Mission Statement:
To produce fully equipped disciples of Jesus Christ who are able to reproduce themselves for the advancement of God's Kingdom.
| A local church in fellowship with the “Primitive Methodist Church in the U. S. A.” |
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The Wesley Church of that day refused admission to the converts. The two men most responsible, Hugh Bourne and William Clowes, were reprimanded and later expelled for their part in conducting open air meetings. They sought in vain for two years to be reinstated into the Wesleyan Church and tried during the same period to place in that fold the sheep they had rescued from sin. Finally they were driven by necessity to the founding of a place for themselves and their new converts in 1810. The growth of the group was phenomenal and in February, 1812, meeting in Tunstall, the people took the name of THE SOCIETY OF THE PRIMITIVE METHODISTS. |
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For several years the matter of sending missionaries to America was prayerfully discussed by the Hull and Tunstall Quarterly Conferences. . . . Because of their missionary feeling, the proposal to send missionaries to the United States was issued from these two Circuits, and the enterprise was jointly theirs. They presented their proposal to the Scotter Conference in 1829. It was received with enthusiasm and the Conference made the necessary arrangements for carrying the project to completion. . . . Four missionaries were selected and these were to be sustained by the Hull and Tunstall Circuits. The individuals named were Miss Ruth Watkins and Mr. and Mrs. William Knowles from the Tunstall Circuit and Messers. William Summersides and Thomas Morris from the Hull Circuit. In 1829, the first missionaries arrived in Brooklyn, New York. They suffered many hardships and the societies they founded in New York City struggled against many difficulties and had but feeble growth. Elsewhere, in various parts of Pennsylvania the societies attained considerable strength. Up to 1840 the societies in the United States constituted a "Mission under the control and partial support of the British Conference". It was found however that the conditions in the new world could not lend themselves to the customs and methods of the old, and as the British Conference insisted upon maintaining its old world methods and rules in America or withdraw its support, the Conference which met in New York, September 16, 1840--"Resolved, that we consider ourselves from this time, distinct from, and, unconnected with the English Conference". At the Conference sessions in May of 1975, the following emblem, which was designed by Rev. Norman Beck, was accepted and approved as the official insignia and the official name is now The Primitive Methodist Church in the United States of America. |
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They met for a short time in their various homes, when a self appointed committee consisting of Mr. John Blease, Mr. John Ward Sr. and others hearing of the Primitive Methodist cause in Plymouth went down and invited Mr. Frank Grey to visit them. A meeting was called in Blease's Hall. A mutual understanding arrived at, the congregation worshiped in Blease's Hall for some time with Brother Gray ministering to them with the aid of Local Preachers until May, 1872. This society became one of a circuit consisting then of Plymouth, Honey Pot (now Nanticoke), Wilkes-Barre, Five Points (now East End), Yatesville, Pleasant Valley (now Avoca). They were received into the Primitive Methodist Connection in May, 1872, at a Conference held in St. Clair, Pennsylvania with Rev. C. Spurr being the President. From Blease's Hall they changed their place of worship to a little school house on Sparrow Hill, Miners Mills. These services grew in interest and power under the direction of Brother Grey and the faithful band of local preachers of which Mr. T. M. Phillips deserves special mention because of his loyalty and sacrifice in the interest of the cause so precious to him. In May, 1872, the Conference held at St. Clair appointed Rev. J. H. Acornley and W. B. Bache to the Plymouth Circuit which consisted of ten appointments extending a distance of sixteen miles. In 1873, April 19th, the united circuit committee sent a request to Conference desiring the circuit be divided and Rev. J. H. Acornley returned as the pastor of the Wilkes-Barre Circuit consisting of five appointments and reaching from Wilkes-Barre to Pittston, of which Laurel Run (now Parsons) was a part. About this time the congregation began to feel the need of a church and with that object in view Rev. J. H. Acornley and Mr. James Brin called upon Mr. J. W. Hollenback, Esq., who after much persuading sold them a lot valued at $350 for one dollar, practically donating it to them, on conditions that within a given period of one year a church should be raised at a cost of not less then $600.00. The lot was deeded to the Society at Laurel Run (now Parsons), and is located on the corner of Hollenback Avenue (now Austin Avenue) and Railroad Street. Late in the fall of 1873 the ground was broken for a new church building by Mr. John Geen. Soon on the site there was erected a church building 24x36x16 and early in the year of 1874 the building was dedicated for worship of the true and living God. Mr. Hollenback kindly donated $50.00 toward the erection of the church. For thirty-eight years with some small additions and improvements it served its purpose as a place of worship, being the birth place of hundreds of precious souls. |
