USA > North Carolina > Ashe County > A history of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist associations > Part 4
USA > Virginia > A history of the Ashe County, North Carolina, and New River, Virginia, Baptist associations > Part 4
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With the passing of Liberty Chapel Church the name of the man who organized the church also passed from the records and for many years it appeared no more in the history of the Bap- tists of Ashe County. I remember to have heard him preach at Buffalo Church in 1881 from the text Acts 5:31 and at that time he was a very old man.
There will be more about Richard Jacks in the story of the Jefferson Association, which he was largely instrumental in form- ing. Appearing in the minutes of the sessions of the Jefferson and other associations I have been able to pick up small scraps of information concerning this unusual man and all that I have learned about him has served to increase my admiration for him.
He came as a young man from somewhere in Alabama and he married an Ashe County girl. We find him associated with our Baptist work in the mountains for more than fifty years. In 1836 there is a record of his attending the sessions of the Sandy Creek Association in the central part of North Carolina as a
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
correspondent from the Yadkin Association. (See Purefoy's History of the Sandy Creek Association, page175.) White Top, Young's Chapel, Liberty Chapel and other churches were organ- ized by him.
He was a man of the highest ideals and of the sternest, most uncompromising principles. There was much of the early Puri- tan in his makeup and when he engaged in a battle for what he thought was right, he neither gave nor asked quarter. As will be seen in the story of the Jefferson Association, he believed in missions, in the purity of the ministry and in temperance. He fought Satan wherever he found him, denouncing sin and the sin- ner in much the same fashion as did John the Baptist. Naturally, he made enemies of the bitterest and most vindictive kind and these enemies were able to turn the minds of many good people against him. I have never believed any of the charges that they preferred against him and I will not dignify his traducers by re- peating their charges here.
Naturally, he did not take the charges lying down. He was not the man to suffer in silence and bow supinely when men reviled him, and he fought back courageously. When he saw that in certain quarters he could not prevail against his enemies and that further conflict could result only in serious hurt to the cause he loved, he quit the ministry and for many years he did not preach. It had always been his conviction that a minister should be, like Cæsar's wife, "above suspicion," and he had fre- quently said so. Therefore, when faced with a situation that he could not entirely clear up, he retired from the ministry.
It is good to know that this man of God returned to the ministry before he died. I remember hearing my mother say when I was just a boy that she had "heard a man preach today who had been a preacher for seventy-five years." She was re- ferring to Elder Richard Jacks. Only a few days ago I went to see a dear cousin of mine, Mrs. Jane Howell, who lives in Wilkes County, and she told me that she remembered Elder Jacks well. She is now ( August 14, 1927) 79 years old. Elder Jacks bap- tized her. She said that he was a plain, blunt-spoken man, say- ing whatever he thought, in the pulpit or out of it.
She related a peculiarity of his that is worth mentioning. She said that when Elder Jacks visited her father's home, which was often, he always kept his hat on, even at the table. When called upon to return thanks before eating, he would reach up with
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
both hands and draw his hat down over his face and hold it there while returning thanks. Then he would push it back on his head.
It should be noted in passing that the United Association changed its name to the Brushy Mountain Association, in 1872, which name it bears today, and that Bethel Church retained its membership in this association until the Ashe and Alleghany Association was formed in 1886.
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
CHAPTER VI.
THE JEFFERSON BAPTIST ASSOCIATION.
I have traced the development of the Mountain Association, through its different branches, from its mother association, the Yadkin and its grand-mother, the Strawberry Association in Vir- ginia, giving all of the information available concerning them, back to 1786. It becomes necessary to our purpose now to fol- low another line of descent from these original sources.
The Briar Creek Association was formed from the Yadkin Association in 1821, at a convention held at old Briar Creek Church in Wilkes County. This fine old church still stands in Wilkes, by the side of State Highway No. 60. Over the front door in big black letters are these words:
"Briar Creek Baptist Church-Constituted 1783."
The convention was made up of the following churches :
Briar Creek, represented by Thomas Masten, William Gillam, William King, John Martin and James Martin.
Bethel Church (Wilkes County), William Dodson, Sr., Wil- liam Dodson, Jr., and George Gilreath.
