USA > North Carolina > Camden County > Sharon in Camden County > The history of Sharon and Wise Baptist Church, 1858-1958 > Part 5
USA > North Carolina > Warren County > Wise > The history of Sharon and Wise Baptist Church, 1858-1958 > Part 5
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In 1860 he accepted a call to the Leigh Street Church, Richmond, Va. and was there until 1865. Then he returned to Warrenton and taught school there, and in other sections from 1865 to 1869.
From 1870 through 1873 he was professor of English at the University of West Virginia and supplied the Baptist Church in Morgantown.
He was pastor at Jefferson from 1873 to 1875. At this time he became the pastor again at Sharon Church on a part-time basis, or rather in a field with other churches of the locality. 1875 to 1880.
He served various other churches in Kentucky and Indiana, until 1899, at which time he retired from active ministry.
The remainder of his life was spent with his sons in Owensboro, Kentucky and Chicago, Illinois.
Pastor Solomon was an able preacher, drew large
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crowds to his services, and baptized many converts. He was the author of two books, "Terms of Communion" and "The Inspiration of the Scripture."
ELDER JAMES S. PUREFOY - 1862 - 1873
The first mention I can find of Elder Purefoy was that he attended the Nineteenth Anniversary Meeting of the Tar River Association which met at Haywoods Meeting House. Franklin County, on Friday before the first Sunday in October 1849.
He did not attend Wake Forest College as a student but lived in the town of Wake Forest. He was a minister and a merchant. (He graduated at Columbian College, Washing- ton, D. C.)
He was the pastor of Sharon Church from 1862 to 1873 serving a longer time as pastor than any pastor before or after him. He served as pastor of Sharon during the try- ing years of the Civil War, and during the Reconstruction Period, and the records actually showed progress in all the phases of church work.
At this time he was a trustee of Wake Forest College. and spent much time and money in raising funds for the Col- lege in the poverty stricken years following the War. For nearly two years he spent his time mostly in the North secur- ing gifts and pledges of approximately $10,000 without any salary whatsoever. His expenses were very slight because he made friends with the people and was entertained by them. From 1865 to 1872 he was Treasurer of the College, and thereafter served a number of years as its agent for fund- raising, all without salary. It is said by more than one person writing of his services that his work actually saved the life of the College in the post war period.
PASTOR N. ADDISON PUREFOY - 1875 - 1878
Pastor Purefoy was born in Wake County, North Caro- lina in 1811. He attended Wake Forest College, but gradu-
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ated from Columbian University, Washington, D. C. with the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
He was pastor for several years of the Fayetteville Church.
He married Miss Indiana Watson, and settled in War- renton, where he lived for thirty years, and served country churches.
He was pastor of Sharon Church from 1875 to 1878.
He served as Moderator of the Tar River Association at the sessions of 1863 to 1870.
The last few years of his life were spent at Wake Forest, where he died in 1887. He left two children, a son and a daughter. They reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mr. Purefoy was regarded by his brethern as exempli- fying the highest type of Christian character.
ELDER C. T. BAILEY - 1874
Dr. Bailey was a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, where he was born October 24, 1855. He professed religion early in life and was baptized by Scuvant Jones. He attended school at William and Mary College and at Richmond Col- lege, graduating from the latter school in the late fifties. He was ordained to the ministry at Williamsburg in 1858, and entered at once upon the work of the ministry.
He entered the Confederate Army as a private in 1861, but was soon discharged on account of poor health. During the remainder of the War Between the States, he preached in several country churches.
In October 1865, he became principal of Reynoldson Academy in Gates County where he remained until 1868, at which time he became the pastor at Edenton for three years.
He went to Warrenton in the fall of 1871 and pas- tored that church for five years. It was during his stay there. that he also pastored Sharon Church for one year, 1874.
In 1875 he bought the Biblical Recorder, and con- ducted this periodical with great ability for nearly twenty years, or until he was forced to discontinue this work on ac- count of a paralytic stroke. He then transferred this work to
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his gifted son J. William Bailey. Dr. Bailey was president of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention in 1885 and 1886. He was a gifted writer, an able speaker, and a man of affairs, which made him a Baptist leader in North Carolina. He died July 5, 1895.
PASTOR D. A. GLENN - 1878 - 1884
Rev. D. A. Glenn was a native of Western North Caro- lina. He graduated from Wake Forest College in the late seventies and soon thereafter, he located in Littleton, N. C.
In the Tar River Association he was pastor of Brown's, Gardner's, Littleton, Sharon, and Warren Plains Churches. He served these churches from January 1, 1880 to 1884. He was pastor of Sharon from 1878 to 1884.
