USA > North Carolina > Ashe County > A history of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist associations > Part 10
USA > Virginia > A history of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist associations > Part 10
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
CHAPTER IX.
THE ASHE ASSOCIATION.
With these churches gone there were still twenty-eight churches remaining to make up the Ashe Association. While the loss of five active churches was a considerable one, their going away created no disorganization of the association and we will pro- ceed with our story as if there had been no material change.
We find the association meeting in its twelfth annual session with Friendship Church, in Ashe County, on September 27, 1898. Elder Elihu Tucker preached the introductory sermon and twenty-six of the twenty-eight churches were represented. Two new churches, Grayson's Chapel and Bethlehem, were admitted.
James Eller was elected moderator and G. L. Porter was elected clerk and treasurer. There was a great deal of interest at this session in associational missions and all of the pastors and other ordained ministers present agreed to give not less than ten days during the coming year to missionary effort. The report of the executive committee showed that two missionaries had been employed in the association during the year, T. M. Duncan and E. Blevins. They had preached 283 sermons, had organized two churches, completed two houses of worship, and started four others, witnessed fifty-two conversions, baptized eleven and organized eleven Sunday schools. For this service the two of them were paid $72.61.
I mention the matter of pay so that the present generation and those to come may realize something of the privations that these early-day preachers experienced and the hardships that were theirs. We are immensely proud of the great Baptist structure that exists in this territory today but it was built upon the hard struggles, the self-sacrifice and the unselfish devotion of such men as T. M. Duncan, E. Blevins, T. M. Honeycutt, Elihu Tucker, Franklin Barker and others.
The reports to this session of the association show increases to most of the objects of the State Baptist Convention, but in the matter of pay for preachers there was no increase. The highest salary paid by any church was $28.00 and the lowest sixty-five cents.
On Tuesday, September 5, 1899, the association met in its thir- teenth annual session with New River Church and Elder F. Blevins preached the introductory sermon. Of the twenty-nine
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churches, twenty-six were represented and one new church, Wind- fall, was received. The officers of the previous year were re- elected.
The report of the executive committee told of the illness of Elder T. M. Duncan, who had labored as missionary for two months, during which time he had preached eighty sermons, trav- elled 300 miles, witnessed fifty-eight conversions and had received for his services $39.00. He had been stricken down at his labors by heart disease on January 15, 1899, a victim to overwork. W. F. Barker, laboring as a missionary in other parts of the field for part of the year, had travelled 327 miles, preached forty-one sermons, witnessed thirty-four conversions and had baptized twenty-three and organized one new church. His compensation had been $26.14. There had been ninety-eight baptisms during the year and the total membership was 1,197.
The fourteenth annual session of the association was held with Buffalo Church, beginning on October 9, 1900. Elder P. H. Haire preached the opening sermon and twenty-six of the thirty- one churches were represented. One new church, Macedonia, was received. The officers of the previous year were re-elected. Macedonia Church, which I have just referred to, was later merged into the Old Fields Church, Corinth Church, from the New River Association, applied for admittance and was received.
A notable visitor at this session was Rev. W. R. Bradshaw of Hickory, N. C., one of the outstanding Baptist ministers of North Carolina, whose fine addresses throughout the meeting aroused great enthusiasm. At that time he was pastor at North Wilkes- boro, N. C.
The executive committee reported, among other things, the following :
"We have been enabled to place Rev. J. F. Fletcher in the field for his whole time and that he shall preach two Sun- days in each month at Jefferson."
Thus did I return to the scenes of my boyhood after having been away, serving churches in the New River Association in Grayson County, Virginia, since 1890.
Mission Home Church sent up a query which indicated that some of the preachers in the association may have been preaching dangerous doctrines, disturbing to the good brethren of this church. The query was :
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
"What should be done with Baptist ministers who preach, practice in any way apostasy, alien immersion, open com- munion or any part of these doctrines?" The following answer was given:
"We, your committee, admonish that such brethren (if any in this association ) that they should refrain from such preaching or practice, as we believe that such is not author- ized by the Word of God, and that the first clause of the twelfth Article of the Constitution of this association be strictly complied with."
