THE AMERICAN FRONTIER

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THE AMERICAN FRONTIER
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Frontier living

• Many adverse conditions
• Poverty
• Poor health
• Risk of child birth. Most men married at least
  twice
• Harsh work and living conditions.

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Danger

• Indians
• Animals
• Accidents

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Immorality

• Whiskey as common as water.
• Gambling
• Fighting
• Lawlessness

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Fierce Independence

• Unconquerable spirit
• Scots-Irish immigration 1700s
• Used to hardship and poverty
• Most were Presbyterians
• Lived, worked and played hard. Also converted
  hard.

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Philosophy

• Thomas Paine
• Voltaire
• Common sense

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Religious Conditions in the Colonies
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Massachusetts

• Puritans were Congregationalists.
• Dominated and for a time was the established
  church in some places.
• Universalism later grew popular.

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Revolutionary War 1776-1783

• The lowest ebb-tide of vitality in the history
  of American Christianity
• Rise of skepticism, Deism, French philosophy

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Second Great Awakening

• This began on the frontier.

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Beginning of camp meetings.

• Society did not shape the frontier the frontier
  shaped society.

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That coarseness and strength combined with
acuteness and inquisitiveness
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that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to
find expedients that masterful grasp of material
things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to
effect great ends
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that restless, nervous energy that dominant
individualism, working for good and for evil, and
withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes
with freedom
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these are traits of the frontier, or traits
called out elsewhere because of the existence of
the frontier Federick Jackson Turner
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These developed to meet needs on the frontier
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1735 - Birth. Place unknown-perhaps Ireland, or
Virginia.

• Little known of early life. Little formal
  education,
• 1775 Converted by Methodist preachers.

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We will be down-right Christians

• 1779 - Va. Methodist preachers met in conference
  at Fluvanna, ordained themselves, and began
  administering sacraments.
• 1780 - Northern preachers met in conference at
  Baltimore. Led by Francis Asbury.
• Oppose action of Va, preachers. Two groups agree
  to submit issue to John Wesley.

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1784 - Methodist Episcopal Church organized at
famous "Christmas Conference."
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Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury elected
"superintendents'!. 0'Ke11y elected, "elder".

• 1785-1792 - O'Kelly served as presiding elder in
  Southern Virginia. As many as 28 preachers under
  his supervision.

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OKelly and others became dissatisfied with
episcopal government of Methodist Church and
with Asbury's autocratic rule over church.

• 1782 - Struggle between 0'Ke11y and Francis
  Asbury reached climax

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At Baltimore Conference, Nov,1, 1972, O'Kelly
was supported by small minority of preachers,
including Rice Haggard.
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Dissatisfied group withdrew from Conference.

• 1793 - O'Kelly and followers petition for
  changes in government of Methodist church.
  Refused.

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Organized "Republican Methodist Church" at
Manakin Town, VA.,December 25, 1793.
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OKelly Chapel, Near Durham, N. C.
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Before a meeting in August 1794, a the
Republican Methodists appointed a seven man
committee to work out a plan of church
government.
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Rice Haggard arose and said "Brethren, this (a
Bible) is a sufficient rule of faith and
practice. By it we are told that the disciples
were called Christians, and I move that
henceforth and forever the followers of Christ be
known as Christians simply."
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Following Haggard, A.M. Hafferty arose and moved
that "they take the Bible itself as their only
creed."
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Plan of church government adopted elders in
every church,
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1808 - Christian Church has 20,000 members in
southern and western states.
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In the south were men of like stamp and energy
who journeyed northward into Pennsylvania,
southward into South Carolina and Georgia, and
westward into Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
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Such men were James O'Kelly, Rice Haggard,
William Guirey, http//www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/
texts/jburnett/opc/OPC.HTM
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1809 Christians in Southern states (O'Kelly
group) and those in New England exchange
greetings.
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1810 - Controversy over baptism. O'Kelly refused
to accept immersion.
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In 1810, the General Meeting was held at Pine
Stake church in Orange county, Virginia. It was
here that discussion between
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n O'Kelly and Guirey waxed so warm on the subject
of baptism. Mr. Guirey favored immersion for
baptism, and Mr. O'Kelly held to the former
custom of pouring and sprinkling.
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This led to a division
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Some of this group later united with Stone

• Others fromed the "independent Christian Baptist
  Church."

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1811 - Elias Smith present at conference of
Christian Churches. Given right hand of
fellowship. Marked formal union between two
groups.
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1826 - Death of O'Kelly.
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1854 - Christian church split over slavery.
Reunited 1894. 112,795 members in 1926.

