Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Jackson County, Florida File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Janie Dillon, JanieCD@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, 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 presentation. This file may not be removed from this server or altered in any way for placement on another server without the consent of the State and USGenWeb Project coordinators and the contributor. *********************************************************************** A History On June 17, 1987, the Pilgrim Rest congregation authorized G. B. Harvell, Jr. and J. C. Johnston to write a history of the church. This is a compilation of two histories, the first edition, covering the period 1925-1987 which was published in 1987, the second edition covering the period 1881-1925. Although tradition has Pilgrim Rest as being established in 1845 there is no mention of it in any of the following Associations. The Suwannee Association, organized in 1835, later changed to Suwannee River Primitive Baptist Assoc. in 1845, or the Florida Association, which covered the area east of the Apalachicola River. In 1881 the first mention of Pilgrim Rest in made when it petitioned to join the West Florida Baptist Association, which covered the area west of the Apalachicola River. The church was found to be orthodox and admitted. Delegates were John Parrish and John Shouppe. The Pastor was D. A. Skipper and the clerk was J. J. Bailey of Campbellton. Membership was 21. Twenty five cents was given for minutes and 75 cents to the Association. Nov. 24, 1905 Pilgrim Rest united with the newly organized Bethel Assoc. J. W. Johnson was pastor, messengers were R. L. Deese, J. J. Jiles and John Parrish. Membership was 79. Pilgrim Rest left Bethel Assoc. October 23, 1925 to join the newly organized Jackson County Assoc. which was renamed the Chipola Baptist Assoc. in 1946. J. W. Kent was the Pastor. Messengers were W. A. Bruner and wife, J. Archie Campbell and wife Saluna Campbell. Membership was 68. Unfortunately, all records are missing prior to 1943. A handwritten notation on one of the church property deeds reads "organized 1845 on creek west of Underwood Crossroads." Property records at the Jackson County Courthouse reveal that the land on which the Lovewood Free Will Baptist Church now stand was originally granted to John W. Underwood in 1858. Thus, it can be assumed the Pilgrim Rest was first organized west of the present Lovewood Free Will Baptist Church and Drummonds Cross roads near Little Alligator Creek on County Rd. 164, once referred to as the Cera Gorda to Marianna Rd. An article in the Graceville News around 1970 written by Frances Walker states that "the church was organized in 1845 in a "brush arbor" in a place called Alligator Creek.:" It stayed there a few years and moved to a new site in the Lovewood Community. After a few more years they sold the building to the Free Will Baptists and moved to the present location in the Glass Community just off Highway 169 between Graceville and Cottondale. The land was deeded to the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church of the West Florida Baptist Assoc. by J. C. and Sallie Glass on January 1, 1897. The road by the property was then known as the Orange Hill to Campbellton road. The road in now called Woodrest Road. One-half acre of the property was deeded to the Jackson County Board of Public Instruction on July 17, 1899. J. D. Shouppe and Calvin Toole signed the deed for the church. An additional one-half acre was deed to the School Board on Sept. 4, 1928. The School was known as the Pilgrim Rest Public School and stood approximately where the pastorium now stands across the road from the meeting house. Church members George Carter, Wallace Campbell, Pruitt Glass and other can remember attending the school. Mrs. Margie Justice was teacher there when her younger sister Lucy Shouppe Harvell attended. The school was closed in 1950 and the building moved to the Cottondale School for a lunch room, and the one-acre was deeded back to the church on Oct. 24, 1950. Ministers Name Date Name Date D. A. Skipper 1881 C. E. Patrick 1941 Robert Harris 1883 C. B. Martin 1942 J. W. Johnson 1885 D. Archie Johnson 1943 John M. Long 1886 Charles Temples 1947 J. F. D. Richter 1889 W. Taylor 1950 Sam Williford 1895 Earl Deese 1953 W. M. Sapp 1896 R. S. Land 1955 S. W. Locke 1897 J. T. Hagler 1958 R. W. Lewis 1899 L. P. Myers 1959 M. P. Gillimore 1900 Willard Bowman 1961 J. D. Courtney 1901 J. W. Ellison 1964 W. H. McIntosh 1904 Clay E. Edmondson 1965 A. B. Wombel 1908 Pamer, Shelby 1968 J. M. Land 1911 Eugene Broome 1969 L..N. Jones 1918 H. V. Douglas 1971 Fred Hawk 1919 LeRoy Lewis 1974 J. W. Land 1927 H. E. Nichols(Int.) 1975 J. W. Kent 1925 Jerry Davidson 1975 E. S. Lester 1928 J. W. Lee (Int.) 1976 A. D. Halstead 1930 Dean Gatch 1977 E. E. Henry 1933 W. N. Snipes 1979 C. E. Nelson 1938 Davis Black 1982 Robert Middleton 1940 J. C. Johnston (Int.) 1991 Highest number of Baptisms in a Year Name Year # Name Year # S. W. Locke 1897 22 J. M. Land 1911 33 M. P. Gillimore 1900 22 W. Bowman 1962 45 Church membership was 21 in 1881, 161 in 1911, and 194 in 1974 Present membership is 85 