According to records, he was a good preacher and pastor, full of zeal and enthusiasm and was very successful in the work of soul-winning.
He resigned his pastorate here in November of 1884 and accepted a call to the second Baptist Church of Peters- burg, Virginia at which time he moved to that city.
His work in Petersburg was very successful but after a few years, he accepted a call to another field, where he labored with his usual results.
He has held many pastorates and has always been held in high esteem.
In 1921 he resided in Bristol, Tennessee.
PASTOR WILSON BUNYAN MORTON - 1885 - 1891
Dr. Morton was the youngest son of Rev. Edward C. Morton, and was born at Lilesville, N. C. February 19, 1856. His father died when he was very young, a few years later his mother was killed by lightning, and he was left an or- phan with a little sister three years younger than himself en- tirely dependent upon him.
After providing for his sister, he undertook to educate himself and by his untiring labors prepared himself for col-
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lege at Lilesville Academy, at the time Dr. Needham B. Cobb was principal of that school. Later, he graduated from Wake Forest College, and studied for two years at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He left this institution in 1885 and entered at once in- to active ministry of the Gospel.
He has been pastor at Weldon, Sharon, Gardner's, Littleton, Louisburg, Roxboro, Dunn, Marion, Columbia, New Bethel, and White Level, all in North Carolina.
Through the years he has achieved the reputation of being an able preacher and an excellent pastor always tak- ing a lively interest in his church work. He was pastor of Sharon from 1885 to 1891, returning later for a few months, about 1913, but due to some misunderstanding with the church, he withdrew to prevent a split.
He married Miss Annie Upperman of Louisburg, N. C .. and to them God gave a son and a daughter, Elizabeth and Wilson.
During his career he became a successful optometrist in Louisburg, but never let this work interfere with his mini- sterial work to which he had committed himself many years before.
He lived for many years in Louisburg and no doubt some of his generation still live there.
PASTOR NEEDHAM BRYAN COBB - 1891 - 1894
Dr. Cobb was born in Jones County, N. C. February 1. 1836. At the age of eighteen, he graduated BA at the Uni- versity of North Carolina and received the Masters degree in 1856. Judson College conferred on him the honorary de- gree of D. D. in 1889.
Dr. Cobb taught school in 1857. He then read law with Chief Justice Pearson and located in Greenville, N. C. practicing his profession in Pitt, Wayne, and Greene Coun- ties ..
In October 1869, he left the Episcopal Church in which he had been a vestryman, and was baptized in Greenville by Rev. Henry Petty. In 1860 he was ordained in Wilson, and
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at once entered actively into the ministry. During the War Between the States he was Chaplain of the 14th. North Caro- lina Regiment. From 1862 to the close of the War, he served as Superintendent of Army Colportage, with marked success. After the close of the War, he and Dr. Hufham edited the Daily Record of Raleigh for six months and then he became Corresponding Secretary of the Sunday School Board.
Dr. Cobb served the State and his denomination as teacher, editor, newspaper correspondent and historian. In all these departments, he rendered fine service, but did his best work as pastor and preacher. He also did good work on mission fields and in destitute sections.
During his long and successful career as a minister of the gospel, he served various churches: Goldsboro, Elizabeth City, Second Church Portsmouth, Va. Returning to North Carolina he served at Shelby, Lincolnton, Lilesville, Rocking- ham, Fayetteville, Chapel Hill, Waynesville, Morganton. Hickory, Hillsboro, and later at Gardner's and Sharon in the Tar River Association. He was at Wise from 1891 to 1894.
He was president of Wayne Institute and Normal Col -. lege, Professor of Latin and Greek in Goldsboro Female College and was principal of Lilesville High School.
For three years 1879, 1880, and 1881, he was presi- dent of North Carolina Baptist State Convention and at nine sessions, he served the Convention as one of its recording secretaries. For four years he was pastor and secretary of the Board of Missions of the North Carolina State Convention.
Dr. Cobb was from 1865 through 1893 editor of the North Carolina Almanac. He was author of the "Reply to Grays Elegy", "Cold Water" and various other poems. These were published in a volume entitled "Poetical Geography of North Carolina and other Poems."
He was twice married. His first wife was Miss Martha Louisa Cobb of Pitt County, whom he married December 27, 1859. To them were born twelve children. One of his sons. Professor Collier Cobb was a distinguished member of the faculty of the University of North Carolina.
His second wife was Miss Ann DeLise Fennell of Samp-
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son County, to whom he was married September 3, 1891. To them were born three children.
