About 1786, John Bush built a brush arbor as a community center for camp meeting at what was then called "Crackers Neck." From this grew Liberty Chapel, "Cradle of Methodism" for this section. In 1797, Rev. James Jenkins, leader in the early day of Methodism and, at that time, on the Washington Circuit including Greene, Taliaferro, Wilkes, Lincoln, Elbert, Hart, Franklin, Madison, and Oglethorpe Counties, preached here and report in his "Journal" that, after a "fiery exhortation," a man in uniform came down the aisle and fell at his feet, crying for pardon. Others followed and, according to Rev. Jenkins, then, at Liberty Chapel, began the Methodist custom of "going to the altar." The meeting became so noisy, he continued, that it was a wonder the horses did not take fright.
Most of the great men of early Methodism were identified with this church. Bishop Francis Asbury preached here several times and, in 1808 when the South Carolina Conference met here, he and Bishop William McKendree attended. At Liberty Chapel, Rev. Lovick Pierce was ordained an elder and Bishop William Capers admitted as a preacher on trial.
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