City Directories and History: “Sharon (“Level Country”), 1796, York County. See Isaiah 35:1 and 2—“The desert . . . shall blossom abundantly . . . the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord.”
Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC
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Sharon A.R.P. Church has had three building at this approximate location. Prior to 1847, the congregation met in a log building on the location. A new church building measuring 40′ – 60′ was then erected. This building was remodeled in 1904 and the pulpit was moved from the north end of the building to the south end. The sounding board was also removed and a new entrance was created in the bell tower. On Dec. 30, 1923 the congregation abandoned the church and began meeting in the basement of the new brick church. The first preaching in the new sanctuary was on March 14, 1923. The old church building was sold to A.M. Erwin for a fee of $400. The church was moved and used for a farm structure and tenant house.
For additional data please see the attache PDF on the Sharon church as well as the excellent information provided by R&R’s contributors.
In the summer of 1796, Rev. James Rogers of the Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia, organized the Sharon congregation into the Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The church, then listed as “Bullock’s Creek” bout become known as “Sharon” by 1800. The earliest congregational songs for the churches of the Reformation were paraphrased Scripture and texts,especially the Psalms. When hymns were introduced into worship many of the congregates departed to separate churches; the church of Sharon consisted of members from Beersheba and Bullock’s Creek. On 5 June 1797, Rev. William Dixon became the first pastor of the Sharon congregation and continued to about 1826. Sharon, Carmel Hill and Tirzah then called Rev. William Meek McElwee in 1827. Because of the issue of slavery came to the forefront McElwee left the church about 1832. A number of ministers served the congregation until 1843 when twenty-six year old Rev. Robert Armstrong Ross was installed. He said of the congregation upon his arrival he found “the tone of piety and morals were not altogether as good as it should have been.” During his pastorate Ross received doubled the membership in 33 years, before 1876 and another 176 members in the seventeen years between 1876 and 1893. In May of 1854 Ross, having lost his first wife married Rachel McElwee. In 1886 Ross lead the women of the church to establish the Ladies Aid Society that continued for the next one hundred years. Ross pastored the congregation for fifty years and within a month of his anniversary celebration, he died 25 November 1893. The pulpit remained empty for the next three years with several supply ministers. In July 1896 Rev. John Steward Grier answered Sharon’s call. One of the more interesting event of Grier”s pastorate was the founding and organization of Hebron ARP Church “on the outskirts of Sharon” in 1897. Once again, in February 1909, Sharon’s pulpit was emptied with the death of Rev Grier. Seven months of his death, the pulpit was filled by Rev. Ebenezer B. Hunter.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan. 6, 1892 – “The Ladies Aid Society of the Sharon ARP Church has completed the work of putting a new set of pews in the church.”
Seven months after Mr. Grier’s death, Rev. E. B. Hunter came to the Sharon pulpit, and opened the Session 7 November 1909, marking the beginning of his work at Sharon. Three-fourths of his time was given to Sharon and one-fourth to Tirzah. (Tirzah would later release him on 31 December 1919.) Just before his installation he baptized three months old Helen Kennedy, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Porter Kennedy. She was the first child in the church to be baptized by Rev. Hunter and first time the new baptismal bowl was used.
Rev. Hunter was born in Mecklenburg County, NC 23 December 1877. When he was five or six years old he and his parents moved to Cleveland County, Arkansas. He entered Erskine College in 1899, left after one year and returned in 1901 and graduated with an A.B in 1904 and entered Erskine Seminary, graduating 1906. After ten years pasturing Sharon and Tirzah, he emitted Tirzah and continued with Sharon, servicing thirty-five years. A year before his arrival, he married Ola Barron of Rock Hill 30 December 1908. He went by the nickname “EB” and raised the “b” to a capital making it his middle initial so that he became known as Dr. E. B. Hunter.
Dr. Hunter turned sixty-five earlier in 1942, and in December he announced to the Session that several years before he had promised his wife he would retire when he became sixty-five. With that he turned in his resignation. The Session voted not to accept his resignation, but to be “Democratic” about it, they took it to the congregation. The Congregational Meeting took place on 27 December at which time the people made a unanimous rising vote to continue with their pastor. Hunter was informed of the church’s wishes on 3 January 1943. In spite of his better judgment, Hunter acquiesced.
A little over three months later, Hunter was hospitalized and was too weak to attend the Synod in April. Sometime during the spring of 1943 a substitute moderator conducted the session meetings, showing that Hunter was away from the pulpit. On 30 May word came to the elders that Dr. Hunter was making some improvement. Hunter returned home in July, but his doctors said he could not preach for several months. At that time he told John S. Rainey that he no long could accept a salary check until he was back in the pulpit; the Session yielded to his wishes. In September he went to Florida to convalesce. After preaching services on Saturday night, 23 October, part of the Session met and appointed a committee to draft a letter of sympathy to Dr. and Mrs. Hunter, knowing he must have another operation. The next morning the letter was presented to the Session who accepted the draft and instructed John Rainey to send the letter.
On 2 January 1944, the Session received word that Hunter had improved enough to travel and was planning to be back in Sharon in March and expected to resume his work beginning 1 April. On 9 April Dr. Hunter called the Session to order at which time he stressed the importance of attending both the upcoming Synod and Presbytery meeting as the question to unite with the Presbyterian Church was coming up. The Session voted against the union and later the Synod postponed any action. Dr. Hunter called for the Session to meet at his house Wednesday evening on 4 October 1944. Everyone knew, one way or another, why the meeting was called. After thirty-five years of ministry at Sharon, the Session accepted their beloved pastor’s resignation. On 22 October 1944, Rev. Hunter opened the Session for the last time. He informed the Elders that he and his wife had $500 they wanted to use to start a fund for stained glass windows for the sanctuary. It was later reported by a committee that the glass could be had for $5.20 per square foot. [Contributed by J.L. West]
The Western York County Gazetteer stated: SHARON ASSOCIATE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH This church was established in the mid-1790’s following a dispute among the congregations of Beersheba and Bullock’s Creek Presbyterian churches over the singing of hymns. Prior to this time the Presbyterians approved of the singing of Psalms only, and the introduction of Watt’s hymns caused the more conservation faction to suspect hierarchy. These separated from the churches and established a church at an intersection in what is now the town of Sharon. This church gave its name to the town when it was chartered in 1889.
“Carmel (“Fruitful Place”), before 1811, York County. The congregation disbanded about 1830. See I Kings 18:20—“So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mt. Carmel.”
Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC
Open the MORE INFORMATION link (found under the primary picture), to view an enlargeable, 1896 Postal Map of York County, S.C.
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