Dr. Cobb lived long and well. He died on the 31st. day of May, 1905. Dr. Hufham said of him, "No minister in North Carolina has served better the Baptist Churches and the people of this state in his day and generation than Needham Cobb, and no man was ever less a self-seeker."
REV. GEORGE W. HARMON - 1894 - 1896
This able man was a native of Davidson County. He was educated at Wake Forest and the Southern Baptist Theo- logical Seminary when the latter institution was at Green- ville, South Carolina.
His wife was a daughter of the late Judge Logan. He entered actively into the ministerial work. His first pastorate was at Wadesboro. When he went there the church had al- most become extinct, but under his leadership, it took on new life, and still goes forward progressively. While there he and Rev. B. G. Covington edited a religious newspaper with a large circulation.
He went from Wadesboro to Cheraw, South Carolina to pastor the church there. He did constructive work there and left the church in a prosperous condition.
Returning to North Carolina, he held several pasto- rates. His last work was in the Tar River Association where he was pastor of Weldon, Gardner's, and Sharon Churches. This pastorate began the first of January 1894 and closed with his death, which occurred in 1896. He lived in Weldon and his wife preceded him in death by a short period. He was an earnest, Godly man, a strong preacher, and a loyal Baptist.
REV. J. T. EDMUNDSON - 1895 - 1904
Evangelist Edmundson, a descendant through his mother of the Randolph's of Virginia, was born at Bull Head, North Carolina, on December 3, 1861. He was edu-
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cated in the school taught by his mother, who for forty- seven years was a successful teacher. He also studied at the Baptist Theological Seminary.
He was converted at Wilson's Mill in a meeting held under a bush arbor. Later he was ordained by the First Baptist Church of Goldsboro, to the full work of the ministry, 1892.
He was pastor of Beulah Church, Virginia. He left this work to become a member of the National Evangeli- zation Society of Baltimore, Maryland. Since that time his only pastorates have been Littleton, Sharon, Mamaduke, and Vaughan in the Tar River Association, and the Temple Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
Although he was pastor of many churches, he always found time to conduct evangelistic meetings. He was for a time one of the State Board Evangelists of Kentucky. For many years, his whole time was devoted to evangelistic work, and in his meetings, there have been over thirty-one thousand professions and many thousand have been added to the churches.
Although nearly sixty years old (1921), he has for the last six months preached from one to three times a day, and is vigorously pushing the work he has been engaged in for so long.
His address in 1921, was 202 North Moreland Avenue, Atlanta Georgia.
REV. I. N. LOFTIN - 1904 - 1906
Brother Loftin's boyhood was spent in a cotton mill. Early in life, he was converted and feeling a call to the ministry, he prepared for college at Buies Creek Academy, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Ken- tucky.
His first work was in the Tar River Association where he served as pastor of North and South Henderson churches, and later at New Bethel and Sharon. His work in this Associ- ation was very constructive and successful.
Resigning from his work here, he became pastor of
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Blacksville Memorial Church in Elizabeth City, North Caro- lina. Under his leadership, the church grew rapidly, and the building was enlarged and much improved. This church be- came one of the strong churches of the State.
Mr. Loftin had a brief, but very prosperous ministry. He died in 1907, only one year after leaving Sharon Church.
WILLIAM JACKSON JONES
W. J. Jones was born in Gates County. He Was grad- uated from Wake Forest College in 1908, and did graduate work at Chicago University in 1909.
While a student in high school, he served as pastor of Red Mountain Baptist Church, and while a student at Wake Forest he was pastor of the Baptist Church of Wise, and of Gardner's near Macon. At Wise, he led in the construction of a new stone church building and helped his people establish a high school.
After graduation from Wake Forest, he was called to the Baptist pastorate in Salemburg and Roseboro, giving half time to each and leading in the building of modern new brick churches in these towns. He was soon elected Moderator of the South River Baptsit Association, and took active lead- crship in the erection of better houses of worship, building of brick and improved design throughout the assembly. On Sunday afternoon he preached in the Baptist Churches at White Oak, Elizabeth, Autryville, Piney Grove, and Ebenezer. Under his ministry, Autryville and Elizabeth built houses of worship. He preached every year, until retirement, bacca- laureate and commencement sermons that have taken him to many parts of the South.
In 1908 after having served as principal of Salemburg Academy, he married Mollie Roberts Edwards, widow of the former principal.
From a one building high school serving less than 100 students, the Rev. Jones built a plant of 11 buildings serving around 400 students, boys and girls, from the first grade through junior college. Educational opportunities were of-
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fered not only to students who were able to pay, but to many indigent students as well.
