Rev. James Dryborough Lumsden

 

REV. JAMES DRYBOROUGH LUMSDEN
THIS leaf contains a recital of the "Acts" of an Apostle. Though the record of his deeds is somewhat of the brevity of Caesar's dispatch, it has also its victorious accent. Such a roll achievements under God, would have challenged the admiration of the chiefest of the sacred band in early Christianity. Paul could not have read of such long service, and with the grace of God abounding, in the conversion of hundreds and hundreds, without apostolic commendation.

When the great Marius, charged with the war against Jugurtha, was twitted by the patrician dandies of Rome, for want of old lineage, he turning in scorn upon the imbeciles, said that they coup many ancestors, but not a single campaign. Lumsden perhaps cannot trace pedigree "to the Archbishop of Canterbury and back to St. John," but he like the Apostles has made full proof of ministry. God has knighted him on the field of victor.

He is the son of William and Agnes T. Lumsden, and born in the city of Edinburg, Scotland, November 3d, 1811. His parents immigrated to America in 1817, and settled in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The family removed to Virginia the next year. His father was a Quaker and his mother a Free Will Baptist. Mr. Lumsden was converted in Petersburg, Va., under the ministry of the Rev. William Hammett, September 26th, 1826, and received into full membership by the Rev. William A. Smith, in 1827. H e was licensed to exhort in 1829, and to preach in 1831, by Rev. G. W. Nolley. He had been educated at the Richmond Academy. On the subject of educational qualification for the ministry, Mr. Lumsden says: `Through the persuasion of the Rev. H. G. Leigh, Presiding Elder of Petersburg District, I gave up my arrangement to spend two or three years at Randolph Macon College. He assured me that there was no necessity for the delay, and that my education was superior to his attainments when he commenced his ministry. I yielded to his judgment, but have regretted the mistake all my life, not that I would have been wiser, but I could have done my work easier to myself, and perhaps more satisfactorily to my hearers."

He was sent to Greensville Circuit in 1836, Person Circuit 1837. In January, 1838 he was received into the North Carolina Conference at Greensboro', and was ordained deacon by Bishop Morris. That year he travelled Mattamuskeet Circuit, where four hundred persons a converted. In 1839 he was stationed in Washington, N. C. During that year a hundred were brought to the Saviour. In 1840 he was ordained Elder by Bishop Morris in Newberne. He served two years (1840-1,) in Salisbury, N. C., with a considerable accession to the church ; 1842-3 Guilford Circuit. In this work over four hundred were converted. He was assigned to Rockingham Circuit in 1844, where nearly four hundred made a profession of faith. There were also on the Davidson Circuit in 1845 a numerous ingathering under his ministry. In 1846-7 there was a great out-pouring of the Spirit in Stokes. The next two years saw a like increase on Iredell; also in Wilkes during 1850; next year Randolph witnessed the conversion of hundreds. There was good success in 1852 on Alamance.

In November, 1852, Mr. Lumsden was transferred to the Virginia Conference, and placed on the Murfreesboro' Circuit, where numerous conversions occurred, likewise on Gates the next year. In 1855-6 Campbell Circuit, one hundred and fifty conversions ; in 1857-8 Princess Anne, three hundred conversions ; 1859-60 Pasquotank, nearly the same number made profession ; in 1860 Matthews where God blessed his labors during the fearful years of war. He witnessed many stirring scenes. In 1864 Pasquotank in two years witnessed nearly four hundred conversions. In November, 1866, Hertford Circuit, continued success ; 1869, H ton and York, many were brought to know their Redeemer. In 1871-2 Indian Ridge, one hundred converts ; 1873, Norfolk Circuit 1874 Chuckatuck, a number converted on each field ; 1875-6 Meherrin Circuit, with good harvest each year ; 1877 Mount Pleasant Circuit, with some gain ; 1878-9 Wicomico, with revivals and additions.

During the forty three years of his ministry there have been between four and five thousand conversions.

