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The Stanly Baptist,
VoUimc 1.
BI > Li:r', N C., MARCH, 1914.
Nlimber 6
EARLY BAPTISTS
IN STANLY
In 1755 ii colony of Bapti.sts
from Oqiikon, Berkeley county,
Va., moved into Randolph coun
ty, North Carolina, and organiz
ed a church which tliey called
Sandy Creek. Their first pastor
was Shubael Stearns of Boston,
Mass. During his administra
tion the church numbered about
one thousand member.s. They
went in all directions. Fork, of
Little River in Montgomery
county, was organized in 1760 as
an arm of Sandy Creek. Within
Riree years it had increased
from five to five hundred mem
bers. During these five years it
sent out arms and built five
meeting houses in regions be
yond. Rocky River church, in
Anson county is one of these
arms.
In 1764, the Vestry Act was
passed by the English Parlia
ment and in 1765, the Stamp Act
w’as passed. England blamed the
Baptist in An.son, Grange, Gran
ville and Halifax countie.s. Thi.s
stirred the Baptists as they had
never been stirred before, be
cause they had always stood for
liberty.
In 1776, Independence Year,
the Baptists living on Rockj’
River organized, themselves into
a church. It is not known who
their pastor was for the first
ten years. Rev. John Culpepper
was pastor for fifty years—
1786-1839. He w'as followed by
Rev. Samuel P. Morton, who
served twenty-six years as fol
lows: 1841, 1847-1850; 1851-66;
1870-74. Likewise this church
planted arms in Stanly county
-at Long Ci'eek (now Freedom),
Kendall, Jones’ Hill, New Hope
and Norw'opd.
Bear Creek, which was or
ganized about the close of the
Revolutionary War and Meadow
Creek, which was organized
about theclose of the eighteenth
century, are believed to have
come from the same source.
The same. ministev preached
there as in Anson, and the Pee
Dee Association met with Bear
Creek in 1825. It is a known
fact that Elder. John Cujpepper,
E. Morton, and J. Jone.s preach
ed all through that section of
the country in tho.se days. And
as they preached for the other
churches that came from this
same source is sulTicient proof
that the churches were organiz
ed by the same influence. John
Culpepper was a State mission
ary working in this part of the
State.
Elder John Culpepper was
born in Anson county, N. C., in
1764. His father Samson Cul
pepper, was a man of moderate
circumstances. John, his son,
was in school only three months,
but after he was married he
read Latin four months. This
was all the schooling he hud.
When he was about twenty
years old he moved with his fa
ther to Georgia, where he was
converted under the preaching
of Rev. Silas Mercer. He soon
entered the ministry and re
turned to Sandy Creek Associa
tion which their extended to the
Pee Dee River.
On being urged vei-y much by
friends he entered politics to
prevent an unworthy man from
being re-elected to Congress. In
Congress he made a considerable
reputation for devotion to the
interests of hLs country. Dui'-
ing this career he continued to
preach and ten or twelve years
before he died he retired from
political life and devoted his
time to the ministry yith the
same zeal. His motto was,
“Wear out, and not rust out.’’
He was agent for the Bapti.st
State Convention for several
years. He died in 1840 being
seventy-si.x years oi l. He w’as
buried in the gi-aveyard at So
ciety Hill, S. C.
I have failed to get sgetches
of Elders Morton. J. Jones, and
Armistead Lilly.
The following is a chronolog
ical list of the ministei’s from
1832-1861, as nearly as has been
possible for me to arrange them.
S. P. Morton, 1805-1887; Benja
min Lanier, 1807-1893; Noah
Richardson, Solomon Snider; E.
L. Davis, E. Bennett, C. W.Bes-
sent, David Wright, James Jor
dan, E. C. Williams, Washington
Russell, J. M. Bennett, William
M. Bostic, P. C. Conley, the fir.st
beneficiary of the Baptist
State Convention; James Little
ton, B. H. Carter, Columbus C.
Foi’eman, J. W. Dunn, and J. W.
Littleton, who is still living.
Associations
The Sandy Creek Association
was organized in 1758. For the
next few decades it embraced all
the country round about. In
1715 it met at Rocky Springs in
Chatham county an-i churches
South and West of the Pee Dee
withdrew and formed the Pee
Dee A.SvSociation. It held its
first session at Richland. Mont
gomery county, on the 19th,
20th, and 21st of October. 1816,
and adopted the same course in
missions as the Sandy Creek As
sociation had done. This As.so-
ciation embraced the churches
in Anson. IMontgomerv. Rich
mond, and Rowan countie.s. At
every meeting the question of
missions was agitated.
