The first church history was taken from the Jones Chapel Cook Book published in 1995 by the women of the church that relied upon Nora Reed, a community historian born in 1894, and later Holston Conference Archives Records were used for the list of pastors. Athens, TN has hosted four Annual Holston Conferences (1831, 1845, 1852, and 1862). The local recorded history of Jones Chapel began with the following notation found in Deed Book “J†in the McMinn County Register’s Office: “One acre of land given for the erection of a church to be known as Jones Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church South by Thomas Crabtree, August 17, 1849. The trustees were H. B. Davis, John M. Melton, and George Trew.
Seventy seven pastors of record have been researched to date that served the church since 1850 in addition to the founding namesake Rev. Jones. His first name has still not been determined (see list of Jones Chapel Methodist Pastors). John & Nancy Pickens were early Methodist settlers in the vicinity from South Carolina and are credited with the first attempts of organizing public worship. They felt the need of spiritual development in the community and started inviting pastors in 1844 to visit and conduct weekend camp meetings, which was located on the Reed Homestead near the old Cemetery down County Road 780. That developed into Brush Arbor Encampment Revivals (from an outdoor platform) for as many as 1,000 to 2,000 gold miners at the time they were leaving in wagon trains from Dahlonega, Georgia traveling through the Columbus, Tennessee area on their way to California during the gold rush era. Due to the Methodist churches in the south succeeding from their northern home office in 1844, there are limited resources available to determine pastor appointments & activities until 1865.
The 1844 Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) General Conference held in Louisville, Kentucky voted to suspend Bishop James Osgood Andrew of Oxford, Georgia from exercising his episcopal office until he no longer owned two slaves inherited from his wife’s mother. The decision raised questions (particularly among Southern delegates to the conference, which included Timothy Sullins from Athens, Tennessee who was an older brother of Rev. Dr. David Sullins) about the authority of the General Conference to discipline bishops. The cultural differences that had divided the nation during the mid-19th Century had also been dividing the MEC. The 1844 dispute led Methodists in the south to break off and form a separate denomination, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S). Old journal records show Jones Chapel was in the Athens Circuit and a few pastor appointments have not been found so far (which is still being researched) for the years between 1844 and 1865 during the Succession and Civil War period. This body maintained its own polity until it reunited with the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church to form The Methodist Church in 1939, which in turn merged in 1968, with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church (UMC).
Rev. Jones led a series of Brush Arbor Encampment Revivals starting on December 11, 1847 where 153 lost souls were saved before the church was organized. The church building was erected of hand hewn logs in 1857 (see Jones Chapel Cornerstone) and served as a church, school, meeting house, and hospital. Holston Conference Circuit Riders based in Athens served the church on a rotation bases with other churches on the route, which explains why the present church building on Peddler Road has an Athens address while the adjacent parsonage has a Riceville address, and the land nearby is in Etowah. Similar to our Founding Fathers that wrote the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the Methodist pastors were educated in ministry, teaching, business, and medicine with the degree of Reverend Doctor. Two known pastors to serve before the Holston Conference was re-organized on June 1, 1865 in Athens, Tennessee were Rev. Dr. David Sullins, who was appointed in 1850, and Rev. Dr. Carroll Long in 1861. The recorded activities of the church from 1849 until 1866 are limited, other than that the 1st church building was burned during the Civil War in NOV 1864 by Bushwhackers, because it was being used as a Confederate hospital. It has not been verified, if Rev. Jones returned 17 years later to save lives in 1864. In the spring of 1866, one year after the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church had been reinstated in the south at Athens; Rev. George W. Coleman transferred from the Illinois Conference to the Holston Conference and was appointed to the Athens Circuit. He started services again in a newly constructed replacement Jones Chapel [2nd church], which was near the spring by the old cemetery on County Road 780 near the location of the original church. Both church and a separate school building were on high ground at the foot of the hill of the present 4th church before you get to the Old Cemetery. The school from 1866 to 1896 was a one room framed building located along the original old road bed to Columbus, TN as is the present parsonage.
