REV. W. H. GILLAM PASTOR AT GOLDEN'S METHODIST CHURCH, 1883 - 1884.

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Early Ministries... Rev. W. H. Gillam served the Arkansas Annual Conference of the Methodist-Episcopal Church prior to serving churches in the Colorado Conference. In 1865, the Missouri and Arkansas Conference was reorganized. Arkansas made up one district in the Conference and Rev. Blackburn was appointed as its Presiding Elder. Rev. Gillam was appointed as pastor in Fort Smith.1 Rev. Gillam replaced Rev. Blackburn as Presiding Elder sometime prior to 1868, when Arkansas was split into two districts - Little Rock, and Ft. Smith. Rev. Gillam was remained a Presiding Elder, overseeing the Little Rock District.1 In 1872, the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recognized Arkansas as a separate annual conference. Bishop Thomas Bowman organized the new conference and its 33 preachers into four districts - Southeast Arkansas, Southwest Arkansas, Fayetteville, and Batesville. Rev. W. H. Gillam was assigned Presiding Elder of the Southeast Arkansas District.1 In 1874, Rev. Gillam was forced to see the Fayetteville Methodist-Episcopal Church North sold in order to 'extricate the church body from a lamentable financial situation.' 2 Afterwards the congregation disbanded. Fayetteville North had been organized in 1866 and had known few members through four previous pastorships. The church building had been built by Rev. A. W. Fields, the congregation's fourth pastor and Rev. Gillam's predecessor.2 The Third Annual Arkansas Conference convened in February, 1875. The four districts were reduced to three, and Rev. Gillam was appointed to the Fayetteville Union Church.1 He would be was reappointed to this church by the Fourth Annual Conference in 1876. However, there is no mention of Rev. Gillam in the 1877 appointments.3 Boulder County, Colorado marriage records show that Rev. W. H. Gillam performed numerous marraiges in 1881.4

Golden Ministries... Rev. W. H. Gillam pastored the Golden Methodist-Episcopal Church from 1883 through 1884.

Bibliography
1	History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas
		Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago 1889. Religion, p. 788.
2	History of Benton County
		Benton County, Arkansas, Homepage http://www.couchgenweb.com/arkansas/benton/benhist4.htm Last checked: March 31, 2005.
3	History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas
		p. 789.
4	Boulder County, Colorado Marraige Records
		Boulder County, Colorado

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Last Revised: March 31, 2005.