The First fifty years : a history of the Cabarrus Baptist Association of North Carolina, Part 2

Author: Moore, Harry J; Cabarrus Baptist Association (Cabarrus County, N.C.)
Publication date: 1986
Publisher: [North Carolina : The Association?]
Number of Pages: 98


USA > North Carolina > Cabarrus County > The First fifty years : a history of the Cabarrus Baptist Association of North Carolina > Part 2


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time Associational Missionary whose salary was to be paid jointly by the State Mission Board and the Home Mission Board. The


Association was to furnish a home and traveling


expenses. The motion was seconded and failed to carry . F. W. Fogleman, chairman, Promotion-Executive Committee.


April 20, 1945 - The Pastor's Conference. The West Concord Baptist Church on March 18, 1945, revoked the ordination of Edward B. Joyner due to the fact he denied the faith by affiliating himself with the Church of God. This action was taken after Mr. Joyner surrendered his ordination papers upon the request of the Cabarrus Baptist Ministers' Conference of March 12, 1945.


September 12-13,1945 Annual Meeting with Concord, First Baptist Church, Concord, and the North Side Church of Kannapolis, be admitted to the fellowship of our body. (2) That in the future the North Side Church of Kannapolis will support the regular mission program of our Baptist State Convention. (3) That they will recommend that the name of the North Side Baptist Church be changed to avoid confusion with the North Kannapolis Baptist Church.


The right hand


of fellowship was extended to Eastside and North Side Baptist Churches by the Moderator, declaring their full rights and privileges in our Association.


Enrollment for


the £ Annual Meeting shows 158


messengers, and 180 visitors present, making a total enrollment of 338.


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CHAPTER TWO


1946-1955


September 11-12, 1946 Annual Meeting with


Southside Baptist Church.


Jackson Park and Skyland fellowship of the Association.


was received into the Brother Fred Agee read the report on Sunday Schools, in the absence of H.L. Irwin. The Moderator stated Brother Irvin had broken his glasses, and was uptown trying to get them fixed. Brother W. W. Jones, chairman of the Missions Advisory Committee, gave an oral report of work done among the colored people. September 17-18,1947 - Annual Meeting with Calvary Baptist Church.


Digest of Letters 1946-47:


Members


9768


Baptisms


543


Letters


456


Loss by: death, letters, etc.


33


letters, etc. 459


Orphanage


7,829.35


Missions


53,406.44


Local


269,990.08


Total


$331,225.84


Pine Grove Baptist Church was received into full fellowship of the Association.


September 15-16,1948 -Annual Meeting with McGill Street Baptist Church.


Annuity Board: The Annuity Board just closed its thirtieth year of service as one of the four major boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. The year just closed registered a gain in the total assets of nearly two million dollars over the year 1946. Total amount of money earned during the year on investment funds was $359,000 plus, almost $1,000 a day. (Report by J . T. Davis) .


A motion was made and adopted that the Executive Committee confer with M. A. Huggins, Executive Secretary of the Baptist State Convention, requesting that the State Mission Board invest $1,000 in property on Patterson Street in the Southeast section of Concord, said lot comprising one lot 100 by 120 feet and one cement block building 30 by 40 feet designed to serve as a church.


In the event the State Mission Board agrees to provide $1,000 toward the purchase price of this property, then the Cabarrus Association will arrange to secure a loan which will make possible the purchase of the property, said loan to be paid $1,000 by the State Mission Board and the remainder by the


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congregation of the Patterson Street Baptist Church when such church is organized.


October 24-25,1949 - Annual Meeting with West Point Baptist Church.


The word "Missionary" was dropped from the name of


the £ Association, leaving it as Cabarrus Baptist Association of North Carolina. Four new churches were received into the fellowship of the Cabarrus Baptist Association: White Park, which was organized November 14, 1948, Poplar Grove organized October 3, 1948, Memorial, and Parkwood, organized August 7, 1949.


The Subject of Associational Missionary Comes Up Again.


D.M. Branch, pastor, First


Baptist Church,


Kannapolis, made a motion that a committee be appointed to study and investigate the possibilities of securing someone to serve as Associational Missionary to the Cabarrus Baptist Association. The motion was seconded and carried.


The Moderator was asked to appoint the committee, which shall give its report at the first meeting of the Promotion Committee.