The committee on obituaries reported that Elder E. F. Ander- son, who had been a faithful and efficient minister for six years, had died during the year. A collection was taken for his widow.
Reports from the churches showed increased contributions along all lines. The total membership was 1,299 and 101 had been received by baptism during the year.
The next meeting of the association, which was the fifteenth, was held with Mountain View Church, beginning October 1, 1901. Elder W. H. Glenn preached the opening sermon and twenty-two churches were found to be represented. Elder Elihu Tucker was made moderator and H. A. Eller clerk and treasurer.
The association passed a resolution thanking Miss Fannie E. S. Heck of Raleigh, N. C., president of the Woman's Central Com- mittee of the Baptist State Convention, for sending to Ashe County eight well trained, cultured young women for two months of teaching. These young women were placed at strategic points in the association by the executive committee and they had done fine. The Sunday schools had felt their influence particularly and they had given great impetus to the organized missionary work among women.
Reports showed that there had been a steady gain in contribu- tions to all causes. There had been 127 baptisms during the year and the membership was 1,327. Fourteen churches reported Sunday schools with 963 pupils and teachers.
The sixteenth annual session of the Ashe Association met with Bristol Church, two miles north of Jefferson, on September 30, 1902. Elder Elihu Tucker preached the opening sermon. The officers of the preceding year were re-elected. Liberty Church, reported as having become extinct, was dropped from the rolls at this session, and Old Fields Church, from the Blue Ridge As-
4
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
sociation, was received under the watch-care of the association, pending receipt of a proper letter of dismission.
The executive committee made report that J. F. Fletcher, associational missionary, had been continued in the field; that he had preached 138 sermons, witnessed twenty-seven conversions, baptized three, received nineteen by letter and had organized one new Sunday school. He had collected for all of the boards $89.08.
It was reported to the association that one of the churches had received into its membership by application a preacher who had been excluded by a church of a sister association. A committee was named to visit this church and make inquiry and report back to the body. This was done, the committee finding the report to be true. The offending church was advised to rescind its action and this was done, thus maintaining good feeling and fellowship between sister associations. Sixty-nine baptisms were reported for the year and a total membership of 1,635.
The seventeenth annual session of the association convened with Corinth Church on November 10, 1903. The meeting had been postponed from September because there had been an epi- demic of typhoid fever in the Corinth community. Twenty-six of the twenty-seven associations were represented and Elder Elihu Tucker was elected moderator and J. F. Fletcher clerk and treas- urer. The association passed a resolution of sympathy for Elder T. M. Duncan, who was desperately ill at the time, and endorsed the work done by the associational missionary.
The association met the following year in its eighteenth annual session with Baptist Home Church on September 13, 1904. J. F. Fletcher preached the introductory sermon and the officers of the previous year were re-elected.
Much interest was shown at this session in associational mis- sions. The executive committee reported that J. F. Fletcher had "labored effectively in the southern part of Ashe County, at Obids and Old Fields and other points; that one house of worship in this section was practically completed and another under way; that the missionary had been serving seven churches regularly and yet preaching twice a month at Jefferson." The report went on to deplore the fact that there was still much unoccupied territory and no money to develop it. Under the leadership of L. J. Sturgill, the association was stirred as never before for the cause of associa- tional mission work and the delegates present pledged $136.00 for the work.
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
The association again passed a resolution of sympathy and love for Elder T. M. Duncan, who was still very sick, expressing deep appreciation of his life and labors in the association, which was followed by a prayer service for him.
It was reported at this session that Brushy Fork Church had fallen into disorder "in that it had received into fellowship and communion one J. C. Johnson, and allowed him to officiate in her ordinances, who stands as an excluded member from Beaver Dam Church in Three Forks Association for heresy and rank dis- order." In a resolution adopted concerning the church, the association went on to charge that the church had called as pas- tor "one James Stout, who is an excluded member from Holly Springs Church of Watauga Association," Stout having been excluded for preaching the same so-called heresy and following the same practices as Johnson.