• 1831 Merged with Congregational Church.
• 1957 - Merged with Evangelical and Reformed
  church to form "United Church of Christ. --B. J.
  Humble

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Work of OKelly
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Rock Springs Church of Christ, Clay County, TN,
est. c. 1805
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Rocky Springs Church of Christ, Jackson County,
AL. Est. c. 1910
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Old Philadelphia Church of Christ, Warren, TN,
Est. c. 1805-07
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Dunning Dasher, Perhaps The First N.T.
Christians In Georgia
Sheldon C. Dunning Died April 2, 1858 In The 79th
Year Of His AgeMark The Perfect ManAnd Behold
The UprightFor The End Of That Man Is
Peace -Psalm 3737
Dasher Is Buried At Sunset Hill Cemetery,
Valdosta, GA
S.C. Dunning Is Buried At Laurel Grove Cemetery,
Savannah, Georgia
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CHRISTIAN HERMAN DASHER

• 1736 Group left Salzburg, Austria and arrived
  in Savannah, Georgia. They were Lutherans who had
  been expelled from country by Catholics. Settled
  in Effingham County, north of Savannah.

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1780 Christian Herman Dasher born. No record of
his wifes name but did have 14 children.
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1812-1817 Dasher sheriff of Effingham county.
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1817 Elected a county assembly man.
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1819 Dasher had been christened as a child but
became convinced that immersion was baptism.
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Left the Lutherans and he and others began
meeting in homes. Confused by existence of so
many churches, he turned to the Scriptures as a
guide.
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He decided he could not be a Baptist since he had
no experience to related. Questioned their views
on baptism though still studying.
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No preacher would immerse on a simple confession
of Christ to become only a Christian.
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From a Mrs. Threadcraft he learned of S. C.
Dunning in Savannah who had left Baptist church
because he did not believe it taught and
practiced as Word of God required.
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Upon meeting Dasher and Dunning learned they
shared similar ideas about baptism, believing it
was for the remission of sins..
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Dunning immersed Dasher and Dasher immersed
Dunning. The two, with a black woman became the
New Testament church in Savannah.
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Immediately after returning home, Dasher baptized
his wife, sister and her husband. Church met
every Lords day to take of Lords Supper.
Occasionally visited by Mr. Dunning. .
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1825 Dasher and a group of more than 30 members
of the church moved to what is now Lowndes
County, Georgia.
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Started church near Valdosta. Dasher Church of
Christ still exists.
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1858 Died.
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SHELDON C. DUNNING
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1780 Born in Welton Township, Fairfield County,
Conn.
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1800,. He became a Baptist minister, but soon
seceded from the Baptist church. Perhaps
influenced by views of Elias Smith or Abner
Jones.
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???? Married a Miss Richards and had four
children. She died and he later married a Mrs.
Osborne.
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1818 Dunning was a charter member of the Savannah
Steamship Co.. ,
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1819 Stockholders chose him as one of five
directors for the firm. Those businessmen were
responsible the first steamship to sail the
Atlantic. Dunning later went into insurance
business.
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His study of the New Testament led him to
immersion for remission of sins. Baptized by
Dasher.
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Every Sunday Dunning met with any and all who
came to his home for worship.
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When James J. Trott, Cherokee missionary and
evangelist, was once Dunning's guest, he preached
in the home, as was customary.
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Later, he referred to "some of the brethren"
being "too zealous for the letter." Such
literalism was responsible, no doubt, for the
failure of the Disciples to grow at Savannah in
those years.
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1838 Alexander Campbell visited Savannah and
stayed with the Dunnings.
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1844, Dunning joined Dr. Daniel Hooks in
conducting a protracted meeting at the Antioch
Church in Clarke County.
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This was credited by Nathan W. Smith with
arousing the evangelistic passion of the
struggling congregation
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"The church had been so edified and strengthened
in numbers . . . that a missionary spirit
pervaded it,
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and so wonderful was this influence that they
started me out as their evangelist to preach at
different points."
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1846 Joined Nathan L. Smith in gospel meetings in
Georgia and Alabama. Thereafter, until Dunning's
death, every summer and into the autumn, the two
preached together at many places.
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1858 Dunning died of apoplexy at Savannah. Buried
in Laurel Grove Cemetery.
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When his estate was settled, it was found that a
corner lot in Savannah, owned by Dunning, was
kept vacant for years.
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It seemed that he intended to use it for a
church building. However, there was no provision
for disposition to the church, so the property
went to his heirs.
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Dunning was one of the founders of the Savannah
City Hospital, but his life centered in his
strict religious interests.
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The casual observer was apt to regard him as
stern. Well educated, he was a zealous student of
the Bible.
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He searched the Scriptures at his office, as well
as at home, and conversed in biblical language.
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Nathan W. Smith called him "the most constant
reader of the scriptures of any man I ever saw."
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