USA > Georgia > Gwinnett County > Gwinnett churches; a complete history of every church in Gwinnet County, Georgia, with short biographical sketches of its ministers > Part 18
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University is the oldest Baptist Theological school in the world. Having taken one year in Theology in Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, he finished the last two years graduating from Colgate University in 1903. While a student in Colgate, Dr. Brown supplied the Second Baptist church at West Edmeston, N. Y., and also for one year was professor of sacred music in the University, taking the place of Dr. Green, who was in England on a leave of absence.
In 1902 Dr. Brown was called as pastor of three large country churches in Virginia and accepted the work with the understanding that the field would allow him to place a supply for the winter while he was in the uni- versity which was done. While pastor there a church was built and paid for, church fuss healed and 243 mem- bers added to the churches. Besides this the fine eight room two story new parsonage was furnished complete by the churches even to soap in the rooms and dipper in the kitchen ready to welcome Miss Ethel Hardy, whom he married in December, 1903. Dr. Brown was president of Funston Institute, Funston, N. C., and also pastor of the Baptist church there. He remained there less than one year and moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., in the fall of 1905. While in Chattanooga he built the St. Elmo Baptist church and nearly paid for it besides adding 150 members to the church. He also attended the University of Chattanooga and completed the two year law (LL. B.) course. He also took one year correspond- ence work with the Illinois College of Law, Chicago, and received the graduate degree of Doctor of Civil Law
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(D. C. L.). While teaching he received the honorary de- gree of Doctor of Laws (LL. D.) from Gale.
December, 1909, Dr. Brown became pastor of the Baptist church of Winder, Ga., and is still pastor there. Since he came quite a number have been added to the church, the church debt raised, furnace paid for, organ bought and paid for, basement fitted up into twelve class rooms for Sunday school work, walk placed around the church and many other improvements have taken place. The congregations are said to be three times as large as ever before in the history of the church. All of this has been done by the church with the pastor to help en- courage them.
REV. W. W. OWENS.
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Rev. W. W. Owen.
The gentleman mentioned above is 66 years old. He is a native of Gwinnett county, Georgia.
He had no educational advantages, and learned to read by studying the Bible.
He was ordained February 24, 1882, and has been the successful pastor of fourteen churches, viz: Walnut Grove, Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Tabor, Mt. Salem, Suwanee, Zion Hill, Sugar Hill, Pleasant Hill, Bethel, Concord, Cross Plains, Shoal Creek, Chattahoochee, Harmony.
He has lived on a farm near Buford all these years, and besides serving churches has been a successful planter. Wherever called to the pastorate of a church, he has given the best service. Many have been saved to a better life under his preaching; and by and by when all are gathered hence, he will rejoice with the good and just, for there will be "many stars in his crown."
Rev. W. T. Doster.
Rev. W. T. Doster, who lives in the eastern part of the county, was born September 4, 1867, near Jefferson, Jackson county. He joined White Plains church in his thirteenth year and was baptized by Rev. W. H. Bridges.
He attended the public schools of the county, and was ordained April 17, 1903. His first pastorate was Alcova near Lawrenceville. He has also served White Plains and is the present pastor of Sharon in Cains dis- trict.
He has baptized 86 people and married 22 couples.
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The Lord has blessed his labors wonderfully; and on his 37th birthday he baptized 37 people.
Rev. W. B. McDonald.
William Benjamin McDonald was born June 6, 1875, near Statham, Jackson county, Ga., and lived on the
REV. W. B. McDONALD.
farm and attended country schools. Spent one year at Winder High School. Later he entered Kentucky Uni- versity in 1898, and graduated in the English Bible course.
Leaving Kentucky University, in 1903, he became. pastor of the Christian church at Maysville, Ga., and he
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also preached for three country congregations. He served in this field of labor for four and a half years.
In 1908, he was called to the pastorate of the Statham Christian church and he has since this time labored for this church and other congregations in adjoining coun- ties. He is giving one-fourth of his time to the Law- renceville Christian church in Gwinnett county. They have a small congregation here and hold services in the old academy building. As a preacher the Lord has crowned his labors with some degree of success. Below he gives a sum total of his ministerial labors up to January 1, 1911 : He has preached one thousand and thirty sermons, and received $3,717.20 for his services. He has baptized five hundred and twenty-eight people, and added one hundred and forty to the churches for which he has labored by letter-making a total of 668. He has married thirty-three couples and conducted forty- seven funerals.
