USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Shrewsbury > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 16
USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > Salemville > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 16
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Delivery of keys of the new edifice, by the Building Committee.
Dedicatory Prayer, by Rev. Samuel D. Davis.
Charge to Trustees and Church, by Rev. Charles A. Burdick. Benediction, by Rev. Abram Herbert Lewis.
In the evening, after the dedication service of the day, Moses H. Davis and William B. VanHorn were ordained deacons of the Lost Creek Church.
On the following day, the Second Day of the week, the
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organisation of the South-Eastern Association was effected at Lost Creek, and on the following Sixth Day of the week, there was organised within the bounds of the Lost Creek Church the West Fork (now called the Roanoke) Church, in what was then called "Sabbatarian Valley." Here the Lost Creek Church had recently completed a neat frame building to be used as a house of worship by those members of the church living in that vicinity.
On December 24, 1876, Moses H. Davis was directed by the church, to advertise for bids for the "Old Frame" struc- ture, and sell it, and on March 4, 1877, it was sold to Clinton H. Davis for thirty-five dollars ($35.00).
On the night of September 24, 1887, the Lost Creek Church, for a second time, had the misfortune to have its house of worship destroyed by fire. The walls, however, were for the most part left standing, and not so seriously damaged but that they could be repaired without tearing them wholly down.
The church immediately rallied to the work of rebuilding. On the day following the fire, a business meeting of the church was held on the church lot, and a committee, consisting of Charles N. Maxson, Boothe Bond, Levi B. Davis, and Ward- ner Davis, was appointed to solicit funds. A committee was appointed to superintend the work of repairing, and still another committee was appointed to secure a suitable place in which the church could meet for worship until the repairs could be completed.
The repairs were completed at a cost of $1,671.90, and the edifice was re-dedicated at the annual session of the South- Eastern Association, held with the Lost Creek Church, in May, 1888. The dedicatory sermon was preached by the pastor, Rev. John L. Huffman.
GRAVEYARDS.
When the Old Frame Church was abandoned, the lot, which had been used for many years as a graveyard, remained in the possession of the church, and continued to be used as a burying ground.
On March 12, 1897, Lloyd R. Kennedy and Clinton H. Davis were appointed a committee to confer with Lloyd Stout, the owner of a piece of land lying across the public highway
THE PARSONAGE AT LOST CREEK.
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THE LOST CREEK CHURCH
from the Brick Church, and ascertain upon what terms it could be obtained for a graveyard. On the 9th of the follow- ing April, the committee reported that an option had been secured upon a plot of about two acres at the rate of sixty-six and two-thirds dollars ($66.67) an acre. The action of the committee was approved and it was ordered to proceed with the actual purchase of the ground. Accordingly, on June 10, 1898, the committee reported to the church that the new graveyard, purchased at an aggregate cost of one hundred and thirty-eight dollars and seventy-five cents ($138.75), was paid for, and the deed for it passed to the church.
PARSONAGE.
For three quarters of a century the Lost Creek Church had no home for its pastor, unless the house built at Quiet Dell on the premises of Abel Bond for the use of Rev. Alexander Campbell might be so called. This is described in the chapter on the New Salem Church and as intimated there, was probably largely, if not wholly, built by Abel Bond himself.
On September 5, 1880, Loman J. Kennedy, W. H. Ferris, William P. Bond, Dudley H. Davis, and Boothe Bond, were appointed a committee to select a site for a parsonage, to select a plan, and report the probable cost of such a building to the church.
On the 18th of the following October, the committee recommended the purchase of the unfinished house of Thomas A. Davis, at Lost Creek Station. The report of the committee was adopted, and the committee was instructed to purchase the house and have it completed. It was empowered to raise the money by subscription to pay for the house.
On the IIth of November, 1883, the last payment on the parsonage was reported as made, and an unencumbered title passed to the church. The total cost of the parsonage was upwards of six hundred dollars ($600.00).
PASTORS.
Rev. John Davis was the early pastor of the Lost Creek, and as early as 1811, he was reported to Conference as the elder of that church, although he was a member of the New Salem Church. He probably visited the church quite fre- quently, especially on the occasion of Communion Service and other special services.
