The Methodist Church had its beginning in Arkansas in 1815, according to Dr. James A. Anderson's history of Arkansas Methodism.
In 1815 Eli Lindsay, living about one half mile east of the present village of Jesup in Lawrence County, Arkansas, started and organized the first Methodist work in Arkansas. "His is the glory of having started the Methodist Church in Arkansas." (Quote from Anderson's History). This heroic pioneer ranged from where Searcy and Judsonia now stand to the Missouri line north of Spring River and north of Imboden and Pocahontas. Lindsay was a local Methodist preacher not under appointment of the Methodist Church, but working on his own.

Lindsay no doubt held services in homes, under brush arbors, and in the open air, as no church buildings had been erected in this area at that time and likely not for a number of years after that. Let us remember that this country was wild and sparsely settled.

The Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803. The first survey to establish a beginning point of this territory was in 1815. There was not a post office in all this area, the first one being established at Old Davidsonville in 1817. Davidsonville was between what is now Imboden, Pocahontas and Black Rock, and at first the mail was delivered once each month.

In 1815 Eli Lindsay reported to the presiding elder, Samuel H. Thompson, of the Missouri District of the Tennessee Annual Conference. In 1916 two men were sent to Arkansas. Phillip Davis was sent to the Spring River circuit, the area that Eli Lindsay had organized. William Stephenson was sent to Hot Springs circuit, the area south of the Arkansas River. At the end of the first conference year these two men reported 190 members. We soon lost sight of Phillip Davis, but for ten years William Stephenson was conspicuously connected with Arkansas Methodism.

There is no record of Eli Lindsay ever becoming a member of annual conference. This was not unusual; many local preachers remained local preachers but did much effective work in these early years. They earned their livelihood at various kinds of work, as farmers, lawyers, doctors and other vocations. Eli Lindsay was one of those hardy pioneers who would take part in a bear hunt.

A well authenticated story tells of Lindsay preaching where Batesville now stands. While the service was in progress, the dogs scented a bear. The men always carried their guns and their dogs followed them. The men grabbed their guns, Lindsay dismissed the service and joined in the chase. After the bear was killed, the men returned to the service and Lindsay thanked God for men who could shoot and women who could pray.

Records in the early days in Arkansas were not well kept. These early settlers were not aware that they were making history. We know that Eli Lindsay lived and preached in the community later known as Jesup. A marker is on the spot where he lived on a farm first known as the Taylor farm. Very likely the farm was first owned by a Mr. William Taylor, who moved to Arkansas and settled on the bank of Strawberry River. This farm was later known as the Massey farm, now known as the Sullivan farm. A log residence stood for many years and I have seen this house many times. It was a double log house with a dog trot. Lindsay preached in this building and no doubt preached in numerous other homes. There is no record of any church buildings for the first 25 to 30 years in this section, according to Walter E. McLeod's History of Lawrence County.

The reason for there being no records was that in the early days it was the custom to build a log building that was used for church and school. There was no public school for many years. In 1848 or 1849 a very substantial log house was built about a half mile south of Jesup. This was known as Shady Grove Methodist Church and Shady Grove School. The building was well constructed of well-hewn logs, planed to a very smooth surface, and was used until about the turn of the century. It stood some 40 years after it ceased to be used for church and school purposes.

The Jesup post office was established in 1894. A new school building was erected about 1900 on a spot where the Smith home now stands. It was used by the Methodist Church and it was after they moved to this new school building that it became known as Jesup Methodist Church.

The Methodist Church building that still stands, now known as Eli Lindsay Memorial United Methodist Church, was erected in 1906. Trustees were A.B. Wallis, John W. Taylor and W.C. Guthrie and the pastor was W.S. Storey. This frame building had a lodge hall over it which was not unusual in that period. In 1938 the lodge hall was removed, leaving it a one story, one room building. At that time it was veneered with native stone during the pastorate of Rev. J.C. Ritchie.

In 1948 the building was further remodeled with sheet rock and panelled walls, a hard wood floor was laid and the choir and pulpit were panelled. Art glass memorial windows were also installed, making it a beautiful chapel.

It was felt that Eli Lindsay should be honored and his name memorialized, so the congregation voted to change the name to Eli Lindsay Memorial Methodist Church, after union hence Eli Lindsay Memorial United Methodist Church.