Fishing Creek Church, Jesse Adams, Joshua Johnston and W. M. Wright.
Little River Church, John Swaim, James Robinet and Archi- bald Brown.
Snow Creek Church, John Angell.
Mitchell's River Church, Stephen Potter, John March and Gideon Potter.
Roaring River, Thomas Douglass and Elisha Richardson.
Zion Hill, William Mitchell and Jonathan Woody.
Cool Spring, Ambrose Johnson and David Jacks.
The convention organized by electing Elder Thomas Masten moderator and Col. James Martin clerk.
I hope I may be pardoned for mentioning here that three of these delegates, Joshua Johnston, Ambrose Johnson and David Jacks, were great uncles of mine, and that before that time and since, my family has been closely allied with the Baptist work in this territory.
It is not my purpose to follow the history of the Briar Creek Association further than is necessary to show the kinship and com- mon origin of all of the Baptists of Ashe County, North Caro- lina, and Grayson County, Virginia, and we will skip the 27 years
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
between this convention and the 1848 session of the Briar Creek Association, which was held with the church at Lewis' Meeting House in Wilkes County, on September 4th. Nineteen churches were represented, two of these being Liberty Chapel and Bap- tist Chapel, of Ashe County. Rev. Richard Jacks was pastor of both churches. Two newly constituted churches, Liberty Chapel and White Top, the latter in Grayson County, Virginia, were admitted.
In the minutes we find this statement :
"Took up the request of six of our churches from the other side of the Blue Ridge, who petitioned to be organ- ized into a new association. The association agreed to ap- point a committee to go over and examine into the standing of those churches ; and if they think proper, they are author- ized to constitute them into an association. The delegation to consist of the following brethren, to-wit:
"S. P. Smith, Jesse Adams, Z. B. Adams, S. D. Swaim, William Chappel, James Parks.
"The convention to be held at Liberty Chapel, near Ashe courthouse, on Friday before the fifth Sunday in October next."
We also find in these minutes that Briar Creek Association is still in correspondence and fellowship with the mother associa- tion, the Yadkin, and it is recorded that the association had paid $10.00 to the objects of the Baptist State Convention and J. Parks was appointed a delegate to carry this amount and deliver it at the meeting of the convention to be held with Rockford Church in Surry County in October, 1848. Attached to the minutes is a splendid circular letter from Rev. R. Jacks on "Church Discipline."
The convention met at the time and place appointed and organized by electing Rev. Richard Jacks as moderator and S. F. Anderson as secretary. The following churches were found to be represented by delegates :
Baptist Chapel, represented by R. Jacks, James Testerman, James Blevins, Jacob Stitt and Benjamin De Board.
Baptist Union, S. Ross, J. Rimer, Jesse N. Ross, J. Brown and J. C. Parks.
Liberty Chapel, D. Blevins and Robert McGuire.
Sugar Grove Chapel, Aaron Blankenbeckler.
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
White Top, E. Edmondson, A. Blevins, B. Barlow and David Tucker.
Young's Chapel, William Young, William Perry, D. Sheets and S. F. Anderson.
Four of the seven brethren named by the Briar Creek Associa- tion to have charge of the formation of the new association were present, these being S. P. Smith, Z. B. Adams, S. D. Swaim and J. M. Parks. They completed their work on October 30, 1848, and the new organization was named the Jefferson Baptist Asso- ciation.
Then follows the Constitution, Articles of Faith and Rules of Decorum ; not essentially different from other associations, except Articles 11 and 15 in the Constitution, which contain the follow- ing language :
"The Association requests all the churches within her bounds, having gifts for the ministry, to send them up to the Association for examination, and if found orthodox and qualified. to be ordained in the presence of the whole associa- tion. Ordinations only to be attended to in or at our associa- tions.
"Art. 15. The Mission question shall be no bar nor test of fellowship with any; but all shall be free, and shall have the privilege of acting and doing with his own, as he or they may in their own judgment think proper without interrup- tion or molestation."
The association starts off with three ordained preachers, five "exhorters" and 313 members.