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On June 20, 1806, the church decided to have Commun- ion Service three times a year, the last Sabbath in March, July, and November, respectively. The Sixth Day of the week preceding the Communion Service was to be a day of prayer and fasting. They also decided to have a Yearly Meeting the first Sabbath in October, which was conducted by the Lost Creek Church alone until in the year 1859, when on the Ioth of June of that year the church appointed a com- mittee to visit the New Salem Church and invite it to unite with the Lost Creek Church in this service. The committee carried out the instructions of the church, and the proposed arrangement was effected.
The First Day of the week before Communion Service was the time for the regular business meetings of the church.
The church had Ruling Elders for a time, but this arrangement proved unsatisfactory, and on November 20, 1820, the office was abolished.
Much of the preaching from Sabbath to Sabbath, how- ever, was done by the licentiate members of the church, and by roving clergymen of too questionable a character to entitle them to be called itinerant ministers. These men usually pro- fessed to be Seventh Day Baptists until their true colours were uncovered. The church was frequently deceived in this man- ner. As early as 1811, one Smith, of doubtful reputation, claiming to come from New Jersey, appeared among them.
On November 24, 1811, the church voted to request Hamilton Goss to preach for them once a month.
About the year, ISII, Rev. John Davis moved to the state of Ohio, and connected himself for a time with the church at Mad River. He then returned to Virginia, when difficulties arose involving him with several of the members of the Lost Creek Church, but he continued to minister to its wants.
On July 6, 1817, Abel Bond was instructed by the church to write to the General Conference soliciting ministerial aid, and in the November following, similar action was taken.
In common with the New Salem Church, the Lost Creek Church was visited from time to time by ministers from other parts of the denomination. Amos R. Wells, Joel Greene, John Davis of Shiloh, New Jersey, Alexander Campbell, and
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others, came from time to time. But their stay was always short.
As early as April 4, 1824, Rev. Lewis A. Davis began to preach for the church. He continued preaching without any official connection with the church, until June 3, 1827, when he accepted a call previously extended to him to become pastor of the church.
On March 6, 1831, Rev. Peter Davis of the New Salem Church, was solicited to attend the Quarterly Meetings (communion services) of the Lost Creek Church.
On March 3, 1844, Abel Bond, 2d, was appointed to correspond with Rev. Thomas B. Brown concerning a trip to Virginia.
As early as June 5, 1845, Samuel D. Davis was licenced to preach, and occupied the pulpit quite regularly for several years.
On December 9, 1849, the church appointed a committee to confer with a similar committee from the New Salem Church, regarding a proper division of the services of Rev. Azor Estee, who had recently come upon the Virginia field, and who with his wife joined the Lost Creek Church upon that date. But his services were soon claimed for the newly established Academy at West Union.
On June 9, 1854, Rev. Samuel D. Davis was appointed pastor of the church for a period of one year. At the expira- tion of this time, he was re-elected, and continued as pastor of the Lost Creek Church, dividing his labours a part of the time, with the New Salem Church, until on December 11, 1868, when on account of ill-health, he declined a call from the church to continue as it pastor.
In the meantime, Rev. David Clawson was employed jointly by the Lost Creek and New Salem churches, from a time early in the year 1858, until his death, which occurred about two years afterward, to labour within the bounds of the two churches.
Rev. Jacob Davis of the New Salem Church was invited on March 8, 1860, to preach for the Lost Creek Church on the second Sabbath in each month. On March 13, 1863, he was invited to preach for the church at his convenience, and the members were solicited to contribute to his support.
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On September 8, 1865, when Rev. Samuel D. Davis received his annual call to the pastorate for the ensuing year, Rev. Jacob Davis, and Lewis F. Randolph and his brother Judson, the last two of whom were licentiate members of the New Salem Church, were all invited to labour in the church during the following year.
On June 8, 1866, a committee was appointed to confer with a like committee from the New Salem Church to arrange with Samuel D. Davis and Jacob Davis to give more time to pastoral work in the two churches, so that every member of each church "should be reached as often as once in six months."
After Rev. Samuel D. Davis had declined on account of impaired health to serve the church longer as pastor, arrange- ments were concluded with Rev. Jacob Davis on January 8, 1869, to become pastor of the church until the second Sabbath in March, 1870. Rev. Samuel D. Davis was also invited "to preach when his health will permit, and he may think the cause demands."
The salary paid the pastor in those days was small. At one time Samuel D. Davis and Jacob Davis were voted an annual salary of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) each for their labours with both the Lost Creek and New Salem churches. And on March 12, 1869, arrangements were completed for the employment of Rev. Jacob Davis "to give his entire time, beginning with the first Sabbath in February, 1869, to March 15, 1870, to the work of the church, for the sum of two hun- dred and fifty dollars ($250.00)." And Rev. Jacob Davis lived at Greenbrier, twenty miles away !
