Piney Grove Church Meeting Site

Late in the 18th century, the Methodist Episcopal Church confronted the possibility of schism. James O'Kelly, a Methodist minister, began challenging Bishop Francis Asbury regarding his appointive powers, his management of church affairs, and other organizational matters late in the 1780s. After several years of intense debate within the church, O'Kelly and his followers broke away in 1792. On 2 Aug. 1793, O'Kelly's and Asbury's adherents met near this site at Piney Grove Church, which no longer stands, in a last attempt at reconciliation. The attempt failed, and O'Kelly and his followers soon formed the Christian Church.