He was married April, 1832, by Rev. Minton Thrift, in Petersburg, Virginia, to Susannah Poythress Andrews, daughter of James and Mary Andrews, who died in triumph April, 1836--was married again August 20th, 1840, to Mrs. Elmira Harris Brandon, of Rowan county, North Carolina, who passed through all the changes of the itinerancy until March 28th, 1875, when she ascended in triumph and full assurance of faith to her home in heaven. He was again married to Miss Sallie Sykes, daughter of Britton Sykes, of Northampton county, North Carolina, October 17th, 1876.

Diane Ross, Vincent Rogers, Jacob Edwards, Victor Newman, Theresa Brock, Kristen Smith, Irene Miller, Tony Smith, Dawn Hicks, Edna Hall, Alberto Thomas, Susan Adams, Kimberly Wilkerson, William Hansen, Bernard Garcia, Willie Leonard, Janet Miller, Debra Lewis, Alfred Martin, Renee Rodriguez, Ronald Gomez, Ronald Ellis, Jerry Webster, Helen Riley, Margaret Robinson, Guy George, Myrtle Morrison, April Graham, Natalie Harris, Gerald Weber, David Brooks, Michelle Norton, Sara Summers, Sarah Black, James Brady, Raul Johnson, George Fowler, Ella Flores, Ashley Brown, Megan Conner, Brittany Kim, Teresa Gardner, Margaret Johnson, Roger Smith, Leslie Fowler, Theresa Sanders, Charles Scott, George Perez, Yvonne Davis, Robert Miller, Joseph Davis, Irma Gutierrez, Ronald Adams, Steven Freeman, John Jones, Elaine Hicks, Rachel Nichols, Sharon Price, Martin Johnson, Brian Sandoval, Robert Farmer, Jason Dixon, Mary Smith, David Harmon, Deborah Shelton, Anna Jackson, Maurice Fields, James Wade, Thomas White, Charles Rogers, James Martinez, Amanda Long, Lisa Roberts, Tiffany Burgess, Clara Bates, John Sanders, Leroy Phillips, Fred Stanley, Edward Brown, Barbara Allen, Emma Tucker, Richard Guzman, David Pearson, Michael Schneider, Anthony Thomas, Jackie Johnson, Marie Logan, Georgia Quinn, Wanda Brown, Ray Williams, Elizabeth Hall, Gene Snyder, Phillip Klein, Heidi Ramos, John Cummings, David Davis, Jeremy Hernandez, Herman Taylor, Katherine Jones, Sylvia Walton, Michael Hampton, Kim Parker, Bryan Phillips, Daniel Ramos, James Miller, Jacqueline Jones, Walter Garrett, William Rogers, Christopher Davis, Doris Thompson, Jessica Jensen, Robert Johnson, Rosemary Byrd, Melissa Mills, Peter Williams, Geraldine White, Lillie Bell, David Bennett, Helen Cook, Janice Young, James Parsons, Erik Martinez, Michael Gray, Beverly Bowers, Brian Lucas, Maria Lopez, Michael Curtis, Patricia Chavez, Eugene Mason, Willie Joseph, David Martinez, Sarah Clark, John Luna, Joseph Garcia, Kimberly Hunter, Mary Ellis, Thelma Jones, Kurt Holmes, Jennifer Evans, Michael Bell, Rick Larson, Michael Adams, Gina Jones, Lucille Reed, Paula Moore, Marvin Lyons, Robert Barker, Andrew Carpenter, Donna Patterson, Maria Taylor, Jonathan Cox, Brenda Pena, Thomas Campbell, Lynn Thompson, Cynthia Robinson, Larry Johnson, Brenda Stewart, Patrick Wilson, Lois Smith, Amber Carroll, Doris Bryan, Lisa Harris, Mae Rodriguez, Gregory Cox, John Nelson, Jerry Garner, Cynthia Jones, Rosa Henderson, Paul Gomez, Betty Scott, Sarah Jones, Vincent Martin, Karen Horton, Linda Baker, Paul Wise, John Day, Roger