If you are from my “home turf” of central Virginia, you are well accustomed to the mountains, hills, rolling landscape and roads, and the many curves of our rural roads. You would feel out of place traveling where JoAnne and I have been the past couple of days. At times, we traveled for a mile or more before there was a disturbance in the straight as an arrow road we were traveling on. More than a mile without a curve, dip, or rise in the roadway. Makes for some pretty impressive gas mileage! At times, it felt as if we were driving in a trench… with soaring vertical walls of tall pine trees lining the road. Perfectly straight and flat, as if some giant, with giant hedge clippers, had trimmed away any wayward limbs that dared to invade the airspace of the road.

To date, we have logged 709 miles, while stopping at 39 waypoints. I am writing this from a motel in Yemassee, SC.

Tuesday, September 2: One of our first stops was the Onslow Museum. In my researching locations, I discovered a number of local community museums. Surmising that they might have some mention of Asbury visits, I added them as pushpins in my map book. At this museum, we met Lisa, the museum director. Not only a historian, but a Methodist herself, we had a delightful conversation about Asbury in Onslow County, NC. She even introduced us to the Onslow County Historical Society members who were having a meeting there that day. Sadly, we were about 3 months too late to look over their Church & Religion exhibit that did include Asbury.

This day, we visited Swansboro, and discovered, to my surprise, that the United Methodist Church of the same name had disaffiliated. In 1791, Asbury records in his journal:

Thursday, 27. I had many to hear at Swansboro: the people were attentive. O that God may bless his word to them! Surely all shall not be in vain.

In most cases, I’m aware that a church has disaffiliated. Despite their leaving the Connection, they will always remain a historic part of our DNA, and an important part of my pilgrimage.

The remainder of Tuesday was taken up by visiting 5 or 6 waypoints mentioned by Asbury (some of which I made my best guess as to map locations). Crossing into South Carolina late in the afternoon, we ended the day at Conway, SC.

Wednesday, September 3: We began the day visiting Duncan Memorial Methodist Church in Georgetown, SC. Renamed after a Pastor Duncan, it was known as Georgetown Church prior to that. It presents itself as the oldest Methodist church in South Carolina. In 1791, Asbury speaks of Georgetown:

Sunday, 13. I preached a plain, searching sermon; and some felt the word: but it is a day of small things. In the afternoon I enlarged on, “How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim?” The wicked youths were playing without and inattention prevailed amongst those within. I was, and continued to be, under great dejection during my stay.

We took the chance, and rang the doorbell on a side door… and were rewarded with a lengthy conversation and tour by Katie, the Church Administrator.

From Georgetown, we moved onto Charleston, where in 1791, Asbury meets up with Thomas Coke who has just arrived from England. Coke will be a traveling companion with Asbury for the next couple of months. We visited Trinity United Methodist Church, which was founded in 1791, and as a “sidebar”, visited Mother Emanuel AME Church – the site of a mass shooting hate crime in June 2015, where 9 members were shot to death during a bible study class. They have since become know as the Emanuel Nine. In the third photo above, JoAnne is reading a plaque describing the memorial garden that is currently under construction.

Taking in a couple more minor waypoints, we concluded the day.

Peace,
-Pastor Tim