February Celeb Birthdays! – Royal Examiner

Frank Strother served with the forty third Regiment of Virginia Cavalry – Mosby’s Partisan Rangers, in Firm A. When his parole was issued at Winchester on 5 Could 1865, he was eighteen years previous.  Strother was transformed and joined the Methodist Church in 1866. He attended Clifton Preparatory Faculty at Markham and Randolph-Macon Faculty from 1868-71. Strother was admitted on trial to  Baltimore Methodist Episcopal Church South (MECS) at Warrenton in 1872. He turned a Deacon in full connection in 1874, and was later ordained an Elder.

As a church planter, Rev. Francis (Frank) Alexander Strother was a pastor who invested his time and power to until new soil, plant contemporary seed, foster new progress, and reap a brand new harvest. Rev. Strother was a decided and devoted pastor who sought to evangelize the misplaced and shepherd God’s individuals. He took the accountability as the first chief and principal evangelist. Rev. Strother did many of the heavy lifting when it got here to sharing the gospel and invited individuals to consider in Jesus, not solely from the pulpit, however out in the neighborhood as effectively. As a church planter he led in a hands-on and deliberate approach, concerned in practically each resolution, assembly and exercise.

Rev. Strother would efficiently make the transition from planter to pastor, watching the church mature, and progressively delegating the required duties, empowering others to guide. He understood the principals of group evangelism, performing in partnership with residents and native companies to advertise every new church construct.

Rev. Frank Strother, for many of his lengthy profession, was an appointed preacher within the space of the Winchester District: Piedmont-Linden (1872-73), Piedmont (1873-74), Linden (1874-75), East Rockingham (1875-79), Berryville (1879-83), Brucetown Circuit (1885-87), Brucetown (1887-88, 1911-15), Winchester (1889-91), Stephens Metropolis (1890-94), Hamilton (1903-07), Fairfax (1907-11), and Edinburg (1915-18). He’s given outstanding consideration at Duncan Memorial, the place he’s thought of certainly one of its founders, and likewise at Crums UMC, each church buildings in Clarke County. He’s additionally credited with founding or revitalizing Refuge, Aid, Fairview and Macedonia UMC in Frederick County and Bethany UMC in Loudoun County. [1]

He was appointed to Stephens Metropolis Circuit 1889-93. Strother pastored Stephens Metropolis UMC from 1889-1892. He served 46 years below MECS appointment (1872-1918). His different appointments have been Linganore, Md, Shepherdstown, WV, Fincastle, and Jefferson, WV. He retired in 1918 and died Aug. 22, 1925, in Stephens Metropolis (age 78). Strother is buried in Inexperienced Hill Cemetery in Berryville, VA.

One of many final of the Circuit Riders, Rev. Frank Strother was assigned to Berryville ME Church (now Duncan Memorial Church), in 1879 and helped set up funding to construct a brand new two-story brick constructing constructed between 1882 and 1884, changing the outgrown wooden body 1871 assembly home. Rev. Strother is honorably talked about on the church web page historical past as a person who served lengthy and faithfully by preaching at 5 different church buildings on his circuit whereas serving the Duncan congregation.

In accordance with Middletown historians and sisters, Lillian Could and Lula Lauck, a cow was important to rebuilding Fairview Methodist throughout the Eighteen Nineties. Fairview was an previous, small, and dilapidated church home (constructed 1861) between Excessive View and Canterburg. The Rev. Strother, at a revival assembly, so stirred up the group as to the necessity of a brand new Truthful View church (now Fairview), that an previous woman began the brand new church fund by promoting her cow. Miss Lillian Could and Miss Lula, as younger women, labored ardently getting subscriptions for the church. It was constructed on the positioning of the previous one, near Friendship U.B. Church—each church buildings are nonetheless [1950] there, at a street intersection and this nook is now often known as “The Double Church buildings.”

Inspired by the success at Truthful View, the Rev. Strother held a six- week revival in a giant tent close to the Fairfield Faculty, a location then proven on county maps as “Fairfield” however which was much better recognized domestically as “Misplaced Nook.” Rev. Strother stated that this place ought to be often known as “Misplaced Nook” no extra—that he would construct a church of refuge for the “Misplaced Nook” individuals. Subscriptions got here in quick after the revival, the Lauck sisters stated. The church was constructed and renamed “Refuge”; and Misplaced Nook is now recognized to everybody because the city of Refuge.

