USA > North Carolina > Ashe County > A history of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist associations > Part 2
USA > Virginia > A history of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist associations > Part 2
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Rye Valley, New River, North Fork of New River, Fish River, South Fork of Roaring River, Beaver Creek, Head of Yadkin, Cedar Island, Three Forks and St. Clair's Bottom. The first and last-named were in Virginia. Cedar Island later came to be known as Fox Creek Church.
Every one of these old churches became a center of missionary effort. Located at strategic points, they began to reach out into the country surrounding them, bringing into their membership the leading men and women of the time and from every one of these churches, two and three and even more churches grew and were set apart for the service of God. At this time, between 1790 and 1799, no other denomination was represented in all this vast territory by an organized church, association, confer- ence or presbytery, and few of them had any preacher in the territory. Occasionally, a Methodist minister made his appear-
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
ance in this territory for a brief period of time, but only for a brief period.
The zeal of those early Baptist ministers, McNeill, Baker and others, has scarcely been equalled in the annals of our church. The world has seen no such religious crusaders since the saints of the early days "went everywhere, preaching the word." These men did not wait until a "living" was assured to them. They did not wait until they found out if there were good roads and a good church building, with a comfortable parsonage, and good schools for their children. They did not even stop to inquire if the people among whom they were going could house them comfortably, give them a featherbed to sleep on and pro- vide ham, eggs and chicken for breakfast. Believing in the promises of the Master, they took no thought of the morrow, but responded to God's call, going wheresoever there was human need.
It is difficult for us to picture in our minds the conditions faced by these heroic men of God. Accustomed as we are to good roads and easy communication, we think nothing of a jour- ney of a hundred miles or more in three hours and it is difficult for us to realize that in those days the preacher reached his scattered congregations by travelling afoot or on horseback, over devious trails made by Indians and hunters. He found his people living in log huts, usually of one room, and subsisting on rye bread, potato soup and bacon, varied occasionally with game from the forests. At that time, no corn was grown in the sparse and straggly clearings for the reason that no variety of corn had been developed that would ripen in this territory dur- ing the comparative short growing season.
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
CHAPTER III. THE MOUNTAIN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.
From the date of its organization in 1799, the Mountain Bap- tist Association, coming into existence the same year that Ashe County was cut off from Wilkes County and established as a separate county, experienced satisfactory growth and develop- ment, adding new churches almost every year and increasing constantly in membership. I am unable to follow the develop- ment in detail for the reason that no minutes of the associa- tion's meetings are available until 1838. We know that the association's growth had been marvelous, for in 1840 it was strong enough to give off enough churches to form the Three Forks Association and still have 24 churches left, with more than 1,000 members. From the stories that have come down to us from our fathers and mothers, we know that many strong preachers had been called of God to labor in this field and that their labors had been abundantly blessed.
It was during this period that the preaching against missions by Daniel Parker, who came to the fore in 1814, by Alexander Campbell, in 1821 and by Osborne in the Piedmont section of North Carolina several years later, began to spread over this territory and win adherents. On page three of the minutes of the Mountain Association for 1838, there is this request from Bear Creek Church :
"Our church unanimously requests that the Association will not meddle with the missionary business so as to break any fellowship or make any division among the churches."
The association appointed a committee to consider this re- quest and make report on it, the committee consisting of Elders Drewry Senter, and Brazille McBride, and Brethren F. Vanover, D. Tinsley and J. Calloway. The committee made this report :
"We have no authority over the churches and individuals but in answer to the request of several churches we drop correspondence with all associations at present and agree to renew it upon the following terms :
"That is, we agree to advise our churches and do advise them, to deal with any member of their body who may have
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
trespassed against them by joining any of the institutions of the day and continue in them, causing divisions which we believe to be contrary to the whole tenor of God's word, which directs us as followers of Him, to keep the unity of the Spirit in bonds of peace, as also contrary to the prin- ciples which we as Baptists have heretofore lived under and contended for ;
"Therefore, brethren, should you advise your churches to use gospel labors to detect those who are sowing seeds of discord among brethren by advocating the institutions of the day, or should you use any other means agreeable to the Word of God, to put these things from among you, we can walk together and still correspond with you as heretofore."
