By BRENDA KLEMAN

Staff Writer

Staff photo by Brenda Kleman (ENLARGE)

Pastor Scott Wilson-Parsons, of Pilmoor United Methodist Church, displays the original Bible used by Joseph Pilmore, who in 1772 gave a sermon at the Currituck Courthouse.

Members of the Currituck Historical Society Monday got to view the original Bible once used by Joseph Pilmore, one of the founders of the Methodist movement in the United States.

Pilmore's visit to Currituck County in 1772 left a lasting impression, and the Bible that he carried is now in the custody of Pilmoor United Methodist Church. Monday night, Pilmoor's Pastor Scott Wilson-Parsons provided a presentation on the Bible to approximately 40 people at a meeting held at the Courthouse Café.

Wilson-Parsons said while not much has been written about Pilmore after his arrival in 1769 to Philadelphia, Pa., he still has family who live in Philadelphia. It was those family members who donated the Bible to Pilmoor United Methodist Church. Wilson-Parsons said the Bible was in bad shape when his church received it, but it has since been restored.

Wilson-Parsons gave an overview of the various Protestant religions that evolved from the Church of England during the 1700s and how they spread to the American colonies.

Pilmore was one of two men selected by John Wesley — founder of the Methodist Church — to go to America and help spread the Methodist philosophy. The other man selected was Richard Boardman.

"Pilmore settled in Philadelphia and within three years made a journey south to Norfolk and Currituck," said Wilson-Parsons, adding that Pilmore favored city life, but was pleased with his visit to Currituck.

According to Pilmore's journal, during his visit he stayed the night at the home of Colonel Hollowell in Moyock. He also met a great deal of people as he made his way to the courthouse, where he gave his sermon.

In 1772, the colonies had 600 Methodist members, Wilson-Parsons said. But because of men like Francis Asbury and Pilmore, membership grew to more than 15,000 over the next 12 years.

Pilmore gradually became disillusioned with the church's philosophy and its leaders, and had always believed that Methodism should remain a part of the Church of England, Wilson-Parsons said. Pilmore eventually left the Methodist Church, but his visit to Currituck has become a part of the county's history.

Currituck's Methodist congregation met at Baxter's Grove, off Tulls Creek Road, until 1928 when it decided to relocate to its current site on Courthouse Road. Wilson-Parsons said the church now sits within yards of where Pilmore stood and read from his Bible.