USA > North Carolina > Bertie County > Roxobel > Sandy Run Baptist Church, Roxobel, Bertie County, North Carolina : a history in recognition of its bicentennial, 1750-1950 > Part 2
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As stated before, the contribution that Rev. Lemuel Burkitt made to the early progress of the Baptist faith in North Carolina is difficult to over-estimate. Burkitt was consistently elected clerk to the Kehukee Association. He was the originator of many of the theological questions which were introduced at the Association meetings for discussion and settlement and he often formulated answers to the inquiries proposed by other members.
The beginning of the nineteenth century saw the "culmination of all the great services of Burkitt". This came about in the Great Revival which swept through the entire country, and which did much to give the people that evangelical seal and missionary
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spirit which prepared them for cooperative work in missionary societies and the Baptist State Convention.
On hearing the news of the revival in Kentucky, Rev. Lemuel Burkitt set out for that state to learn if the reports were true. Speaking of this journey, Paschal says, "Though he ( Burkitt) was already past fifty years of age, yet he was of wiry and tough frame. Probably for the first time in his life leaving the plains of the Atlantic Slope he climbed the majestic mountains which lay in his way to Kentucky." When he arrived the revival was going on with unabated progress. Seeing the wonderful works of grace "his soul caught the seraphic flame. He preached most night and day for several weeks, in Kentucky and Tennessee, with great acceptance, then returned home fired with an ardent zeal surpassing anything his friends had before seen." Burkitt immediately took up the work of the revival in his home territory describing the great work that had been done across the mountains. In two years 1,500 new members had been added by baptism to the churches of the Kehukee Association. People would flock by the thousands to hear Elder Burkitt as he went from church to church throughout the Association.
At the Meherrin church in August 1803 it was estimated that some 4,000 people were present to hear him. A stage, from which ยท Burkitt was to preach, had been erected in the meeting house yard for the occasion. The weather was very threatening and before he had finished the rain descended in a downpour. "Yet
notwithstanding the numerous congregation still kept together ;
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effort was used to shun the rain by umbrellas, carriages, blankets, etc. yet we believe 1,000 people were exposed to the rain without shelter, some crying, some convulsed on the ground, some begging the ministers to pray for them; and they composedly stood and received the falling shower without ever being dispersed. " (14) Such was the power of Burkitt's eloquence.
During the period that Rev. Burkitt was pastor of the Bertie Church a number of "ministering brethren had been raised up in it and called to the work of the ministry." These included Elders Amos Harrell, Robert Moral, McAllister Vinson, Pitts Kirby, Frederick Futrell, James Rutland and James Vinson. Most of these men left to spread the Baptist faith throughout other sections of North Carolina.
The minutes of the Bertie Church were kept by Elder Burkitt, who also acted as its clerk. They cover the years from 1773 to 1804 and are the oldest record of the church known to be in existence. (15) To the efforts of Rev. Burkitt, we, today, are indebted for this insight into the early life of Sandy Run Church when it was known as the Bertie Church. In these minutes are listed the members of the church and included are the names of some 125 Negro slaves who were in full fellowship with the church.
In 1806 it was found advantageous to make another division in the Kehukee Association. This time all the churches east of. the Roanoke River were dismissed by letter to form the Chowan
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the Roanoke River were dismissed by letter to form the Chowan Baptist Association. The Bertie Church, a member of the Kehukee Association since its beginning in 1769, as a result of this latest division, was now a member of the new organization. Brother George Outlaw was made first Moderator and Elder Lemuel Burkitt was made clerk.
The following year, 1807, saw the death of Rev. Burkitt. He had been pastor of The Bertie Church since 1773 and was largely responsible for its being one of the outstanding churches of that period. His funeral was preached by Elder Spivey, who used as his text, Paul's 2nd Epistle "For I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand". He was buried near his home, close by Sandy Run. A highway historical marker is soon to mark the near by site of his grave. In the death of such a predominant figure as Rev. Burkitt, the Bertie Church and the Chowan Association must have felt a great loss. (16)
After the death of Burkitt, the Potecasi branch became independent in 1808, and the Bertie Church had secured Rev. Richard Poindexter as its pastor, who evidently was a preacher of much ability. Beginning in 1809 Rev. Poindexter served the church for approximately fifteen years. In this year of 1809, the recently created Chowan Association met for the first time at Bertie meeting house.