In the same year that the first pastor was assigned to the Spring River circuit in 1816, four families came from New Madrid, Missouri and settled in what was later the Jesup community. A marker stands on Highway No.115 just east of Strawberry River stating that the Raneys, the Taylors, the Fortenberrys and the Findleys settled in this community. Of the present membership of 62 and about 20 percent are related to the Raneys; about 40 percent are related to the Taylors; about 40 percent are related to the Fortenberrys; and about 10 percent are related to the Findleys. A number of the members are related to all four families.

An early Methodist Church near Lynn was flrst named Raney's Chapel. This church was later moved to Lynn and is now known as Lynn United Methodist Church.

The Taylors were active in the Methodist Church. John Wesley Taylor was Sunday School superintendent and for a number of years a member of the board of stewards or administrative board. Garland C. Taylor grew up in this church, moved to Walnut Ridge, entered the ministry and served several churches, including Rector, Tyronza, Gardner Memorial in North Little Rock, Morrilton, Osceola, Marianna and others. He is now retired and living at Osceola. His has been a real contribution to Arkansas Methodism.

Another prominent member of the North Arkansas Conference who first joined the church at Jesup is Ernest B. Williams, who taught school in Lawrence County for some years before entering the ministry. He served Hoxie, Vilonia, Pottsville, Russellville, Blytheville, Helena, Gardner Memorial in North Little Rock as pastor and both the Paragould and Jonesboro districts as District Superintendent. He is now retired and living in North Little Rock. He has also made a real contribution.

The writer of this article, R. Neill Storey, also joined this church as a boy of 12 years of age. He served as pastor of several churches, as District Superintendent of Paragould District, Conference Executive Secretary of Town and Country Work and as District Superintendent of the Jonesboro District. He is also retired.

Jewel Holland, a younger Methodist minister, grew up in the Jesup community and in this church. He united with the church in 1939 and has served as a pastor in the North Arkansas Conference. He is now pastor at Bradford and has served well. We trust he has many more years to serve.

The early church records of this, as well as most other churches, are very lacking. However, it is very evident that the work in this area of Lawrence County has been continuous since 1815. After Eli Lindsay organized the first work and reported to Samuel H. Thompson, Presiding Elder of the Missouri District of the Missouri Annual Conference, Phillip Davis was sent to the Spring River Circuit in 1816, as Walter E. McLeod's History of Lawrence County mentions. Isaac Brookfield was pastor of the Spring River Circuit in 1821.

The best that we find of the church in what was later the Jesup community, it was Shady Grove Methodist Church and after the division of Methodism, it was the Methodist Episcopal Church South. When the village of Jesup developed around the turn of the century, the church was known as the Jesup Methodist Church and is now known as Eli Lindsay Memorial United Methodist Church.

The earliest records of this church go back to 1880 and show the following pastors assigned: R.O. Moon, 1880; J.A. Vernon 1882: S.W. Regester,1888; J.F. Armstrong 1896; W.W. Reid 1902 and W.S. Storey,1904.

The following members united with this church: Albert and Jane Wallis, 1880; John and Fanny Taylor and William M. Howard 1884; W.C. and Lucy Guthrie 1888; Audnie Wallis 1896 and Lee and Mary Winters 1898.

Bee Smith was an active member layman in this church for many years. He did valuable work in cooperation with the pastors, W.T. Watson and A.N. Storey, in leading the congregation in the remodeling and renaming of the church in 1948.

This rural church has never been large, but has been active since its beginning in the very early days of Arkansas Methodism.

This history of the Eli Lindsey United Methodist Church was prepared by the Rev. Nei1 Storey about 1972. Rev. Storey and Rev. Taylor, who preached at the dedication are both deceased, as is Rev. Williams, but no attempt was made to bring the history up to date. It is submitted for what it is - a record of an early church.

A Fellowship Hall was added and dedicated May 6, 1979. Maurice Kemp was pastor and Ben C. Jordan was district superintendent. The present pastor is John Thomas Stoll, who had an ancestor who was a charter member of the church.

Most of the info came from Pearl Smith, my grandmother, who still lives next door to the church, and attends every Sunday that they can. I was there last Sunday before I went to the Milligan Campground Church Reunion...

   This article was taken from the Spring Edition of the Lawrence County Historical Society Quarterly, Summer 1982, Volume 5, Number 3. The information on this page may be used for historical and genealogical purposes and not for financial gain. Any use must be accompanied by written permission of the page owner and this copyright must appear with the article.    Jeri Helm Fultz