Springhill Baptist Church - Butler Co., AL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with the USGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. ALGenWeb File Manager - Lygia Dawkins Cutts ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Tue, 17 Nov 1998 01:49:50 EST Springhill Baptist Church - Butler Co., AL This is the final excerpt from from Rev. J. W. Joyner's book, A History of the Baptists in Butler County ( 1819-1957). Surnames have been capitolized for easier visualization. Mildred Stinson Brown Gatesville, Texas ------------------------------------ SPRINGHILL BAPTIST CHURCH This church was organized in the year 1873 on the 6th day of September. The organizing was under the Rev. J. M. FORTUNE. The charter mebers were: Ben COOPER, Mrs. E. R. COOPER, J. A. SMITH, Mrs. Julie SMITH, John PERRY, Mrs. H. A. PERRY, Mrs. E. P. BERRY, Mrs. R. J. PERRY, Mrs. Sarah FIFE, Mrs. R. R. BAILY, Mrs. S. D. BAILY, Mrs. E. M. OWENS, Miss E. M. OWENS, B. J. NEWTON, B. R. RHODES, Mrs. M. J. RHODES, Mrs. J. E. COOPER, and A. A. COOPER. The following pastors served this church: Rev. Benny COOPER, R. L. SHELL, A. C. SHELL, Uncle Deck BAKER, J. H. HIGDON, C. W. COOK, J. C. VANDIVER, C. L. PERRY, J. L. P. COOK, W. T. DAVISON, J. B. OWENS. The present pastor is R. Z. MULLINS, who has served about twenty years. This church ordained two young men for the ministry. Rev. C. L. PERRY, who now lives in Florida, and Ben OWENS, who has been pastor of the Sycamore Baptist Church for the past twenty-seven years. When Rev. R. L. SHELL was a young man and pastor of this church a very humorous thing took place one night when Uncle Deck BAKER was up preaching. Uncle DECK wore a celluloid collar with a bow-tie. The tie and collar got to bothering Uncle Deck and he snatched it off and slung it back of him, hitting A. C. SHELL in the face, thus causing him to jump up, and as he did so the bench on which he was sitting tilted up, sliding R. L. SHELL off and out of the pulpit, down to the floor. This would have put most preachers out of commission, but Uncle Deck kept preaching as though nothing had happened. Springhill Church is located eight miles south of Greenville near the Greenvill-McKenzie Highway.