Sometime between 1803 and 1821 the Bertie Church was moved from its first location to Sandy Run on the Northampton-Bertie Page - 20
boundary. This location was about a mile from the present town of Roxobel, beside the road leading into Northampton County. The exact date that the church made this move from its earlier site near Bishop's Mill Pond to Sandy Run, or why the move was made, is not known. Perhaps a better supply of water and easier accessibility at Sandy Run prompted the change, coupled with the fact that adjacent to the site selected was the home and grave of the church's beloved Rev. Burkitt.
The change had not been affected by 1803, for in that year Burkitt gives the church location as some two miles from Sandy Run. That the move was made prior to 1821 is proven by a deed of gift. In that year William Britton, (17) a substantial landowner and merchant gave the tract of land, consisting of some five acres at Sandy Run and on which the meeting house then stood, according to the conveyance. The deed was made to Joseph Horn and Godwin Cotten, as deacons of the Sandy Run Baptist Church. It was witnessed by David Bryan, Will Hinton and Turner Horn.
Apparently for some years prior to 1825 the church had been known as the church at Sandy Run or Sandy Run Church, but before that it still appeared on the minutes of the Chowan Association as Bertie Church. In 1825, however, it was recorded for the first time, officially as, Sandy Run Church. In this same year the Chowan Association for the second time held its annual meeting at the Sandy Run meeting house.
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Rev. Richard Poindexter had appeared on the minutes of the Chowan Association as a delegate from Sandy Run for the last time in 1824. From 1825 through 1833 there is no record of a pastor attending the Association from Sandy Run. By 1834, however, is found that William S. Brown was serving the church. In 1836 Rev. Andrew M. Craig had become pastor of Sandy Run. In the following year, 1837, Pleasant Grove, in Hertford County, was constituted as a separate church. One historian says that "under the pastorate of Lemuel Burkitt and afterwards under that of A. M. Craig it (Sandy Run) was one of the most influential bodies of its kind in eastern Carolina" . (18)
Rev. Craig was born in 1806, ordained at Sandy Run Church in 1832, and for the next twenty-five years was associated with Sandy Run. His family, on coming into North Carolina had settled in Orange County and though he had been reared in a Presbyterian atmosphere he had joined the Baptist church. Elder Craig was to prove a minister of great ability and became an outstanding figure through the Roanoke-Chowan area. He married Rebecca Gillam of Bertie County. They were the parents of Rev. Braxton Craig, another capable Baptist divine and the Hon. Locke Craig, Governor of North Carolina. In 1842 Rev. D. Harrell was listed as Pastor of Sandy Run, but in 1844 Elder Craig was again in charge of the church.
The church continued to be situated at its second location on Sandy Run until 1854, when it was moved to its present site in the town of Roxobel. This time the land for the church was a gift
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from ALANSon CApehART to the
trustees for the Church. In this year the Rich Square Church was also formed by members from Sandy Run.
In 1861, the Chowan Association met for the last time at Sandy Run Church. In this year, besides Rev. Andrew Craig, two other preachers were listed as being affiliated with Sandy Run. They were Everett Hancock and T. Pittman. Elder Hancock, born in Virginia in 1807, had been baptized by Rev. Craig in 1843. He was ordained in 1852 and in 1862 was called to the pastoral care of Sandy Run Church, but his ministry here was of short duration for he died in 1865. After the death of Rev. Hancock, Sandy Run was served by Rev. J. Bunch in 1873 and the Rev. T. J. Rook in 1877.
The West Chowan Association was cut off from the Chowan Association in 1883 and Sandy Run Church again found itself in a new organization. This same year the Lewiston Church was cut off from Sandy Run. Among the pastors at Sandy Run during this period from 1880 until the turn of the century were Revs. Charles W. Scarboro, W. B. Wingate, J. W. Powell, Archibald Cree, Alexander Speight, and T. 'T. Speight. In 1895 the West Chowan Association met at Sandy Run.
