Anderson.--Nov. 22, 1885, at his residence in Clark County,
Ky., the Rev. Jesse Anderson, aged 73 years, 1 month, and 12 days.
When about fifteen years of age he professed religion at the "Mercer
Camp-ground" (now Boyle County), near where Mitchellsburg
now stands, and joined the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, holding
membership in a congregation that worshiped in the "Lone
School-house," four miles north of Danville, near where he
was raised. He became a candidate for the ministry on Oct. 8,
1830, when about eighteen years old, at the second session of
Kentucky
Presbytery, held at Caldwell Church, Boyle County, Ky.
The men who composed this Presbytery
were well known in the Church--viz., Benjamin Canby, A.
M. Bryan, and Laban
Jones. These have all finished their work and gone to
the better world. These all, except the Rev.
Laban Jones, left the bounds of this Presbytery
before their death. The Rev.
A. M. Bryan went to Pennsylvania, and established a Church
in Pittsburg. All the elders who were members of the Presbytery
at that time have long since passed away. Brother Anderson was
ordained at a meeting of the Presbytery
held in Jeffersontown, Ky, on Oct. 3, 1835. The Rev.
S. B. F. Caldwell preached the ordination sermon, and
the Rev.
Laban Jones presided and gave the charge. He outlived
all those who entered the ministry about the time he did. After
he became a candidate for the ministry he studied with the Rev.
Laban Jones for some time. He was diligent, and being
of a quick mind, he made rapid progress in his studies. In the
report of the committee that examined him before his ordination,
after speaking of some of the others examined, I find the following
language: "Brother Anderson was satisfactory, and on all
the parts of trial rendered entire satisfaction in preparatory
to his ordination." The habits of study formed at that time
he kept up through life. Few men understood the doctrines of the
Bible, and of the Church to which he belonged, better than he
did. He preached boldly and clearly these doctrines, yet so as
not to give offense to any one. He loved the Church, and devoted
his life to its service. He was a very diffident man. When there
were others present he would decline to preach, yet if it was
put upon him, he would preach with great earnestness and acceptance
to the people. In the Church courts he was usually silent, hardly
ever taking part in debate; yet he was a clear reasoner, and when
he felt it to be his duty, few men were more ready than he. His
health was not good--indeed, he had been an invalid for many years.
Yet he seldom failed to attend the meeting of the Presbytery and
all his appointments. His first preaching was done in the neighborhood
and to the congregation in which he died. He had preached there
for fifty-eight years, except some fifteen years that he spent
in Louisville and Owensboro. He was at one time pastor of the
Church in Louisville, and eleven years pastor of the Church in
Owensboro. As a pastor he was successful, as the Church at Sugar
Ridge shows. The writer knew him intimately, and was acquainted
with his work, and knew that he was beloved by his congregation,
but was hardly prepared for the manifestation of attachment to
him as shown at his funeral, not only by the members of his congregation,
but also by the whole community. Members of all the other Churches
in the community, and those who were not members of any Church,
manifested the greatest respect for him. In 1864 he was Moderator
of the General Assembly that met at Lebanon, Ohio. This was one
of the most important meetings of our General Assembly, as the
Church at that time was passing through the excitement growing
out of the Civil War. He was the author of a work on the Identity
of the Church, and also of the Life of Jones and Irvine, and was
one of the compilers of the "Social Harp," a collection
of hymns that was popular and used largely in our Church, and
to some extent by other Churches. In 1836 he was married to Miss
Elizabeth Ramsey, of Clark County, a member of Sugar Ridge Congregation,
where he spent the most of his life. She proved to be a helpmeet
indeed. Being an earnest Christian, she could sympathize with
him in his work, and was always ready with a word of encouragement
when he felt despondent and discouraged by the difficulties in
his way. She still survives him. They had no children, but adopted
and raised as their own a niece whose mother died when she was
was an infant. She became the wife of the Rev. T. H. Miner, who
died in Florida last summer. "Blessed are the dead which
die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them."
No doubt this is the experience of Brother Anderson.
R.
H. Caldwell.
[Source: The
Cumberland Presbyterian, April 8, 1886, page 2]
No Directories in General Assembly Minutes prior to 1854.
1854
Jesse Anderson,
Louisville, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Memphis, Tennessee, May 16-24, 1854.
Served
on the Committee on Missions.
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1854, pages 5, 7 & 89]
1855
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Lebanon, Tennessee, May 15-22, 1855.
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1855, page 4]
1856
Jesse Anderson,
Louisville, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1856, page 60]
1857
Jesse Anderson,
Louisville, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1857, page 69]
1858
No Directory
in General Assembly minutes.