The committee appointed by the Moderator were: R. W. Bailes, chairman, H.A. Privette, Ray Billings, C. E. Turner, and Mrs. John W. Sutton.


Brotherhood Report: One of the most forward steps our Southern Baptist Convention has taken in recent years for the ongoing of the Kingdom work was the launching of the Baptist Brotherhood movement. We now have eight Brotherhoods in our Association, with a membership of 328.


Pastors Conference Resolution Adopted By The


Association


"Whereas the problem of beverage alcohol has reached a dangerously acute state in America; and whereas the legislative bodies of both State and National governments are subjected in their official capacities to constant intimidation and unremitting pressure from the economic interests involved in the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages ; and comply £ with the demands of winery, brewery, and


whereas many legislators exhibit a willingness £ to distillery agents and pressure groups : Therefore, be it resolved:


1. That candidates for county and state political offices be interrogated in advance of elections by officers of Baptist Associations or pastors' conferences regarding their personal and official attitude toward beverage alcohol;


2. That the attitude of said candidates toward beverage alcohol be made public by whatever means may be deemed most effective;


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3. That candidates £


for national legislative


positions be interrogated by the President of the Baptist State Convention of North


Carolina, and the President of the North


Carolina Baptist Pastor's Conference regarding their personal and official attitude toward alcoholic beverages; and


4. That the attitude toward beverage alcohol of said candidates


for national legislative positions be made public through whatever means may be deemed most effective; and


5. That the resolution be adopted by the


Associational Pastors' Conference, sent to the Association in its annual meeting, and if passed there, be sent in proper forms to the Baptist Pastors' Conference in its annual meeting, and if passed there, be sent to the Baptist State Convention in


session.


its annual


October 23-24,1950 - Annual Meeting with


Shadybrook Baptist Church.


Executive Committee Report: A report was given December 13,1949, from the Special Committee appointed by the Association to study the possibility of employing an Associational Missionary. This committee recommended the calling of a Missionary provided the Association favored it. The report was adopted.


Missions Committee Report: Your committee has made a thorough canvas of the attitudes of the pastors and others relative to the matter of an Associational Missionary. We find that most of our people believe an Associational Missionary would be of great value to our work, but they do not believe the Association is ready to take such a step at this time. Your committee, therefore, recommends that the matter of employing an Associational Missionary be tabled for the present time. The report was adopted.


The White Hill Baptist Church was received into fellowship of the Association.


State Missions Report: by R.C. James: The State Mission program is a huge program having as its main objective NORTH CAROLINA FOR CHRIST. In order to reach this objective, it promotes the following eighteen activities: necessary pastors, lots for new churches, sunday school work, training union work, student work, ministry to other races, school for pastors, Allied Church League, ministry to the sick, evangelism summer student program, rural church work, work among silent people, schools for deacons, Baptist Brotherhood, department of £ radio and


visual aids, summer assemblies, and varied items not classified.


October 29-30, 1951 -Annual Meeting with Kerr Street Baptist Church.


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A report recently came to the Executive Committee


that the Roberta Baptist Church had announced publicly, and held a footwashing service on September 29,1951. It was reported that several Freewill Baptist ministers were invited to assist in conducting the footwashing services.


On October 8, several members of the Executive Committee (Branch, Privette, Matheny), called on E.M. Ferguson, pastor of the Roberta Church, to inquire if the reported footwashing service actually took place. He affirmed that it did, but that it was held because the church called for it to be held. The committee then offered to meet with the Board of Deacons to discuss the matter, if their services were desired. Mr. Ferguson invited them to meet with his deacons the following Tuesday night. Upon arrival at the church the following Tuesday night the committee found about 150 men present and a testimony meeting in progress. After some time the leader of the service recognized us and Mr. Branch went to the front. He explained the Baptist position on footwashing as a church ordinance, and heard numerous comments from those present. After a thorough discussion, the members of the church present, including the deacons, expressed themselves as feeling that they should and would continue to conduct footwashing services.


There were statements of goodwill on both sides, and the committee left.


On the basis of the foregoing report we recommend


that the Association withdraw fellowship from the Roberta Baptist Church on the following grounds:


(1) Disorderly practice in the form of footwashing.


(2) Refusal to recognize such practice as doctrinal error, and refusal to correct same.