The oldest continuous organization to which Sandy Run Church still belongs is the Bertie Union Meeting. (19) This assembly which now embraces the same territory as the West Chowan Association, was established prior to 1803, perhaps during the early years of the Kehukee Association. These Union Meetings were first established as local units within the Kehukee Association
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for the benefit of those churches which were closely situated to one another.
The first members of the Bertie Union Meeting included Sandy Run and the Cashie, Wiccacon, Connaritsa and Meherrin churches. Most of these churches were located in Bertie County, which thus explains why it was given the name of Bertie Union Meeting. Its constitution called for an annual gathering of its members so that they may come in fellowship with one another. These meetings at first often lasted several days and were well attended by all the neighboring churches, proving an inspiration to all present. One of the first efforts for the establishment of Chowan College at Murfreesboro was made through the Bertie Union Meeting. Through the years these meetings have been discontinued in some sections, but the Bertie Union Meeting still carries on.
In November 1898, Sandy Run Church dismissed by letter twenty-two of its members to form a church at Kelford. Through the ages from Sandy Run had developed the churches at Connaritsa, Potecasi, Pleasant Grove, Lewiston, Rich Square, Kelford and part of the congregation of the Aulander church.
On July 24, 1936 the very fine wooden church building, with its memorial windows was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. Members of Sandy Run immediately began work to replace it with the modern brick church which now serves the congregation. A dedication service for the new church was held on June 9, 1940.
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Since 1900 among the ministers who have served Sandy Run Church have been, Revs. J. O. Alderman, McIntosh, Dancey Cale, R. L. Gay, J. W. Downey, Mr. Dailey, J. F. Cale, N. J. Todd, W. H. Hollowell, Jesse Blalock, J. L. Powers, N. H. Sheppard, C. E. Gaddy, C. M. Billings, Braxton L. Davis, Harold White, J. Wade Baker, G. M. Singletary and its present pastor, Rev. George E. Reynolds.
The Sandy Run Church of today is a far cry from the handful of members who brought it into existence two hundred years ago. Its present membership is approximately 360, but there are untold numbers, who, through its long history, have gone out from this ancient institution to settle in other parts of the state and nation, taking with them and continuing the life of the Christian faith as they first experienced it in Sandy Run Baptist Church.
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FOOTNOTES
Moore, John W. manuscript history of N. C. Baptist in the Wake brest College Library-
Burkett & Read, History of the Kehukee Association, 1803
Hufham. N. C. Baptist Historical Papers. Vol. I, p. 226
Paschal, N. C. Baptist, p. 176
Paschal, N. C. Baptist, p. 22
Paschal, N. C. Baptist, p. 173
Edwards, Morgan Notebook, pp. 27 & 29.
Paschal, N. C. Baptist, Vol. I, p. 206
Paschal. History of N. C. Baptist, Vol. I p. 433
0 From the Sandy Run Church minutes (1773-1804) in the Wake Forest olege Library. These are the earliest minutes of the church that have et been located.
1 Burkett & Read, History of the Kehukee Association, p. 50
2 Account of this meeting, as well as the one in 1784, are given in urkitt & Read's History of the Kehukee Association.
3 A second edition of this work was printed in 1850 by Elder urkitt's grandson, Henry L. Burkitt.
4 Burkitt & Read, History of Kehukee Association
5 Located in the Wake Forest College Library.
6 Sometime after his death there was entered at the end of the Sandy un Church Minute Book, (1773-1804) a biographical sketch of Burkitt's ife. This sketch was printed in the Wake Forest Student, October, 905.
7 William Britton lived at the crossroads about a mile from Sandy Run n Bertie County. This crossroads had previously been called "Cotton's 'ross Roads" , but was to be called Britton's Cross Roads or Britton's itore, for a number of years until it was named Roxobel in 1847.
8. J. D. Hufman, N. C. Baptist Historical Papers, Vol. I, p. 226.
.9 Its early constitution is printed in Burkitt & Read's History of the Kehukee Association.