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| Blease's Hall Early Place of Worship |
The First Church 1874-1911 Rev. Thomas Cook standing at the gate. |
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| Church Erected in 1912 | ||
| The years that followed 1912 after the building of the new church were difficult for the growing Society. Sometimes it was a part of a Circuit of two Churches, at others it was associated with several. It meant sacrifice and devoted loyalty to maintain the organization, but Parsons has never been without families who loved Jesus Christ, and His Cause with sincerity, and who were willing to make the necessary outlay of money and time to sustain the Church of their choice. Only in one period was there any thought of closing the Church, and disbanding the group of faithful workers and that was the Conference of 1902-03, but at the next Conference it was again placed with the Hudson-Plains Circuit, where it remained until it became an independent Church during the pastorate of the Rev. Thomas Cook, in 1914. Under the pastorate of Rev. Thomas W. Jones many improvements were made to the Church, including a Hammond Organ, new wall to wall carpeting in the church and Sunday School rooms, new altar furniture, pews, and interior decoration. Plans had been made for a new Educational building and following the beginning of the pastorate of Rev. Eugene Martin the plans were adopted and the new addition was built and dedicated in November of 1963. |
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| Sunday School Addition - 1963 | ||
| In the Fall of 1969, the main entrance to the church sanctuary was changed. New doors, canopy, steps, and aluminum rails were installed. Also a new entrance to the church parlors was completely changed with double glass doors, rail and steps into the Social rooms. Under the pastorate of Rev. James Hughes a new, much needed, parking lot was built through much determination and perseverance. Also the official name of the Church was changed from Laurel Run Primitive Methodist to Parsons Primitive Methodist Church. Rev. K. Gene Carroll became the pastor in 1987 and during his pastorate the people have purchased an Allen Organ. The Church has been made accessible to those with physical impairments through a ramp being built outside the double glass doors on Austin Avenue and the installation of two chair lifts on the inside stairs to go up or down. Several prayer ministries have been established, including a prayer chain consisting of approximately 35 families and a prayer partners ministry consisting of 90 adults and children who pray for their prayer partner during the entire year. Rev. Andrew Jerome became the pastor in 2007 and is serving at the present. Following is a listing of the pastors who have served the Parsons Primitive Methodist Church. Mr. Frank Grey ------------------------- 1871-1872 Rev. J. H. Acornley -------------------- 1872-1874 Rev. C. McKechnie ---------------------- 1874-1876 Rev. T. C. Bache ----------------------- 1876-1876 Rev. H. G. Russell --------------------- 1876-1879 Rev. Moses Harvey ---------------------- 1879-1881 Rev. J. B. Tyler ----------------------- 1881-1883 Rev. J. T. Mathews --------------------- 1883-1885 Rev. John Jones ------------------------ 1885-1887 Rev. George Lees ----------------------- 1887-1889 Rev. Thomas Eva ------------------------ 1889-1891 Rev. G. J. Jefferies ------------------- 1891-1894 Rev. S. Penglase ----------------------- 1894-1896 Rev. W. Opie --------------------------- 1896-1899 Rev. Thomas Bell ----------------------- 1899-1901 Miss May Rogers ------------------------ 1901-1902 Rev. W. F. Paul ------------------------ 1903-1904 Rev. A. Clegg -------------------------- 1904-1906 Rev. W. H. Acornley -------------------- 1906-1910 Rev. Thomas Cook ----------------------- 1910-1917 Rev. George Powis ---------------------- 1917-1924 Rev. James Iley ------------------------ 1924-1931 Rev. T. H. Reseigh --------------------- 1931-1932 Rev. J. Elvin Zuch --------------------- 1932-1935 Rev. Thomas W. Jones ------------------- 1935-1962 Rev. Eugene Martin --------------------- 1962-1980 Rev. James S. Hughes ------------------- 1980-1987 Rev. K. Gene Carroll ------------------- 1987-2007 Rev. Andrew Jerome --------------------- 2007- |
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K. Gene Carroll --------------------------------- I.S.P. - www.wso.net |