Rev. David M. Proctor             1876-7

`  D. M. Proctor [i]

                  ------         born Alabama [ii]

                  1869          commenced traveling [iii]

                  1869          appointment: Paris District, Paris Station [iv]

                  1872-73     appointment: Trinity Conference, Paris District, Honey Grove Circuit [v]

                  1873          superannuate relation [vi]

                  1876-77     pastor: Methodist Church, Greenville [vii]

                  1876          appointment: Sulphur Springs District, Greenville Station [viii]

                  1877          appointment: Sulphur Springs District, Greenville Station [ix]

                  1878

                  1879          received into conference by transfer [x]

     1  Jun    1880          resident Jefferson, Marion County, TX [xi]
                                    (D. M. Proctor, white, male, 49 years old, preacher, born AL, father born GA, mother born VA
                                    Mary, white, female, 43 years old, wife, keeping house, born MO, father born KY, mother born KY)

                  1883          transferred out to another conference [xii]

Texas Christian Advocate, Saturday, 17 Feb 1877, page 3: (transcription)
“(Communicated.)

     I am in a new part of the North Texas Conference to me.  Having spent a little over seven years in the bounds of the Paris district, it would be unnatural for me not to feel that I had left home.  Our first acquaintances in Texas were made at Paris, and some of the strongest ties, socially, are there; in fact if we have any friends on this earth, some of them certainly live in the little city of Paris.  I have seen and in some degree enjoyed, the development of Methodism in the town and vicinity.  Yes, sir, we have even selected a little lot of land there in which to be buried in, when this itinerant life shall have closed.  But what of all that!  The Master says, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  He never selected any particular city , town or locality in which to settle himself to merchandize, farm, or live the gentleman.  Neither did His disciples nor the apostles, St. Paul nor John Wesley.  How indifferent about His burying place! and yet he was buried.  The same may be said of his disciples.  The great matter of life with them was to do the will of Him that called and sent them to preach.  “Be instant in season and out of season,” is the exhortation.  So in humble imitation of the blessed Master, and in obedience to the divine call, I can say by the grace of God, “here am I, send me.”  And I feel just as anxious, yes, more so, than I ever did, to preach “Christ crucified” to not only Paris district but to any part of the North Texas Conference as the Lord may give me health of body and strength of grace; and when I die, my friends can do as they like about my burial.

     Greenville is a very pleasant town of 1000 or perhaps more inhabitants.  A social and clever people, with some care for the Lord and His cause.  Two church houses; the Baptist have a very comfortable house, and are prospering in both their membership and Sunday-school.  The Methodist have a very neat and tastefully constructed house 40x60 feet, with arched ceiling, well seated, good stoves, and all new; we have a good Sunday-school, and a good congregation.  The young men have their prayer meeting, and we have our general prayer meeting each in the week.  We have no debts to embarrass or cripple the interests of the church; we have a membership of one hundred and fifteen, with some little church labor.  I believe that we have as clean (morally) a record as almost any society I know of.  I am no flatterer; the truth is what I wish to speak and write.  By the help of the good Lord we hope to see many souls converted to God this year.  There is now some appearance, some signs, that speak out very clearly of the presence of the blessed Lord.  Greenville has never been the hard place-as the preachers say sometimes of places-for me to try to preach.  Why, my Brother, every preacher called to the work of the ministry by the spirit of God is able to realize the kind of spiritual atmosphere he is laboring in very soon if he will take heed to the signs and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit; he need not be in the dark long.  I think that I see more of God and of Christ Jesus and the Holy Ghost now, by far, than I used to see.  By affliction and disappointments, by crosses and losses, and, thank God, of blessings, too, my spiritual life has been put in better shape, I am sure.  These bits of experience are thrown in these notes, hoping they may assist some of them that may now passing through “firey trials” or through the “deep waters.”  Hold on to Christ, my Brother; go wherever, in the providence of God, your lot may be cast.  It may cost you something earthly; it may be grievous now, but did you ever know the Lord to forsake His workmen as long as they worked according to His plan?  No, never!

