Rev. E.S. Denton, Pastor of Dycusburg Methodist Church (1933-1934)

Connie Brasher-Gould supplied this anecdote about Rev. E.S. Denton, pastor of Dycusburg Methodist Church (1933-1934).

Rev. Earnest S. Denton, a newly ordained minister in the Methodist Church was on his way to preach his first sermon in his first appointed pastorate, Dycusburg Methodist Church. At that time, Hwy. 70 was not paved and there had been quite a bit of rain. Bro. Denton's car got stuck in the muddy road near the James Riley Brasher farm (three miles out Hwy. 70 from Dycusburg). The young Reverend did not want to miss his first chance to meet and preach to his first congregation, so he left his car in the mud and walked to the Brasher home. He relayed his plight to the Brashers and my father Gray Brasher, loaned the preacher his mare, Pearl, to ride on into town.

After Rev. Denton headed toward town, Daddy took the mules, pulled the car out of the mud and drove it on down to the church. As he got into the car, he noticed the preacher’s briefcase on the seat. So, when he arrived at the church, even though it was in the middle of the new preacher's service, he walked into the church in his muddy boots carrying the briefcase. When he got to the front, he said, "Preacher, I brought your satchel in. I thought you might have your sermon in it." Years later, when Bro. Denton was pastor at Ogden Memorial Methodist Church in Princeton, he told this story to the congregation when I joined the church there. He also added, "I would never have admitted it then (his sermon being in his briefcase), but it was."

After him being ordained, I was the first baby Bro. Denton christened, but there were hundreds that came after me in his many years of Christian Service.