ARP 101 By Chaplain Bill Holiman I
n our last ARP 101 article, we looked at for- mer slave Rev. Peter Bryson and the events around his life at the time of the Civil War
and his ordination to the ministry. One thing of importance was that slavery was widely prac- ticed in the United States at the time of Inde- pendence, and many ministers owned slaves, including Jonathan Edwards and George as colleges and orphanages owned slaves who were given as a form of endowment to provide income to the school.
The story of slavery is something that causes much discomfort these days, but it is a part of our history and must be acknowledged. From the Sesquicentennial History: In the days of slavery, many Christian masters faithfully instructed their slaves. It is said that those of Dr. John Hemp- hill could do the Shorter Catechism, and some of them even the Larger Catechism. One-third of the members of his church, Hopewell, S. C. were slaves. We should pause to note that Rev. John Hemphill (1761-1832) was born in Ireland and emigrated to South Carolina by way of Phila- early ARP history, having been appointed as an early professor of theology in the days before we had an actual college and seminary. His son, Rev. William Ramsey Hemphill
(1806-1876) went north to get an education and, like many ARPs of the early 19th Century, at- tended Jefferson College and Allegheny Seminary near Pittsburgh. However, when he desired to be ordained there after completing his education, he was denied because of his views on slavery. He early history of Erskine College. There is a reason to introduce these men to the story. A substantial number of members of the Hopewell SC congregation, where Dr. Hemphill was pastor, moved to Ohio during the early 19th century. These were joined by other ARPs from South Carolina. They gathered to form the Hopewell congregation in Preble County, Ohio, about halfway between Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, ARP churches. There, they began a strong movement against slavery in the ARP Church. In 1826, this congregation sent up an overture to the Synod of the West against slavery. Of their presbytery in that year, one-half of the ministers were emigrants from South Carolina, and all but one of the rest were from other states that allowed slavery. These men were all opposed to the practice of slavery. Some three-quarters of the members of the ARP Synod of the West were from the South, and they were key in preventing the reunion of the Synod of the West with the Synod of South in the years before the Civil War. To return to our main story, Rev. Bryson was not the only black minister in the days after the Civ-
il War. The Centennial History contains a long article about Rev. Thomas Leroy Young. We would not write the following this way, but here is how it was written over a hundred years ago: He was, for a time, the only colored preacher in the Associate Reformed Church. He was a slave of the estate of Rev. Charles Strong of Newberry, and by lot fell to his daughter, Miss E. E. Strong, who married Rev. J. N. Young, Professor in Erskine College. He was born November 30th, 1833, and was thirteen years old when he came to Due West… He was taught by Rev. J. N. Young and family, his religious training also being carefully guarded as was the rule with the slaves in the families of Associate Reformed people. He learned the shorter catechism and was required to attend family worship. In due time, he connected with the church and entered upon the study of theology under Prof. Young. A congregation of ne- groes was organized at Due West, and he was chosen pastor, after having been licensed by the Second Presbytery. He was accordingly ordained and installed over this, the only negro congre- gation at that time in the Synod. The congregation did very well for a while after the war, but feeling its isolation and separation socially, as the only colored church, it sought connection with the Northern Presbyterian Church, its pastor also connecting with that body. Rev. T. L. Young was a tanner by trade and also had a small farm. His wife was Amanda Callaham, and eleven children were born to her. The records show that the Due West ARP
Church had a majority black congregation from the 1850s to the 1870s. Today, there are two black churches in Due West that trace their origins to the ARP church, though they are not now ARP. The history of the ARP Church in- cludes both those who supported and who op- posed slavery. We trained and ordained men to the ministry who had been slaves.
Rev. William Holiman is a retired Chaplain in Mis- sissippi Valley Presbytery.
July/August 2025 15
What do you want to know about the ARP denomination? Send questions to
ARPeditor@arpsynod.org. Do you know about Rev. Peter Bryson? Rev. William Holiman shares what he has discovered.
More on Rev. Bryson
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