Rev. James Duncan 1800-1804

A native Pennsylvanian, born in Green Castle, Franklin County, educated at Canonsburg Academy. Studied theology with Dr. John Anderson of Service, Pa. Licensed Sept. 1796 by the Presbytery of Penna. and ordained in 1800. He was one of the first graduates from Associate Seminary and the second student licensed in this country by the Associate Church. he was pastor of Little Beaver (Bethel), Brush Run (Darlington) and Mahoning. he was a prominent member of Associate Presbytery of Ohio and moderator of the organization of Chartiers Presbytery in 1801. Rev. Duncan was of Scot-Irish descent. He was said to be a large, robust, and corpulent man. He was pleasant and genial, with more than ordinary clearness and grasp of mind possessing strong argumentative powers. He was slow in movement and noted for delivering long sermons. His hair was carefully trained to stand erect on his forehead in what was called a top-knot. He rode throughout his parish on horseback and the horse was always very poor.

Doctrines not received nor taught by the Associate Church were promulgated by him. In 1813 he published a book entitled "A View of the Covenant of Works, Man's Fall and Recovery Through Jesus Christ." it contained errors in relation to original sin and Christ's atonement and intercession. For this he was tried and condemned by Presbytery and Synod. In 1815 he withdrew from the Associate Church, united with the Presbyterian Church and went to Paducah, Kentucky, where he stayed from 1816 to 1824. In 1825 he moved to Vevay, Indiana and published a book against slavery and spent the rest of his life preaching from cabin to cabin in new settlements in the west. He died on one of these mission tours on the border of Indiana in1841

In personal and financial matters he was very careless, and history says, he was a slave to the use of tobacco. It was not uncommon for him to stop in the middle of his sermon and take a bite from his plug. It is said that at least on one occasion he stopped in the middle of his sermon, went to one of his elders and "borrowed a chew" then went on with the sermon. Little is know of his family, except for one of his sons who became a physician in Cincinnati and served one term as a member of Congress from that district.