EV. MARTIN STALEY was born October 8, 1785, and died July 19, 1859, at the age of seventy-four years. He married Elenore Bennett and reared a family of children. In the year 1822, he made a profession of religion, and soon afterwards he invited some of the Christian ministers to preach at his house in Chatham county, North Carolina. The labors of these ministers were blessed with the conversion of several of his friends and neighbors, and a church was regularly organized at his dwelling. In 1825, he raised money by subscription sufficient to buy land and build thereon a church first called Pond's meeting house, which became later Pleasant Hill, in Chatham county. He received, in 1828, authority from the church to "exhort and advance doctrines as the good Spirit might direct" (this being the language used on the old church book at Pleasant Hill). He was ordained in 1834, at the General Meeting at New Providence and became a member of the North Carolina and Virginia Christian Conference.

      In 1837, he attended the General Meeting at New Providence. In 1840, he reported to the Conference at Union chapel as from the Haw River circuit; and at the Conference at Pleasant Grove in Randolph county, North Carolina, in 1843, he was chairman of the committee on religious exercises. At the Conference at Hanks' chapel, in 1844, he served on the committee on the state of the church, which committee reported the church in a flourishing condition. In 1845, at the Conference at Apple's chapel, in Guilford county, he acted on the committee on publications. This committee held a meeting immediately after the adjournment of Conference and another meeting two months later at New Providence near Graham (then in Orange county). [139]

      In 1853, he was at the Conference at Mt. Pleasant in Randolph county, and advocated strongly the cause of temperance.

      Rev. Martin Staley was a delegate to the Southern Christian Convention at Union, in 1856, and opposed the "Preamble and Declarations" offered by Rev. S. S. Barrett.

      At the Conference at Hanks' chapel in Chatham county, in 1856, he was chairman of the committee on temperance, and was chosen one of the directors of the Home Missionary Society. Though absent from the Conference at Bethlehem, in Alamance county, in 1857, he was re-elected one of the directors of the Home Missionary Society of the North Carolina and Virginia Conference. He never attended the Conference again. The whole ministerial career of Elder Staley was characteristic of the man. Though but twenty-two years an ordained minister his usefulness cannot be measured by this short period of faithful service, but it "will continue to his survivors and succeeding generations yet unborn." "Long will his influence be felt in connection with benevolent institutions of his day; and next to his fatherly and affectionate gospel ministry may be, with great propriety, mentioned his prominent stand upon the great temperance reform." He not only preached the gospel, but lived it; his life was an exemplification of his teaching. He was a man of peace; his end was peace.

      While Rev. Martin Staley wrote but little that has been preserved, he however was clean in expression. It is related of him that when he was approaching the camp ground at New Providence, and heard "them blow the trumpet," he thought Gabriel was blowing his trumpet for judgment day. He often told of his conviction and conversion in his sermons. The following illustrates his style:--

      "We, the committee on the subject of Temperance, fully aware of the delicate position we occupy, report: We know that the minds of all men are not agreed upon this subject. The prejudice of education, coupled with individual interest, has prevented some from giving their support to the great Temperance reform; while others have seen the light and are rejoicing in it. Having examined the subject thoroughly, we are fully convinced that the manufacture, sale and use of ardent spirits as a beverage, is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all evils with which our country is cursed; we regard it as one of the greatest hindrances to the success of the gospel, and the greatest of all injuries to the church of Christ. In view of which we offer the following resolutions:

      "1st. Resolved, That we, as a body of Christians, taking Christ for our head and the Bible for our guide, disapprobate the manufacture, sale and use of ardent spirits as a beverage, and most earnestly entreat our brethren everywhere to join with us in discountenancing its manufacture, sale and use as a beverage.

      "2nd. Resolved, That the pastors of churches, and itinerant ministers be requested to deliver one discourse, at least, at each of their appointments, on this subject, during the Conference year."

[LCM 139-141]