{"id":286,"date":"2025-12-14T19:50:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T00:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tngenweb.org\/roane\/?p=286"},"modified":"2025-12-19T01:41:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T06:41:50","slug":"muddy-creek-martel-methodist-church-rev-john-winton-by-snyder-roberts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tngenweb.org\/roane\/muddy-creek-martel-methodist-church-rev-john-winton-by-snyder-roberts\/","title":{"rendered":"Muddy Creek (Martel) Methodist Church & Rev. John Winton, by Snyder Roberts"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Snyder E. Roberts<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Muddy Creek Methodist Church was one of the first churches established in Roane County. The history of the church (now Martel Methodist Church near Lenoir City) is closely interwoven with the record of the Rev. John Winton<\/strong> family.<\/p>\n

The October 1974 issue of the Roane County Historical Society Bulletin<\/em> contained excerpts from Alya Dean Irwin<\/strong>\u2019s well-researched book, Fuqua<\/em>, on the background of the Rev. John Winton<\/strong> family. William and Betsey Winton<\/strong> and James and Arabella (Goode) Cunningham<\/strong> came from Ireland about 1769 to PA, and they later settled in Rockingham and Shenandoah counties, VA.<\/p>\n

In 1784 William<\/strong>\u2019s son, John Winton<\/strong> married Arabella<\/strong>, the daughter of Rev. War soldier, James Cunningham<\/strong>. Shortly after 1785, the Winton<\/strong>s and Cunningham<\/strong>s migrated to Taylor<\/strong>\u2019s Bend on the French Broad River where a Methodist Church was established\u2014later known as Pine Chapel. Arabella<\/strong> was of the Methodist faith, and according to the Journal of Bishop Francis Asbury<\/strong>, during John Winton<\/strong>\u2019s stay in Jefferson County, he “embraced the Methodist faith and became a local preacher.”<\/p>\n

John and Arabella Winton<\/strong> moved to Roane County, TN, in 1795 (then Knox County) where, over a period of time, John<\/strong> acquired several thousand acres of land in Roane, Anderson, Rhea, McMinn, Coffee and Overton counties. The center of his holdings was at Muddy Creek (Martel community). Here John and Arabella<\/strong> built their first home, established a “campground” for revival meetings, and a “meeting house.”<\/p>\n

John<\/strong>\u2019s name first appears in Roane records in 1802 as a member of Capt. Thomas Coulter<\/strong>\u2019s Militia company.<\/p>\n

The Martel Methodist Church has compiled a booklet on the Church\u2019s remarkable history. It shows that Rev. John Winton<\/strong> was ordained a Deacon on 30 October 1800 by Bishop Francis Asbury<\/strong>, Bishop Whatcoat<\/strong>, and Bishop McKendree<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Rev. John Winton Family<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rev. John Winton<\/strong> (11-8-1761\u20148-2-1846) married (1784) Arabella Cunningham<\/strong> (5-18-1763\u20141839) and had the following children:<\/p>\n