1859
No Directory
in General Assembly minutes.
1860
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Nashville, Tennessee, May 17-25, 1860.
Served
on the Committee on Education.
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1860, pages 4 & 7]
1861
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in St. Louis, Missouri, May 16-18, 1861
Served
on the Committee On the State of Religion.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1861, pages 4 & 6]
1862
No Directory
in General Assembly minutes.
1863
No Directory
in General Assembly minutes.
1864
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Lebanon, Ohio, May 19-26, 1864.
Rev. Jesse Anderson
of Ohio Presbytery, was elected Moderator.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1864, page 104.
1865
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Evansville, Indiana, May 18-24, 1865.
The constituting
prayer was offered by the Moderator, Rev. J. Anderson.
Served
on the Committee on Publication.
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1865, pages 163, 164 & 167]
1866
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Owensboro, Kentucky, May 17-26, 1866.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1866, page 4]
1867
Jesse Anderson
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Memphis, Tennessee, May 16-23, 1867.
Served
on the Committee on Missions.
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1867, pages 4 & 8]
1868
J. Anderson,
Owensboro, Ky.
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
Commissioner to General Assembly
in Lincoln, Illinois, May 21-29, 1868.
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1868, pages 6 & 106]
1869
Jesse Anderson,
Owensboro, Kentucky
Minister - Ohio
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1869, page 86]
1870
Jesse Anderson,
Stoner, Kentucky
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1870, page 77]
1871
Jesse Anderson,
Stoner, Kentucky
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1871, page 77]
1872
Anderson,
Jesse, Stoner, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1872, page 119]
1873
No Report
in General Assembly minutes.
1874
Anderson,
Jesse, Stoner, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1874, page 95]
1875
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1875, page 78]
1876
No Report
in General Assembly minutes.
1877
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1877, page 84]
1878
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1878, page 92]
1878
October
5, 1878
Walnut Flat Church - Lincoln County,
Kentucky
Moderator of Kentucky
Presbytery - Rev.
Jesse Anderson
[Source:
The Cumberland Presbyterian, October 31, 1878, page 5;
February 27, 1878, page 5]
1879
No Report
in General Assembly minutes.
1880
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1880, page 114]
1881
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1881, page 86]
1882
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1882, page 116]
1883
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1883, page 125]
1884
Anderson,
Jesse, Winchester, Ky.
Minister - Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1884, page 114]
1885
No Report
in General Assembly minutes.
1886
Report of
Committee on Deceased Ministers
Jesse Anderson
- Kentucky
Presbytery
[Source:
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, 1886, page 46]
Anderson, Jesse. The Identity of the Church As Seen in the Divine Appointment and Perpetuation of the Gospel Ministry. Together with a Sermon on Infant Church Membership and a Sermon on the River and Tree of Life. Louisville, Ky.: Published by J. Anderson, Agent of the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication. A. F. Cox Printer, 1855.
Anderson, Jesse. The Identity of the Church As Seen in the Divine Appointment and Perpetuation of the Gospel Ministry. Together with a Sermon on Infant Church Membership and a Sermon on the River and Tree of Life. Louisville, Ky.: Published by J. Anderson, Agent of the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication. A. F. Cox Printer, 1856.
Anderson, Jesse. The Identity of the Church As Seen in the Divine Appointment and Perpetuation of the Gospel Ministry. Together with a Sermon on Infant Church Membership and a Sermon on the River and Tree of Life. Nashville. Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1870.
Anderson, Jesse, and S. B. Howard. Memoirs of Rev. Laban Jones, and Rev. John H. Irvine, Late Ministers in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Members of the Kentucky Presbytery. Louisville, Ky: Morton and Griswold, printers, 1850.
Anderson, J., and S. B. Howard. The Social Harp: Containing a Rich Variety of Scriptural Songs : for the Use of Christians in Their House of Pilgrimage Adapted to All Occasions and Seasons. Louisville: A.F. Cox, Printer, 1854.
Anderson, J., and S. B. Howard. The Social Harp: Containing a Rich Variety of Scriptural Songs, For the Use of Christians in Their House of Pilgrimage. Adapted to All Occasions and Seasons. Louisville: A.F. Cox, Printer, 1856.
Anderson, J., and S. B. Howard. The Social Harp: Containing a Rich Variety of Scriptural Songs, For the Use of Christians in Their House of Pilgrimage. Adapted to All Occasions and Seasons. Louisville, Ky: A.F. Cox, Printer, 1858.