Lane, John

Lane, John an eminent minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, was born in Virginia about 1789. His early life was spent in Georgia, and he was some time a student of Franklin College. In 1814 he entered the South Carolina Conference; in 1815 was sent to the "Natchez Circuit," and was thrown much in contact with the Creek and Cherokee Indians, where his heroism and success were alike conspicuous; in 1816 he assisted in organizing the Mississippi Conference, then a vast and almost trackless region, now constituting four Conferences and part of a fifth. In 1820 he was delegate to the General Conference at Baltimore, and presiding elder on the Mississippi District. During this year his father-in-law, Reverend Newit Vick, died, and Mr. Lane was obliged to locate, to care for his large estate and numerous family. He remained located for eleven years, during which he successfully founded the city of Vicksburg on his father-in-law's estate, and so saved it, and educated the orphan children. He was also an extensive merchant, probate judge of the county, and director of the Railroad Bank, and one of the most competent and influential business men of the state, while at the same time he preached continually, and filled Vicksburg station one year. In 1831 he re-entered the Conference, and spent most of his subsequent career in the presiding eldership. For many years he was president of the Board of Trustees of Centenary College, and was still longer president of the Conference Missionary Society. He died in 1855. He was a man of large capacities and indomitable vigor. His piety was genial and earnest, and his great delight was in preaching the Word of Life. He will long be remembered as one of the founders of Methodism in the South-west. — Summer Biog. Sketches, page 229, Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, 7. (G.L.T.)