On March II, 1870, Rev. Samuel D. Davis was again chosen pastor. He presented his last report as pastor to the church, March 13, 1874, and Rev. Charles A. Burdick, who had been employed by the Missionary Board as a general mis- sionary upon the West Virginia field for several years past, accepted a call, December 5, 1875, to become his successor.
Rev. Charles A. Burdick served as pastor nearly two years, and then resigned to give his attention to other interests in the State of New York.
REV. WILLIAM L. BURDICK.
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On August 5, 1877, Rev. Lucius R. Swinney was elected pastor. He served for a period of nine years, and then resigned to accept the pastorate of the church at DeRuyter, New York.
On September 5, 1886, Rev. John L. Huffman was elected pastor. He remained with the church until he resigned to accept the pastorate of the Salem Church. His resignation was accepted March 13, 1891, and on the 23d of the same month, Rev. Lely D. Seager was elected his successor.
On February 4, 1893, the church accepted the resignation of Rev. Lely D. Seager, who soon after assumed the pastoral charge of the Ritchie Church.
On June 9, 1893, the Lost Creek Church extended a call to Rev. William L. Burdick to become its pastor. He accepted the call and remained until August, 1895. He was succeeded by Rev. Mazzini G. Stillman, who began his labour with the church in January, 1896.
Rev. Mazzini G. Stillman presented his resignation July 26, 1902, when it was accepted by the church.
LICENCED TO PREACH.
Concerning licence to preach the records of the Lost Creek Church show the following :-
November 18, 1810. Moses Huffman and Cornelius Williams were given licence to preach within the bounds of the church, at their convenience.
March 31, 1811. Richard Bond was disciplined by the church for having given a letter of recommendation to one Mr. Smith, a preacher from New Jersey, without the consent of the church.
October 3. 1819. William Williams and Abel Bond were licenced to preach within the bounds of the church.
November 8, 1819. Moses H. Ailes and Davis Loofboro were both licenced by the church to preach for a period of one year. The licences of both were probably renewed, although there is no record of such action, save that in the year 1828, Davis Loofboro voluntarily resigned his licence.
March 14, 1830. The church voted a formal licence to William Williams who was a candidate for ordination. The church felt that it could not ordain him, and reluctantly voted to grant him a certificate of licence. Afterward, when William Williams and his followers had
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seceded from the church and set up a new organisation, he was ordained by the new church.
April 10, 1835. Licence was granted Richard C. Bond to preach, in case that he should feel it to be his duty to do so. This licence was apparently for preaching within the bounds of the church, for on March 8, 1840, he was granted licence to preach wherever he might be called.
September 5, 1842. The church voted to request the South-West- ern Association to ordain Richard C. Bond at its annual session to be held with the church at Port Jefferson, Shelby County, Ohio in the following month of October. The request was presented to the asso- ciation, which referred it to the Presbytery of the association. The Presbytery made a favourable report, and on the First Day of the week, October 16, the ordination took place. The ordination sermon was preached by Rev. Lewis A. Davis, at that time an elder in the Port Jefferson Church. The consecrating prayer was offered by Rev. Peter Davis of the New Salem Church. The charge was delivered by Rev. Lewis A. Davis, and the right hand of fellowship was extended by Rev. Joshua Hill of the Port Jefferson Church.
December 17, 1843. Samuel Davis Davis was granted licence to preach within the bounds of the church, and on March 3, 1844, licence was granted Abel D. Bond. The licence of Samuel Davis Davis was continued from year to year, until at the time of its renewal on September 7, 1849, he was requested to take his ordination into con- sideration. He hesitated about accepting ordination at that time, however. [Nevertheless, at the annual meeting of the South-Western Association, held with the church at Lost Creek, beginning the 11th of the following October, the Lost Creek Church presented a petition that he be ordained. Owing to the fact, however, that there was but one ordained minister present, Rev. Peter Davis, who was in feeble health, and consequently felt unable to conduct such a service, the ordination was postponed. The Presbytery of the association, which but a few years before, had examined Bethnel C. Church and Richard C. Bond, appears to have dissolved and wholly disappeared.] At a meeting of the church, January 27, 1850, after having given his consent, the church instructed Rev. Azor Estee, who was at that time dividing his labours between the Lost Creek and New Salem churches, to make the necessary arrangements for the ordination. [ Accordingly on the 11th of May following, he was solemnly set apart to the sacred duties of a minister of the Gospel, at a service held with the Lost Creek Church, and conducted by Rev. Azor Estee and Rev. Peter Davis, who wrote and signed a formal certificate of ordination and presented it to the candidate.]