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PASTORS AT SANDY RUN BAPTIST CHURCH
1750
1870
Thomas Pope
J. Bunch T. J. Rook
1760
James Abington 1880
1770
Charles W. Scarboro W. B. Wingate
Lemuel Burkitt 1890
1780
J. W. Powell A. Cree Alexander Speight T. T. Speight
Lemuel Burkitt
1790
1900
Lemuel Burkitt
J. O .. Alderman M. McIntosh Dancy Cale R. L. Gay
Lemuel Burkitt Richard Poindexter
1810
Richard Poindexter John Crumpler Richard Poindexter 1920
1820
Richard Poindexter
1830
William S. Brown Andrew M. Craig
1840
Andrew M. Craig 0. Harrell Andrew M. Craig
1850
Andrew M. Craig 1860
Andrew M. Craig T. Pittman Everett Hancock
1910
Mr. Dailey J. W. Downey J. F. Cale N. J. Todd W. H. Hollowell
Jesse Blalock J. L. Powers N. H. Sheppard C. E. Gaddy C. M. Billings
1930
C. M. Billings Braxton L. Davis
1940
Harold White J. Wade Baker G. M. Singletary George E. Reynolds 1950
George E. Reynolds
1800
Churches Formed From Sandy Run Baptist Church
Connaritsa
--
1789
Potecasi
--
1808
Pleasant Grove
--
1837
Rich Square
--
1854
Lewiston
--
1883
Kelford
--
1898
Aulander
1886
( part of congregation)
GENERAL BAPTIST (Held with Arminian faith) (Free Will doctrine)
Confession of faith subscribed by Elders in London and several Counties in England and presented to King Charles II.
PARTICULAR BAPTIST
Philadelphia Baptist Association
Vanhorn & Miller
(Known as New Lights)
Adopted the Baptist confession of faith Published in London in 1689, contained 32 Articles. Doctrine of Grace. Calvinist
SEPARATE BAPTIST
-
REGULAR
PRIMITIVE
MISSIONARY BAPTIST
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Published Sources
Burkitt & Read
A Concise History of the Kehukee Baptist Association From its Original Rise down to 1803. (Revised and improved by Henry L. Burkitt). Philadelphia - Lippincott, Grambo & Co. 1850
Delke, James A.
History of North Carolina Chowan Baptist Association. 1806-1881 Raleigh: Edwards, Broughton & Co. Publishers 1883.
Paschal, George Washington
History of North Carolina Baptist Vol. I - 1663 - 1805. Raleigh - 1930
Semple, Robert B.
History of Virginia Baptist. Published in 1810, (in the Wake Forest College Library)
Articles and Manuscripts
Barnes, G. H.
"Sandy Run Baptist Church; An Appreciation", newspaper article in the Wake Forest Library
Moore, John W.
"History of North Carolina Baptist" Manuscript in the Wake Forest College Library
Tyler Charles C.
"Sandy Run Baptist Church" An historical sketch - from the Roanoke Chowan Times, June 20, 1940, in the Wake Forest College Library.
Tyler, John "Lemuel Burkitt"; biographical sketch, appeared in the Bertie Ledger Advance, Windsor, N. C .- circa 1948-
Organizational Papers and Minutes
Chowan Baptist Association Minutes-
Vol. I, 1806-1845- in the Wake Forest College Library
Edwards, Morgan-"Materials Towards a History of North Carolina Baptists" -
Hufman, J. D. N. C. Baptist Historical Papers Vol.I
Kuhekee Baptist Association Minutes-
1769-1776, in the North Carolina Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C.
Sandy Run Baptist Church Minutes-
Vol. I 1773-1804 in the Wake Forest College Library- These are the earliest minutes of the church known to exist. Included with the minutes is a biographical sketch of Rev. Lemuel Burkitt and a copy of the deed to the property on which the church stood in 1821.
Sandy Run Baptist Church Minutes-
1804-1855 Lost by fire. One contemporary record during this period has been secured by the courtesy of Mr. Francis Speight of Doylestown, Penn. A copy of the record entitled "A List of Sandy Run Members since our Last Association 1831" is now in the Wake Forest College Library.
Sandy Run Baptist Church Minutes-
1886-1950 3 volumes, In custody of the Church of Sandy Run Baptist Church, Roxobel, N. C.
West Chowan Baptist Association Minutes- 1886-1949 in the Wake Forest College Library
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