There were 147 messengers present. The vote was 105 in favor of withdrawal. A two-thirds majority necessary would have been 98 votes.


A Resolution Adopted: "Be it resolved that the Association register their sincere objection to the action of the President in appointing an Ambassador to the Vatican. The blood-bought principle of Separation of Church and State makes it impossible to approve such an appointment to any religious group. We further resolve that we will urge our churches to send resolutions to our United States Senators from North Carolina, asking that they refuse to confirm such an appointment. " Virgil M. Hailey, chairman, Mary Frances Moss, C. W. Walker. The resolution was adopted.


October 27-28,1952 -Annual Meeting with West Point Baptist Church.


Fisher Street, Sharon, Immanuel, and Harrisburg Baptist churches were received into the fellowship of the Association.


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Reverend R.F. Gardner, President of the Cabarrus Baptist Pastors' Conference, brought a recommendation from that body that the Association appoint a committee to employ an Associational Missionary (see Annual Meeting 1950 for prior status of this matter). A motion was made to appoint such a committee. It carried.


Reverend Ralph Cannon made a motion that a telegram of encouragement and assurance of our prayers be sent to Reverend Douglas M. Branch, pastor of First Baptist Church Kannapolis, who was in Alaska on a preaching mission sponsored by the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. The message was sent.


The Executive Board recommended that the


following places be pointed out for possible investigation and consideration: (1) Rodgers Park in Northeast Kannapolis, (2) The community on Old Turkey Road, (3) Harrisburg, (4) to contact McGill Street Church as to what has been done about the recently established mission near Mt. Pleasant and to give such aid as possible to the work. The report was adopted.


The Resolutions Committee recommended that the 17th Annual session dedicate the 1952


Annual to Reverend E. S. Summers. Mr. Summers was influential in the organization and promotion of this Association. He was the first Moderator and served in that capacity for four years.


Associational Missionary Again. The Moderator called for the question concerning the Associational Missionary that was postponed from the afternoon session.


Reverend John Knight, pastor of McGill Street, took the floor and called on several for discussion. Reverend R. F. Gardner, President of the Pastors' Conference spoke in favor of it. Moderator Hailey, turned the gavel over to the Vice-Moderator and spoke favorable on the matter and presented the tentative budget recommended by the Budget Committee at the request of the Pastors' Conference.


Reverend T. H. Biles, Immanuel Baptist Church, spoke of his experience in some other Associations that had employed a Missionary and gave some very interesting comparisons of the work before the Missionary came and after. Reverend J. D. Griffin, Brookdale, spoke from personal experience as a Missionary in the Durham Association.


A motion by Reverend R. F. Gardner, pastor of Young Street, to have the Missions Committee contact the churches and have a report made to the committee. The motion unanimously carried.


October 26-27, 1953 - Annual Meeting with McGill Street and Southside Baptist Churches.


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The Petitionary Letters Committee recommended that Bright Light and Rodgers Park be received into fellowship of the Association. Adopted.


Report from the Promotion Committee: John Knight, chairman of the Missions Committee, introduced Reverend R.T. Greene, the newly elected Associational Missionary, who spoke briefly.


Reverend R . T. Greene, began his work with the


Association on May 1, 1953. He has proven to be faithful and helpful in all phases of the work in our Association. Your Missions committee recommends to


the Association that the work of Associational Missions and our Associational Missionary be continued indefinitely.


July 21,1953, The Broadus Memorial Baptist Church


was organized.


The Tidelands Oil Bill: John Knight made a motion


that the Moderator and Clerk draw up a suitable resolution in the name of the Association on the "Tidelands Oil Bill" now pending in Congress and urge the use of the word "public" before the word "school" in the Bill and submit the resolution to the proper persons in the Congress of the United States. Fred L. Trull seconded the motion and it was adopted.


The Clerk was asked to send suitable words of consolation to the wife of Pastor Frank Miller, whose father had passed away during the early hours of the morning.


October 25-26,1954 - Annual Meeting with Mount Pleasant Baptist Church.


The Petitionary Letters Committee recommended that Glorieta and Broadus Memorial Baptist Churches be received into fellowship of the Associaiton.


The Promotion Committee: reported two missions were started under the direction and supervision of the Missions Committee - one at Georgeville and one at Lane Street , Kannapolis. Financial aid for these missions was authorized in the amount of $300 each from the Capital Outlay Fund of the Association. Reverend R.F. Gardner was employed as mission pastor to these missions.