As he is yet a young man he hopes that during his ministry God will add many more souls to the Lord's kingdom and many stars to his crown of rejoicing.
Mr. McDonald owns a pleasant home in Statham, where he and his good wife have the respect and good will of the people. Two children, a boy and a girl, add much to the home joys.
Rev. G. W. Jackson.
The well known Primitive Baptist minister, Rev. G. W. Jackson, was born in the town of Roswell, October 29, 1859. His father, James R. Jackson, and mother,
J. L. HAGOOD, Supt. Lawrenceville Methodist Sunday School.
T. C. RUTLEDGE, Clerk Bethany Church.
J. B. WHITWORTH, Clerk Pleasant Grove Church.
W. A. COUEY, Member of Bethesda Church Fifty-two Years.
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Elizebeth Paden, daughter of Samuel Paden, were born, reared, lived and died in Gwinnett county, with the ex- ception of a few years' residence in Cobb county.
His mother died when he was two years old. His father moved to Berkshire district when the boy was six years old. He grew up amidst the poverty and hard- ship following the civil war, and was accustomed to hard labor from childhood. There were no public schools at that time, and therefore opportunities for improve- ment. along educational lines were denied him. During his sixth and seventh year, he attended school. After that, there were meager school facilities and little time to attend them. But the young man had a thirst for knowl- edge, and used all his spare moments in acquiring all the information his limited means would allow.
He was married January 20, 1880.
He joined Freindship church in August, 1880; and during that year, he began to feel it his duty to enter the ministry. He was encouraged by Elder John A. Jordan, and ordained December 14, 1895. He was called to Elam church in Clayton county, the church sending a delegation to Friendship asking that he be ordained. A presbytery was called consisting of Elders J. T. Jor- dan, J. A. Jordan, J. T. Chandler and A. J. Webb, and since that time he has been serving Elam, Sordis, Sorrel Springs, Friendship, and Ivey.
At present he is pastor of Friendship and Sardis, having served each of them for practically fifteen years. He has baptized twenty-five people, married fifty couples
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and assisted in the ordination of three ministers, ten deacons, and in the constitution of one church.
Miss Dora Lee Cain.
In connection with other church workers a short sketch of Miss Dora Lee Cain is given. She is one of our young women who was born and reared in Gwinnett county. She was educated at Cox College, Atlanta, the State Normal School at Athens, and had a short course at the Moody Bible School of Chicago.
Her work has put her in touch with nearly every phase of mission work and she has been connected with the interests of city, state, home and foreign missions.
Her services have been largely given to her own state, North Carolina, and Illinois.
Having had wide experience and large fields, she has not only come in touch with our own leaders of the Baptist denomination, but is recognized by all who know her as a leader and a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
She has been used of Him, perhaps, in no very strik- ing way but day by day her quiet life and implicit faith in God have left lasting impressions and lessons upon others.
At present she is the field secretary of the Baptist. Woman's Auxiliary of Illinois. That is a very important field and she holds a position of trust.
Her life should inspire other young woman to enter upon a sphere of usefulness when their lives would be spent as a blessing to others and as an honor to God.
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The life upon God's altar of service, as a living sacri- fice will be a life of usefulness and fruitfulness.
Rev. J. B. Gresham.
In reply to a request for a short sketch of his life, Rev. J. B. Gresham, of Redan, writes :
"I feel honored that my name should be mentioned among the many good men who have preached the gospel and have helped to make the church what it is to- day.
"I request that you put me at the foot of the class, as I have done the least and do not deserve to stand any higher.
"I was born December 8, 1865, received a common school education, was born again August 15, 1888, at Rock Chapel camp ground, joined the Methodist church at Zoar, and lived in the Methodist church for ten years. The call to the ministry was so clear and pressing that I left the Methodist church and joined the Missionary Baptist church at Mount Zion, August, 1898.
"I was licensed to preach December of the same year. However, for reasons I do not wish to be made public, I did not fully enter the ministry until 1906.
"In the fall of 1905, I received a call from Woodville church, DeKalb county, and from Sharon church, Wal- ton county. I was then ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry October 29, 1905, the presbytery con- sisting of Revs. A. H. Holland, E. L. Langley and J. W. Montgomery.
