1942-1944
Rev. Oliver Hatfield 1944-1946
Rev. William T. Blair 1946-1948
Rev. R. A. Fuller 1948-1949
Rev. Earl Jones 1949-1951
Rev. James Roy 1951-1953
Rev. B. W. Palmer 1953-1956
Rev. L. A. Sparks 1956-1958
Rev. Robert A. Shelley 1958-1964
Rev. James W. Baugher 1964-1965
Rev. Edward F. Norton 1965-1967
Rev. W. E. Rowell 1967-1971
Rev. C. H. Hagmeier 1971-1974
Rev. Dan Casselberry 1974-1978
Rev. Wallace B. Draper 1978-1980
Rev. John C. Sanders 1980-1984
Rev. C. Lerbie Alligood 1984-1987
Rev. Edward Steele 1987-1988
Rev. Logan Whalen 1988-1991
Rev. Mrs. Jackie MacMillan 1991-1996
Rev. Greg Sampson 1998-1998
Rev. Linda Joyce 1998-2000
Rev. David Broadbent ` 2000 - Present
