Excerpts from "There's Power in the Blood - Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Grays United Methodist Church", published in 1989.
FOREWARD
A church is not a building, or a pastor, or a family name--it is people who band together in Jesus' name to do His will. In compiling a bicentennial booklet, we were tempted to cram it full of every name, statistic, and activity we could find in the church records. But to publish such a record on a 200th anniversary would truly be concentrating on the trees instead of the forest. It would hide the true story and the things that are really important. When we searched the historical records of 200 years we became painfully aware of how sketchy those records are, and how many names, events, and accomplishments are not recorded anywhere. The records either were not made in the first place, or they have been destroyed by the ravages of time, fire, or decay. Most of the statistics, class rolls, and records of giving and serving are lost or hidden in the records of other churches in the same circuit or charge. |
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The site of the first log building called Grays Church is unknown. The location of the original cemetery on Peter Gray's farm is lost, and the graves were plowed over long ago. The soil of the Half Moon Valley is now enriched by the dust of many unknown and unsung faithful souls who cleared our fields, established our churches, filled our pews, sang our hymns, cooked our church dinners, spread the Gospel, and served their fellow man.
Why did they, and why do we, serve God--to gain importance or salvation through our works, or to humbly seek to do God's will because of our faith?
The name of Grays Church itself testifies to the fact that individual names are not important. The name is simply an identification, a location. That is the reason we omit the apostrophe which would denote possession or ownership.
Therefore, this centennial booklet is written to glorify no person, but to glorify God by telling the story of all of God's people, who for 200 years have proclaimed the only name that has any importance--the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer!
In 1916, when the Half Moon Charge held its Annual Homecoming Week at Grays M. E. Church and Grove, they chose as their theme the scripture in I John 1:7--"The BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son cleansest us from all sin."
While we were preparing this 200th Anniversary Celebration, someone asked the question—“What keeps a church going for 200 years?" A wise man answered--"A few faithful people."
This book is dedicated to those few faithful people of our church family who always lead, and sustain us--who believe and live and demonstrate that THERE'S POWER IN THE BLOOD of Jesus Christ!
Why did they, and why do we, serve God--to gain importance or salvation through our works, or to humbly seek to do God's will because of our faith?
The name of Grays Church itself testifies to the fact that individual names are not important. The name is simply an identification, a location. That is the reason we omit the apostrophe which would denote possession or ownership.
Therefore, this centennial booklet is written to glorify no person, but to glorify God by telling the story of all of God's people, who for 200 years have proclaimed the only name that has any importance--the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer!
In 1916, when the Half Moon Charge held its Annual Homecoming Week at Grays M. E. Church and Grove, they chose as their theme the scripture in I John 1:7--"The BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son cleansest us from all sin."
While we were preparing this 200th Anniversary Celebration, someone asked the question—“What keeps a church going for 200 years?" A wise man answered--"A few faithful people."
This book is dedicated to those few faithful people of our church family who always lead, and sustain us--who believe and live and demonstrate that THERE'S POWER IN THE BLOOD of Jesus Christ!
THE HISTORY OF GRAYS CHURCH
A church is not a building but a people, hence our claim that Grays Church was founded in 1788.
The Peter Gray family and the Conrad Hartsock family came to the Half Moon Valley in 1788, from Frederick County, Maryland, and settled in what is now Patton Township. As soon as Peter Gray had a roof on his log cabin, and probably before, he began a Sunday School class. These settlers also made pilgrimages to church at Warriors Mark, 12 miles distant, because that was the nearest regular preaching point on the circuit. In about 1790, Gray arranged for Methodist preachers to stop at his house to hold services, and for nearly 30 years his house was a temple where the surrounding community gathered once a month, and sometimes oftener, to enjoy the privilege of worship.
Peter Gray was the chosen leader when the Sunday School class was formed, and for 25 years he stood faithfully at the helm. His successor was his son, Peter B. Gray, who was likewise a local preacher. After him followed Samuel P. Gray, Jacob Gray, and J. G. Gray.
In 1826 a rude log church was built near Peter Gray's home by Joseph Atley, John L. Gray, William J. Meek, and others. In 1863 the class leaders were Isaac Gray and J. C. Hartsock. A member of the Gray family was class leader for 100 years. The old log church stood from 1826 to 1851, when it was destroyed by fire.
In 1852 the log church was replaced by a more pretentious frame structure near the Peter Gray farm, which was used until the building of the present handsome edifice in 1888. The new large brick church was built through the efforts and contributions of Isaac Gray, who then owned Skytop Farm near the church. Due to an unavoidable delay, the new structure that Isaac Gray helped build was not dedicated until two weeks after his death.
