USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Miami in Logan County > Condensed history of the Old School Miami Baptist Association of Ohio > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
1856. The Fairfield Church requested to be dropped from our minutes, Granted. Dry Fork of Whitewater Church dropped from our minutes.
1857. Nothing particular.
1858. Admitted Nettle Creek ; members, 84 ; messengers, J. Colbert, J. H. Blose, John Stienbarger, Dr. Loudenback.
1859. Clearcreek Church having revived was restored.
1860. Opened correspondence with Owl Creek Association.
1861. Nothing particular.
1862. The report of Elder Joseph Parker relative to Mt. Bethel Church made and accepted. Elders Wm. Dodd, S. C. Smith, Jos. Parker and Sam- uel Williams appointed to visit Mt. Bethel Church and report at our next Association.
1863. Nothing particular.
1864. Resolved, Hereafter to elect the Clerk by ballot. Resolved, That we send messengers to Whitewater Association of Indiana to request them to open correspondence with us. Elders S. C. Smith, W. T. Pence and S. Williams were appointed messengers for that purpose.
1865. At this Association a letter written by S. C. Smith was rejected. A number of the brethren thought the letter too good to be thrown aside and joined together and had it printed by itself and circulated.
1866. At this Association a circular letter was presented consisting of extracts from the writings of Christmas Evans and rejected. On motion a committee was appointed who prepared another which was adopted San- dusky Association by their messenger, Elder Asa Ellis, requested correspon- dence. On motion Elders W. T. Pence and S. C. Smith were appointed to vists said Association and report next year.
1867. At this Association one member from each church was appoint- ed a committee to arrange preaching during the Association. On moticr agreed that when a church absents herself from the Association for three
21
OLD SCHOOL MIAMI BAPTIST ASSOCIATION OF OHIO.
years a committee shall be appointed by the Association to visit her and in- quire the cause of her non-attendance and report at the next Association Opened correspondence with Sandusky Association.
1868. Resolved, That hereafter all circular letters, after being read to the Association, shall be referred to a committee to be examined, with authority to reject or amend, as they in their judgment may believe to be for the peace and prosperity of the Association, and report their action next day to the Association. A vote of thanks tendered to the M. E. Church of Centerville for the use of their house for the transaction of the business of the Association.
1869. On motion to suspend the rule in regard to a committee to examine the circulars was lost. A committee appointed for that purpose. A vote of thanks tendered the Agricultural Society for the use of the Fair Grounds. Rule adopted : That a church not represented in the Associa- tion either by letter or messenger her name shall not appear on the minutes so long as she remains unrepresented in the Association.
1870. Rule adopted : After the letters from all the churches repre- sented on the minutes have been called for and read, it shall be the duty of the Moderator to call for letters or messengers from all the churches belong ing to the Association and not on the minutes. The Association grants to the several churches the privilege of noting the time of their visitation meetings in the minutes.
1871. On motion agreed to take up a collection at the stand to defray the expenses of our corresponding messengers. Nothing particular.
1872. On motion it was agreed to submit the question of doing away with the business part of the Association to the churches, who will report in their letters next year.
1873. The Association request churches to bear in mind the duty of contributing for the expenses of correspondents as well as for minutes of the Association.
1874. Nothing particular.
1875. On motion the Deacons of the West Lebanon, Sugar Creek and Tapscott Churches were appointed to receive such contributions as any of the brethren or friends may feel disposed to contribute for the purpose of defraying the funeral expenses of Elder J. A. Thompson, the Deacons of West Lebanon Church to take charge of the money so collected. Elder B. Lampton presented and read the following preamble and resolution, which was adopted. WHEREAS, It has pleased Almighty God to remove our beloved brother, Elder J. A. Thompson, by death to the church above ; therefore, Resolved, That we bow with heavy hearts to His divine will, and tender to our brother's bereaved family our deep and heartfelt sympathy.
1876. Nothing particular.
22
CONDENSED HISTORY, ETC.
1877. The rule to appoint one to preach the introductory sermon next year was suspended, and the messengers of the church with which the Association is to be held are to fill the stand for the introductory sermon.
1878. A motion was made that Elder Wm. Dodd be requested to pre- pare a history of our Association and present it at our meeting next year. Motion carried. On motion it was left with the messengers of the church with which the Association is held to fill the stand for the introductory sermon next year.
