I joined the Louisiana Presbytery in 1886, and having encountered adverse circumstances, I could not see my way clear, so I did like Jonah. I went to Texas thinking I would get rid of the impression I had to try to preach. I was not there quite two years when I decided to come back to Louisiana. Soon we built a log school house on our place in order to get a teacher to come and teach our children. So we did, and after a time we decided to have a prayer meeting in the little log cabin, and we continued the prayer meeting until the next summer. We decided that we would have a meeting. We sent for Rev. G. R. Stewart, who at that time was preaching at Salem, near Athens, La. At this time there were but three ordained Cumberland Presbyterian preachers in the state. We had the meeting, Rev. G. N. Clampitt, my father and Rev. G. R. Stewart held it. The Lord was with us and we decided to organize, and then build a church. Our country at that time was very thinly settled, there were not many to depend on to build it. Being determined to have a house of worship the few went to work, and in a short while we had the house complete. I had a team and hauled all of the lumber. We sold some milk cows, all we had but one to buy the lumber and nails, and truly the Lord was with us all this time. My impression grew stronger to do what I felt to be my duty. It all seemed to be a providential work, so this is why we called it the church of Providence.

The next summer we had another meeting, and a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the people and by some propelling power I joined the Presbytery again. (I had asked the Presbytery to drop my name from the roll). They sent me down in Jackson Parish to fill some churches that had no preacher.

I was there two years, and in the fall I was called by some old friends in Clairborne Parish to hold a meeting, which I did with the Lords help. We had a glorious meeting, but Rev. G. R. Stewart somehow became offended at the brethren and left, went to the Protestant Methodist, that left your humble servant and father to represent the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the state. Rev. Jones being too old for active service, just enough to hold the Presbytery. I was at this time a mere boy in the work, the people wanted me to move to Salem, so they came with their wagons and moved me to the parsonage at Athens, La., where I preached as best I could for seven years, serving at the time three churches, New Hope, Haynesville and Hurricane. I organized this Hurricane Church, and served it seven years, and built a house during this time. I gave my work over to new men and took the field as a missionary again. As I would get a work in shape, and a new man would come in I would turn it over to him. We had up to this time three Presbyteries, The East, The South, and Louisiana Presbyteries, these new men began to plot to do away with all but the original Louisiana and consolidate the forces. I at this time was in Claiborne Parish and Rev. E. C. Cargill wrote to me to know if there was an opening for him up there. He wanted to change his field of labor, as usual I turned over what work I had and worked up a full charge for him. I had a call to a work in West Texas. I went and was there two years when this merger scheme came to light, during my absence of two years in Texas, they had dissolved all but one Presbytery in Louisiana, killed nearly all the country churches, and these designing men were trying to turn all the churches in town to the U.S.A.'s. While I was in Texas not quite two years, I organized Wallace Creek Church that had run down to nothing, and served San Saba, Rock Shoals, and Harmony Ridge churches. Only lost two out of the group, they went with the traitors. They wrote for me to come back to Louisiana to help them. I cam back and to my surprise there was only one man besides myself that would assert his rights boldly. That man was Rev. G. T. Randle, who has gone home, where there is no confusion, was with me. We had other men in the ranks, but we had the fighting to do if it was done. We called a Presbytery to draw the lines, and from that time on we have had a rough time in Louisiana. I remained here for two years. Having a friend, a brother preacher, in Arkansas. I was called up there to hold a meeting and found the same scheme was working there. We had a fine meeting and took in 38 members. I came home and in a short while had a letter wanting me to move and take a work and help them out up there as the former preacher had gone with the U.S.A., and was trying to force them to go. I felt that if I could save the work there, I would go for a while, so I moved to Bearden, Arkansas, and bought me a little home and served four churches and preached to several mission points, and went far and near where I was called. The churches I served while there were: Bearden, Campground, Ebenezer. I served those churches four years and many mission points. I moved back to Louisiana, where I find our old preachers are all gone but your humble servant, and I am nearing the crossing. May God send us some good honest men, God loving, and God serving men to hold up the banner of Prince Immanuel and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, is the prayer of an unworthy servant.

[Source: Our Senior Soldiers: The Biographies and Autobiographies of Eighty Cumberland Presbyterian Preachers. Compiled by The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication. The Assistance of Revs. J. L. Price and W. P. Kloster is Greatfully Acknowledged. Nashville, Tenn.: The Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1915, pages 215-218]