The Experiences of Uncle Jack: Being a Biography of Rev. Andrew Jackson NewgentSnyder, W. Ed.
Religion
The Experiences of Uncle Jack: Being a Biography of Rev. Andrew Jackson Newgent
Snyder, W. Ed.
Newgent, Andrew Jackson, 1838-1913
She looked at him curiously for an instant and said, “I believe you are
the fellow.” And his smile told that she had guessed aright.
His money was returned at once, and she insisted that he stay and preach
at the Methodist church near the camp ground that night, assuring him
that he would have a good hearing as there had been much talk about the
little preacher who had “set the camp meeting afire.” This he was unable
to do, but promised to return at a later date.
A short while after the camp meeting, he filled an appointment for his
pastor, Rev. J. F. Moore, at the Leatherwood church, which was a part
of the Rockville charge. The pulpit arrangement of this church was in
strict harmony with the fashion of the times. It consisted of a sort of
wall which shut the preacher in almost completely from the congregation,
suggesting a military fortification. Newgent, being small of stature,
could with difficulty peer over the top of the ramparts. He was led to
believe, however, that the fortification was a necessary precaution,
for his artillery had been turned loose but a short time when it was
evident that there was a hearty response. Bang! Some sort of a missile
struck the rampart just in front of him with a loud report. It was
followed immediately by another, and the bombardment, continued until
six discharges were fired. The preacher withdrew within the breastworks
that small fraction of his anatomy that was exposed, and waited for
hostilities to cease. The congregation was at once thrown into a
state of confusion and excitement. When the preacher finally surveyed
the situation after the heavy batteries were silenced, he saw that a
hand-to-hand skirmish was on between two men in the rear of the room.
One was making a desperate effort to get the other to the door and out
of the house. With the help of the congregation, he succeeded in putting
down the rebellion, and going back to his fortifications he finished
the discourse and the service was concluded in fairly good order. The
difficulty was only a side issue, the culmination of a grudge between
a couple of natives. The missiles were not aimed at the preacher, but
were fired from ambush through the open door; the man for whom they were
intended happened to be sitting in range with the pulpit.
Rev. Mr. Moore resigned the Rockville charge during the year and Newgent
was appointed to serve the unexpired term. This was his first experience
in the pastorate. His brief term of service here was characterized by a
revival of extraordinary results at Otterbein, his home church. Converts
were numbered by the scores and the community was shaken by such a
spiritual upheaval as it had never known.
[Illustration: REV. ANDREW JACKSON NEWGENT
When he traveled his first circuit.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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