On motion of S. F. Anderson, the association agreed to co- operate with the North Carolina Baptist State Convention and the Briar Creek Association in supporting Rev. S. P. Smith to travel and preach in the bounds of the Briar Creek and Jefferson associations, at $25.00 per month.
Adjourned to meet on second Saturday in October, 1849, at Baptist Chapel Church, eleven miles north of Jefferson, in Ashe County.
Then follows a "Circular Letter" by Elder R. Jacks, which I give in full for the information of the present generation, that they may know of conditions as they existed 75 or 80 years ago:
"The following are a part of the reasons that led to the division between the churches that now compose the Jeffer-
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
son Association, and Mountain and Three Forks Associa- tions :
"First: In 1836 the Mountain Association while in ses- sion, assumed to itself the name and character of an Anti- Missionary Association. We being possessed of liberal principles, refused to fellowship the name and character.
"Secondly: In 1837, while in session, a motion was made to invite transient ministers to a seat, which had ever been their usual practice; but the motion was objected to; the objecter was called on to make his objection known, which he did by saying: 'There were no transient ministers pres- ent except Culpepper and Freeman and they are missionaries and the Missionaries are about to erect a monument over the grave of Luther Rice which would cost from $50,000.00 to $100,000.00.'
"The above-named brethren asked leave to reply to his erroneous statements, which was denied them. Thus they were denied liberty of speech and from having a seat, and most astonishing of all, they kept this important movement out of their minutes.
"Thirdly: In 1838, while in session, a resolution was passed dropping correspondence with all associations and advising all of their churches to deal with and put from among them all those who joined any of the 'institutions of the day,' or advocated them. This resolution was pro- tested against at the time and they were pleaded with for equal protection, which they utterly refused to grant; in con- sequence of the same the Briar Creek and Lewis Fork Associations, with us, refused to submit to this resolution and rejected the correspondence of the Mountain Associa- tion, the terms upon which that association proposed to con- tinue correspondence being such that none of the sister associations would accede to them. In 1839 there were three requests from the churches presented to the associa- tion requesting that the resolutions should be rescinded and that the correspondence of the sister associations be re- gained. Instead of granting the requests of the churches, to our astonishment they passed another resolution denying the express meaning of the words used in the resolution passed in 1838. Also, at this session there were two other churches that came forward from the Briar Creek Associa- tion without letter of dismission and made application for
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
admittance into the association; the reception of these churches was objected to but the majority received them over the minority. It was then alleged that the constitution had been violated. The majority then altered the constitution so as to make the reception of these churches constitutional and after having transacted business of such vital impor- tance to the association, refused to let it appear in their minutes.
"In 1840 the association violated her constitution by send- ing a committee to a church that was fully represented in the association. The church did not receive the committee be- cause they had not asked for it.
"The last reason that we shall insert is that the Mountain Association retains in her fellowship a minister against whom charges of the most acrimonious nature have been brought and he has ever failed to acquit himself of these charges.
"We wish it distinctly understood that the Three Forks Association remained in connection with and was a com- ponent part of the Mountain Association until all of the foregoing acts were passed and consequently, she was acces- sory to these acts and she still endeavors to justify them by keeping up a correspondence with that body.
"Thus we have briefly stated some of the reasons that led to a division between the two parties. We shall next pro- ceed to give the reasons why we receive members from their churches without letters of dismission :
"In the first place, it inevitably appears that there is no fellowship between the two parties, it having long since ceased.
"And secondly, we allege that it would be inconsistent for us to receive members dismissed in full fellowship from their churches when there is no fellowship between their churches and ours.
"Thirdly, it is the general practice throughout the denomi- nation, wherever similar divisions have taken place, to re- ceive them without letters of dismission.
"Therefore, for the future our church doors will be open, as ever, for the reception of members from their churches and all applicants from these churches will be required to sustain a good moral and Christian character."
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
Elder Jacks, taking this logical and courageous stand, was well ahead of the leaders of his day. I have always had the highest admiration for him and I fully believe that much of the achieve- ments that we Baptists boast of today may be traced back to his courageous and far-sighted leadership. Those who are familiar with Baptist usages of today will find it difficult to realize that there was ever a time when Baptists, particularly Baptist min- isters of good repute, could not get a hearing in a Baptist associa- tion, but such was the case back in the days that Elder Jacks was writing about.