The resolution set forth that "the Ashe Association humbly prays and exhorts the Brushy Fork Church to put from among them that heresy that can only blight their hopes of future pros- perity and remain in fellowship and communion with her brethren who feel that they need their help in prosecuting the great work which God has called His people to do."
A strong committee was named to carry this message to the Brushy Fork Church and try to win the church back into ranks again, but it could not be done. Brushy Fork Church did not appear in the association again until 1907. In 1906 the Ashe Association withdrew fellowship from her. Similar trouble had arisen in Clifton Church in 1902 but action on the part of the association, as I have already related, was effective and that splendid church saw its error and frankly confessed it. The trouble in Brushy Fork had come from the two men named in the resolution, who had come into the community preaching sanctifi- cation and had disrupted church and families, causing confusion for miles around. Several preachers, both Baptists and Meth- odists, had been carried away with the heresy.
Only ten of the twenty-seven churches in the association re- ported Sunday schools this year. There had been fifty-seven bap- tisms and the total membership was 1,566.
The association convened the following year in its nineteenth annual session with Old Fields Church on September 5, 1905. Elder Elihu Tucker preached the introductory sermon and after twenty-six churches had answered the roll-call, the association
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
organized for business by re-electing the officers of the previous year. Notice was taken of the failure of Zion Hill and Meadow View churches to send delegates to the association for the last three sessions and special committees were named to visit these churches and make inquiry as to their condition.
Two notable visitors at this session were Rev. Livingston John- son of Raleigh, corresponding secretary of the State Mission Board, and his brother, Archibald Johnson, of Thomasville, editor of Charity and Children, the publication of the Baptist Orphanage. These visitors gave great impetus to the cause of State missions and of the Baptist Orphanage. Pledges were made amounting to $89.75 for State missions and $135.00 for the orphanage and the larger part of it was paid during the session.
Corinth Church sent up the following query :
"Will the association allow a church to tax its members to pay pastor's salary ?"
The association made answer, stating that "the association has nothing to do with it. Every Baptist church has a right to manage its business to suit its own conditions."
At this session there was reported the death of Elder T. M. Duncan and I wish to pause here long enough to set down a few facts about this good man, gleaned from his obituary which ap- pears in the minutes of this session. His full name was Thomas Monroe Duncan, and he was born March 26, 1840. He died November 28, 1904. He was called to the ministry at the age of 43 and was ordained by a presbytery composed of J. F. Fletcher, D. W. Thomason and I. W. Thomas at old Buffalo Church, in June, 1878. The following twenty years he spent in intense, active, earnest work for God. During this time he preached 2,275 sermons, baptized 304 persons, and helped to organize three associations, the New River, the Ashe and Alle- ghany, and the Alleghany and Grayson. He served for three years and six months as missionary in the Ashe and Alleghany Association and two years in the Ashe Association. He is credited with organizing ten churches and forty Sunday schools and be- fore he became a minister he was active as a deacon and Sunday school superintendent.
For forty-seven of his sixty-four years, he was a faithul mem- ber of the church, diligent in all good works. I was close to him and he to me and I know the kind of man he was. I was asso-
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
ciated with him in revival meetings a great deal. When I was laboring in the New River Association between 1891 and 1900, I had him with me frequently for evangelistic meetings in the various churches of my field and invariably his labors left their impress upon the churches. His work in Ashe County is his monument and it will last forever.
The Ashe Association met in its twentieth annual session with Big Laurel Church on September 25, 1906. Rev. J. F. Stanly preached the introductory sermon and letters from seventeen of the twenty-seven churches in the association were handed in and delegates enrolled. Rev. Elihu Tucker was elected moderator and M. M. Blevins clerk and treasurer.