Sometime within the next two years (1866 to 1868), John Pickens had Rev. Coleman hold a revival service in a small cabin reserved for Circuit Riders and visiting pastors to stay in. It was located about midway in the garden next to the Reed Homestead at 185 County Road 780, about a half mile east of Jones Chapel. This visiting pastor’s cabin was not a church and burned down in 1902, but it was conveniently located near the Brush Arbor Platform where Encampment Revivals were held. The spiritual momentum of that revival held by Rev. Coleman exploded in the keen desire of locals to minister again to the needs of the Claxton Community and church attendance at Jones Chapel started increasing. This 2nd Jones Chapel building was the center of service to the spiritual needs of a war-torn community until 1893 when the 3rd church building was erected next to the present church on County Road 778. Land was made possible by Mr. Melton, who owned the area where the present church stands.
Among promoters of the 3rd church building were the following names: Melton, Pickens, Porter, Rowland and others. The enclosed picture is of Pastor, Rev. Paul Smith, in front of Jones Chapel taken March 17, 1940 by Ford Elrod. This was Rev. Smith’s first appointment. This was what the church looked like when Grace Elrod Riden joined it in 1927 when she was 11 years old. At the time of her updating the first church history in 1997, she was 81 and recalled that old timers referred to the church as: The Chapel. This structure was dedicated in 1893 by Bishop Richard J. Cook, Rev. J. T. Hooper was the Pastor in Charge (P.C.), and Mr. E.. Gibson, the Church School Superintendent at that time (who was also a licensed Exhorter). Another Exhorter who did good work for God at Jones Chapel while serving the church around the turn of the 20th Century (1900) was John N. Hanks, whose son, Mr. Austin Hanks founded Hanks Chapel in the Claxton Community at County Roads 757 & 754 and was a local pastor in Holston for a number of years.
Some outstanding Jones Chapel revivals that are often referred to are these:
In 1898, Frank Porter, then a young local student, was invited to conduct a revival assisted by layman Joe Dunn & song leader Bliss Camp. Numerous conversions resulted among young men and two of those converts paid tribute to that revival during the 1953 church reunion. In 1908, Rev. Thos. D. Rowe conducted an outstanding revival that resulted in numerous additions to the church membership. Likewise in 1918 and in the early thirties the revival efforts were successful. Also, in 1926, during a revival by Pastor A. C. Ketron, Tommy R. Crabtree was saved under conviction and did not eat for 2 days until released by the Spirit.
In 1903, during the pastorate of Rev. M. C. Brunner, a District Layman’s Conference was conducted, which was attended by both Holston pastors and leading laymen and was the first of its kind ever held in the Holston Conference. When the Holston Conference Layman’s Association was organized at the annual conference, its first president, Hon. John A. Patten gave honor to the little rural church of Jones Chapel being the center [nucleus] for the organization. The first attempt to organize any kind of women’s organization was made in 1905. This group did not become an important part of the church until Rev. C. M. Turner organized a Ladies Aid in 1935. Though small in number, this group wanted a better church and community and promoted the idea of obtaining a better building by selling quilts hand made by the women of The Chapel (see picture of one of the quilts enclosed). Their basic source document was The Ladies Aid Manual by Robert Elmer Smith, published March 1911 by The Methodist Book Concern and others. Today, the Ladies Group continues to be active with annual conferences and sponsor the Ladies Group Prayer Chain.
On February 17, 1939, the District Superintendent, Pastor, Trustees, and Church Location Committee met with the Official Board to make arrangements for the building of a new church with sanctuary and four Sabbath School rooms (2 in the front and back). The original construction included four wooden bi-folding doors, which could be opened to enlarge the sanctuary from each end. The present church building was dedicated on September 8, 1940 [4th church] by Rev. L. E. Hoppe (D.S.), Pastor R. Paul Smith (P.C.) and the trustees. Soon after this, the 2nd and 3rd Jones Chapel buildings were torn down. The erection of the 4th church building was promoted by the Melton, Rowland, Trew, Dodd, Elrod, and Reed families. John H. Trew was prominent in its beginning with the help from the community donating local wood and doing most of the carpentry work under the direction of a local named Ross S. Reed (Nora Reed’s brother who built the alter rail, pulpit & pews). Due to his superb guidance at the time of construction, this church sanctuary building has not needed any major construction work done other than removing the bi-fold doors, and reroofing, siding with vinyl siding & replacement vinyl windows added in the 1990’s.