June 14, 1850. Licence was granted Joshua S. Davis to preach the gospel wherever a door of usefulness might be opened.
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June 14, 1856. Levi Stalnaker was licenced to preach for a period of one year. On March 13, 1857, this licence was renewed for a period of one year.
March 13, 1857. Lewis Bond, formerly a member of the North Fork of Hughes River Church, which had declined and gone out of existence, who had been ordained there as a deacon and licenced to preach, applied for membership in the Lost Creek Church. He was accepted as a deacon and a licentiate of the Lost Creek Church.
December 12, 1873. Lewis Bond was granted licence to preach.
December 11, 1874. Albert Shock, who had been previously a licen- tiate member of the Middle Island Church, but had now joined the Lost Creek Church, had his licence to preach recognised by the Lost Creek church.
September 10, 1897. Moses H. VanHorn was called "to the improvement of his gift," and invited to preach once a month.
Samuel B. Bond was licenced to preach the Gospel, at some time previous to October, 1899.
On September 13, 1901. S. Orestes Bond and Austin O. Bond were licenced by the church to preach.
At some time previous to the withdrawal of Jacob Davis to join the New Salem Church, he had been licenced to preach, by the Lost Creek Church. This licence was continued by the New Salem Church, by which he was afterward ordained, as will be observed by consulting the chapter on the New Salem Church.
DEACONS.
A few weeks after the organisation of the church, Abel Bond was appointed deacon. He was the only deacon of the church until July 21, 1811, when William VanHorn was appointed to serve as deacon in the absence of Deacon Bond. And on the Ist of November, 1813, William VanHorn was made a deacon, with Abel Bond, by permanent appointment. The records also show the following :-
March 2, 1823. John Forsythe was appointed assistant deacon, to serve along with Deacon Bond, who was now serving alone again. And on September 5, 1830, Abner Batten succeeded John Forsythe as deacon, since the latter intended to remove to the State of Ohio.
December 3, 1838. Levi H. Bond was appointed assistant deacon. He served until March 10, 1848, when William Kennedy was appointed deacon in the stead of Levi H. Bond, who for several years had been recognised as a deacon in full standing, but who was now leaving the country. The church now, as for several years previous to this time, had three deacons, Abel Bond, Sr., and Abner Batten still serving.
.
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June 8, 1855. John J. VanHorn was appointed deacon.
March 13, 1857. Lewis Bond, who had previously served as a deacon of the North Fork of Hughes River Church, was admitted as a member and deacon into the Lost Creek Church.
March 10, 1865, Levi Bond was appointed a deacon of the church, and on June 8, 1866, the church voted that on the second Sabbath of the following September the deacons of the church should be ordained. As no record of the ordination of deacons appears before this date, it is doubtful if any of the deacons had ever been ordained by the church previous to this time.
December 8, 1871. Moses H. Davis and William B. VanHorn were chosen deacons by the church. Arrangements were made to have them ordained at the meeting called for the organisation of the South- Eastern Association, which was held with the church at Lost Creek, beginning the 15th of the following January.
February, 1873. Deacon Holly Welcome Maxson was received into the membership of the church by letter from the Seventh Day Baptist Church at Cussewago, Pennsylvania. As he had already been ordained a deacon, he was received into the Lost Creek Church as such.
March 9, 1888. Charles N. Maxson was chosen a deacon of the church.
December 11, 1891. Boothe Bond and Levi B. Davis were chosen deacons. Boothe Bond declined, however, to accept the appointment, and Luther A. Bond was elected in his place on the 2d of January following. The new deacons were ordained on January 3, 1892.
MODERATOR.
The name of no moderator appears in the records of the church until March 8, 1861, when William Kennedy was elected moderator for the day. Then appear the following names successively :--
June 7, 1861, Ebenezer Bond,
September 13, 1861,
William Kennedy,
December 13, 1861,
Walter Fields McWhorter,
September 12, 1862,
William Batten,
March 13, 1863,
William Batten,
June 12, 1863, William Kennedy,
December 10, 1863,
William Kennedy,
March 12, 1864,
William Kennedy,
September 9, 1864,
Thomas B. Davis,
March 10, 1865,
William Kennedy,
June 9, 1865,
William Batten.