A part-time secretary for the Associational Missionary was secured.


The Missions Committee was instructed to buy a lot


at the best price and terms at Spring and Marsh Streets in Concord on which a home and office for the Missionary would be built. The money for this over and above the cash on hand to be borrowed by the Missions Committee and Trustees at the best rate of interest and terms.


Reverend John Knight, pastor of McGill Street, moved that the matter of purchasing a lot at Spring and Marsh be made a matter of preferred business at


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the miscellaneous period on Tuesday evening session. The matter was adopted.


The Relief and Annuity Report; Not more than one-third of those eligible for membership in the Ministers' Retirement Plan are taking advantage of the plan. The plan is very simple. The pastor pays four percent of his salary, not to exceed $4,000 and the church pays a like amount. The Convention is obligated to add to that amount a sum sufficient to make the plan secure. When a man reaches retirement age, (sixty-five), he is eligible for retirement. Anytime after he reaches that age his widow entitled to receive one-half of


is what he may be receiving, or is entitled to receive in the event he does not wish to retire at sixty-five. As information only, I mention the fact that Social Security is now open to ministers on a salary not to exceed $4200. The wise pastor will undertake to have both.


Alfred E. Staley, representative.


Resolution Against Bible Teaching in the Public School System-Adopted.


"Whereas religious liberty, the principle for


which our Baptist forefathers so bravely fought and spectacularly won, is being jeoparidized, and whereas, the Constitution states that Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion;


Therefore, be


it resolved : (a) That this Association go on record as showing its disapproval of general tax funds being allocated for Bible teachers in the public school system, (b) That no parochial (church) school, (Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish) be supported, partially or entirely, by general taxation."


Racial Segregation:


"Whereas there are over


10,000,000 Negroes in the United States, where Southern Baptists are most numerous; and whereas racial segregation has become a major universal issue, Therefore, be it resolved: That we seek God's solution to this issue through intelligent thinking, scriptural searching, and prayerfully yielding


ourselves to God . "


( Presented by Committee on Resolutions)


Missions Committee: On the recommendation of the Missions Committee, the Association voted to purchase the lot on the corner of Spring and Marsh Streets at a price not to exceed $4500.


October 24-25,1955


-Annual Meeting


with First Baptist Church, Kannapolis.


The Petitionary Letters committee: recommended that the following churches be received into the Association for full fellowship: Community, Faith, Wayside, and Lane Street. The recommendation was approved.


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Gift of Gavel to the Association Reverend Charles


C. Coffey, £ pastor of Kannapolis First Baptist, presented the Moderator with a gavel, a personal gift from himself. The gavel was made of olive wood, taken from the olive trees of Jerusalem. The unusual gift was gratefully accepted by the Moderator.


The property on which Lane Street Baptist Church building stands was arranged for and paid in part by Associational funds in cooperation with the North Carolina State Convention.


Re-ordination. Reverend Carl Woodbury,


pastor Pitts Baptist Church, gave an explanation


decision to be re-ordained.


He also set forth his position toward the Cooperative Program. Reverend


Boyd Milburn,


Memorial Baptist pastor, asked to see


the Committe


on Ordination at


the close of the


session. He then asked that the matter of the


recommendation of ordination for Reverend Carl


Woodbury be referred back to the body of the


Association, inasmuch as


he had made his remarks


concerning his viewpoints


toward the Cooperative Association. Reverend Program, etc. before the


Woodbury was recognized for


the purpose of making a


statement of clarification.


Reverend Elmer Piper,


pastor of Mt. Pleasant First Baptist, moved that the entire matter be referred back to the Ordination This motion carried.


Committee.


Report of Executive-Promotion


Committee and


Advisory Council concerning lot for Missionary


Residence and Office: (1) A lot on the corner of Spring and Marsh Streets in Concord was purchased on which to build a house and office for the Missionary for the sum of $4500. The Trustees were authorized to borrow $3800 of this amount. This was done and most of the money borrowed has already been paid. (2) A building committee for the Missionary's home and office was appointed. This committee later brought plans for a house and office that were approved by the Promotion Committee at an estimated cost of $26,000.


Reverend John Knight, pastor of McGill Street, and chairman of the Missions Committee, reported that enough money had been received to pay for the lots which had been purchased.