Some church Superintendents who were outstanding in their service to Jones Chapel have been E. P. Gibson, A. C. Smith, B. W. Melton, Wallace Wilson, Horace Perkins, Ford Elrod, John H. Trew, Marvin Trew, John Bigham, James Perkins, and Wm. R. Carver. Jones Chapel is also a church that has loved music. In its early years singing was led by such men as Mr. Hamilton, W. M. Crabtree, T. F. Rowland, Frank Rowland, T. Carol Davis, J. B. Crabtree, John Bigham, and Ray Carpenter. At the turn of the 20th Century (1900), a string band could be called into action quite easily. A church organ was placed in the church in 1923 and in 1940 the first piano was placed in the new sanctuary of the 3rd church. Then in 1962 an electric organ was given by Marvin Trew in memorial to J. H. Trew. In the early 2000s, childrens hand bells were added, and in March 2006, beautiful off-white choir robes were given to Jones Chapel as a gift from Keith Memorial United Methodist Church (UMC) in Athens, Tennessee, which are used for special occasions and performances. The Methodist Church as a whole became more aware of the part that religious education played in the life of a vibrant community. In 1958, continued growth resulted in four additional classrooms, two restrooms, and a 20×60 foot basement with complete kitchen facilities (cabinets, folding tables and chairs) making it suitable for eating and/or recreation that was completed in 1959. As the countryside became more urban, Jones Chapel (JC UMC) continued its record of spiritual life service for the youth of the Claxton Community and its people. Since the 1980s, the church youth have invited other local youth to attend Resurrection in Gatlinburg, TN.
An article was posted in the local Daily Post Athenian (DPA)/Sequi Centennial Edition, June 10, 1969 on page 7 recording an initial summary of the church history and memories from local residents: Jones Chapel UMC of the Holston Conference is a little rural church that has weathered the storms over the years. It is located two miles east of Claxton Elementary & Middle School (EMS) off County Road 750 at 590 County Road 778. It shelters two active cemeteries. The new cemetery located at the intersection of County Roads 778 and 775 (next to the west side of the 4th church) was expanded when Lake Rowland gave about 1 acre of land in 1967. The old cemetery is a few hundred yards east down County Road 780 on land donated by Henry Crabtree in 1990 from the Thomas Crabtree Plantation. Much of this excellent DPA article was admitted to be the authors conjecture, which has been checked against historical records, corrected and absorbed with other history updates of McMinn County, including a 1971 interview transcript with Nora Reed, into this combined history. Between the old cemetery and the present church is a power line right of way containing visible remains of the original old road bed leading south and running beside the present church parsonage, which went to Columbus, Tennessee in Polk County. Polk County’s known Indian heritage goes back at least 2,000 years to the early woodland Indians. DeSoto, in 1540, camped near Columbus, a thriving trading post on the NW bank of Conasauga Creek and the Hiwassee River. The treaty of 1819 opened the territory north of the Hiwassee to white settlements and the 1835 Treaty of Removal forced the Cherokees to give up their final portion of land in Tennessee. Columbus was located on the east side of the Hiwassee River and was the first county seat of Polk County, which explains why the county line with McMinn did not continue to follow the middle of the Hiwassee River. The first shared parsonage was located along Highway 411 while Jones Chapel was on a charge with Carlock UMC (1957-1977) in Etowah, Tennessee. While on a charge with Wesleyanna a new church parsonage was built by local carpenters Roy Crabtree and John Crittenden in 1980 under the supervision of Trustee Eddie Crabtree and is located adjacent to the present church property at 381 County Road 775, Riceville, Tennessee. Jones Chapel bought out Wesleyanna’s share of the parsonage in 2002. West from the old cemetery is where the Jones Chapel School was built on high ground above the Jones Chapel Spring. Some of the earliest teachers were Frank Porter, Sally Queener, Dent Porter, Sterle Porter, and Ellie Trew. After the church moved into the 3rd church building in 1893, the school started having classes up there as a second school building in 1896 versus using the old Jones Chapel School building on the Crabtree property. Oscar Reed was one of the students that started at the school in 1894 for 2 years when he was 6Âyears old before moving into the newly constructed 3rd Jones Chapel Church School. Sometime after that, the old Jones Chapel School building was torn down and used to build Mason (Mutt) Akins house at 554 County Road 778. Mr. Will Millard was the school teacher in 1896. After 1902 Liz McMahan, P. H. Toomey, and Roe Haney taught. In 1905, Mr. Ralph Millard also started teaching at Jones Chapel. After 1906, John Denton, Eben McBryan, and Roy Calhoun taught from 1907 to 1911, usually a five month school year. A picture is enclosed of the Jones Chapel School Reunion with 53 students and teacher Roy Calhoun in 1910. The last teacher was Alleen Rutherford Pope when Jones Chapel School classes were discontinued and transferred to Claxton Elementary (one of the nation’s first Consolidation Schools) on County Road 750 (Piney Grove Road) when it opened in 1921. At least 15 young people who were students in the church school in the past decades became college graduates and served well in their chosen fields: Some teachers, some welfare workers, some even superintendents in their fields of study, reaching from Samoa to different states in America.
