REV.
JAMES S. PORTER
Good Methodist blood flows in the
veins of Rev. James. S. Porter.
He
is the son of Rev. John A. Porter, who has been for many years an
honored
Member
of the South Carolina Conference, and Mrs. Emily F. Porter, a noble
Christian
woman.
The subject of this sketch was born
April 23, 1854. He has had an
Interesting
educational career. His preparatory
education was recieved in the
schools
of Charleston and Georgetown and the High School of Marion under
Prof.
W. H. Witherow and Rev. Thomas Mitchell.
He then entered Wofford
College and
reminaed there from October, 1873, till June 1877. Being dependent
On
his own efforts to pay his way, he engaged in various ways to work for others,
such
as cutting wood, painting signs, buggies names on __________________________________________________________________
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TWENTIETH CENTURY SKETCHES 1901
trunks,
and clerking, etc. He was determined to
obtain an education and was willing to engage in any honorable work that would
help him pay his way.
Brother Porter felt the Divine call
to preach in childhood, but did not yield to it until after he had struggled
with the problem for a number of years. When
only about four years of age, he lost his mother, whose maiden name was Cooper. She lived long enough, however, to indelibly
stamp the impress of her character upon the soul of her boy. His stepmother’s maiden name was Miss
Carrie Burnheim, a sister of Rev. G. D. Burnheim, D.D., and Rev. Ch. H.
Burnheim, D. D., of the Lutheran Church.
Of course, his father’s Godly life and ministry was a benediction to the
boy. He was first converted in 1868, in
Georgetown, under the preaching of Dr. J. T. Wightman. He received the cleansing power of the Holy
Spirit in August, 1885, in a meeting in Augusta, Ga.
He was licensed to exhort at
Spartanburg in 1874, Rev. T. G. Herbert being the Presiding Elder. He was licensed to preach at Ebenezer Church,
now in the Latta Circuit, Rev. H. A. C. Walker being the Presiding Elder.
Brother Porter joined the Conference
at Columbia in December, 1877; was ordained Deacon by Bishop Wightman in 1879;
was ordained Elder by Bishop Pierce in 1881.
He has served as follows: Junior Preacher in Cokesbury Circuit, 1878;
Richalnd Fork Circuit, 1879; Junior P{reacher in Newberry Circuit, 1880; South
Conwayboro Cuircuit, 1881; Black River Circuit, 1882; Gerogetwon Circuit, 1883,
Tradesville Circuit, 1884, West Lancaster Circuit, 1885; Hanging Rock Circuit,
1886; Foreston Circuit 1887-1889; Black Swamp Circuit, 1890-1; Lowndesville
Station 1892; Cherokee Circuit, 1893; Jonesville Circuit, 1894; Pacolet
Circuit, 1895; Lynchburg Circuit, 1896-7; Pickens Circuit, 1898-9; Centenary
Circuit, 1900-1.
On December 7, 1880, Brother Porter
was married to Miss Alice C. Livingston, daughter of Mr. John M. And Mrs.
Catherine Livingston, of Newberry County, Rev. John A. Porter, assisted by Rev.
John W. Kelley, perfoming the ceremony.
Following are the names of their living children: J. David W., Catherine F., Simile I., Susan
A., Robert D., Georgia Eveline.
Brother Porter is a man of strong convictions and never hesitates to express them in vigorous language. He is conscientious in all that he does. He is an ernest and forceful preacher, and a zealous pastor. He is making a record of heroic service in our Conference.
© 2010 Fran Smith