REV. JOHN S. LAWRENCE.

EV. JOHN S. LAWRENCE was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, January 22, 1833, and died February 22, 1899. He was buried at Pleasant Hill Methodist Protestant church near his home, according to the rites of the Masonic Fraternity of which he was an active member.

      His great grandfather, John Lawrence, came probably from some place in Virginia in 1792, when he was in his sixties, and entered about a thousand acres of land on the waters of Fork creek fifteen miles southeast of Asheboro, Randolph county, North Carolina, and lived [336] there till his death in 1800. His descendants continued to live on this body of land and here Rev. John S. Lawrence was born. It was a devout family as is indicated by the christian names. John S. Lawrence's grandfather's name was Jesse, and his father's name, Isaac, and his mother's name, Martha. Jesse Lawrence was a Methodist minister, and is buried at Asheboro, North Carolina. Isaac Lawrence's home was a favorite stopping place for ministers of the gospel. Hence, the subject of our sketch had opportunity of seeing in his home, during his childhood and youth, many of the best and most learned men that this section of the state afforded.

      Schools were few and poor in character, consequently his education was limited since there is no record of his having gone from his own community to school. He was led early into the church, and was married in his twenty-third year.

      At the North Carolina and Virginia Conference, held at Union in Alamance county, North Carolina, in 1859, he first appeared before the committee to examine candidates for the ministry. He represented Christian Union, of which church Rev. A. S. Nelson was pastor at that time, and was recognized as a candidate for the gospel ministry. In 1860, at the Conference at Pleasant Hill in Chatham county, he was recommended for licensure.

      At the Conference held at Antioch in Chatham county, in 1864, the Educational committee says, "That the examination of the members generally gave much satisfaction to the committee, and that after careful investigation and full inquiry, we are persuaded that the good of the cause and the moral and mental attainments of the following will justify their ordination, viz.: John Goodrich, C. A. Boon, and John S. Lawrence." This year [337] Rev. J. S. Lawrence had served Christian Union and Brown's chapel; and for the ensuing year he was appointed with Rev. W. R. Brown on the Deep River circuit. In 1865, he united in the organization of the Deep River Conference, and from this time forward labored in its bounds.

      He was present at the Deep River Conference, held at Oldham's Grove in Moore county, in 1870, and served on the committees on ordination and periodicals. By the committee on ministerial supply he was appointed to Pleasant Grove and Cool Springs. In 1871, at the Conference at Shiloh the committee on ministerial supply appointed him to Parks' Cross Roads, Pleasant Ridge, and Shiloh. He was also appointed on the committee on education. In 1872, at Union Grove in Randolph county, he was chairman of the committee on ordination, and reported to the Conference as follows: "That we have examined Bro. Peter Humble and have admitted him into the Biblical class, and would recommend the church to which he belongs to license him to exercise his gift as the good Spirit may direct." At the Conference at Parks' Cross Roads, in 1873, he was elected president of the body, and chairman of the Executive committee for the year. He was a delegate to the General Convention at Graham, North Carolina, in 1874, and was appointed on the standing committed on home missions. At the Conference at Pleasant Grove, this same year, he was added to the committee on education, and appointed chairman of the committee on Home Missions, which committee had formerly been called the committee on Ministerial Supply. He was also chosen fraternal messenger to the North Carolina and Virginia Conference.

      In 1875, at the Conference at Shiloh in Randolph county, he presented the petition of Mt. Zion in Moore county, for admission into the Conference. During the year he had preached at Parks' Cross Roads, Shady Grove, [338] and Mt. Zion. He was president of the Conference at Shady Grove in Montgomery county, in 1876, and in 1877, at the Conference at Pleasant Grove, he served on the committee on Home Missions and Education. This year he had had charge of Shady Grove, Union Grove, New Providence (later, Big Oak), Brown's chapel, and a mission station.

      At the Conference at Parks' Cross Roads, in 1879, he had charge of Pastorate No. 2,--Shiloh, Brown's chapel and New Providence,--and was appointed a fraternal messenger to the North Carolina and Virginia Conference. He attended the Conference at Pleasant Grove, in 1880, and served on the committee on education, and on the same committee, in 1882, at the Conference at Pleasant Cross.

      In 1883, the Conference was held at Shiloh, and he was appointed on the Executive committee as chairman, and in 1884, at Big Oak in Moore county, the committee reported the licensure of Rev. W. W. Hayworth. The Conference met at New Center in Randolph county, in 1885, and he conducted the opening religious exercises. At this Conference he was appointed as chairman of the Executive committee. During the year he had no regular pastoral charge. In 1886, the Conference met at Smithwood church in Guilford county; he served on the committee on memoirs, and preached a sermon in memory of Rev. W. G. Brady from Rev. 20:12. At the Conference at Union Grove, in 1887, he served on the committee on memoirs on the death of Rev. P. P. Humble. He was appointed chairman of the committee on education. At the Conference at Pleasant Ridge, in 1889, he was elected a fraternal messenger to the North Carolina and Virginia Conference, and served as chairman of the committee on education.

      In 1891, he was at the Conference at Brown's chapel in Moore county, and was appointed on the committee [339] on Sabbath schools, and on that of religious literature as chairman. He had served Pleasant Grove, Brown's chapel, Shiloh, and Christian Union. He was present at the Conference at Union Grove in Randolph county, in 1892, and also at Parks' Cross Roads, in 1893; he served on the committee on Sabbath schools at the former, and on that of education at the latter.

      In 1894, at the Conference at Shiloh, which was the first after the union and division, he welcomed the ministers and delegates from the old North Carolina and Virginia Conference. He served on the committee on Foreign Missions and also on that of Home Missions. After this the Conference is called the Western North Carolina Christian Conference. This Conference met at Smithwood in Guilford county, in 1895, and he served on the committee on Sabbath schools and on that of foreign missions. The Conference met at Asheboro, in 1896, and he submitted the reports of the Executive committee and the home mission committee. At the Conference at Center Grove, in 1898, he was appointed on the Finance committee, and served also on the Educational committee and committee on home missions. In 1899, the Conference met at Liberty church, and a committee on Memoirs on the death of Rev. John S. Lawrence was appointed. In the report of the committee these words appear: "Brother Lawrence's genial face and gentle manners will never greet us again as we come together in our annual gatherings," and "Resolved, That we will, by the help of God, close up the break in our ranks, and by his aid march forward to victory till we shall strike hands with our brother gone before, on the shores of everlasting deliverance, peace and happiness." [340]

[LCM 336-340]