A good many years later, I
have been unable to obtain the
dates, the churches of Mecklen
burg, Cabarru. and Stanly
withdrew and formed the Rocky
River Association. This w-as
organized as Pleasant Grove.
This Association continued un
til about 1885 wdien it dissolved
and formed Mecklenburg-Ca-
barrus and the Stanly Associa
tions. Some of the churches
went back to the Pee Dee and
to the Brown Creek Association.
The following churches are
the charter churches of the
Stanly Association: Big Lick,
Barbee’s Grove, Pleasant Grove,
Poplin’s Grove, Union Grove,
Canton, Locust, and Silver
Springs. Since 1885 we have
grown into twenty-four church
es.
As stated above, the question
of missTons was agitated in ev
ery session of the Old Pee Dee
Association. In 1823 when they
rai.sed this question, ‘^'Is the Mis
sion the cause of Christ?’’ the
answer was, “We believe it is the
cause of Christ,’’ Ag^in when
it met at Pine Wood, Rowan
county, I find this record:
“Many churches are forming
auxiliary societies for the pur
pose of sending the go.spel to
every neighborhood in our State
and the Lord is greatly blessing
their labors of love. Dear breth
ren, let us do likewise.’’
(To be continued.)
STANLY BAPTIST SUN-
: DAY SCHOOL CONVENTION
:
To Be Held With Smyrna Bap
tist Church March 27-29, In
clusive.
FRIDAY.
11a. m. Introductory .sermon.
—C- E. Edwards.
DINNER.
1 p. m. Organization.
2 p. m. What is the present
outlook for the Sunday school
work in the Stanly Association?
—W. A. Hough and delegates
from the different sections of our
territory.
SATURDAY.
9:30 a. m. Devotional e.xer-
cises, led by D. P. Morris.
10 a. m. The Teacher’s Train
ing Course.—^C. E. Edwards and
Ale.xander Miller.
11 a. m. How can we increase
our Sunday, .school attendance?
—Willie J. Russell and Sey
mour Hatley.
12 M.—DINNER.
1 p. m. How can we hold the
boys?—B. W. Spillman.
2 p. m. The importance of
Sunday school training.—C. J.
Black.
SUNDAY.
10 a. m. Sunday school—Mis
sions.—P. G. Hartsell.
11 a. m. Sermon.^—C. J. Black.
1 p. m. Sermon.—B. G. W’hit-
ley.
Letter From W’allace Hartsell.
Bunn, N. C.,
Feb. 18, 1914.
Rear Brother.—
1 read with pleasure the
monthly issues of your paper.
The letters from the dear breth
ren at home help me up .
If you will allow it, I will tell
you a few things about the work
in the Master’s vineyard out
here.
1 am living in a small town in
Franklin county, about forty
miles east of Raleigh. I have
charge of five good country
churches, including the one here
in town.
Two of my churches are hav-
services twice a month now, and
I am ejcpecting one or two more
of them to Undertake as much
next year.
I am so situated that my far
thest church is only about eight
miles from me. The nearest is
about three miles, .save the one
in town.
My pople are as loyal as I
could ask, and the Ma.ster is
blessing us wonderfully. A
crowd of good people of the
town came in shortly after we
moved here and extended to us
a cordial welcome to their town,
their church, their homes, aijd
to their hearts. When they w'ent
away they left many good
things to clinch their words.
Two of these churches I have
been serving .some time and the
third one is a daughter of one
of these, only a year old. The
other two are new,ones in my
work. Two of these churches
expect to build new houses of
worship soon.
In our town we have a .splen
did state high school at he^id of
which is a loyal Wake Forest
College man, Mr. L. G. Bullard.
There are six other teachers.
Brethren of the Stanly Asso
ciation, will you pray for one of
your number, who feels the need
of it.
Blessings on the Stanly Bap
tist, its editor, and all the other
brethren.
Yours for the Master,
WALLACE HARTSEL.
A Standard Sunday School.
1. Perennial.
2. Baptist Literature.
3. Church Control,
j 4. Bible u.sed.
I 6. Normal Diploma.s.
7. Church Members.
8. Departments Separated.
9. S.’hool Graded.
10. Evangelism.
How attained?
f?l
I
Representatives from seven
associations were present at the
piedmont Sunday school insti
tute. This is a great beginning
sure.