Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 2911ing distinctively that in all things his is the ''faith that makes faithful.'' Mr.Rfiid is now pastor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Atlanta,and under his supervision the work of the same has been significantly vitalizedalong both spiritual and temporal Knes. He is one of the representative mem-"bers of the clergy of the church of this denomination in America, and in thesame has been accorded distinguished official preferment," as will be morespecifically indicated in later paragraphs of'this article.Rev. Samuel Watson Reid was born at, Steel Creek, Mecklenburg County,North Carolina, on the 9th of September, 1867, and is a son of Samuel "WatsonReid and Jane (Pressly) Reid, the lineage of each of whom traces back tostaunch Scotch-Irish origin, though both families were founded in Americamany generations ago. The Pressly family has been specially distinguishedthrough its contribution of numerous men-of marked ability to the Christianministry. Rev. James P. Pressly, D. D., maternal grandfather of him whosename introduces this article, was one of the most influential and erudite clergymen of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in the South andachieved high reputation as an educator also. He was professor of Greekin Erskine College, at Due West, South Carolina, from the time of its founding, in 1840, until his death, which occurred on the 30th of March, 1877.Rev. Francis Y. Pressly, D. D., LL. D., an uncle of Rev. Samuel W. Reid, ispresident of Erskine Theological Seminary; and a grand-uncle, Rev. JohnT. Pressly, D. D., was president of Allegheny Theological Seminary, in theCity of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Prom the Centennial History of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church are taken the following data concerningRev. Samuel W. Reid, minor paraphrase being indulged in the reproduction:"As a child he was unusually thoughtful and had a habit of taking everything to God in prayer, believing that God would hear and answer his prayers. His early education was obtained under the preceptorship of Prof. H.K. Reid, at Ebenezer, North Carolina, A. G. Kirkpatriek, at Sharon, thatState, and J. P. Reid, at various places, including Pineville, Steel Creek andGastonia, North Carolina. Mr. Reid was graduated in Erskine College onthe 8th of July, 1891, and on the 2d of the following October he was receivedby the First Associate Reformed Presbytery as a student of theology, whereupon he entered Erskine Theological Seminary. He was licensed by the FirstAssociate Reformed Presbytery on the 5th of April, 1893, at Charlotte, NorthCarolina, Rev. A. G. Kirkpatriek, his former teacher, having been at thetime moderator of the Presbytery."Mr. Reid was ordained and installed pastor of the church at Woodruff,South Carolina, on the 15th of July, 1893, and on the 26th of the followingmonth he was given pastoral charge also of the church at Welford, thatState, these preferments having been granted to him by commissionersappointed by the Second Associate Reformed Presbytery. This pastoratecontinued until May, 1897, when it was dissolved, in order that Mr. Reidmight assume charge of the congregations at Ebenezer, Jefferson county,Georgia, and Wrens, also of Jefferson county, this State. His work in Georgiacontinued until September 13, 1898, when^ having received a call to Louisville, Kentucky, he was transferred to the Kentucky Presbytery, and he wasinstalled as pastor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in thecity of Louisville on the 31st of December, of that year, Rev. L. I. Echols, ofthe Kentucky Presbytery, and Rev. W. M. Grier, D. D., LL. D. of the SecondPresbytery, officiating in the installation service. In May, 1899, Mr. Reidwas appointed superintendent of missions for the Kentucky Presbytery, andhe filled this office with zeal and fidelity during the entire period thereafterof his twelve years' pastorate in Louisville, where under his zealous effortsthe church over which he was in charge made rapid and substantial progressand became definitely prosperous."At the centennial meeting of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Synod,