| Page 11 | T.O.C. | Index | Page 13 |
At the Christmas Conference of 1784, held in Lovely Lane Chapel, Baltimore, the First Methodist Episcopal Church in the world came to birth here in America, "in a republic still without a constitution and without a President." At this historical meeting Francis Asbury was made the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
On Christmas day, 1784, Dr. Thomas Coke, assisted by Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, ordained Asbury, until then only a Methodist itinerant, as a deacon in the new church. On the very next day he was ordained as an elder. And then the next day, the same three men who had ordained Asbury as a deacon now ordained him as the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
We have a great historical event to celebrate at Christmas, the beginning of our church on Christmas 1784.
John Wesley, now elderly, was following by faithful correspondence the events taking place in our country related to the progress of Methodism. At the Annual Conference in Leeds, England, Wesley had appointed Coke, Whatcoat and Vasey to go to "the infant republic, and preach to them Christ." It is noteworthy that in 1784 there was yet no Methodist Church in England. It came to birth at the Christmas Conference here in our country.

| December Birthdays | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Sally Dawson | 21 | Perry Bavera |
| 01 | Georgia Maxey | 21 | Rick Marstellar |
| 01 | Henry McCoy | 22 | John G. Krebs |
| 02 | Jim Bush | 22 | Brent Weinzapfel |
| 02 | Fred Luke | 23 | Polly Bass |
| 03 | Liz Campbell | 23 | Cindy Bush |
| 03 | Lucille Honig | 23 | John Crumpler |
| 04 | Anna Frost | 23 | Jine Drummond |
| 04 | Clarence Hopson Jr. | 23 | Robbie Smith |
| 05 | Sam Henry | 23 | Don Wright |
| 05 | Paul Mumford | 24 | Willard Bacon |
| 05 | Hal Swiatek | 24 | Peg Clark |
| 06 | Tyler Harrell | 24 | Emily Waters |
| 06 | Beth Moore | 25 | Sally Beaman |
| 06 | Matthew Logan Sanchez | 25 | Jacquelin Gill |
| 06 | Bill Sheldon | 26 | Ben Hogan |
| 07 | Miller Krause | 26 | Bill Waters |
| 07 | Valorie Williamson | 27 | Rick Moberg |
| 07 | David Wilson | 28 | Russell Fox |
| 08 | Rick Compton | 28 | Kelly Hall |
| 10 | Nettie Haden | 28 | Sharon Nixon |
| 10 | McKenzie Hogan | 29 | Bob Barry |
| 10 | Ricky Marstellar | 29 | Dot Marrow |
| 10 | Eloise Perkinson | 29 | Tom Middleton |
| 11 | Jack Potter | 29 | Charlotte Ward |
| 12 | Cynthia Barnes | 3 | Shelby Knoble |
| 12 | Vaughan Lunsford | 3 | Robert Nye |
| 12 | Jim O'Connell | 3 | Nancy Stodghill |
| 14 | Eva Fox | 3 | Mark Graham |
| 15 | Lorraine Holland | 3 | Douglas Honeycutt |
| 16 | Allean Creech | 3 | Rosa Phillips |
| 17 | Libby Walters | 3 | Katie Seay |
| 18 | Bob Tallon | 3 | Dot Silsby |
| 19 | Jennifer Leslie | 3 | Carolyn Smith |
| 20 | Bertie S. Mills | 3 | Phil Winslow |
| December Anniversaries | |
|---|---|
| 17 | Norman & Bev Monk (60) |
| 17 | Charles & Linda Bump (83) |
| 18 | Dave & Debbie Ezzell (77) |
| 19 | Ronald & Gladys Tankersley (65) |
| 21 | Lew & Patti St. Clair (57) |
| 21 | Lex & Mary Barker |
| 23 | Billy & Laura Waters (95) |
| 24 | Cathy & Ben Nocon (86) |
| 27 | Charlie & Kathy Yates (81) |
| 28 | Bob & Peggy Rainey (48) |
| 28 | Allen & Susan Vann (78) |
| 30 | John & Mary Garrett (01) |
| Page 11 | T.O.C. | Index | Page 13 |
If you have any comments on any of these pages, please email me:
Robert W.(Bob) McKitrick, thanks.
Last update: December 7, 2005