"I served Sharon church two years, 1906-'07; Wood-
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ville three years, 1906-'07-'08; Salem, Rockdale county, three years, 1908-'09-'10; Mount Zion, Newton county, three years, 1909-'10-'11; Zion, Newton county, one year, 1910; Clarkston, DeKalb county, two years, 1910-'11; Milstead two years, 1910-'11.
"My present work is Clarkston, Mount Zion and Milstead (two Sundays).
"I was clerk of the Lawrenceville Association for six years and was a member of the executive committee when I moved from the association and resigned both positions. I am at present chairman of the executive committee of the South River Association and the ap- pointee to preach the introductory sernion at the next session.
"I have not kept any record of the number of people baptized or of marriages, but suppose that it will come somewhere near the average. I try to pastor my churches to the best of my ability being handicapped with an artificial leg.
"I confess that I have been a failure at every thing I ever tried until I gave myself to the ministry and God will judge that and reveal it in the last day."
Rev. S. P. Higgins.
The Rev. S. P. Higgins of Auburn was born in Har- bins district December 21, 1851.
His grandfathers, John Higgins and James M. Moore, were among the first settlers of Gwinnett county. They were members of Ebenezer and Shiloh Baptist churches.
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Among his ancestors were many prominent ministers, one of whom was Rev. Seeman Moore.
Mr. Higgins was called to the charge of Walnut Fork Baptist church September 4, 1897, and was ordained October 27 of the same year at Mountain Creek church both of which churches are in Jackson county, near where
REV. S. P. HIGGINS.
he then lived. Rev. F. V. Cheek, Rev. J. F. Jackson, Rev. R. F. Sloan, Rev. W. H Bridges, and Rev Floyd Catlick constituted the presbytery.
He served Walnut Fork church twelve successive years with great success, during which time there were added to the church four hundred and seventy-two mem- bers.
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In February 1898, he was called to the pastorate of Union church. He served this charge twelve years, his work being richly rewarded in the addition of one hun- dred and fifty-one to its membership.
In April, 1898, he was called to Mulberry church and served five years, one hundred and five being received' into the church.
In 1898, Longview church called him, thirty-one mem- bers having been received into its membership.
Edwards Chapel called him in 1899, and during his three year pastorate one hundred and twelve joined the church.
During the same year, White Hall extended a call ; and during his seven years of pastoral work there, two hundred and seven were added to the church roll.
In 1900 and 1901, he was pastor of Harmony, one hundred and twenty-seven joining this church during this period.
He served Zion church in 1903 and 1904, receiving sixty-five members. In 1907 he received a call from Bethabra, and is still pastor of this church, ninety mem- bers having been added to it during his term of service. At Cedar Creek, where he began preaching in 1908, forty-two have affiliated themselves with the church. He served Hog Mountain church two years, receiving fifty-two additions. Forty-two have joined Bethel church during the year he has served it. In 1910, High Shoals church extended a call. He is pastor there now, sixty- six being added to the church roll.
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The Lord has most graciously blessed the labors of this man during his ministry. He has received into these various churches thirteen hundred and eleven by bap- tism, two hundred and fifty-seven by letter and otherwise, making a total of fifteen hundred and sixty-eight mem- bers received during his ministerial career of fourteen years.
He has married seventy-one couples and preached one hundred and thirty-seven funerals.
He has been a member of the board of trustees of Mulberry High School, Perry-Rainey College and Perry- Rainey Institute respectively from the organization of the school to the present time; and was chairman of the building committee, as well as president of the board, that directed the construction of the main building of that institution that was completed in 1910.
Rev. Thos. F. Yarbrough.
Thomas Foster Yarbrough was born September 13, 1886, near Commerce, Jackson county, Georgia, and was partially reared there and at Caleb, Gwinnett county, living at the latter place from 1892 to 1897.
He attended the country schools and the High school at Commerce one year. He was a student at the College of the Bible, Lexington, Ky., from 1905 to 1908. His health failed and he was forced to leave college.
Since that time he has preached at Omer, Auburn, New Hope, Hopewell and High Shoals. He is pastor of New Hope and Hopewell churches at the present time.
His work has been very successful and many ac-
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REV. T. F. YARBROUGH.
cessions to the churches have been the result of his ministry.
Rev. T. T. Twitty.
Rev. T. T. Twitty was born near Statham in Jack- son county August 5, 1859. He moved to near Hog Mountain, Gwinnett county, in 1866, and to Gaines- vill, Hall county, in 1872.