I do not know anything about the preacher Freeman that he referred to but I have heard stories about Culpepper, who was familiarly and affectionately known throughout the length and breadth of our mountain section as "Father" Culpepper. A fine old Christian whom I knew as a boy, verified the statement made by Elder Jacks and told how "Father" Culpepper, with tears streaming down his cheeks, pleaded with his brethren to be allowed to explain the distorted stories that had been spread abroad among Baptists, but they would not hear him.
Culpepper gave his life and his all to the cause of Christ and when he was dead it was found that he had left his horse and buggy, all the property he had in the world, to the Baptist State Convention to be used in the work of the Master.
As has been previously noted, Elder Richard Jacks was not exactly popular with the brethren of the Mountain and Senter associations. As far back as 1848 we found the Mountain As- sociation taking steps to review the conduct of Elder R. Jacks and in the statement above may be found the reason for it. At the 1848 session, the Mountain Association came out positively against Elders R. Jacks and Stephen Ross, advising its churches that baptism at the hands of either was not acceptable and that members of the so-called "Missionary" Baptist Churches who had been baptized by Jacks or Ross could not be received in churches of the Mountain Association without being baptized again.
It is apparent that the hostility to Elder R. Jacks was equally as strong in Senter and Three Forks associations. Both of these associations had been formed from the Mountain Association, the Senter being made up of churches from the Mountain and Three Forks, and it is natural that this should have been so. It was in 1859 that we found the Senter Association proclaiming that members seeking admission in the Senter, coming from the
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
Jefferson Association and who had been baptized by those "in disorder," must be baptized again.
It appears, however, that the small but progressive Jefferson Association was not alone in the mountains, for at the session of 1849 we find it in correspondence with the Yadkin, Briar Creek and Liberty Baptist associations in North Carolina and the Lebanon Association in Virginia.
There follows a period of which I have no record but in 1853 we find the Jefferson Association in session at Baptist Union Church in Grayson County, Virginia, with Elder Stephen Ross as moderator and J. H. Perkins clerk. Eight churches were rep- resented, as follows :
Baptist Union, represented by Stephen Ross, John Connoy, Jesse Ross and Pilgrim Parks.
Mount Pleasant, by Daniel Blevins, Peter Ernest, S. Black- burn, Jr., and William Hurley.
Liberty Chapel, by Enoch Walters, James L. Pope, John Gar- vey and Elijah Pope.
Sugar Grove, by John Cress, Samuel Houndshell, R. K. Slemp and Jonathan McCloud.
Baptist Chapel, by James Blevins, W. Thompson, James Tes- terman and Jackson Blevins.
Youngs Chapel, by William Young, W. G. Baldwin, J. H. Per- kins and J. B. Young.
White Top, by Elijah Edmondson, Uriah Huffman, Henry Farmer and Jackson Lewis.
Friendship, by William Ross and Walden Carter.
One new church was received at this session, this being Union Church, represented by Armstrong Blevins, William Brown, Na- thaniel Eastridge and A. Davidson.
When correspondents were asked to present themselves, sev- eral notable preachers came forward, among them being Elders V. Bowers and N. C. Baldwin, of the Lebanon Association in Virginia ; Elder S. D. Swaim and Thomas Howell, from the Briar Creek Association, and H. G. Brown from the Yadkin Associa- tion. Elder Baldwin was a great Baptist leader in southwest Virginia for many years. He organized the Baptist Church at Marion, Va. Elder V. Bowers, usually called "Volly" Bowers, was a man of unusual powers and a preacher of rare eloquence. Forty-five years ago a gentleman living six miles north of Taylors- ville, now Mountain City, in Johnson County, Tennessee, told me that he listened to Volly Bowers preach a sermon and upon
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
leaving the church mounted his horse and rode for many miles in the opposite direction from home before realizing what he was doing.
At this session the association struck out the provision in its charter requiring that preachers be ordained at meetings of the association and placed the work back in the hands of the local churches. The association went on record as opposing the use of liquor and passed the following resolution :
"That the joining or not joining the Sons of Temperance shall be no test of fellowship."