The report was concurred in but not without much argument and much bitterness. Two men who were present, Wiley G. Young, of Grayson County, Virginia, and Alfred Barker, of Ashe County, told me that there was a stirring debate, in which many speakers lost their tempers, and spoke harsh words. One minister, a man of commanding influence, speaking in favor of the report, exclaimed :
"We are anti-missionary !"
As far as my knowledge goes, this is the first time that the term "anti-missionary" appeared in the annals of western North Carolina Baptists. Later the Baptist hosts of the State and, indeed, of the whole country were to split upon this issue and the rift, started at the meeting of the Mountain Association in 1838, grew wider and wider with the passage of the years. The associations with which the Mountain Association had been in correspondence up to this time were notified of the action of the association. The following is a copy of the letter sent to these associations, this having been addressed to the Briar Creek Bap- tist Association, a sister association indeed, for it had been formed from the old Yadkin Association :
"North Carolina, Ashe County, "September 1st, 1838.
"The Mountain Association to her Sister, the Briar Creek : "Very Dear Brethren :-
"Feeling desirous to keep up a correspondence with you, we submit to you the conditions that we are willing still to correspond with you. That is, we have dropped corre-
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
spondence with all associations and agree to revive it upon the following terms, viz .: To advise the churches to deal with any member of their body who may join any of the institutions of the day.
(Signed) Tobias Long, Moderator. "R. Gentry, Clerk."
This offer of correspondence and its conditions, did not meet with favor in the Briar Creek Association and the proposition was unanimously rejected in regular conference.
That this dissension was not confined to Ashe County is shown by a statement in Dr. B. F. Riley's "History of the Baptists of the South," page 173, to the effect that disorder reigned in the Baptist churches of the South until about 1836 or 1838, this period being generally known as the period of the "great split."
"By this time," says Dr. Riley, "the anti-mission forces had become very hostile and insisted upon withdrawal from all churches and associations which favored missions. This cleav- age was most fortunate. The separation was the dawn of a better day for the Missionary Baptists of the South."
Dr. Riley goes on to say that the histories of the two divisions of the Baptist family, is most instructive. The missionary branch has grown in enlightenment and culture, has founded and main- tained great institutions of learning, has established a great and reputable religious press, has produced an advanced type of scholarship and has planted its churches in every community in the South. The other has kept itself in the remote rural sec- tions and has made almost no progress.
Immediately after the association had adopted the resolution dropping correspondence with other associations, a request was read from Three Forks Church for the association to set aside a day for fasting and prayer, no particular cause specified, and it was "agreed to set apart the third Lord's Day in September next" with a request that our "sister associations join us." Apparently, they overlooked the very important fact that only a few minutes previously they had severed relations with all other associations and had no sister associations to which they could appeal.
At this meeting the Reddies River Church asked for and was granted a letter of dismission and the association adjourned to meet the following year with Old Fields Church, with Elder Cal- vin Jones to preach the introductory sermon.
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
Attached to the minutes of this association is a circular letter by James Vannoy, on the subject of "Watchfulness." It is an unusually able paper and shows that the writer was a man of real ability.
Here occurs a break in my file of the minutes of the Mountain Association and I am unable to follow in detail the development of the work in the years intervening between 1838 and 1845. We know, however, that there was very real progress in spite of the step backward that had been taken when the association went on record as opposing missions, for in 1845, when the asso- ciation met with Grassy Creek Church in Ashe County, we find that it still has twenty-four churches and that its membership is 1,134, despite the fact that in 1840 it had given off enough churches to form the Three Forks Association.