The executive committee reported that J. F. Fletcher, mis- sionary since 1900, had gone away and that they had secured as missionary Rev. R. L. Shoaf. They were able to secure Elder Shoaf only after considerable delay and he had gotten to work late. However, his report showed that much had been accom- plished. Between April 1 and the date of the association meet- ing, he had preached 147 sermons, witnessed 12 conversions, bap- tized 17, organized one Sunday school, and collected $70.30 for the boards.
Elder Elihu Tucker was engaged as missionary for the follow- ing year and the churches represented pledged $106.50 for his support.
The association met the following year with Apple Grove Church, in its twenty-first annual session, on October 15, 1907. Rev. P. H. Haire preached the opening sermon and delegates from twenty-three churches were enrolled. The officers of the previous year were re-elected. One new church, Liberty Hill, was received and Brushy Fork, which had been dropped from the rolls for the reason that I have already stated, petitioned for re-instatement and was restored to fellowship.
The executive committee reported that Elder E. Tucker, the associational missionary, had done faithful and efficient work during the year. He had witnessed fifty-five conversions and had baptized thirty-one. One new church, Liberty Hill, had been organized. The delegates present pledged $313.00 toward his support for the coming year.
There had been 112 baptisms during the year and the total membership had reached 1,621. The churches had contributed for all causes $947.62.
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
REV. ELIHU TUCKER
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
The association pledged itself to special effort in Sunday school work and plans were laid for a county Sunday school con- vention to be held before the next session of the association.
The twenty-second annual meeting of the Ashe Association was held with Beaver Creek Church, beginning on September 8, 1908. Rev. W. R. Bradshaw, of Hickory, preached the intro- ductory sermon and delegates from twenty-five churches were enrolled. The officers of the previous year were re-elected.
The work of the associational missionary, Rev. Elihu Tucker, was again approved and he was continued in the work. Reports from the churches indicated that fine progress had been made along all lines. The total membership was 1,669 and ninety-five had been added by baptism. The Sunday school convention planned the previous year, had produced splendid results. Eighteen churches reported thriving Sunday schools with 1,260 pupils and teachers.
Mention is made in the minutes of this session of the death of Capt. W. H. Gentry, for many years a Baptist leader in Ashe County. He was the son of Elder Richard Gentry and was originally a member of Old Fields Church. In 1851 he be- came a member of the new church organized in Jefferson and called Bethel. This church was later moved eight miles south of Jefferson. At the time of his death he was a member of the church at Jefferson. He succeeded his father as clerk of the Superior Court of Ashe County and held the place at the time of his death. He and his father together held this office for more than fifty years.
The twenty-third annual session of the Ashe Association was held with Mission Home Church, beginning October 5, 1909. Rev. W. F. Barker preached the opening sermon. Twenty-one of the thirty-one churches in the association were found to be represented by delegates and the organization was perfected by the election of Prof. J. C. Goodman as moderator, and M. M. Blevins as clerk and treasurer. One new church, Calvary, was received.
It was announced by the executive committee that Rev. Elihu Tucker, associational missionary, had been forced to resign be- cause of failing health. During the time he had been able to work he had preached 104 sermons, made 180 religious visits, and baptized 12. He had received for his labors a total of
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
$89.11. The total membership of the association was 1,714 and eighty-one had been received by baptism.
The twenty-fourth meeting of the association was held with Landmark Church and it opened on September 6, 1910. Twenty- four churches were found to be represented. The annual ser- mon was preached by Rev. J. T. Glenn and the association organ- ized by re-electing the officers of the previous year.
The executive committee reported that Rev. P. H. Haire had been secured to do mission work at two points, Brushy Fork and Long Branch. It is interesting to note that Brushy Fork was still having trouble, an element of its membership still holding to the teachings of Johnson and Stout. This opposition had secured possession of the church building and had locked the others out. The courts had been resorted to for a determina- tion of the legal rights of the contending parties and a collec- tion was taken among the delegates to aid in the fight. Mis- sionary Haire reported a great revival meeting at Long Branch, with forty professions of religion and fifteen additions to the church. He had received for his services during the year $33.00. All of the churches reported 141 baptisms and a total member- ship of 1,831. There were eighteen Sunday schools with 1,132 students and teachers.