Once more, within the Eighteen Nineties, Rev. Frank Strother, then pastor of the Stephens Metropolis Methodist Church, held an evangelistic assembly in a grove close to the schoolhouse. The assembly resulted within the group of one other Methodist church. George Thomas Massie, one of many converts, donated the lot, and the current church constructing was began in 1891. It was devoted, freed from debt, in 1892, and was named Aid Church.

Miss Lillian Could and Miss Lula wrote in 1950 that there was a settlement often known as “Lickspittle” on Center Street about three miles west of Stephens Metropolis, an space a part of Stephens Metropolis Methodist Circuit. There was no church at Lickspittle, stated the sisters, and Rev. Strother got down to increase cash to construct one there. Once more, he was profitable; cash got here in, and shortly the church was constructed. Rev. Strother stated the church would carry the individuals reduction from “Lickspittle,” so the brand new church was named “Aid,” which turned the settlement’s identify, and “Lickspittle” has been forgotten besides by just a few of the older residents. [2]

One other story tells how Rev. Strother prevented Macedonia Methodist Church from closing. Though the church was based in 1843, and a brand new church was inbuilt 1879, companies have been changing into rare there in 1894. Rev. Strother, the Stephens Metropolis MECS pastor on the time, declared the necessity for retaining the church open by having often scheduled companies.

Rev. Strother started holding tent revivals, attracting round forty new members. The elevated membership allowed the church to grow to be a part of the Stephens Metropolis Cost. By 1896, a church faculty was organized and the great Rev. Strother preached there two Sundays every month. Macedonia then went below the White Submit Cost of the Methodist Church the place it started to flourish.

Bethany Church was based July 2, 1903, and from then till 1929 it was often known as the Purcellville Methodist Episcopal Church South. Rev. Frank Strother, who was pastor of Hamilton Circuit, based Bethany, and it was initially certainly one of 4 church buildings served by pastors of that circuit. The others have been Concord at Hamilton, Trinity at Rock Hill and The Grove at Woodbury.

When Rev. Strother got here to Hamilton as pastor in April 1903, he discovered church buildings throughout Purcellville, however none within the city. Famous as a planter of church buildings, he misplaced no time in organizing a church in Purcellville with 36 constitution members, most of who have been transferred from Concord Church at Hamilton. That fall the brand new church purchased the property of the now closed Presbyterians, which they occupied till the current church was accomplished in 1929. Below Rev. Strother, the unique membership of 36 elevated to 64 by 1907. [3]

In a letter to Inez Steele in 1905 (printed in her ebook, ”Early Days and Methodism in Stephens Metropolis, Virginia, web page 75), Rev. Strother wrote, “I adopted Rev. J. H. Du Laney on the circuit and located it in a wholesome, affluent situation. After two years administration, the circuit was divided and Middletown and Stephens Metropolis Circuits have been fashioned. I used to be continued answerable for the Stephens Metropolis work and remained there two years, throughout which era two new societies have been fashioned and thirty-eight hundred {dollars} have been expended in constructing and repairing church buildings and 4 hundred paid to Middletown for curiosity in parsonage and the circuit was completely free from debt after I left. Actually a lot was completed and below God, it was attributable to common and excellent unity and cooperation of individuals and pastor.

Whereas it has been my privilege to serve in all my fees an exceptionally good and type, beneficiant and devoted individuals, Stephens Metropolis has equaled, if not excelled, any certainly one of them.”

Richmond Instances-Dispatch

19 October 1925, web page 7

Maintain Memorial Service.

WINCHESTER, VA., Oct. 18. –

A memorial service for the late Rev. Frank A. Strother was held at present within the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at Stephens Metropolis, the place he died a few month in the past. The principal tackle was delivered by Dr. H. P. Hamill, Washington. A pill unveiled throughout the companies comprises the inscription: “Rev. Frank A. Strother, 1847-1925, Soldier, 1861-65, Mosby Ranger, Preacher, Pastor, Chief. Erected forty church buildings, Good friend of Man, Servant of God, Trainer Golden Rule Bible Class.”

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[1] Historical past of United Brethren and Methodist Church buildings within the Winchester and Harrisonburg Area, 1777-2017, Quantity Three-Church buildings in Frederick County, dated July 2017, web page 979.

[2] Invoice Garrard, “Scrapbook of Correspondents Who Have Been Writing for The Star for 54 Years, The Winchester Star, July 1950.

[3] Historical past of United Brethren and Methodist Church buildings within the Winchester-Harrisonburg Area, 1777-2017, Quantity Two—Church buildings in Loudoun County, dated July 2017, web page 154.