     We have a kind of “Panhandle” to our station that is entitled to notice, which we shall do soon, nothing to prevent.  Yours very truly.

     D.M. PROCTOR

Greenville, Feb. 6, 1877”

Texas Christian Advocate, Saturday, 17 Mar 1877, page 1: (transcription)
“(Communicated.)

Pan-Handle.

     How delightful the weather for a few days past; rather cool, but not too much so, perhaps.  Vegetation is beginning to peep out a little, and really one is almost ready to think from the merry notes of the mocking bird that winter is just about to be supplanted by spring.  We confess to our willingness, and hope it may be so.

     But I must write a few lines about our “Pan-Handle.”  How odd it seems for a station to have a circuit attached to it.  Well, we have a station, and two appointments in the country.  These appointments are not without their interests, I assure you.  The neighborhood east of Greenville-say from four to twelve miles-presents as many interesting features as almost any portion of North Texas I have yet seen.  It is emphatically a farming country.  The land offering an abundant yield of corn, cotton, wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and hay, both tame and wild.  There are some as fine, thrifty looking apple, peach and pear trees, for their age, as you could expect to see anywhere.  It will be remembered that this section of Hunt county embraces what is here and generally know as the “Lower Cross Timbers;” consequently a plenty of timber.  The face of the county is agreeably undulating.  Every variety peculiar to Northern Texas, save very poor land, may be found here.  But the farmers are evidently doing well, if we are to judge from the appearance.  Farms in good repair generally, good barns, and some very respectable dwelling houses and others (sic) building.  Cotton gins frequent, and yet others to be built this year.  Farmers introducing fine stock, and indeed their hogs can scarcely be excelled in the State now.  Cattle are being shipped from New Orleans and Kentucky, and sell readily at a fair price.  Some good horses, though not as many as ought to be here.  The mule seems to have the favor, and almost every farmer has a good team.  Does it not seem that such a country, with such facilities, and so many good farmers in healthy financial circumstances, with growing and intelligent families, and the literary interests of the children fairly represented, yes, and a Methodist membership in the neighborhood of one hundred, these highly favored brethren ought to build a good Methodist Church house in this community?  I know you do, Mr. Editor.  Well the P.C. is trying to provoke them to good works.  He hopes to succeed during the year, though the subscriptions are very meagre, and if they do not get larger, and more of them, the sixty by forty foot house will not be built.  We have nearly in the centre of the neighborhood five and one-half acres of land already deeded according to law and discipline, and the interests of the church demand a good church house.  We preach once a month for them, in the forenoon, on the west side of the neighborhood in a school house, and in the afternoon on east side in a school house-about four miles apart.  Now, if school houses are the best houses we are able to build for church purposes, then I am satisfied to preach in them the best I am able and go on.  But, if the church, in a community, is able to build a house for the Lord’s services, and simply neglects to do so for want of a proper effort-are they blamless? (sic)  I know some circuits in North Texas Conference that failed to build church houses when they could have done so, that since have lost (as they say themselves) some of their most enterprising members and citizens for want of church houses.  Some of these circuits today are far below the status they occupied years ago, both in influence and members, if not financially also and in some instances others have come in and to-day occupy the ground and the hearts of the people that we once controlled.  We must build church houses and parsonages if we expect to hold the ground we occupy now.  These are in a terestrial (sic) point of view our fortifications and strongholds.  Our “Pan Handle” gives us a good congregation at both appointments.  Indeed, sir, I have never tried to preach to a more orderly and respectful people.  We have had one conversion at Greenville and several accessions to the church since Conference.  We are looking forward to a gracious year.  May the good Lord send-in answer to prayer-a blessed, deep, heart-felt, convicting and converting power all over the land!

     D.M. Proctor

GREENVILLE Feb. 26, 1877”

Texas Christian Advocate, Saturday, 21 Apr 1877, page 7: (transcription)
“(Communicated.)