The Holston Conference does not have any record of there ever being a Pickens Methodist Church in the area or a Methodist church school on the Sam Crabtree place near Highway 163. However, The Chapel throughout its history has been blessed with many local members beholding the rich Methodist doctrine and programs of the Holston Conference.
In addition to using the Hiwassee River for baptisms, so were Double Springs & Goodsprings Baptist Churches, and the Shugart swimming pool. In 1984 the Baptismal Font was given by John and Nettie Bigham in loving memory of their grandchildren, Sharon and Matt Dunker. In 1989 a new Enrollment Board was given by the Waldrop Family in memory of Charles Waldrop. In 1991 Chad Riden’s Eagle Scout Project was completed to add concrete post markers outlining the boundaries for the old cemetery land plot, based on a land map survey. On 9/29/1991 the Ridens gave the Communion Challis and the wooden Communion Table platform to Jones Chapel for its participation as a Holston Conference Vision 2000 Church. In 1993 new United Methodist Hymnals were given to JC UMC in memory of Bill Elrod. In 1994 funds were raised by the Jones Chapel United Methodist Men and Ladies Help Group and individual contributors to concrete the church parking lot. Justin Beria’s Eagle Scout Project was to add white lines marking parking spaces for the new parking lot. In 1995 funds were raised by the Jones Chapel Ladies Help Group and other fund raisers were held to purchase a church van. This van was used for the purpose of picking up children to bring to church and other functions (such as trips for the youth, senior citizens, meetings, and mission trips). In 2000, Jones Chapel purchased a newer church van and it is being used for the same purpose. In 1998 Lynn Wampler built the church lighted marque. The Chapel has been known for conducting many fund raisers dating back to the late 1800’s for hosting many 5 cent ice cream socials with Double Springs Baptist Church until the mid 1900s. Today, Jones Chapel is known throughout the Holston Conference for giving back to the community, our country and the world. Since 1992, Jones Chapel has been a 5 Star Church for mission giving, and to local widows/widowers, Women at the Well, Miracle Lake, Holston United Methodist Home for Children, Choctaw Indian Bible School, Jamaica, Tell Asia Ministries, and others. Jones Chapel was given the 1998 Mustard Seed Award for Small Church Outstanding Outreach and Evangelism.
At the 8/24/2003 Board Meeting, Jones Chapel United Methodist Church voted allowing the Trustees to borrow money to begin construction on a new Family Life Center (FLC). District Superintendent (DS) Virginia Taylor was to meet with Pastor Jerry Redman the following week to finalize the approval. Construction began soon after. The congregation was invited to write Bible truths on the foundation floor where the walls would be raised. The first event held in this new structure was a Valentine Sweetheart Banquet in February 2004. The basement of the 4th church was then divided into four more classrooms. On July 3, 2011, the church celebrated being debt free with the paying off of the FLC loan.
A second church history update was posted in September 2000. The third church history update was submitted on 1/27/2009 by Bob Hamilton, pastor at the time. Research into the founding namesake of Jones Chapel is a continuing effort. Plus, many of the historical personal records of former pastors journals, life history, and burial locations are in the process of being researched and saved for later updates. While this fourth Jones Chapel 2013 history update by historians David & Perry Riden is a documentation of changes in the church structures, pastors and activities, the real church is the people who have assembled together for over 164 years to worship and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. May His name be praised by the power of the Holy Spirit and God be glorified forever and ever. Amen.
David & Perry Riden-Church Historians