AWF Historical Society

08/13/2024

I know it has been a very long time since anything has been posted on this page. Need I say there have been events beyond our control affecting the activities of the AWF Historical Society. Here is a highlight video of an enjoyable gathering we had at Blue Lake Camp years ago. We had some fantastic annual meetings at beautiful churches. I reflect on those who worked so diligently to make the society strong again. Bob Couch brought AWF Historical Society back to life. Mary Ann Pickard always had that great smile and dedication to preserving the conference's history. Claude Brown faithful to support the society. A stellar historian and superb publisher/editor of "The Circuit Writer" James Young. Ann Chancey Dalton with her portrayal of Circuit Rider wife Peggy Dow. Archivist Sharon Tucker handling all the work to prepare for these occasions. The list can go on and on. So, I just wanted to thank everyone for the treasured memories and great times we have shared over these years. Rev Ed Shirley.

The Alabama-West Florida Conference's Historical Society hosted "Three Notch Road Fall Festival" at Blue Lake Assembly Grounds October 29-30, 2010. We had mi...

03/14/2022

Hey folks! It's been a long time since we got together. Here's a look back at "The Three Notch Road Festival" from October 29-30, 2010. Fun time!!!

The Alabama-West Florida Conference's Historical Society hosted "Three Notch Road Fall Festival" at Blue Lake Assembly Grounds October 29-30, 2010. We had mi...

10/11/2021

Hey historical enthusiasts! Rev Ed Shirley here with a program about circuit riders. We hope the pandemic will soon be over so we can comfortably gather at a historical location to celebrate and learn church history. Perhaps when the new year arrives we can think about a good ole camp meeting at Little Texas which is our historic camp meeting structure that dates back to 1845. God bless you and we are lifting you up in our prayers.

Rev Ed Shirley loves to talk about circuit riders, horseback riding preachers from the 1800's in America. Here is message of tribute and remembrance of those...

05/04/2021

Here is great video on Mother's Day that you can share this Sunday. It can shown by connecting to YouTube or you can download it easily to your computer from the website www.umc.org.

More at http://www.umc.org/videos.In the late 1860s, before there was an official Mother’s Day holiday in the U.S., a Methodist mom organized “Mothers’ Frien...

12/18/2020

The AWF Historical Society prays that all will have a Merry Blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus! "Hark! the Herald Angels Sings" was composed by Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley. His title was "Hark! How all the Welkin Rings!" Brother John Wesley told his brother that "welkin" was an odd unfamiliar word to most and he should not use it. Holy Club friend George Whitefield took it a step further by changing the words in a hymn publishing. "Welkin" is the highest firmament of the earth's sky. So, Charles intended to emphasize the great news of Jesus' birth to ring out with such noise as to make the whole earth to resonate as a bell. Well, Charles was upset that the words of his hymn were changed without his permission. Yet, soon this adjustment brought great popularity to the hymn. It was composed around 1738. Charles wrote some 6500 hymns.

A HD video of the Christmas carol Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.Soundtrack recorded live at the NBA Big Sing, Newcastle upon TyneHark! the herald angels sing,...

09/30/2020

“If you could go back in time, it would be where and when?” One of my answers would be outside listening to the Reverend George Whitefield preach. He died on this day, September 30, 1770, at just age 55. George was a member The Holy Club, circa 1729, with John and Charles Wesley. George introduced John to field preaching in 1738. It is said that Whitefield had a booming voice that could be heard a mile away. He had preached his last of some 18,000 sermons in his lifetime the day before standing on a large barrel. Reverend Whitefield often said, “I would rather wear out than rust out.” - Rev Ed Shirley

05/31/2020

Hey everyone! Rev Ed Shirley with a service to share that has some history, song and praise centered around circuit riders. God bless.

Welcome to "A Circuit Rider Service" at Clay Hill Church. We will talk about circuit riders, sing old songs, and hear a sermon from Sam Porter Jones.

04/29/2020

Hey, here is episode two of "The Lord's Lighthouses." I hope you enjoy it. I know that at the end of this one I said, "I'll see you when we visit more historic churches." However, I could not find support for the program. My finances were exhausted at the time. I have tried to start up again, but it seems the motivation is not there to move down that path again. I was hoping somebody with resources and time would be inspired to take up the project. So thankful Jesus helped me get this part done. Amen.

This was the second episode of "The Lord's Lighthouses." I put them into two segments so that Sunday schools could show them on two consecutive Sundays. They...

04/27/2020

Hey everyone! Some of you may have never seen my documentary on historic churches: "The Lord's Lighthouses." It was completed in the year 2004. It was the one thing that I wanted to get done before my trip up to Heaven. So, in your stay-at-home state perhaps you will view it. Many have found it interesting. My big thanks to Bob Gamble of the Alabama Historical Commission who provided so much expert commentary on architecture, state history, and Methodist history. I will be posting Episode Two in a few days.

This is the main project that I wanted to complete in my earthly life. If something happened and I departed for Heaven I did not want to have something that ...

03/21/2020

Hey everybody! Praying for protection during this Corona Virus situation. Here is the latest issue of the "Circuit Writer" to occupy some of your time in a great enjoyable historical way. Again our thanks to editor James Young for another stellar publication. Just a tip to occupy your time shut in if you have too much of it. Call some of your older church members and ask them to share stories from the past about your church. Document those accounts to compile a church history. Use a speaker phone and record it to a device for accuracy. Go to www.awfhistory.com look under "Newsletters." God bless you.

11/13/2019

"The Circuit Writer" latest issues Fall 2019 is now at www.awfhistory.com please visit the website. Make sure you send your registration in for the December 5th Old Fashioned Christmas at Maplesville UMC. Deadline November 21st.

08/17/2019

Hot! Hot! Hot off the press! "The Circuit Writer Summer 2019" issue is at www.awfhistory.com in the newsletters category. James Young always does a cool creative job of giving us insight to what is happening among our precious historic churches and we enjoy his articles about interesting important events of the past.