In the fall of 1874, typhoid fever took away his mother and a brother, and from that time his family broke up housekeeping and the young man was thrown out into the world to look out for himself.
He attended the public schools in Gwinnett county, and the Gainesville school from 1872 to 1875. At the
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age of 22 he went to Jefferson and entered Martin In- stitute, but on account of failing health he was in a short time compelled to give up further attendance.
Deprived of the advantages of a college education, he sought to make up for this deficiency by buying books and becoming a hard student at home; and for
REV. T. T. TWITTY.
twenty years or more, he has read widely and familiarized himself with all questions that a man of liberal educa- tion is presumed to know.
He was ordained at Corinth, near Chamblee, in De- cember, 1892.
He was pastor of the Chamblee church for five years, 1893 to 1898. He, at the same time, was pastor of
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Providence church. He served Peachtree church in Ful- ton 'county two years. Norcross church called him in 1894, and retained him for eleven years. Union Hill and Cumming, in Forsyth county, were served from 1901 to 1909.
He organized the Alpharetta Baptist church in 1905, and was its pastor for four years. He has been pastor of the Buford church thirteen years, and is serving it now two Sundays in each month. He is also serving the Lawrenceville church two Sundays, and old Suwanee and Chestnut Grove also. He has been a successful pastor all these years, and baptized about 500 people into the churches he has served. A revival at the Buford church in the summer of 1911 resulted in 94 additions to that body.
Rev. J. M. Harris.
The subject of this sketch, Rev. Joseph Marcus Har- ris, is the descendant of a long line of Scotch-Irish Pres- byterians. The great-great grandfather, Robert Harris, was born August 26, 1702, at Lifford in county of Done- gal, province of Ulster, Ireland.
He came to America in 1745 with his wife and three daughters and settled in Lancaster county, Pa.
In 1765 he came to North Carolina, entered land and settled near Harrisburg, Cabarrus county. This is in the bounds of Rocky River church, organized during or before 1758; and has been, through five generations a strong Presbyterian community.
" Mr. Harris' parents are Alex. Newton Harris and Jane Elizabeth Harris, he a ruling elder in Rocky River
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church, and she an honored and beloved "mother in Israel." To them were born four sons. Rev. Joseph Marcus Harris, youngest of the family, was born April 30, 1870. He attended the public school of the district, and received the old fashion Presbyterian training in the shorter catechism in the home where the family altar
REV. J. M. HARRIS.
had been a fixed institution for at least four generations.
Mr. Harris was prepared for college by Prof. H. H. Grey, Jr., at Mooresville, N. C. He entered Davidson College in the fall of 1890, and graduated with the A. B. degree in 1894.
While there he won the essayists' medal in the junior- senior contest in his literary society in his junior year.
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His theological course was taken at Columbia Seminary, Columbia, S. C.
In 1898 he was called to the pastorate of the church at McClellanville, S. C., where he remained for years.
He was married to Isabella Jane Beckman, August 28, 1899, of McClellanville, S. C .; on August 15, 1902, he was called to Jefferson, S. C., where successful work was accomplished in organizing three other churches in the county. Two new churches were built and a third re- modelled.
In the fall of 1906, Mr. Harris was called to Mat- thews, N. C., to the pastorate of Matthews and Sharon churches in Mecklenburg county. In this and former pastorates he was instrumental in winning many to Christ.
In the spring of 1910, he was called to do evangelistic home mission work in King's Mountain Presbytery at Cliffside, N. C., and surrounding territory. And in June, 1911, was called to Lawrenceville, Ga., to the pastorate of Lawrenceville and Fairview churches.
Mr. Harris has been preeminently a home mission pastor. He knows the needs of the great common people, and his ministry has been blessed in winning many to the Saviour who taketh away the sin of the world.
Rev. A. E. Scott.
A. E. Scott, pastor of Duluth Circuit, was born in. Monroe county, Ga., 1877.
Joined the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at. the age of thirteen; graduated at Emory College, 1904;
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REV. A. E. SCOTT.
taught school at Carr Springs, Ga., 1904-'05; at Pied- mont Institute, Rockmart, Ga., 1905-'06; and entered the North Georgia conference, 1906. He has served Hol- brook Circuit, 1906-1907; Cobb Circuit, 1907-1908 ; Pen- dergrass Circuit, 1908-1910; Duluth Circuit, 1910-1911.
