This Week in Texas Methodist History October 8

Religious Survey of Brazoria County Reveals Editor’s Ignorance  Oct. 9, 1847

A.    J. McGown (1817-1871) was one of the most significant preachers in early Texas.  He was a Presbyterian minister, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto, and missionary to the United States from Texas.  (His missionary efforts were designed to recruit Presbyterian ministers to come to Texas.)  In November, 1846 he began publishing the Texas Presbyterian, the first denominational newspaper in Texas at his Victoria home. 

Although some preachers of the era were parochial and insular in their outlook, McGown was interested in promoting the interests of the various denominations.  He cheered on the Methodists in their camp meetings and encouraged them to start their own denominational newspaper, which they soon did.  He particularly praised the Methodists for their evangelization efforts among Germans.   In one particularly ecumenical passage, he wrote,

  While we disclaim the idea of looking upon the Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Methodist ministry as the only hope of the world, or even of Texas, we do look upon a pious and educated ministry as the only hope of the church universal under God. 

As with almost all newspapers of the 1840s, a great deal of the content was copied from other newspapers.  The October 9^th issue of the Texas Presbyterian contained one such report of the conditions in Brazoria County.  It was obviously written by someone with little knowledge of the denominations.  Here is how it appeared.

The following clergymen preach statedly in the county viz.

Bishops Wesson and Johns of the Methodist E. Church

Bishop J. T. Paxton, Presbyterian

Bishop Noah Hill, Baptist

Bishop Harrison, Episcopal

Union Sunday Schools exist at Brazoria and Velasco. 

A Baptist bishop!  Really?    The two Methodists are James Wesson and I. G. John.  John eventually moved to Nashville and became a editor of church publications and officer of several General Conferences, but he was never elected bishop.  Wesson spent a long, distinguished ministry in Texas.  He is buried at Navasota in the same cemetery as Martin Ruter.