At this session, which began on September 5, 1845, the intro- ductory sermon was preached by Elder Jordan Ashley, from the text Rev. 15 :3. Elder Drury Senter was elected moderator and Alexander McMillan clerk. Two new churches, Knob Fork and Cross Roads, were received at this session and contributions, sent up from the churches, amounting to $25.00, were distributed as follows :
For services of clerk, $3.00; paid correspondents, $15.00; printing minutes, $10.00. Three dollars had been left over from the previous year, making a total expenditure of $28.00. It was customary in those days, and had long been the custom, to appoint as "correspondents" certain brethren, usually preachers, to visit other associations and convey to them a message of good will and friendliness and at the next meeting of the association pay them for the work. This was kept up for many years. I recall having seen it done but once and that was in 1875.
The 1846 session of the association was held with Mulberry Church and Elder Drury Senter preached the introductory ser- mon from the text, Matt. 6:33. Elder Drury Senter was again elected moderator and Alexander McMillan clerk. All of the twenty-five churches of the association were reported as repre- sented and one new church, Crooked Creek, with 24 members, was received.
That the need of preachers was becoming acute in this fast- growing field is shown by the following entry in the minutes of this session :
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
"Then took up the requests of several churches in our union for the supply of the ministry in the destitute churches in our association bounds, and after considering same, came to the conclusion that the churches destitute of the ministry should call any of the preaching brethren of their choice to labor for them, and that the churches so calling shall make suitable compensation to him, or them, for their labor."
This suggestion, filled with rugged common sense and honesty, shows the stuff these early Baptist leaders were made of. They believed that every church should bear its own burdens and they did not hesitate to say so in plain words. At the next session of the association, held with Knob Fork Church in Grayson County, Virginia, they found it necessary to repeat this advice to Fox Creek and Saddle Creek churches.
At this session, which began on September 3, 1847, the intro- ductory sermon was preached by Elder Tobias Long, from the text, I Cor. 7:9, 10:11. Elder Long was chosen moderator and Alexander McMillan clerk.
There came up at this session the matter of dividing the Moun- tain Association and after much consideration it was decided to make the crest of the Blue Ridge the dividing line and that "Cranberry, Union and Piney Fork churches, on the west side of the Ridge, have their choice as to which they shall attach themselves." It was decided that a convention of the churches set apart for the new association would be called to meet with Roaring River Church on Friday before the fourth Sunday in October, 1847, for the purpose of organizing. This convention was held in accordance with this act of the Mountain Association and thus the Roaring River Baptist Association came into being, an offspring of the Mountain Association.
The 1848 session of the Mountain Association was held with Piney Creek Church, beginning on September 22, with the intro- ductory sermon by Elder George Douglass. Elder Drury Sen- ter was chosen moderator and Alexander B. McMillan clerk. Only nineteen churches were represented at this session, owing to the formation of the Roaring River Association the previous year.
On page two of the minutes of this session appears the follow- ing significant paragraph :
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
"This Association, from the best information she is able to get, has come to the conclusion that in the reception of some churches into our union, we have set our doors too wide."
There follows after this another paragraph that would as well be omitted, were it not for the prominent part taken by the sub- ject of it, Elder R. Jacks, in the history of the Baptists of this section :
"The Association then appointed John Gambill, John Reeves and Andrew McMillan a committee to review and revise all of the acts and resolutions of this Association from the year 1836 until the present year in relation to Richard Jacks and report them to the next Association."
At the meeting next year, with Little River Church, in Ashe County, this committee was excused for not complying with the directions of the association, but the following entry in the minutes indicates that Elder Jacks was not at that time in good standing with his brethren of the Mountain Association :
"A query from Little River Church: Is it right to re- ceive a member who has belonged to a missionary institution or church, who was baptized by Richard Jacks or Stephen Ross without being baptized by one of our ordained min- isters ?
"Answer: Nay."