Davis, Patricia Smith, Mary Blake, Mary Fisher, Rose Hicks, Elizabeth Coleman, David Hogan, Rosa Anderson, Thelma Bradley, Jennifer Johnson, Barbara Robinson, Geraldine Welch, Vanessa Wood, Darlene Hill, Linda Cooper, Dora Schmidt, Sarah Smith, Elsie Perry, Daniel Norris, Mark Rice, Mary Harvey, Derek Jefferson, Juanita Castillo, Elizabeth Johnson, Stephen Daniels, Paul Lambert, Walter Ross, Kathryn Wheeler, Michelle Riley, Warren Wilson, Matthew Harvey, Anita Haynes, Michele Crawford, Jeffrey Foster, Geraldine Simmons, Carolyn Hall, Georgia Lambert, Linda Reeves, Tara Murphy, Arnold Ward, Edwin Vargas, Carrie Shelton, Miguel Cain, Clyde Washington, Kevin Davis, Lynn Smith, Susan James, John Hunt, Daniel Smith, Dorothy Robertson, Theresa Kelly, Anne Black, Mark Morgan, Nicholas Smith, Kelly Cohen, Mildred Arnold, Jay Moore, Mary Newton, Debra Miller, John Howell, Walter Murphy, Janice Smith, Karen Evans, Ethel Woods, Leroy Robinson, Nancy McKinney, James Williams, Jeffrey Smith, Michael Rogers, Gary Taylor, Gladys Morgan, Helen Brown, Amy Thomas, Anna Smith, James Anderson, Denise Gonzales, Ethel Bates, James Myers, Michael Thomas, Kathleen Welch, Denise Daniel, Priscilla Gilbert, Charles Willis, Johnnie Holloway, Herbert Gutierrez, Charles Johnson, Lloyd Weber, Virginia Lee, Sue Glover, Michael Francis, Bonnie Baker, James Parsons, Joseph Poole, Betty Jones, Ray Duncan, Phyllis Hill, Paula Jones, Carole McKinney, Lisa Dean, James Wheeler, Randall Miller, Beverly Gonzales, Daniel Kelly, Carol Sanchez, William Palmer, Henry Lee, Jane Patrick, Mary Mendez, John Richardson, Mildred Gardner, Sharon Morris, James Martin, Randy Murphy, Ellen Wilson, Todd Parker, Linda Palmer, Clara Horton, Linda Franklin, Philip Lewis, Patsy Walker, James Norman, Ronald Powers, Jack Daniel, Glenda Graham, Claudia Martinez, Joan Austin, Robert Evans, Ronald Burns, Paul Jones, James Harvey, Linda Bradley, Michelle Edwards, Vincent Wilson, Robert Morris, Jamie Hall, Dennis Wilson, Bertha Yates, Jonathan Taylor, Joan Hudson, Anna Turner, Jeffrey Luna, Ronald McGee, Carol Weber, Lucille Brewer, Cynthia Blair, Thomas Santos, Curtis Hudson, Jose Duncan, Earl Collins, Kristen Foster, Dave Harris, Jesus Reed, Brian Shaw, Jeremy McGee, Emily Washington, Peter Johnson, Lauren Morgan, Mary McGuire, Michael Craig, Julia Ramirez, Cynthia Sanders, Jill Harrison, Joyce Wheeler, Sam White, Gerald Murray, Katie James, Casey Cooper, Anita Scott, Virginia Miller, Cynthia Huff, Elizabeth Patton, Edward Brown, Brian Brady, Barbara Burgess, Justin Graves, Patrick Jackson, Victoria Dixon, Laura Lewis, Joshua Payne, Marjorie Taylor, Amanda Sparks, Karen Horton, Nicholas Long, Steve Smith, Douglas Simmons, Joyce Robertson, Dwayne Smith, Carol Leonard, Mary Davis, Ethel Jones, Joseph Perkins, Wayne Willis, Diane Martin, Larry Nelson, Brad Andrews, Kim Jones, Morris Gonzalez, Jennifer Osborne, Linda Powell, Barbara Wilson, Katherine Fletcher, Donald Alexander, Wayne Smith, Annie Knight, Alfred Murray, Angela Sanders, James Schmidt, Ronald Sullivan, Shannon Brown, Mary Peterson, Ross Clark, James Coleman, Naomi Little, Joseph Hogan, Howard