After Mrs. Jones death in 1945, the Rev. Mr. Jones' health slowly declined, and at his own request, a room was reserved for him at the Whispering Pines Home in Fayette- ville which he occupied until his death.
DEATH AND FUNERAL - Died October 5, 1954 - The Rev. W. J. Jones, president emeritus of Pineland College and Ed- wards Military Institute, died in a Fayetteville hospital Tues- day night. Funeral services will be held at Salemburg Baptist Church Thursday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. The Rev. Charles Howard of Buie's Creek and the Rev. Nixon Royal of Durham will officiate. The body will be taken to the church at noon. Interment will be in the Salemburg church cemetery.
He is survived by one daughter, Mrs. G. N. Ashley of Salemburg; two sisters, Mrs. Causey Holland of Frum Hill and Mrs. J. A. Gardner of Gates; three grandchildren.
Author's Note : This is an exact record of Pastor Jones' life as given to me by his daughter, Mrs. George Norman Ashley of Roseboro, N. C.
PASTOR A. V. JOYNER - 1908 - 1910
Mr. Joyner was born near Murfreesboro, Hertford County, N. C., September 25, 1878. He attended the Wood- land Public School, Winton and Bethel Hill High Schools, and graduated from Wake Forest College, taking the BA de- gree in 1907. The following year he spent at Southern Bap- tist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.
On June 11, 1909 he was united in marriage to Miss Rena Lassiter, of Wake Forest, N. C. She was always an in- spiration in his work.
He was pastor at Sharon and Gardner's in the Tar River Associatoin 1908 - 1910, at Tarboro, N. C. in the Roa- noke Association 1910 - 1912, Pullen Memorial Church in Raleigh 1912 - 1914. In 1914 he accepted a call to Waynes- ville, N. C. in the western part of the State. He remained
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there until 1920, then he accepted a call to Williamston in the Roanoke Association (1921).
He is a good preacher and has done a great deal of good in the churches he has served.
PASTOR W. P. CAMPBELL - 1910 - 1912
Brother Campbell was born in Marion County, South Carolina, on June 4, 1861 of Scotch Presbyterian stock, the influence of which has had a marked characteristic in his religion and his ministerial work. His early education was in the common schools of his neighborhood, and in Thompson Military Institute of Siler City, N. C. He attended Wake Forest College in January 1904 and took a course in pastorial theology under Dr. Cullom, and was ordained by the Spencer Baptist Church in March 1904.
His first pastorate was at Seven Springs and other neighboring churches. He then served Allen Street Church in Charlotte. From there he went to Florida for the winter on account of his health. Returning to the State he became pas -. tor of Sharon and Gardner's Churches (In the same field) 1910-1912, in the Tar River Association. On account of the health of his wife he returned to Florida, and became pastor at Green Cove Springs and Hasting. After his wife's health improved, he returned to North Carolina, and became the pastor of a group of churches in Catawba County. From there he went to Fuquay Springs and later accepted a call to Ar- lington Street Church, Rocky Mount, but due to poor health, he was unable to do the work of a pastor. He then resigned and went to the mountains to regain his health.
In the fall of the same year, he was supply pastor of the First Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, N. C. From there he went to Chadbourne,, N. C., where for more than four years he was pastor. He also preached in other nearby churches during this period.
Rev. Campbell was considered an able minister and was an earnest worker.
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PASTOR K. W. HOGAN - 1912
Brother Hogan was a native of Montgomery County, North Carolina, and was born near Star, December 28, 1878. He attended the neighborhood "Old Field Schools," Poplar Springs School near Star, High School at Star and Shiloh Academy at Shiloh, N. C. in Randolph County. He spent three full years at Wake Forest College.
He served churches as pastor in Granville, Wake, Chatham, Anson, Union, Mecklenburg, and Warren Counties.
In the Tar River Association, he was pastor of Bethes- da, Gardner's and Sharon, and Vaughan Churches. He also did considerable evangelistic work.
He lived in Monroe, N. C. in 1921 and served several country churches. Mr. Hogan was a good preacher, and is sincerely devoted to the work of the ministry. He was pastor at Gardner's and Sharon in 1912.
PASTOR LEONIDAS L. JOHNSON
In January 1916, Dr. W. R. Cullom of Wake Forest College was asked by Sharon Church to send a supply pastor. He sent L. L. Johnson then a student at Wake Forest College. He accepted the call to our Church in February of that year. During the summer of this year he was ordained to the full ministry of the gospel work at Rowan Baptist Church, Clin- ton, N. C.
