Area Church Commissions Carving of Circuit Rider
Robert Williams was the founder of Jerusalem United Methodist Church (1773) His preaching place on the Brunswick Circuit (26 places) was beneath a centuries old oak that stood until 2007 near the Jerusalem UMC Cemetery. Homecoming crowds still gather around the giant tree trunk (26 feet around). It is known as the Robert Williams Gospel Oak.
Danny Mills, a woodcarver from Wake Forest, carved the figure of a horse and circuit rider from the wood of this historic tree. This is a picture of Danny and the carving, not yet mounted on an oak stump. Danny is a descendant of Daniel Yeargan, another 18th century circuit rider who followed in the tracks of RobertWilliams.
The carving was commissioned by Jerusalem United Methodist Church.
New District Superintendent Named
The Reverend Caswell E. Shaw, Jr. has been named as the District Superintendent for the Rocky Mount District of The United Methodist Church. The announcement was made by Bishop Al Gwinn of the North Carolina Conference.
The appointment is effective July first. Reverend Shaw served previously as the Rocky Mount District Superintendent from 1989-1994. He also served as the New Bern District Superintendent from 2001-2003.
Reverend Shaw replaces Reverend Tim Russell, Interim District Superintendent of the Rocky Mount District. Reverend Russell is also Assistant to the Bishop and Director of the Office of Ministerial Relations for the North Carolina Conference of The UMC. Reverend Russell was named as the Interim Superintendent of the Rocky Mount District following the death of Reverend Mack McMillan in October 2010.
