JWSTRART

(Contributed by Ouida Starr Woodson of Camden, Alabama)

"Minutes of the Mobile Conference", taken from Methodist Church Records, pg. 37-38.  This
excerpt is typed as it is published in the above work.

Rev. John Wesley Starr, the subject of this memoir, was born in Wilks County, Ga.,
August 7th 1806.  He was the subject of religious impressions at an early period of his
life, and at 14 years of age, he professed religion, and attached himself to the M. E.
Church, of which he was, ever after, a consistent and working member.  In December 1824
he married a Miss Hannah Miller, with whom he lived very happily for forty-five years.
In 1825 he was appointed Class leader by Rev. John Hunter, in which capacity he served
the Church with great faithfulness and acceptability for three years, when he was licensed
to exhort by Rev. Wm. Steagall.  He continued to labor as an exhorter for two years, when
the Church called upon him to preach, and being impressed that this was his duty, he was
accordingly licensed to preach by Rev. Andrew Hamill, September 17th, 1830.  He continued 
to work for the Church, as a local preacher for three years, when in 1833, he was admitted
into the Ga. Conference, at its session at LaGrange of that year.  The notes which have been
furnished me give the following condensed outline of his work as a traveling preacher:  In
'33 he traveled the LaGrange ct.--'34 Tolberten ct.--'35 Zubulon ct.--'36 ordained Deacon
by Bishop Andrew and sent to Thomaston ct.--'37 Madison ct.  At the close of '37 he was 
ordained Elder by Bishop Morris and sent to Madison ct.--In '39 he was transferred to the 
Alabama Conference and sent to Eufaula, (then called Irwenton) where he continued for two
years, '41 and '42.  In '43 and '44 he was on the Montgomery dist.--In '45 and '46 
LaFayette ct.--'47 Crawford ct.--In '48 he was superanuated.--In '49 he was the agent for 
the Oak Bowery Female Institute.--'50 Crawford ct.--'51 Talladega ct.--'52 and '53 LaFayette
ct.--'54 and '55 Summerfield station.--'56 Tuscaloosa dist.--'57, '58, '59 and '60 Summer-
field dist.--'61 Greenville dist.--'62 Randolph ct.--'63, '64 and '65 Bibb Iron Works.
In '66 he was superanuated, in which relation he remained until his death, which took
place at his home in Bibb county February 24, 1870.

The writer of this memoir was intimately acquainted with brother Starr for many years of 
his life, and he would call attention to what he conceived to be the most striking features
in his character.  He was a man of very limited education--indeed, so poorly qualified was
he in this respect, that even at the time of his joining the Conference, it was thought by
some to be very doubtful whether he could ever succeed.  But by devotion to his books and
to his work he became a very successful preacher.  Nor was his influence confined to the
ignorant, for we have heard some of the best educated people of Alabama speak with admi-
ration of his power as a preacher.  Brother Starr was devoted to the church, and was an
uncompromising Methodist.  He was ever a friend to his brethren in the ministry.  He made
it a point in life to govern his family; and his children have grown up useful and 
influential members of society.

He was remarkable for his devotion to the long established usages of Methodism.  He was
constant in his attendance upon class meeting and the love feast constituted a most impor-
tant part of his quarterly meeting exercises.  We conclude this notice by an extract from an
account of his death written by Rev. Dr. Mitchell.

Brother Starr was a great sufferer in the latter part of his life.  The sickness of which
he died was dropsy of the chest, a most painful and distressing disease.  When I last
visited him he had just passed through one of these severe paroxisms, which he and all his
friends present supposed would be his last, and he said to me with great emphasis: "Brother,
I have just been down into the cold stream of death, and after wading around through the
waters for some time, yet without fear, I found myself suddenly returning to the same shore
which I had left, and I confess to you that I was really sorry for it, for I had rather have
gone over at once, but I have come back for some purpose, and here I am to await the good
pleasure of my Heavenly Father."  Further more, "he said, tell my brethren of the 
Conference I shall see them no more, and say to them for me, as my last dying testimony,
that the old fashioned doctrine of holiness, as taught by our fathers, is true; it is the 
doctrine of the Bible, and tell them for me to preach it to the people, but that they need
not preach it unless they believe it and love it."  He desired me further, to make known
to the church what he considered an important event and incident in his life.  At a certain
time in the course of the administration of discipline, he came in open conflict with that
worldly liberal view of the subject which claims for young people especially, large license
in the way of worldly pleasures, and the pressure from the church, from parents, yes, and 
from preachers, was so great he backed down and yielded the point and thought his ministry
in the early part of his life had at times been attended with great power and unction of 
the Spirit, he never afterwards had the same power and influence over a congregation.

							E. L. LOVELESS,
							J. BANCROFT,
							A. DAWLING, (Editor's Note: Should be A. DOWLING)
							W. A. EDWARDS,
							J. S. MOORE.