Rev. J. Roscoe Burel.
A most striking example of what determination and well directed effort, united with integrity of principle, may do for a man in enabling him to prepare for the duties of life, and becoming a blessing to others, is ex- hibited in the career of Rev. J. R. Burel. He was born in Gwinnett county, Georgia, April, 16, 1878.
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Being a poor boy he was compelled to work hard on the farm, attending the country schools at intervals, during each year from the time he was eight years old until he became twenty-one.
Being denied the necessary pecuniary means to better
REV. J. R. BUREL.
equip himself for the responsibilities of life, he applied himself to hard study at nights, and by close study he soon advanced in the business world as general manager of one of the largest manufacturing plants in the South.
Having felt impressed to preach the gospel, he re- signed this lucrative position and came back to where
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he had been reared and was licensed to preach the gospel October 7, 1905.
On May 7, 1908, he was ordained to the ministry, pursuant to a call from his home church, as assistant pastor, and to Mt. Zion, in the Lawrenceville Associa- tion, as pastor.
His short ministry has been blessed, and many souls have been added to the churches where he has served as pastor.
At present he is pastor of Collins Hill, Mt. Pleasant, and Antioch Baptist churches in Gwinnett county, and Mt. Salem in Hall county.
Rev. F. A. Ragsdale.
Rev. F. A. Ragsdale was born in Newton county, February 20, 1845, but his parents moved into DeKalb county the same year, where the son grew to manhood and where he now resides.
He attended schools in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties until the civil war came on; then he worked on the rail- roads of the state until the war ceased. After the sur- render, he again went to school; but in 1867, he went back to railroading in Alabama, Mississippi and Ten- nessee, and continued in this work until 1871, when he fell from a passenger train, resulting in a leg and an arm being broken. This, as he says, put him out of com- mission ; so he returned to Georgia and "pulled a bell cord over a mule" for two years in the corn and cotton fields of DeKalb county.
In October, 1873, at the age of 28, he entered the
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University of Georgia and for two years was a student in that famous institution. While in the classic city, he claims that the greatest event of his life took place ; for, in his own words, he was mightily and powerfully convicted of his sins, and was without God or hope in the world. He went down into the dust and ashes,
REV. F. A. RAGSDALE.
drank the wormwood and gall of repentance; and in that dark, deep and awful conflict with the powers of darkness, he found Jesus, the all atoning, gentle, loving Son of God, who took his feet out of the miry clay, put them upon the rock and established his going with a new song in his mouth, even praises to God.""
He joined the church in May, 1875, was licensed to
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exhort on October 2, 1876, at Rock Chapel, was licensed to preach November 18, 1883, at Lithonia, ordained dea- con December 9, 1888, at Milledgeville, and ordained el- der Dec. 4, 1892, at Madison. He has never joined the conference, but has been an influential local preacher. He taught school three years at Pine Grove.
He served Decatur circuit for three and a half years, beginning in 1885 ; also Snellville, Harmony Grove, Beth- esda, Grayson in 1891-'02-'03; the Norcross circuit in 1908-'09-'10-'11, and as junior preacher on the Lithonia charge two years. About 200 were received by baptism on these charges, and many by letter and otherwise.
In all these years he has preached in many places, and, with the exception of the last two or three years, made a full hand on the farm from Monday morning till Friday night.
Mr. Ragsdale recounts his financial income in the following interesting way: "Remuneration from preach- ing, first year, $70; one year, $208.95; one year $222.55; one year, $248.65; one year, $204.50; one year, $170.59 ; one year $254.05; one year, $508.05; one year $484.38; two years, at Lithonia, about $200 each year. During these years, I made and retained a lot of loving and help- ful friends, a few enemies, had a mighty good time, and am still bound for the promised land, with wife and eleven children to make music along the way."
Rev. G. L. Bagwell.
Rev. George L. Bagwell, of Auburn, was born in South Carolina October 22, 1845. The Bagwell family
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is of Irish descent and among the first settlers of the Carolinas were the ancestors of the subject of this ar- ticle. This family belongs to a class of plain, hard work- ing people, and it appears that there has never been a dishonest member of the immediate family.
REV. G. L. BAGWELL.
Mr. Bagwell moved from South Carolina with his widowed mother to Gwinnett county in 1853. Young Bagwell continued to reside with his mother; and as it required all the money he could make to support the family, he was deprived of an education.
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