EV. WILLIAM GLENDENNING as a volunteer, in November, 1774, accompanied James Dempster and Martin Rodda, two missionaries sent over by John Wesley. "William was originally from Munford, Scotland."

      He became a preacher in 1775 and was received on trial at the third Annual Conference, convened in Philadelphia, May 17th, this same year. He was selected as one of the committee to act in place of the General Assistant. He was appointed on the Brunswick circuit in Virginia with Robert Williams, Edward Dromgoole and others, and thus became "one of the first to preach in North Carolina." In 1778 he was on the Roanoke circuit. On the 28th of April, 1770, the Conference of the northern preachers was held at Judge White's, at Choptank, in Kent county, Delaware. And William Glendenning was present, and at this Conference the government of the Methodist church was practically initiated by such minutes as the following: "Every exhorter and local preacher should go under the direction of the assistants where and only where they shall appoint." "On hearing every preacher for and against what is in debate, the right of determination shall rest with him according to the minutes." Mr. Asbury was authorized to act as General Assistant. Mr. Glendenning withdrew too late; already he had helped to fix the policy. Speaking of the session of the Conference in Baltimore, May 25, 1784. Asbury says, "Our Conference began all in peace. William Glendenning had been devising a plan to lay me aside, or at least to abridge my powers." No annalist gives an inkling of what reform methods in government Glendenning proposed. His name was printed in the minutes second to Asbury's among the Elders for 1784, and he had regular work, having received the appointment to [44] Brunswick, one of the best in the Conference. However, he was too impetuous for a leader. He receives scant courtesy from the annalists and was probably too independent and eccentric for the military regime of the then leaders.

      In 1785, on account of the condition of his mind he stopped preaching. He says, "I was removed to one Leonard Smith's in North Carolina, in order to try what physicians could do for me. I knew, and told them that all doctors and physic on earth could do me no good. But they took me and forced me there. While I was there Dr. Smith forced me to take some of his physic, but it answered no end."

      In 1786 he desisted from traveling, but in 1792 he wrote to the Conference, requesting to be admitted again into the traveling ministry, but was not received on account of his mental condition.

      He traveled in Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland, and from the first appears to have allied himself with the opponents of Asbury's episcopal views. He joined himself to the Christian Church after its organization, and labored with O'Kelly in its establishment. During the time while he lived in Raleigh, he built a house of worship on his own account, where he preached and conducted services in his own way. The chapel was called Bethel. No doubt it was in this house that the General Meetings were held in 1807 and 1808 in the city of Raleigh. He was successful in business and accumulated considerable property notwithstanding his eccentricities.

      In 1795 he published his own life, the "Life of William Glendenning," written by himself, in which he gives a full account of his sufferings. He also criticises Bishop Asbury for the treatment he received at his hands. From Mr. Atkins Turner, who had read the book, we learned that he recorded his suffering as being very [45] great. The book was a small volume which he supposed contained about 100 pages. Rev. Jesse Lee gives some quotations from it, which reflect on Mr. Glendenning, even if they were not so designed.

      He was a printer and publisher, and his office was located on Newbern street near the State House, Raleigh, North Carolina. It is said he published a book of sermons by the Rev. D. Jarratt in 1805. Such was the imprint. He was also engaged in the mercantile business, in Raleigh, and died there in 1816. He was about sixty-five or seventy years of age. Before his death his mind had become normal; but many of the imagined circumstances he looked upon as real.

[LCM 44-46]