Saturday, November 6, 2010

St. George's Methodist Church

St. George Methodist Church - 1769
This church also has an active museum with dozens of original pieces including an active classroom that is occasionally used. Francis Asbury, first bishop of the Methodist Church, served here as pastor. Asbury worked tirelessly to bring Methodism to the new land, traveling 270,000 miles on horseback and ordaining more than 4,000 ministers in 35 years. He called St. George's "The Cathedral Church of American Methodism." Their artifacts include his Bible and a silver chalice that Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, sent St. George’s in 1785.


Inside the sanctuary

The pulpit on the left



Pulpit and organ in back balcony

Looking to the rear of the sanctuary

How cool is this?

Teachers desk, chalkboard and chairs for little students. Curved benches are on both sides of the room. It is about 10' square

Artifacts that are inside the case on the teacher desk

A surviving hand written letter from John Wesley to Rev. Asbury

In the museum
The original hand written sermon book of Francis Asbury! Recently restored and now preserved.

Certificates of good standing. Yearly, members needed to pay their pew dues and in return they received these certificates.

Coins and other pieces

Furniture and household items in the museum

Various silver pieces used over the centuries

A foot warmer. Folks brought these to church with them because churches did not have heating of any kind. You would put fire embers in side the box, then put your feet on top and cover with a blanket. These also helped to heat the pew boxes as well. Churches didn't have open pews, but a pew box that was enclosed, and these would help to warm the box.

Inside the mueum offices.


Old Victrola

Silver chalice, a gift given to Rev. Asbury from John Wesley






















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