{"id":3561,"date":"2018-09-23T13:10:21","date_gmt":"2018-09-23T13:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomshillprimer.com\/institute\/?p=3561"},"modified":"2021-03-17T20:47:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T20:47:00","slug":"freedoms-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.freedomshillprimer.com\/institute\/2018\/09\/23\/freedoms-hill\/","title":{"rendered":"The Original Freedom’s Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kierra Gilbert, Tyler Fuller, and Quinton Bent <\/h2>\n\n\n
\n

This is a story about slavery and war, about cowardice and courage, about the nineteenth century and the twenty-first century. This is our story…our heritage\u2026our legacy as Wesleyans. (Dr. Bob Black, Emeritus Professor at SWU).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

Freedom’s Hill, the very first Wesleyan abolitionist church in the American South, is located on the campus of \u00a0Southern Wesleyan University.<\/a>\u00a0The worship services are led by students and informational programs are the main devotion of the chapel. It is the prologue to the contemporary ministry of our Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On November 8, 1842,\u00a0<\/em>five ministers (Orange Scott, Jotham Horton, LaRoy Sunderland, Luther Lee, and Lucius Matlack) announced that they were withdrawing from the Methodist Church they had loved and faithfully served. In his book explaining why they were leaving Methodism, Orange Scott gave two main reasons: the domineering hand of the bishops, and the wickedness of slavery. In this new dominion, there were to be no slave holders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1847, Orange Scott<\/a> died of overwork and tuberculous. His death occurred within the first four years into the life of the original denomination that he helped establish. Not only the nation, but the Church lost one of the greatest anti-slavery voices to ever be heard. Historian Donald Mathews of University of North Carolina and Princeton paid him that honor. At Scott\u2019s funeral, Luther Lee voiced that, \u201cHe lived in advance of his age.\u201d He gave his life to encourage the state to inform them of the harms of slavery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freedom’s Hill Church has done some extensive traveling. Originally the church was located in Colfax, North Carolina, until the director of the \u00a0SWU Physical Plant (Jonathan Catron) led a crew to Colfax. They carefully relocated the church on the campus in October 2000. The antiquated Freedom\u2019s Hill Wesleyan Church became the brand-new construction on the property. Freedom\u2019s Hill Church is now reformed and reborn. The building is both a duplication and refurbishment. Nearly all the interior is innovative-a majority of the those were the ceilings and walls, the pulpit, all the flooring, the pulpit, the pews, the platform, the lamp stands. \u00a0The outside was more badly dented by ants and the termites than anything. It was believed to be impossible to reserve most of it, so the renovation team created a realistic imitation of its original display. Freedom\u2019s Hill Church was re-dedicated at the Southern Wesleyan University Homecoming in the following October in 2001. Who would have believed in 1848 that this church would have its door open during the 21st<\/sup>century and survive the decade? Freedom\u2019s Hill Church is still standing to this day\u2014but what is even more important, is the fact that it still stands for the same principles it has always represented. It remains accurate to the two goals\u2014the alteration of society in Jesus\u2019 name and the redemption of souls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, Freedom\u2019s Hill Church is a place for worship. But what many people don\u2019t know is that it is a symbol of basic human rights for women. The first convention held in the United States, for the rights of women, was held in the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Seneca Falls, New York. In 1848, \u201cWomen\u2019s rights\u201d was not the radical feminism of today. If there was \u201cpolitical correctness\u201d back then, it would be against women\u2019s rights and not for them. The issues women faced were primarily the right to vote and in some states, worship and hold property in their own names. The first female ordained to the Christian ministry in the United States was Antionette Brown. Her ordination sermon was preached by a Wesleyan- Luther Lee. Antionette Brown was actually given the opportunity to preach in Freedom’s Hill church. Because of this, Freedom’s Hill church can be seen as symbol of basic human rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last official service was held there in either 1939-40. The building had weathered the attacks of its enemies and also survived neglect from its friends. In 1973 the church was repaired and moved to the conference grounds of the North Carolina District of The Wesleyan Church in Colfax, North Carolina<\/a>. Today, Freedom\u2019s Hill Church is \u00a0re-born. The building is a restoration and replication. Almost the entire interior is original- most of the walls and ceiling, all of the flooring, the pulpit, the platform, the pews, the lamp stands and the window sashes. Today, Freedoms Hill Church proudly stand on the Campus of Southern Wesleyan University. It is a symbol of what SWU stands for \u2014 equality and devotion to God. Freedoms Hill is still a space where people can worship and live out the principles the church has always represented\u2014the salvation of souls and the transformation of society in Jesus\u2019 name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its relocation to the campus of Southern Wesleyan University in October of 2000, Freedom\u2019s Hill church as served as a grand historical addition to the grounds of Southern Wesleyan University as well as a focal point for the religious integrity present within the university. Today, the building acts as a location for church activities organized by students, as well as a unique venue for a wide variety of events and historical tours of campus. Understandably, as the student population has grown over the years, the church has seen less use than it did in its earlier history. Regardless, the church sees its greatest impact on campus in the form of being a symbol for the strength and persistence of God and the Wesleyan faith. Throughout its history, Freedom\u2019s Hill church has stood as a testament to the power of religion and the fortitude of the human spirit when following the path of Christ, and it holds the same reverence here on the campus of Southern Wesleyan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freedom\u2019s Hill is more than just a church building or antiquated piece of history. When visiting campus for the first time whether it be on a tour, athletic visit, or campus event, someone, be it a student or faculty, is bound to mention Freedom\u2019s Hill. They will undoubtedly remark on its status as an important piece of Wesleyan history but also on its impact on the campus and anyone associated with the university. For the students, faculty, and alumni of Southern Wesleyan, the small church building is, in many ways, the heart of the campus. While the building itself unfortunately does not see as much use as it once did, there is an uncanny energy that the little building exudes on campus. The history of the church, its relevance in the history of the Wesleyan faith, as well as the religious energy present within its walls all contribute to Freedom\u2019s Hill church being a focal point on the campus of Southern Wesleyan University with an impact that will ring strong for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n