The 1849 session began on September 21st, with the intro- ductory sermon by Elder Nathaniel Senter from the text, John 5 :39. Elder Drury Senter was elected moderator and Alex- ander B. McMillan clerk.
At this session, in an effort to try to appease those who were crying for the services of preachers, the association attempted to put in operation a plan for the distribution of the ministers of the association among the churches. A committee composed of John Baker, John Gambill, James Dickey and Alexander B. McMillan was named to divide the ministers of the associations and arrange for regular appointments to cover the entire associa- tion. It was planned to print these appointments in the back of the association's minutes, so that everybody would know about them. The churches were instructed to send up to the next meeting of the association such sums of money as they desired
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
to pay the preachers for their labors and also to send letters stating whether they approved the plan or not. The committee did its work and apportioned the fourteen ministers of the asso- ciations among the churches, giving date of appointments for each. This list shows the following preachers in the association :
David Cook, Drury Senter, Solomon Stamper, L. Grimsley, Nathaniel Senter, T. Carr, Enoch Reeves, George Douglass, H. Vannoy, Z. Sawyer, T. Woody, R. Kilby, J. Briniger and J. Koontz.
From the records it does not appear that the plan succeeded. There was a widespread notion in those days that a preacher should not be paid and it has persisted on down through the years. In spite of this stinginess on the part of the members of the churches in those days, wonderful work was done by these strong men of God. Even down to this day, people of the mountains tell stories about these preachers that have been handed down from father to son. One of these stories which has to do with Elder Enoch Reeves, who was a member of the Elk Creek Church, I have been able to verify, as far as is humanly possible without the aid of printed or written records.
In 1849 Elder Reeves went to a private home near Reeve's Ferry, five miles south of Independence, Va., on New River, and started a meeting, preaching the first sermon on one Friday night. By Sunday night following, two little girls had presented themselves as penitents and after that, interest increased with every service and the meeting ran for three weeks. At the end of the meeting, seventy-three men, women and children were led into the river and baptized by Elder Reeves and another preacher whose name I do not remember. Fifty years later I baptized a son of one of the men who was baptized on this occasion by Elder Reeves and he told me the story. Later I met a man in Ashe County who told me that as a boy he attended this meeting and witnessed the baptism of the seventy-three in New River.
A similar meeting was held by Elders Drury Senter and Na- thaniel Senter at Piney Creek Church and at Beaver Creek Church at about this time and there were successful meetings in many parts of Ashe County, North Carolina, and in Grayson County, Virginia. Preachers and laymen, the Baptists of this territory in this period appear to have been imbued with the spirit of evangelism and they labored unceasingly for the salvation of souls.
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
The 1850 session was held with Cranberry Church, opening on September 20th, with the introductory sermon by Elder Thomas Carr, from the text Matt. 3:5-6. Elder Nathaniel Senter was chosen moderator and John Reeves clerk. The report of the finance committee showed that the nineteen churches had con- tributed $20.00 with which to pay the fourteen ministers above named for their labors for the year and if any of the churches approved of the arrangement or disapproved of it, no mention is made of it in the minutes. Piney Creek Church paid half of this amount, Fox Creek $5, Senter Church $3, and Knob Fork $2. Fifteen churches contributed nothing. While this looks discouraging, judged from the standards of today, it does not appear that it dimmed the zeal of these men of God, or cooled their ardor, for the record shows that they decided among them- selves to continue the work, under practically the same arrange- ments, for another year.
One new church, Laurel Fork, was added at this session.
The following year, 1851, the Mountain Association met with Saddle Creek Church on September 26th. Elder Lowry Grims- ley preached the introductory sermon from the text I Pet. 1:11. and the officers of the previous year were re-elected. At this session the name of Flat Grove Church was changed to South Fork. Elk Creek Church sent in the following query :
"Is it right to hold in fellowship a member of the church who belongs to any Division, or Order of the Sons of Tem- perance ?"