Complaint about Requesting Money. The Advisory Council was called into session by the Moderator, to hear a complaint concerning the taking of offerings and the calls for money by the various phases of the Associational work. The Council recommended to the Promotion Committee and the recommendation was adopted, that before making a request for money, or taking an offering at a meeting, the agency should lay the need before the Promotion Committee and obtain its approval.


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of his


Ordination: Reverend Boyd Milburn, pastor of


Memorial Baptist Church, and chairman £


of the Ordination Committee, stated that his committee wished to recommend that the name of Reverend Carl Woodburn be removed, for further study, from the list of those that had been recommended in their previous report. After some discussion there was a motion that the proposal be accepted. The motion carried.


Evangelism Report : Last spring during the Simultaneous Evangelistic Crusade, so ably led in our Association by Reverend J.C. Canipe, who was then our State Secretary of Evangelism, there was a splendid spirit of cooperation among our churhes in a concerted effort to reach the lost for Christ.


of our churches and missions took part in this tremendous undertaking.


About forty-five


During the Crusade period, through the revival meetings conducted, there were 284 who were received into our


churches by baptism, eighty-six were received by letter and three by statement, making a grand total of 373 additions.


Ordination: Reverend Boyd Milburn moved that the matter of deferring the recommendation of Reverend Carl Woodbury, for further study, be now referred to the new committee on Ordination. The motion carried.


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CHAPTER THREE


1956-1965


October 29-30, 1956 - Annual Meeting with


Coldwater Baptist Church.


The Petitionary Letters Committee: recommended the following churches be received into full fellowship of the Association: Faith, Wayside and Lane Street.


Building Committee: The Moderator was asked to appoint an Associational Parsonage building committee, with Reverend C.C. Coffey, pastor of First Baptist Church, Kannapolis, as chairman: Appointed were: Virgil Hailey, C.R. Williams, A. E. Staley, Frank Miller, Curtis Christian, William Mills, Ed Huneycutt, Elmer Piper, H. E. Hall, E. W. Pate, John Knight, and Graham Simmons.


The churches were asked through the Promotional Committee to raise as much money as possible toward the initial payment on the Associational parsonage. 1956-57 Budget


Total Current Expenses $10, 505.00 Designated funds for building 5,000.00


purposes : (payment on Associational parsonage & office estimated cost $26,000 Grand Total Budget


$15, 505.00


The Budget Committee: recommended: (1) That each church in our Association give a total sum of $1.50 per resident member ($1.00 current expense and fifty cents designated for building Associational parsonage and office) (2) All undesignated funds received by the Associational Treasurer from churches who do not have the building program in their budget shall be divided


on the following basis -- two-thirds of amount for current expenses and one-third for building purposes. Ernest C. Upchurch, chairman. The report was adopted.


Report of Associational Parsonage and Building Committee. We make the following recommendations: (1) Realizing the need of having our own Associational house and office for our Missionary rather than paying rent, we, the members of the committee wish to recommend that we let a contract for the building of a nine room brick house with a basement and a two room office of brick construction connected by a breezeway, to Kannapolis Construction Company , Carl Brown, Manager, for the sum of $25, 982.00 for immediate construction. (2) We further recommend our Associational Trustees be authorized to borrow up to $20,000 at four percent interest on ninety day renewable notes from the Citizen's National Bank of


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Concord. (3) We recommend that the amount now in the building fund be applied toward the construction cost of the building and that we pay from our Associational Treasury one-third of our annual budget income on the indebtedness incurred in building. (4) Finally, we urge each church in our Association to give their best in promotion of this cooperative effort. By a standing vote the adoption was unanimous.


Prayer for Nations in Revolt. By common consent, Dr. Alfred Carpenter was asked to lead in a special prayer for the nations in revolt, such as Poland and Hungary, for God's leadership for the crisis that has developed around the Suez Canal in the Near East.


Petitioning the 1957 State General Assembly for a Liquor Referendum. "Be it resolved that we go on record of uniting our efforts and lending our support to the Allied Church League in securing every possible signature in petitioning the 1957 State General Assembly for a liquor referendum." Reverend Robert Trexler moved the adoption. The motion carried.


October 26-27,1959 - Annual Meeting with Eastside and Bethlehem Churches.




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