resident and 74 non-resident. Deacons Calvin Toole Vernon Fred Thompson Nov. 1953 J. N. Parish Willis Christmas Nov. 1953 W. R. Bruner Paul Martin Sep. 1962 J. B. Toole R. C. Miles Sep. 1962 J. A. Toole Carl Yon Sep. 1962 Pete Toole Pruitt Glass Oct. 1963 John Jones Jack Sosby Oct. 1963 R. C. Miller Columbus Justice Oct. 1963 Archie Campbell Harry Chuites Sep. 1966 T. V. Toole Sep. 1943 G. B. Harvell Nov. 1971 Henry Kittrell Nov. 1945 Hoyt Andrews Mar. 1980 Allen Carter Nov. 1945 Elliot Hill(Yokefellow) George Carter Nov. 1953 Leon Myers Nov. 1953 Yearly rotation of Chairman began in Oct. 1966 Bud Christmas Nov. 1943 Women's Work in The Church In the beginning, Churches were governed by its white male members; but the "sisters" were allowed to vote in the selection of a pastor, in appointment of delegates to the Assoc. and in the reception and exclusions of members. Male and female members at times sat on opposite sides of the sanctuary. Pilgrim Rest records showed separate membership rolls for males and females from 1896 through 1901. The first women's work in the State of Florida began in 1825 by the Campbellton Bapt. Ch. when the first Women's Missionary Society (WMS) was organized. in 1894, Women's work became fully autonomous and the name changed to Women's Missionary Union (WMU). The WMU also included the Girl's Auxiliary (GA's), Sunbeams and for the boys Royal Ambassadors (RA's) Credit for stewardship habits must be fiven to these women. Their main function was. 1. To collect money for missions 2. To encourage young people to give their lives to missions 3. To give direct support to mission projects such as the Lottie Moon Christmas offering for Foreign Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter offering for Home Missions. The Earliest mention of any women's work at Pilgrim Rest was in 1929. Then in 1939. There was no mention again until 1962. In 1963 the enrollment for WMS was 16 and GA's was 34. The GA activities continues until 1982. Pilgrim Rest Women who have served as WMU directors. Mrs. J. A. Toole 1929 Mrs. A. A. Cawthorn 1939 Mrs. Minnie Brige 1962-64 Mrs. Columbus Justice 1965-70, 1986 Mrs. Vaughn Douglas 1971-73 Mrs. Pruitt Glass 1974-80 Mrs. Joyce Sabastine 1975-77 Mrs. Juanita Gatch 1978 Mrs. Margaret Chuites 1980-85 Mrs. Hoyt Andrews 1981-83 Mrs. Eva Perrine 1984 Mrs. Mildred Thompson 1987 Mrs. Davis Black 1988, 89 Mrs. G. B. (Lucy) Harvell 1990-91 Brotherhood The Brotherhood movement began in 1926. During the depression years it was dropped. In 1946 the Brotherhood Department of the Florida Bapt. Convention was formed. The Royal Ambassadors were transfered from the WMU to the Brotherhood in 1954. The first Brotherhood in Pilgrim Rest was 1962. A RA Chapter was also organized. Brotherhood leaders Douglas Birge 1962-64, 67 George Goodwin 1965-66 J. D. Alexander 1968 M. C. Justice 1969 R. C. Miles 1970-72 Earnest Sabastine 1974 James Shirley 1980-82 The Brotherhood and RA organizations were dropped in 1983. Music A piano was purchased in 1955. One was given to the Church by Mr. and Mrs. Clifford H. Alford. Seventy-five mew Baptist Hymnals (blue Cover) were purchaed in March 1966 with each family buying one book for each member of the family. In 1966 the church began oserving the fifth Sunday night as a time for singing. In 1981, new Baptist Hymnals (red cover) were purchasedd. In 1983, a new piano was purchased at a cost of $1,500. Several different song books have also been purchased for the choir. Song leaders have been, Jim PILCHER,Jesse TOOLE, Erasumus SHOUPPE, and Pruitt GLASS who has served since 1960. Piano players have been, Mrs. Jesse TOLLE, Miss Pearl TOOL, Mrs. Geraldine BRUNER, Jeniffer MILES, Sonya HARVELL JOHNSON, Mrs. VINSON, Beth TOOLE Robbie FLEMING, Mrs. HOYT (Be ) (Note: the next letter looks like a 2 but could be an a) ANDREWS, Mrs. Fred (Mildred) THOMPSON, Rachael GATCH, Anita WHITE and presently, Mrs. David (Marie) REGISTER. Dec. 8, 1976, Dr. J. W. Lee (interim pastor) asked to be given permission to represent Pilgrim Rest in observance of the Lord's Supper ath the Tomb in the Holy Land. Approved. Pilgrim Rest observes the Lord's Supper the first Sunday night of each quarter. The present communion table was givent o the church in memory J. D. (Doc) Shouppe. Missions Pilgrim Rest has always been a mission-minded church. It supports the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program. The first gift in the amount of $5.75 was given in 1931 In 1945, total mission gifts amounted to $271.64. In 1966, $450.00 went to the Coop. Program; $87.00 to Home Missions, $36.00 to Foreign Missions and $42.00 to the Chipola Assoc. In 1984, the Coop. Program gift was $1,300.00, $367 to the Assoc., $105 to the Florida State Convention, $311 to Foreign Missions and $783.00 to other causes making a total of $2,173 gifts to mission that year. During De. of each year the church takes yup a Lottie Moon Christmas offering for Foreign Missions and a Annie Armstrong Easter offering for Home Missions. An offering is also taken on Mother's Day for the Children's Home. $175.00 was given in 1991. Birthday monies are also given. Pilgrim Rest presently gives 10% of all undesignated offerings to the Coop. Program and 3% to the Chipola Assoc.