"In 1808, this country was almost an unbroken wilderness, covered with a primeval forest, specimens of which growth we can yet see in some of these grand old oaks, which are still standing on the grounds of this church. The farms and clearings were few and far between; the only one in the immediate vicinity was probably the place by the New Jersey Southern R. R., on the Weymouth Road, lately known as the ‘Bushey’ farm, but which at the time the church was built, was owned by the Smith family. The dwelling house, which stood there in 1808, was burned down in September, 1855, on which occasion three persons lost their lives, so sudden and complete was the destruction. It has been reliably ascertained that previous to the erection of the church, religious meetings were held in homes, and some were converted to God. So that even previous to 1808 there were Methodists in this locality, and they were alive, too.

"In connection with the mention of the services held in the Smith house, perhaps it would be well to state here, that we are enabled to assert positively that the church was erected at or about the time the deed was granted, by the fact that in 1852, an old resident of this locality, George Smith by name, came back here on a visit, and stated to Bro. Vanaman that he had left here in 1810, and the church was built before that, and furthermore that he was one of the persons converted at a house meeting, and that at that time the house by the railroad belonged to the Smith family, the head of which was a close relative of the said George Smith, but whether a father or brother, Mr. Vanaman does not remember.

"Mrs. Nancy Vanaman, mother of A. P. Vanaman, now in her 84th year, and present with us today and one of the oldest residents of this neighborhood, distinctly recalls the church as one of the prominent landmarks when she was a little girl. Besides the ‘Bushey’ place before mentioned, at the time the church was built, there was another dwelling on what is now known as the Collins place; another where Mr. Thomas Howell now lives, and another at or near Landisville.

"As to the towns in the vicinity of the church in 1808, May’s Landing was but a very small village, Millville likewise, Bridgeton not much larger, and Hammonton and Vineland were not in existence, and for fifty years or more after the church was built, where those two thriving towns now stand, was but a forest of oaks, pines and cedar swamps, with here and there perhaps a chopper’s shanty or a smoking tar kiln or charcoal pit. 

"Although Friendship people were not generally possessed of much of this world’s wealth, as we understand that word today, yet what they did have they used in God’s service, with an unstinted liberality. To prove that, look at the size of this building, which, though small as compared with modern village or town churches, is yet, and always has been much larger than was needed to accommodate any membership the church has ever possessed, or is likely to. For that day and time and this locality, it was a very large building.

"Why, I read the other day of another country M. E. Church, built before this one, but in a much older settled and populated neighborhood, but which is now demolished or disused for church purposes for nearly fifty years, which was so small that at one time in its history, when there was a spilt in the congregation, it was loaded up on a wagon, in the night, I think, by one of the opposing factions, and carted off to another site several miles distant from the original one. A view of the frame of this building will convince you that that would have been an impossible undertaking as regards old Friendship. The original Building Committee of this church were not built that way themselves, nor did they build that way, either. The sills and plates are something to look at in these days of flimsy and showy building.

"When first used, the church had a vaulted or oval ceiling, the timbers used to support it were 6 x 14, the gallery joist are 3 x 12, the rafters 4 x 8, and the original wooden pillars to support the gallery were one foot square. The joints of the frame work of the whole building are all dove-tailed or lock mortise tenon and pinned. The lumber is all oak or heart pine, as sound as the day it was put in. Such nails as were used are of the old-fashioned hand-made sorts. The lath are all frowed or split ones.

"We are apt to think of those old settlers as devoid of taste, with no appreciation of embellishment and no desire to bestow their labor for anything except utility; but we are wrong in our ideas brethren, and unjust to those old-time fathers and mothers of the church, for we can see evidences of loving hands and a desire to make the house of God goodly to look upon, and far exceeding their own homes in appearance, in the facts that the original weatherboarding was all beaded on the lower edge, and the gallery columns were fluted and carved quite beautifully, and all was done by painstaking, slow and irksome hand labor.

"The ceiling was an oval one; the pulpit was one of the old-fashioned high kind, with a flight of steps up each side, and furnished besides the seat, with little doors to shut to, if the preacher saw fit to do so. At that time there were no pews, but ordinary benches with backs, somewhat like those in the gallery now. The benches were not fastened to the floor, and were long enough to reach from the side of the church to the central aisle, and were without division of any kind their entire length. The stove was what is known as a ten plate stove; it was large enough to take in a three foot stick, and it was connected with the chimney by a long, straight pipe, extending clear up to the roof.

"From the deed we find that the grantors and original owners of the land on which the church is built, were William Hollinshead and Hope, his wife. It is likely the site was a gift to the church, as the sum named in the deed is the nominal one of one dollar. The first Board of Trustees were John Smith, Joel Stewart, William Ackley, John Veal, John Smith, Jr., George Smith and Thomas Champion.

"These, you will perceive, are all well known Jersey family names, and no doubt many of those present here today will recognize in them that of a grandfather, or great grandfather, for some of their descendants are yet about us. They were all common everyday men, making their living by hard labor, and we believe them to have been God-fearing and God-serving men. That they were full of faith and love toward God, the building of this church proves. That they were mostly uneducated, as far as the wisdom of this world is concerned goes without saying, for public schools were unknown here in 1808. But we feel sure they had not only a knowledge, but a saving knowledge of God’s love, as manifested in the blessed gift of His Son.

"No statue, or column, or tablet in any of the earth’s temples of fame are erected to their memory, but this church is a monument which shall count for far more than any of those, in that ‘dread day of the Lord, which will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the element shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’

"No earthly King, or Queen, or Emperor, or President has bestowed titles or decorations on these men, but such as Christ has said, ‘If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.’ Think of it! Honored by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We do not find their names inscribed on the list of heroes and mighty men of valor, who have labored, fought and died on this poor blood-stained earth of ours, but better by far, we know that they are included in the promise, ‘He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my father and before His angels.’ "