HISTORY OF THE
BROWN CREEK-UNION ASSOCIATION
Predecessor of the Present
Union Association
FROM A HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA BAPTISTS 1727-1932, by M. A. Huggins
This section abstracted by
Julie Hampton Ganis
The organization occurred when three churches, Mount
Olive, Monroe, and Faulk’s, met in October of 1854 with the Mount Olive
Church. Probably, Darling Rushing was elected Moderator and a Constitution,
containing Rules of Decorum and a Declaration of Principles, was adopted. It is a complete and superb piece of work
and required 24 pages for its printing.
At the first anniversary meeting held with the Monroe
Church in 1855, D.A. Covington was
elected Moderator and D. Rushing,
Clerk; and Elder R.B. Jones, whose
foot-steps we have before observed, and who at the time was living in
Charlotte, was present. Two churches,
Shiloh and Benton’s Cross Roads, presented letters, thus bringing the number of
churches to five. A resolution,
committing the body to the subject of Home Missions through pledges made in
advance, was adopted. A sermon,
preached by Elder E. Morton and
followed by an exhortation, caused “sinners to weep and saints to
rejoice.” A correspondence was opened
with these associations: the Moriah, the Welch Neck, and the Broad River in
South Carolina, and with the Pee Dee in North Carolina. In the session of 1856 the sum of $136.50
was pledged for missions with the Mount Olive Church pledging $81.50 of this
total amount.
At the session of 1857 thirteen churches were
represented. We give the names of the
churches, followed by the names of the delegates:
Mount Olive, W. Chambers, T. Redfearn, Darling Rushing;
Monroe, D. A. Covington, W. T.
Willoughby;
Faulk’s, S. H. Parker, J. M. Green, William Newsome;
Meadow Branch (Wingate), J. Perry, W. J. T. Maske, J. C.
Williams;
Rocky River, Elder S. P. Morton, H. M. and J. J. Broadway;
Shiloh, Elder W. Funderburk, C.
Hargett, J. Hill;
Moriah, W. W. and W. M. Allsbrook,
K. C. Timmons;
Charlotte, Elder R. B. Jones;
Waxhaw, S. J. Fletcher, ______ Godfrey;
Mineral Springs, J. D. Green, S. Rushing, T. K. Manus;
Benton’s Cross Roads, Thos. Griffin, C. Austin;
Philadelphia, B. Parker, W. C. King, J. P. Gathings;
Wadesboro, Elder A. L. Stough, Elder E. Morton, B. F. Sikes.
At this session, Missions, Education
and Periodicals were emphasized and appreciation was expressed for the Biblical Recorder and for the Home and Foreign Journal and the Commission, both published by the
Foreign Mission Board at Richmond.
Serious attention was also given Temperance and Sunday Schools. Moreover, the Baptist State Convention was
praised for the work it was doing and the ministers were urged to lay its
claims upon the hearts of the people.
The reports revealed that there were during the year 97 baptisms with 48
of them occurring in the Meadow Branch Church, later the Wingate Church.
In reading the reports made and the actions which
followed, we are impressed with the ability, the courage and the vision of the
leaders of the association. In the
reports made to the sessions of 1858, we find intemperance described “as a
great evil” and “as the monstrous sin of North Carolina.” However, joy was expressed that “a wonderful
reformation had taken place.” “The
pulpit has turned loose the thunders of heaven against Drunkenness.”
In the record of the session of 1859 the work of the
State Missions was applauded because the feeble churches had been aided and new
preaching places had been established.
As an example, the Charlotte Church was cited, because Elder R. B. Jones had been sent there
to preach and here we quote: “Then the name, ‘Baptist,’ was a reproach, and a
by-word, but behold what God has wrought!
Now a beautiful temple is erected in which the word is faithfully
preached every Sabbath.” At this time,
however, Jones had departed and R. H. Griffith had taken his
place.
In 1859, a motion to combine the Brown Creek Union and
the Pee Dee associations into one body was lost. The report of the Associational Missionary, S. J. Fincher, revealed that he had traveled 130 days during
which he preached 190 sermons, visited 85 families and traveled 1,660 miles.
This page originally created September 28, 2000
By Julie Hampton Ganis
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