Logan Presbytery Minutes
April 9-10, 1833
Republican Meeting house, Barren County, Kentucky
Philip M. McDonnald, William M. G. Green, Herschel S. Porter, John Price, and Russell B. Vannoy, being in the communion of Our Church, and their moral characters standing fair, having conversed with Presbytery as to their experimental acquaintance with Religion, as to their internal call and motives to the Ministry were received as candidates, and had the following texts assigned them, from which they are requiared to prepare written discourses to be read at our next Presbytery. Philip M. McDonnald from St. Matthew 11th chap 12th verse... [April 10, 1833]

Logan Presbytery Minutes
September 20-23, 1833
Pilot Knob Meeting house, Simpson County, Kentucky
Wm. M. G. Green, John Price, Herschel S. Porter, Phillip McDonald and Russell B. Bannoy, read discourses from texts previously assigned them, which were sustained as parts of trial and had the following texts assigned them from which to pepare written discourses to be read at our next presbytery ... Philip McDonald from Rom 3rd chap and 20th verse.

Logan Presbytery Minutes
April 3-4, 1834
Little Muddy Meeting house in Butler County, Kentucky
James Wilson, Washington W. Calhoun, Phillip M. McDonald, Herschel S. Porter and Wilson T. Martin read discourses from texts previously assigned them; which were sustained as part of trial;and had the following texts assigned them, from which to prepare written discourses to be read at our next Presbytery; ... Phillip M. McDonald from 2nd Cor. 5th chap 1st part of the 10th verse.

Logan Presbytery Minutes
October 3, 1834
Edmonton, Barren County, Kentucky
John B. Marshall, Phillip M. McDonald, Washington W. Calhoun, James Wilson, William E. Milam, Ezra Ward, Alexander C. Harris, and James W. Price, read discourses from texts previously assigned them which were sustained as part of trial.

Ordered that ... prepare a written discourse from ...Phillip M. McDonald from St. John 10th chap 9th verse.

Logan Presbytery Minutes
May 29, 1835
Little Muddy camp ground
Phillip M. McDonald, Herschel S. Porter and William E. Milam, read discourses from texts previously assigned them which were sustained popular, preparatory to Licensure.

The Presbytery having received testimonials in favor of Phillip M. McDonald, Herschel S. Porter and William E. Milam of their good moral characters, and of their being in the communion of the Church, proceeded to take the usual parts of trial for their Licensure, and they having given satisfaction as to their aptness to teach; and as to their experimental acquaintance with Religion, as to their internal call to the work of the Ministry; and as to their proficiency in Divinity, the Presbytery did, and do hereby express their approbation of all these parts of trial and they having adopted the Confession of Faith of this Church, and satisfactorily answered the questions appointed to be put to Candidates to be Licensed, the Presbytery did, and do hereby License them, the said Phillip M. McDonald, Herschel S. Porter and William E. Milam, to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as probationers for the Holy Ministry within the bounds of this Presbytery, or wherever else God in his providence may cast their lots.

Logan Presbytery Minutes
April 7, 1836
Mt. Olivet Meeting house in Warren County, Kentucky
Ordered that Stephen W. Goodnight and Herschel S. Porter, ride and preach on the Adair, William Milam the Pitmans Creek, Alexander C. Harris, the Green River Washington W. Calhoon the Warren, Phillip M. McDonnald and Ezra Ward the Hartford, Districts the whole of their time until next Presbytery.

Logan Presbytery Minutes
October 3, 1836
Franklin Seminary in Hart County, Kentucky
Further ordered that Phillip M. McDonnald preach as much in the bounds of the Hartford Districts as he can until next Presbytery.

McDonnold was an extemporaneous orator and left no writings at all. The old people said that when he came from the woods (which was the closet of prayer in those days) and went into the pulpit, he was often as white as a sheet. When he began his sermon, pouring down torrents of oratory and of fire upon them, there was but one way to resist, and that was to run as quick as possible out of hearing. Wonderful things are related about the effects of his oratory. People said he often made them feel as if the day of judgment had already come. Many of our old people, David Lowry among the number, insisted that the spiritual power of Philip McDonnold's oratory was never equaled on earth. He married a daughter of General Robert Ewing, who was Finis Ewing's oldest brother, and died in 1815, at the close of his twenty-first year. His only son, Philip Monroe McDonnold, entered the ministry, receiving licensure. He married, and then, like his father, died, leaving only one child. After Philip McDonnold's tongue had been dust for more than fifty years old men still wept when some of his thrilling appeals to sinners were mentioned in their presence.

[Source: McDonnold, B.W. History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Nashville, Tenn.: Board of Publication of Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1899, page 96]