The Sons of Temperance was a secret society, similar to the Good Templars of later days, and its basic principle was tem- perance in all things. Those who joined the society took a solemn oath not to use alcoholic liquors as a beverage. It seems strange to us that a church should propound such a question and that an association should give it serious consideration, but it actually happened. After consultation the association appointed a com- mittee "to draft a preamble in answer to the above question, to consist of D. Senter, A. McMillan, John Gambill and John Reeves, and instructed said committee to answer the question in the negative."
The committee, after due consideration, brought in the follow- ing report, which was spread upon the minutes :
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
"Whereas, we believe the Scripture, or Word of God, is the pillar and ground work of truth ; and we believe that the great Head of the Church, in the Divine Code that He has given to the churches to be governed by, has made temper- ance obligatory upon us; and we feel as an Association to recommend it in its strictest sense, and do recommend it to all men and especially to the followers of Christ; and we, as an advisory counsel recommend to the churches to exclude from their membership any member, or members, who join any Division or Order of the Sons of Temperance."
It will be seen that these early Baptists were not enemies of temperance, but its faithful proponents and their opposition to orders like the Sons of Temperance was based upon the firm belief that it was the peculiar task of the church to deal with problems of this kind and that the formation of other agencies to do the work of the church, would tend to weaken the church and draw the people away from it. In this day of super-organiza- tion, where everybody belongs to societies for the prevention of this and clubs for the propagation of that, there has come to pass in many parts of our country the very situation that these sturdy forebears of ours feared and tried to guard against-the church has delegated to these outside societies, clubs and agencies, so many of the natural and original functions of the church, that the church is no longer the dynamic force for good that it once was.
At the session the following year, 1852, held with Cross Roads Church in Grayson County, Virginia, Elder Enoch Reeves preached the introductory sermon from the text, Matt. 25:10. The officers of the previous year were re-elected. At this ses- sion it was ordered that the Baptist "Articles of Faith" be tran- scribed and attached to the minutes.
As will be recalled, the Mountain Association had definitely set itself against missions, in any form, back in 1838 and the two branches of the Baptist family had drifted further and further apart every year. It had reached the point where there was question in the minds of the churches as to the validity of bap- tism administered by a Baptist minister of the missionary branch, and it was at this session that Fox Creek and Grassy Creek churches sent up the following query :
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
"If a member who belonged to a missionary church and was baptized by one of them, should ask for admittance to our church, what should we do with him?"
The answer was :
"We say, as an advisory counsel, that we hold missionary baptism valid, except there be a defect in the administrator, subject or mode."
At this point I shall leave the Mountain Association for a season and deal briefly with the Senter Association that came into existence in 1853, and with the formation of the Union Bap- tist Association, the United Association, the Brushy Mountain Association and other matters of interest and importance con- nected with the development of the Baptist cause in this territory between 1853 and the Civil War and in the years following the war. I have tried to follow in strict chronological order, the doings of the Baptists of Ashe County and of the territory sur- rounding from 1786 on up to 1853, and this method of dealing with them will be resumed later. It is necessary now to deal with a variety of movements that touched and affected vitally the work of the Baptists in this territory between 1853 and 1870. The written record is fragmentary and it has been difficult to find it.
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
CHAPTER IV.
THE SENTER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.
The Senter Baptist Association was formed from the Moun- tain and Three Forks associations at a convention held at Sen- ter Church on October 21, 1853. I think it would not be amiss here to pause a moment to pay tribute to two great preachers whose names stand out in the Baptist history of this section like two mountain peaks. The reader will recall that in the story of the Mountain Association which I have just told, there was frequent recurrence of the names of Drury Senter and Nathaniel Senter, father and son. For many years Elder Drury Senter served as moderator of the Mountain Association and his gifted son, Nathaniel M. Senter, succeeded his father. Senter Church, at which the convention was held, was named for them and the new association formed there bore their name.
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