McCulloch One Name Study

Alexander McCulloch died in 1846 in Dyer County, Tennessee and the sterling character of the man is shewn in an obituary notice written by the Reverend G. M. D. Harris who was for many years a presiding elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church, a neighbour and intimate personal friend of Alexander McCulloch, and which appeared in the Nashville Christian Advocate ‘It is with mournful pleasure that I announce to you and the readers of your Journal, the death of my old, well tried friend, Major Alexander McCulloch. His death took place in Dyer County, Tennessee, on the night of the 4th of August 1846, after an illness of three weeks, during which period his sufferings were extreme. It, however, pleased a Gracious Providence to favour him all the time with his reason, and being confident, as he often stated, during his illness, that his sickness would be unto death, he deliberately arranged his temporal affairs, set his house in order, and waited the summons of the Lord, in the comforting assurance of a gracious immortality. His religion was both experimental and practical, uniting the power with the form of godliness. In the person of Major McCulloch, grace achieved much, for by nature he was not only high minded, but high tempered, impetuous, and a stern man, whose heart was never assailed by the passion of fear. But grace subdued the lion and gave a happy direction to the energetic mind, bringing in to captivity all to the obedience of Christ. As a neighbour, he was kind: as a friend, he was sincere: as a husband, he was affectionate: as a parent and a master, he was tender. But that which spread a serene lustre upon his whole life was his unshirking piety. He was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, August 16th 1776 and was happily converted to God in Alabama in 1821. He soon after united himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church and to the day of his death exercised the joint office of class leader and circuit steward, and in the latter capacity he had but few equals and no superior. And in his advanced age, bad weather nor distance of place prevented his personal attendance at quarterly meeting. His religion was not only a principle, but a feeling. Though I have been connected with him in different periods for the last fifteen years, I cannot remember a single instance when he was not present at quarterly meeting. Love governed his soul, peace kept his heart and that sacred peace often kindled into holy joy especially during his last affliction, as he frequently remarked, that though his earthly tabernacle was fast dissolving he had a better house above, eternal in the heavens. To say that he had no faults would be to deny that he was human. But this we may safely affirm, that those who knew his faults, knew also his virtues. I yield to the truth of his death with a sorrowful heart, for I knew him well, and loved him much. But that sorrow is greatly moderated by the comforting hope that I shall soon see him again in that house whose maker and builder is God.