Another resolution, which is important because it shows that four-score years ago our mountain Baptists were awakening to the need of a higher type of ministry and to the importance of using the utmost discretion in presenting candidates for the min- istry, was passed at this session, as follows :
"Whereas, the Baptist denomination has suffered much in past years in consequence of the character of her ministry; and, whereas, we consider it absolutely necessary for us, in view of the present age of improvement, and the character of ministers demanded by our denomination, arising from the many sources of opposition with which we as a denomi- nation have to contend; therefore,
"Resolved, that we advise the churches to offer no man for ordination without the concurrence of the ablest and most judicious brethren within their bounds and the fullest assurance that such candidate is 'apt to teach.' "
Then follows another resolution in which the churches are strongly urged to subscribe liberally for the support of the min- istry and to pay after they subscribe. It is set out in no uncer- tain fashion in this resolution that it is unmanly, ungentlemanly and unchristian in the extreme to subscribe and not pay.
Elder Stephen Ross was chosen as missionary for the year at a salary of $399, one-third to be paid by the association and the remainder by the Goshen Association in Virginia.
In the minutes of this session are set down the dates of the organization of the various churches in the association, which I give here :
Baptist Chapel, 1842; Liberty Chapel, 1847; Mount Pleasant, 1849: Union, 1853. All of these were in Ashe County.
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THE NEW RIVER (VA.) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
Baptist Union, 1842; White Top, 1847; Young's Chapel, 1845; Friendship, 1852; Sugar Grove, 1842. The first four were in Grayson County, Virginia, and the last-named in Smythe County, Virginia.
The reader will note that the Rye Valley Church, with which we started in the organization of the Yadkin Association, had disappeared. There is a probability that Elder George McNeill, first moderator of the Yadkin Association, in 1790, organized this church but how long it lived and how and why it disappeared, we do not know. Sugar Grove Church, above referred to, is supposed to stand near the site of the old Rye Valley Church.
At this session of the association, Apple Grove, a new church, was admitted and a movement was set on foot by N. C. Baldwin to organize a church at Abingdon, Va. However, many years were to pass before this church was built.
The 1854 session of the Jefferson Association was held with Mount Pleasant Church in Ashe County. At this session twenty baptisms were reported and the total membership was 391. This session was marked by a series of unusually strong sermons by visiting ministers, among them being two funeral sermons by Elders Volly Bowers and N. C. Baldwin, a sermon by Elder H. G. Brown on "Searching the Scriptures," a powerful discourse on Baptism, three hours in length, by Elder J. A. Davis, who used as his text Matt. 28:19, 20.
When the association had run its course, the people were not ready to return to their homes and a revival meeting started that resulted in many conversions and the addition of twenty-five members to Mount Pleasant Church. Occurrences like this were not out of the ordinary in those days, when the business side of associational meetings was not so important and people had time to enjoy the social and religious phases of the annual gatherings. In those days the associations lasted not less than four days, while today we race through sessions that are practically all business, listen to not more than one sermon, and then rush back to farm, profession or business. It is extremely difficult to keep dele- gates at an association longer than one day and never more than two.
The minutes record that at this time the association had three ordained ministers, Elders Armstrong Blevins, Elijah Edmond- son and Stephen Ross, and one licentiate, Jackson Blevins.
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HISTORY OF THE ASHE (N. C.) AND
G
.!
REV. W. C. PARKS
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THE NEW RIVER (VA. ) BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
This session will forever be notable for the movement started then for the founding of a school in our mountain section, for the purpose of helping young men to fit themselves for positions of responsibility, and particularly to provide for the training of young preachers. The following resolution, presented by a com- mittee of which N. C. Baldwin was chairman, was adopted :
"Resolved, First, that we recommend to the churches to make a speedy and united effort to get up a school of high character at some suitable point within our associational limits ;
"Resolved, Second, that in order that this thing may be consummated, a committee of nine shall be appointed, whose duty it shall be to take active and efficient steps to secure a suitable location for the erection of a suitable building, the appointment of a suitable agent to collect funds for the com- pletion of the same, and to secure the services of a teacher to teach the English sciences thoroughly and to report their proceedings and success to the next meeting of the associa- tion ;
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