OUR LEGACY FROM THE PAST - NCCUMC

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Reverend John T. Bagwell followed in 1899.A few years prior
to this, he had been at the Goldsboro church where he had done
great work, but for some reason in 1886, some kind of charges
were brought against him at the Conference and his membership
was terminated. Three years later however, he was reinstated
and continued on with his work for many years. He left
Williamston in 1901.
Up until 1900, most of the ministers served two-year terms,
but Reverend Thomas Sutton of Sampson County was the first to
serve a full four years. He arrived in 1901when the present church
building was under construction. It was completed in 1902and was
dedicated in 1903when Bishop Smith of Norfolk came here to conduct
a special service. The new church with its tall steeples was
an impressive sight to see, and the entire town of Williamston
benefited from it, since the bell in the tallest of the two steeples
was rung in case of fire in the town. It was said that the first sight
people saw as they got off the boats at the river landing was the
steeple of the Methodist Church. Reverend Sutton's gentle spirit
and mild temperament endeared him not only to his congregation
but also to the other citizens of the town as well. In the December
19,1902, issue of THE ENTERPRISE, it stated, "Methodists here
do not rejoice alone at the return of Reverend Sutton. He has made
a fine impression during his pastorate this past year." The church
records show that the church saw phenomenal growth while he
was here, with sixty-nine new members added to the roll!
Reverend Sutton left Williamston in 1904,but his health began to
fail and by 1920he had to retire. He died in 1937in Fayetteville.
Edward E. Rose, who came to Williamston in 1904was born in
Warren County in 1866. He stayed for only one year and shortly
after leaving, his health began to fail, causing him to give up his
work for a while. He managed to recuperate enough to preach until1918,
however, when he died in Durham.
The next minister to serve a four-year term in Williamston
was Charles Lewis Read. He was born in 1869at Palmer Springs,
Virginia. His education was received at Davis Military Academy
at LaGrange and at Trinity College (Duke University). He
graduated in 1901and the Williamston charge was one of his first