Henry Evans And The Birth Of Fayetteville’s First Church
By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer In the late 18th century, Henry Evans, a free Black cobbler and Methodist preacher from Virginia, became one of the most influential religious figures in early Fayetteville. Born around 1760 to free parents, Evans arrived in Fayetteville around 1780 while traveling to Charleston, South Carolina. Struck by the spiritual needs of the local Black community-many of whom were enslaved-he chose to remain in the town.