1879. The circular letter called for, which was the statistics of the Miami Association from the year 1797 till the present time. Referred to a committee, who reported that the contribution column be stricken out. It was then approved and adopted. On motion Elder Wm. Dodd was, appointed to complete the history of this Association and present it at our next meeting.
WILLIAM DODD.
Elder William Dodd (1811-1891) was born near Rathfrieland, Ireland. He united with the Baptist church in Ireland. After coming to the United States, he settled in the vicinity of Centerville and Beavertown, Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life in America. His church member- ship was with the Clear Creek church in Warren County. His Irish wit, Celtic eloquence and simple presentation of the truth, made his name a household word among the Baptists of the Miami Valley. This brief his- tory was compiled from the original records of the Miami Baptist Assoc- iation from 1797 to 1879, and which are still in existence.
23
REMARKS.
REMARKS
The Miami Association from its commencement in 1797 up to the year 1809 increased from four churches to thirty. The first time we have the number of members is in 1799, when there were but 185, all told. In the year 1833 the total membership amounted to 1,298. There was a decrease in numbers at different times on account of churches being dismiseed to form new associations, but the record shows that love and union generally prevailed. In those days it was ouly necessary in order to find out a man's views on doctrine and church order for him to say, "I'm a Baptist." About the year 1830 it began to appear that a difference of opinion had crept into the Association regarding Sunday Schools, Missionary efforts, Temperance S cieties, &c. All these new things had their foundation, and arose out of the doctrine of general atonement, as taught by Andrew Fu !- ler and others, viz. : that Jesus Christ made an atonement for all the human family, and now having done His part, He leaves it with His pro- fessed followers to send missionaries and Bibles into all the world as their part, and sinners are to repent and believe this gospel ae their part. It is offered-to everybody but secures nobody. Thus it is necessary to get all these parts together and then the sinner will be saved, but of course if any of these parts are wanting the blood of Christ is so far shed in vain. The sinner. for whom Christ died, must suffer in hell forever, notwithstanding that Christ redeemed him by his death on the cross. Consequently Christ never can see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
1st. The heresy of universal atonement is really what made the gulf at first between Baptista, and what still keeps the gulf open, and so long as that is open reunion and fellowship between the old regular Baptists and the new sect is impossible. Honesty and truth should prevent the new sect from calling themselves regular Baptists. They went out from the regalar Baptiste, as the record shows.
24
REMARKS.
2d. The next trouble the Miami Association had to contend against was the Parkerite-two-seed-heresy, but that did not much effect her. Dr. Watson of Tennessee, and Elder G. M. Thompson of Ohio, and Elder John Clark of Virginia, and others whom the Lord raised up, ably detended the truth, so that now about here it is hardly ever heard of.
3d. The next storm, through which she is still passing, is the heresy originated by Elder T. P Dudley of Kentucky, called "The circular on the Christian warfare," in which it is taught that the church of Christ was created in and simultaneous with him in eternity. That in regeneration there is no change in soul, body nor spirit of a human being, etc , etc. This heresy bas done and is still doing a vast amount of harm to the Miami Association, and in every place where it obtains the sad effects of it are painful to behold.
4th. The few names that remain in this Association have reason for humiliation and repentance on account of our unfaithfulness and want of energy in the cause of God. We have ourselves to blame for the low, cold and. heartless state of the churches Where now do we see the activity and energy of our fathers in this Association ? Where have we the good times they used to enjoy ? Alas ! they are few and far between. Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and cry to Him like the Ninevites of old, that he would turn from the fierceness of His anger on, account of our sins and grant once more a time of reviving and refreshing from His presence that Zion might shine, fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terri- ble as an army with banners.
This reprint of the Condensed History of the Old School Miami Baptist Association has been reproduced by photographing the pages of the original copy and printing them on an offset press. The only addition to the original copy has been the reproduction of an old cut of a picture of Elder William Dodd and a brief sketch of his life on page 22.
Printed by Economy Printing Company, Hamilton, Ohio
We specialize in the reproduction of old historical pamphlets and documents.
1/25/2013 2826365 3 03
FT
HF GROUP - IN
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.