Brooks, Shawn Todd, Mary Jones, Anna Fletcher, Reginald Douglas, Brenda Jensen, Ronald Pratt, Michael Medina, Joyce Walker, Alice Rodriguez, Ronald Watson, Barbara Davis, James Smith, Stephanie Malone, Robert Rios, Ernest Garcia, Lori Cook, Joseph Jordan, Robert Osborne, Melissa Knight, Judy Williams, Debra Campbell, Tiffany Johnson, Antonio Stevens, Carol Williams, Pamela Thomas, Deborah Walker, Sandra Rodriguez, Paul Ballard, Randy Myers, Eleanor Shelton, Stephanie Flores, Christine Henry, Kathy Gilbert, Jeanne West, Ronald Todd, Debbie Gibson, Keith Wood, Diane Gibson, Andrew Austin, Thomas Griffin, Brenda Hernandez, Melanie Lopez, Larry Williams, Donna Smith, Carlos Rhodes, William Garcia, Heidi Brown, Ann Jones, Melissa Evans, Mark Brown, Wanda Williams, Charles Hawkins, Julia Sanders, Patricia Nash, Mark Ford, Jon Brady, Chris Richards, James Hall, Laura Peterson, Jessica Baker, Susan Moody, Tim Roberts, Mary Robertson, Tim White, Sandra Barton, Melvin Page, Mitchell Schmidt, Erica Gray, Mary Ortiz, Carmen Henry, Mary Hanson, Eva Ward, Donna Johnson, Micheal Griffith, Helen Rhodes, Patricia Norton, Carole Andrews, Marion Gray, Mitchell Hernandez, Rafael Johnson, Brenda Mills, Mildred Gilbert, Travis Rogers, Barbara Ray, Mildred Hudson, Ella Ramos, Amber Bennett, Stella Maldonado, Cory Underwood, Milton Weber, Herbert Morris, Jessica Zimmerman, Michael Carroll, Kenneth Cannon, Betty Williams, Jessica Turner, Carmen Bridges, John Clark, Mary Flowers, Rhonda Ramos, William Henderson, Michael McCoy, Deborah Lee, William Ball, Diane Smith, Cheryl Mendoza, Heather Jordan, Justin Fields, William Moore, Anita Patterson, Rachel Nelson, Calvin Allen, Richard Dixon, Jennifer Johnson, Joel Hill, Thomas Malone, Theresa George, Pedro Green, Sharon Aguilar, Ashley Wells, Patrick Moore, Ricardo Coleman, Herbert Diaz, Michael Long, Dawn Carr, Kay Thomas, Richard Thornton, Neil Washington, David Hernandez, Howard Robertson, Miguel Jones, Anthony Gardner, Linda Stone, Edith Morris, Arlene Evans, Betty Cannon, Katherine Peters, Willie Taylor, Joel Jackson, Karen Kim, Robert Campbell, Joseph Miller, Mary West, Natalie Brown, Gary Hill, Steve Crawford, David Nelson, James Walker, Ralph Lambert, Joan Turner, Miguel Collins, Helen Evans, Annie Wright, Rafael Williams, Ramon Williams, Olga Bennett, James Mills, Kristin Jackson, William Andrews, Dennis Graves, Thelma Collier, Michael Chapman, Kimberly Hughes, Anna Bell, Mary Woods, Shawn Russell, Richard Maldonado, Michael Matthews, Craig Bryant, Travis Arnold, Rachel Russell, Justin Watkins, Jennifer Parker, Wanda Huff, Alicia Harrington, Steven Thomas, Lucille Stephens, Carolyn Stewart, Yvonne Patterson, Doris Robinson, Ron Clark, Vivian Wagner, Rick Fernandez, Lisa Alexander, John Foster, Dorothy Wolfe, Linda Lawrence, Scott Richards, Marlene Stevenson, Patrick Scott, Gregory Hughes, Nancy Cunningham, Virginia Hunter, Frances Bailey, Ross Williams, Alice Walsh, Sharon Morris, Virginia Stewart, John Reyes, Clifton Collins, Bernice Cook, Steven Simmons, Gail Banks, Katherine Thompson, Sherry Moss, Diane Coleman, Elizabeth Bell, Oscar Townsend, Michael Simmons