On the 8th of September, 1865, the church voted that the
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term of office of certain officers of the church, the moderator included, should be one year. The name of the permanent moderator does not appear, however, until on September II, 1868, when Hiram N. Davis was elected moderator for one year. He was re-elected annually until September 11, 1874. when Holly Welcome Maxson was elected to succeed him. On September 5, 1875, Charles N. Maxson was elected mod- erator, and he served as such until September 11, 1801, when he was succeeded by S. Orlando Davis, who has served continuously to the date of this writing, August 1, 1902.
CHURCH CLERK.
The following is a complete transcript from the record as regards the appointment of church clerk :-
December 18, 1805. Moses Huffman chosen clerk.
March 4, 1814. John Forsythe chosen clerk.
March 2, 1823. Levi H. Bond appointed clerk in place of John Forsythe.
September 4, 1831. Thomas B. Bond appointed assistant clerk.
December 3, 1838. Richard C. Bond appointed clerk.
December 4, 1842. Richard C. Bond released from clerkship, and Abel Bond, Jr., appointed in his stead as assistant clerk.
March 10, 1848. Jacob Davis appointed assistant clerk.
March 7, 1851. Joshua S. Davis appointed assistant clerk.
June 15, 1851. Jacob Davis resigned his clerkship, and L. Bond, Jr., appointed to fill his place.
December 12, 1857. Moses H. Davis appointed assistant clerk.
March 8, 1860. Levi B. Davis appointed assistant clerk in place of Moses H. Davis.
March 10, 1865. Moses H. Davis appointed clerk in place of Levi Bond resigned.
September 7, 1866. Moses H. Davis appointed clerk, and Levi B. Davis assistant clerk, for another year.
March 7, 1875. Luther A. Bond elected assistant clerk.
October 31, 1882. Luther A. Bond made clerk in place of Levi B. Davis resigned.
September 7, 1884. Marcellus Berkeley Davis made assistant clerk.
September 11, 1891. Charles A. F. Randolph made assistant clerk. September 8, 1893. Owen T. Davis elected assistant clerk.
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September 10, 1897. Marcellus Berkeley Davis elected assistant clerk.
MEMBERSHIP IN SUPERIOUR BODIES.
The Lost Creek Church became a member of the General Conference in 1808, along with the New Salem Church. In 1837, it was admitted to membership in the Western Associa- tion, at the annual session of that body, held with the church at Alfred, New York.
When the old South-Western Association was organised in 1839, the Lost Creek Church was one of its constituent mem- bers. And when the Virginia Association was constituted in 1851, the Lost Creek Church became one of the constituent members of that body, likewise.
After the dissolution of the Virginia Association, the Lost Creek Church, along with the New Salem Church, became a member of the Eastern Association in 1865, where its pres- ence precipitated a rancorous discussion, which is treated in full in the subsequent chapter on Slavery. In 1858, the Lost Creek Church withdrew from the Eastern Association.
When the South-Eastern Association was constituted in 1872, the Lost Creek Church was one of the most prominent factors in its organisation, and has maintained that position to the present time.
IX.
THE MIDDLE ISLAND CHURCH.
T
THE Middle Island Church as orig- inally organised was situated at Lewisport, now a part of the vil- lage of West Union, in Doddridge County on Middle Island Creek.
Here the New Salem Church had erected a house of worship several years before, for the use of several families living in that vicinity who were members of that church. A graveyard had been established on a plot of ground adjoining the church yard.
On the 19th day of August, 1831, there was presented to the New Salem Church a list of twenty-nine names of indivi- duals who had joined the Middle Island Church. The New Salem Church approved this action, and on that date, and like- wise at a meeting held in February following, granted letters of dismissal to others who wished to join the new church at Middle Island.
A permanent organisation was not consummated, how- ever, until a later date, as will be observed from the following certificate :-
"This is to certify [to] all whom it may concern that the Seventh Day Baptist Church at Middle Island was this day organised according to [the] rules and regulations of the Seventh Day Baptist Denomina- tion.
July 15th, 1832.
"JOHN DAVIS, "JOEL GREENE,
"Elders."
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