The early records of the Grays Sunday School and Church no longer exist. Since Grays Church was considered a part of the Warriors Mark Circuit, its statistics were combined along with those of other churches in the Half Moon Valley into the statistics for the Warrior's Mark Circuit. In the early days no distinction was made.
Over the years many circuit changes were made, creating an impossible tracking job for any one church, particularly since many church records are either missing or never existed. The present Half Moon Circuit was formed in 1888, the year the present Grays church was built.
When the 120th year of service by Grays Church was celebrated in 1946, the Rev. H. Willis Hartsock sent a letter of congratulation and reminiscence to the church in which he stated the following:
“My public confession of Christ was made on the altar of the old (frame) church on the evening of my 11th birthday. As a boy I had same small part in taking down the old building, and for getting out the stones for the foundation of the new one. My father was selected by the overseers to oversee the building of the new church, and spent a great deal of time helping. Much of the work was done gratis by the members. The brick were burned by Miles and Jacob Mattern at the cost of $6 per thousand at the kiln. Father made the small pulpit for the Sunday School Room. For more than 60 years he was a member of the church. He was a trustee, class leader, exhorter, and Sunday School teacher.
“I have vivid recollections of the buggies and spring wagons filling the church yard, that brought worshippers--whole families--on Sunday mornings. The quarterly meetings were great occasions and brought many visitors. Some families entertained as many as 37 guests for dinner. The revival services were occasions of sincere reconsecration, deep conviction, repentance, and conversions under sincere gospel preaching. With so many loyal men and elect ladies, pillars of the church, no wonder it is that the church still survives and that so many persons, ministers, and lay people have gone out to be leaders in fields of Christian service."
A church is not a building but a people, hence our claim that Grays Church was founded in 1788.
The Peter Gray family and the Conrad Hartsock family came to the Half Moon Valley in 1788, from Frederick County, Maryland, and settled in what is now Patton Township. As soon as Peter Gray had a roof on his log cabin, and probably before, he began a Sunday School class. These settlers also made pilgrimages to church at Warriors Mark, 12 miles distant, because that was the nearest regular preaching point on the circuit. In about 1790, Gray arranged for Methodist preachers to stop at his house to hold services, and for nearly 30 years his house was a temple where the surrounding community gathered once a month, and sometimes oftener, to enjoy the privilege of worship.
Peter Gray was the chosen leader when the Sunday School class was formed, and for 25 years he stood faithfully at the helm. His successor was his son, Peter B. Gray, who was likewise a local preacher. After him followed Samuel P. Gray, Jacob Gray, and J. G. Gray.
In 1826 a rude log church was built near Peter Gray's home by Joseph Atley, John L. Gray, William J. Meek, and others. In 1863 the class leaders were Isaac Gray and J. C. Hartsock. A member of the Gray family was class leader for 100 years. The old log church stood from 1826 to 1851, when it was destroyed by fire.
In 1852 the log church was replaced by a more pretentious frame structure near the Peter Gray farm, which was used until the building of the present handsome edifice in 1888. The new large brick church was built through the efforts and contributions of Isaac Gray, who then owned Skytop Farm near the church. Due to an unavoidable delay, the new structure that Isaac Gray helped build was not dedicated until two weeks after his death.
The early records of the Grays Sunday School and Church no longer exist. Since Grays Church was considered a part of the Warriors Mark Circuit, its statistics were combined along with those of other churches in the Half Moon Valley into the statistics for the Warrior's Mark Circuit. In the early days no distinction was made.
Over the years many circuit changes were made, creating an impossible tracking job for any one church, particularly since many church records are either missing or never existed. The present Half Moon Circuit was formed in 1888, the year the present Grays church was built.
When the 120th year of service by Grays Church was celebrated in 1946, the Rev. H. Willis Hartsock sent a letter of congratulation and reminiscence to the church in which he stated the following:
“My public confession of Christ was made on the altar of the old (frame) church on the evening of my 11th birthday. As a boy I had same small part in taking down the old building, and for getting out the stones for the foundation of the new one. My father was selected by the overseers to oversee the building of the new church, and spent a great deal of time helping. Much of the work was done gratis by the members. The brick were burned by Miles and Jacob Mattern at the cost of $6 per thousand at the kiln. Father made the small pulpit for the Sunday School Room. For more than 60 years he was a member of the church. He was a trustee, class leader, exhorter, and Sunday School teacher.
“I have vivid recollections of the buggies and spring wagons filling the church yard, that brought worshippers--whole families--on Sunday mornings. The quarterly meetings were great occasions and brought many visitors. Some families entertained as many as 37 guests for dinner. The revival services were occasions of sincere reconsecration, deep conviction, repentance, and conversions under sincere gospel preaching. With so many loyal men and elect ladies, pillars of the church, no wonder it is that the church still survives and that so many persons, ministers, and lay people have gone out to be leaders in fields of Christian service."