EV. ASHBEL S. NELSON was received as a licentiate at the Conference at Union meeting house, in Orange (now Alamance) county, North Carolina, in 1840. In 1843, at the Conference at Pleasant Grove, in Randolph county, the committee on ordination recommended that Ashbel S. Nelson and John R. Holt receive Elders' orders. The presbytery was composed of Elders D. W. Kerr, T. J. Fowler, and S. G. Evans. In 1848, he attended the Conference at New Providence. In 1850, at the Conference at Union chapel, in Alamance county, he served on the committee on itinerancy. During the year 1856, he preached for two churches. In 1859, at the Conference at Union, in Alamance county, he was present and reported as having served three churches: Christian Union, Pleasant Grove (Randolph), and Acorn [207] Ridge. In 1862, the minutes of the Conference at Damascus show him in charge of Brown's.

      In 1865, he united in the formation of the Deep River Valley Conference. In 1869, he was its president, and in 1870, at Oldham's Grove, in Moore county, he called the Conference to order, and was chosen its vice-president. He served on the committee on ordination, education, and periodicals. The committee on ministerial supply assigned him to preach at Shiloh, Acorn Ridge, and Brown's chapel. He was chosen president of the Conference at Shiloh, in 1871, and vice-president at Union Grove, in 1872. At this latter Conference he delivered the annual sermon from John 12:23, and was on the committee on ordination. In 1874, he was President of the Conference at Pleasant Grove, and was added to the committee on education, and also served on the ordaining presbytery. He was President of the Conference at Shiloh, in 1875, and in 1878, at Union Grove, Vice-President, and on the committee on education.

      At the Conference at Pleasant Cross, in Randolph county, he was on the committee on religious literature. And he was appointed on the executive committee, and educational committee, in 1883. At the Conference at Big Oak, in Moore county, in 1884, he was elected Vice-President, and appointed on the committee on education. He attended the Conference at New Center, in Randolph county, in 1885, and made a report of his ministerial labors to the Conference.

      In 1891, he was with Rev. H. A. Albright of the Deep River Conference, who thus speaks of him: "The communion service of the Sabbath was conducted by our aged and beloved brother A. S. Nelson. The service was interesting and very impressive." Any account of his early life and of his last days has escaped our most diligent search. [208]

[LCM 207-208]