During the war years, Brother Johnson was rejected for military duty on account of limited eyesight or vision.
Pastor Johnson finished the required studies for his B. A. Degree in March 1918 and returned to his home in Sampson County, and Delway, N. C. This ended his services as pastor of our church, but I would like to record here these facts in his history.
Pastor L. L. Johnson was born at Delway in Sampson County, N. C. September 15, 1895. His parents were Calhoun C. and Laura A. Johnson. He was the youngest son of eleven children and a younger brother of Dr. Walter N. Johnson and
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the Rev. Elbert N. Johnson, lately pastor at Wagnam, N. C. Both are Baptist pastors. He began his schooling in 1901 at Delway in Sampson County, finishing in 1913. In 1914 he en- tered Wake Forest College and finished his work there in 1918. In 1921 he went on to Southwestern Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, finishing there in 1922.
He was married to May Gardner of Mount Olive, N. C., Duplin County, May 24, 1915. To this union eight chil- dren were born: two sons and six daughters. The sons were 1st. A. Bouham Johnson, farmer of Magnolia, N. C. 2nd. D. Calhoun Johnson, Missionary to Chile, South America, now iu Spanish Language School, San Hose, Costa Rica. Will sail for Chile October 1959.
The daughters were : Thora, Wife of J. Maxton Wom- ble, Lillington, N. C., Dolores, employed by Asheville Citizen Times, Asheville, N. C .; Gretchen, Wife of Rev. J. C. Corbett, pastor of Second Baptist Church, Marion, Ill .; Faith, Wife of Rev. Gaylord Lehman, now completing graduate studies, Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville, Ky .; Janet, wife of Michael Hemans, Valpariso, Chile, South America, home- maker and musician; Fonrose, wife of Carroll Gore, Assistant Home Demonstration Agent, Harnett County, Lillington, N. C.
After leaving Wise church, Brother Johnson went to the Eastern Association and pastored Silvan, Ebenezer, and Springvale Churches from 1918 to 1921. As I have stated, he attended Southwestern Seminary in 1921, 1922 to 1923, he pastored the churches, Sawyers Creek and Moyock, in the Chowan Association. 1924-1928 his work was in the Wilming- ton Association at Atkinson, Centerville, and Bethlehem Churches.
His work was continued in the Little River Association from 1928 to 1933 at the following churches: Lillington, Friendship, Neils Creek and Antiock.
In 1933, Pastor Johnson returned to the Wilmington Association and pastored Bethlehem, Moore's Creek, and Pt. Caswell. In 1946 Olymphic church in the Dock Association
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was added to his pastorates. He still cares for the last four named churches, 1958 -- Brother L. L. Johnson now lives at Magnolia, N. C.
C. H. MYERS - 1918
The following is an actual transcript of pastor Myers' letter to me :
"I followed Reverend L. L. Johnson as pastor of Sharon Baptist Church, Wise, N. C. in the spring of 1918 and served till early fall of the same year, when I resigned to ac- cept a position as principal of the Commercial Department of King's Business College, Charlotte, N. C. and to serve as pastor of Independence Hill and to do other church work near Charlotte. After four years at Charlotte, I went to Louis- ville, Ky. and entered our seminary there graduating in the spring of 1925 with the Master of Theology degree. While in the seminary, I served churches in Indiana.
"In 1925, I was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Mooresville, N. C. and served that church 13 years. On June 1, 1938 I became pastor of the First Bap- tist Church, Cheraw, S. C. and served that church a little over ten years. On July 15, 1948 I became pastor of old Flint Hill Baptist Church, York County, S. C. and served that church till May 1, 1958 at which time I retired from the ac- tive pastorate. I have been kept busy supplying and holding revivals since.
"I enjoyed my short pastorate at Wise and have often wished that it could have been much longer, but I like many other students was frustrated by the war at that time. The people that composed the membership at that time were so nice to me. I remember such names as Perkinson and Hicks and others. Rev. W. O. Biggs of Elm City now deceased did the preaching in the revival there in the summer 1918 and it was a good revival. I remember a sweet young woman singing a solo in the revival appropriate to the War situation entitled, "Keep the Home Fires Burning." I also remember riding in
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a buggy to the baptismal service. How I would love to visit you some time.
"Give my love to all the members and the pastor.
Sincerely yours, C. H. Myers."
Who was the girl who sang the solo, "Keep the Home Fires Burning ?"
(Rev. Myers' address is: 414 C. Street, North Wilkes- boro, N. C.)
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