From Hunt County

     The interest that I feel, in connection with my brethren all over the Lord’s vineyard, in the cause of the blessed Master “in these ends of the earth,” urges me to attempt a few lines more for the ADVOCATE.  We have been quite favored lately with meetings.  Our second quarterly conference embraced the fourth Sabbath in last month, but, owing to the fearful rain on Friday before, preaching was prevented until Sunday morning.  Brother T. E. Sherwood reached Greenville late Saturday evening, just in time to hold the conference.  After his interesting sermon Sunday morning we had the sacrament administered truly “in both kinds,” not after the formula of Romanism, but first: the emblems were received by quite a number of communicants; secondly: the Master distributed to our souls “joy and peace in the Holy Ghost.”  It was a refreshing from his presence.  On Wednesday night following, our Cumberland Presbyterian brethren opened their presbytery in our church.  They had preaching at 11 o’clock A. M. and at night, each day, until Sunday night last (1^st of April).  They also administered the Lord’s Supper with much profit to us all we trust, for it was a very happy time indeed.  These brethren prayed and preached earnestly, and we thought there were signs of interest upon the part of sinners.  The awful storm on Saturday evening of hail and rain and some wind interfered greatly with the interests of their meeting.  The close on Sunday night, was a very precious time: one joined their church, and we hope others have been impressed for good.  We thought of protracting the services until Dr. Ditzler would reach us on the 10^th inst., and so had services Monday night.  But, alas! the rain came again Tuesday, and we are now in mud.  Last night, notwithstanding the mud, some twenty or thirty persons came to prayer-meeting, and blessed be God for such a prayer meeting as we were permitted to enjoy!  My dear brother, while I write, my soul is happy-surely the Lord encampeth ‘round about us.  There were several of our little company made to feel the importance of the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

     Now for the leading thought of my article.  The foregoing I know is localized; but does not every locality have its storms and fair weather; its rains and droughts; its efforts and failures?  Every church her prayers and answers?  Every preacher his encouragements and his failures?  Every member of the church their seasons of rejoicings and their seasons of despondency?  Every heart its overflowings, and every heart its emptiness?  Every soul its inexpressible comforts, and every soul its untold griefs?  O, my Heavenly Father, why all these diversified experiences among us?  The answer is in few words, we are in the world: “In the world ye shall have tribulations; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”  We may set a time for a revival, but all our efforts will prove in vain “except the Lord build the house.”  The church must humble herself.  We must suffer “the goodness of God to lead us to repentance.”  God’s time for the revival is when the people trust implicitly in Him.  See the sinner agonizing, praying, repenting, and yet no forgiveness.  See the perseverance: hell moves to destroy the soul; “heaven stoops to give it life.”  In its extremity, hear the cry, lost! lost!  All human effort has been exhausted, every refuge has been swept away-the whole man falls submissive, and the breathings of the soul is, “Thy will be done.”  Faith grasps the Son of God.  Jesus Christ speaks, “thy sins which are many are all forgiven.”  The soul in answer says, “Abba Father.”  The “Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”  This struggle with the individual member is but the representation of the labor we think we see so necessary upon the whole church in order to the restoration of the “great salvation” spoken of by St. Paul.  David says, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit; then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”  Ah! we the leaders of the people need to be “baptized” anew “with the Holy Ghost and with fire.”  We must be reconsecrated to God and the holy work of the ministry; then shall sinners be converted by scores, hundreds and thousands unto God.  O Lord Jehovah send this holy baptism-this entire consecration-upon all thy ministering servants.  May our very lives before the church and the world be the “living epistles,” known and read of all men.” for Jesus’ sake.  My dear brethren, in this sanctified ministry, the Zion of the Lord, will see these men of God “pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  The result will be: every truly converted man or woman in the church and out of the church will pray and agonize and persevere in the strength of Jesus, until they reach a better, purer and holier plane in the divine life.  This work can be accomplished only in our individual relationship.  “Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”  Again there is, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father, who is above all and through all, and in you all.”

     D.M. PROCTOR

GREENVILLE, TEXAS, APRIL 5, 1877”