The association adopted a resolution calling on all churches to increase their contributions for pastors' salaries at least 50%, calling attention to the fact that their ministers could do more effective work for the Master if freed from financial worries.
The twenty-fifth annual session of the Ashe Association was held with Healing Springs Church. beginning on September 5, 1911, with the introductory sermon by Rev. George M. Reeves. When the roll was called, thirty churches were found to be repre- sented and organization was completed by the re-election of the officers of the preceding year.
This session was marked by unusual interest in missions, par- ticularly in associational and State missions, and pledges for these causes were made aggregating $367.52.
The minutes contain the following entry that is of particular interest :
"Pending the adoption of the Report on Education, J. F. Fletcher and W. A. Hash, from the New River Associa- tion, presented the following resolutions which had been
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
adopted by the New River Association at its last session, to-wit :
" 'Resolved, that we ask the Ashe and Alleghany associa- tions to join us in the establishing of one of our Home Mis- sion Board Mountain schools at Oak Hill, Grayson County, Virginia, and that they appoint a trustee of each associa- tion to represent the work in their association.' "
Then follows an account of a discussion of the resolution, in which Walter A. Hash, W. R. Bradshaw, W. C. Fields, J. F. Fletcher and D. S. Hubbell participated, after which the follow- ing resolution was adopted :
"Resolved, First, that we, the Ashe Association, accept the proposition made by the New River Association in refer- ence to establishing at Oak Hill one of our Home Mission Board Mountain schools ;
"Second, That we pledge our hearty co-operation in this work and that we appoint a trustee at their request."
A great deal of interest and enthusiasm was shown by the association and Prof. J. C. Goodman was named as trustee to represent the Ashe Association.
There was a fine demonstration of interest in the Baptist Orphanage, following an eloquent address by Rev. W. R. Brad- shaw, of Hickory. The orphanage children were present and added much to the interest of the occasion. A cash collection of $50.72 was taken and many pledges were made for the work.
The total membership of the association was 1,952 and 160 had been added by baptism during the year. The association had twenty ordained ministers and had paid pastors' salaries amounting to $637.03. They had contributed to all causes, $1,791.67. Twenty-three of the thirty-two churches in the association reported Sunday schools, with 1,524 teachers and pupils enrolled. The Meadow View Sunday School reported that two girls in their school had recited 2,170 verses of Scrip- ture from memory. I regret that their names were not given.
The association met with Peak Valley Church in its twenty- sixth annual session on September 3, 1912. Elder P. H. Haire preached the opening sermon and twenty-four churches were found to have delegates present. The officers of the previous year were re-elected.
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Corinth Church, in Grayson County, Virginia, was granted a letter of dismission to join the New River Association and Cal- vary Church was advised to dissolve.
This session was marked by unusual interest in women's work. Miss Blanche Burrus, of Raleigh, N. C., was present as the repre- sentative of the organized Women's Missionary Union. The delegates to the association vacated the church building and held their meetings in the open, turning the house over to the women for their meetings. The Women's Missionary Union here organized is generally credited with being the first in the Ashe Association, but this is not true. The first that I know of was organized at Beaver Creek Church in 1901 by Miss Ivey Mitch- ell, of Bertie County, N. C., later Mrs. John Wyckliffe Garvey. She was one of the young women sent into Ashe County by Miss Fannie E. S. Heck, as already related herein, and she married a son of William H. Garvey of the Beaver Creek community.
The executive committee reported that Rev. George M. Reeves and Rev. C. M. Cope had been secured as missionaries and both had done good work. They had organized one new church, Orion, had witnessed 130 conversions and had baptized fifty. There had been 160 baptisms in the association during the year and the total membership was 2,154. Twenty-one churches had Sunday schools, with an enrollment of 1,673. From the minutes it appeared that the Sunday school convention organized five years before was still functioning, doing splendid work.
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