Calhoun County GaArchives Church Records.....Leary Baptist Church ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Donna Eldridge DonnaEldrid@aol.com June 25, 2004, 1:41 pm THE LEARY BAPTIST CHURCH The organization which developed in to what is now the Leary Baptist Church in the beautiful little city of Leary, was started prior to the Year of Our Lord eighteen hundred and sixty. There were practically no dwellings or buildings of any kind at the site which is now Leary, Georgia, at the time a church organization was started. The community was then known as Old Round Top Community, taking its name from the school building known as Round Top School. This school house served as a central meeting place of a large portion of Calhoun and Baker County territory of the present day. Under the Spiritual leadership of Rev. Powell, one of the old Pioneer Preachers of Calhoun County, a contract was entered into on September the 4th, 1860, for the erection of a church building to be built in the Round Top Community and was known as Old Round Top Church. This building stood about two miles north of the present city of Leary on the Morgan-Leary Highway. The contract for this original church building is still in possession of the Morris family of which one of our church members, Bro. Genie R. Morris, is a member. It was entered into by Harrison Bailey and Zachariah O. Morris of the first part and Augustus John B. Slay of the second part. Harrison Bailey and Zachariah O. Morris represented the members of the congregation. Mr. Morris was the Grandfather of Bro. Genie R. Morris, and was the father of the late W. R. Morris, who was for a number of years a faithful member of the Leary organization, but who at the time of his death was a member of the Milford Baptist Church in Baker County. This original contract states that the price of the building was six hundred dollars ($600.00) and its dimensions were 34 feet by 46 feet. The contract also gives in full the specifications as to how and of what materials it should be built. The church was built of wood and stood as a meeting house for the church until about 1890. This building was then sold by the congregation to Mr. P. E. Boyd, who tore it down and built a dwelling out of its lumber. Some of the other preachers who served the congregation of the Old Round Top Church besides Rev. Powell were: Brethren Odum, Parker, Curry and Muse. Some of the charter members of this church were; John Colley, Harrison Bailey, Zachariah O. Morris, Martin Hutton, Bill Roberts, Mose Timmons, William Clower and W. J. Horsley. After the sale of the Old Round Top Church the congregation decided to build in the City of Leary, and a wooden structure was erected and remained until about 1920 when under the direction of Bro. W. J. Barton, their pastor who lived in Edison, the wooden building, was torn down and replaced with the handsome brick structure of which the little city of Leary and its members take great pride. The Auditorium of this present building and the walls of the basement were completed under the pastorate of Bro. Barton. The Sunday School Assembly and Class rooms for the Junior Sunday School of the church and the class rooms in the front of the Auditorium for the Intermediate and Young People's departments of the Sunday School were completed and equipped during the pastorate of the present pastor. Rev. Paul M. Sayer, who is the only pastor to live in the city of Leary. This church building is one of the most modern, up-to-date, and handsome church buildings in the Bethel Association. The building and its equipment is valued at $15,000.00. Brother R. M. Jordan, Sr., who is at present one of the deacons and the Sunday School Superintendent, was chairman of the Building Committee and supervised the construction of the present building. It was through the untiring efforts and the liberal donations of Brethren R. M. Jordan, Sr., N. B. Johnson and George W. Colley that this beautiful building was completed. When the church was built in the City of Leary in 1890 it became known as the Leary Baptist Church and has borne that name until now. Some of the pastors who have served the church since 1890 are: Brethren Wimberly, Adams, Stubbs, W. L. Culbertson, J. B. Claxton, W. J. Barton, J. W. Snelson, E. M. Palmer, W. M. Burns, Joseph W. Harper and Paul M. Sayer. Some of the outstanding preachers to assist in Revivals in the Leary Church were: Brethren Bob Taylor, Oxford, Wm. Curry, John G. Black, Sam Lowe, O. P. Gilbert and J. C. Wells. The only preacher who has been converted and prepared for the ministry in the Leary Church was Rev. James W. Bell. Bro. Bell was sent out by the Leary Church as a Missionary and is now serving with his loving wife in one of the Pigmy Districts in the dark continent of Africa. He has suffered many dangers and hardships since the Lord sent him from the ranks of the Leary membership, but through all these years the members of the church who have been left behind have supported him with their money and prayers, and their love and admiration of him as one of God's choicest laborers have grown steadily. The church thanks the Heavenly Father for the privilege which He has blessed them with in Bro. Bell and his faithful wife. The present membership of the church numbers 90, and some of the clerks who have served the church are: Brethren Smith, B. I. Keel and J. M. Jordan. The Leary Church became a member of the Bethel Association about the year 1890. This is the first year in which the Leary Church appears in the list of churches of the Association. F. L. Wimberly was pastor, A. W. Smith, Clerk. Received by baptism that year 10, by letter 4, total membership 43. A session of the Association has been held in the church only once. In October 1928 Bethel Baptists met with Leary, and Rev. J. C. Grimes of Shellman preached the Doctrinal Sermon Bro. Joseph W. Harper was at that time pastor of the church. The church maintained only once-a-month services until it formed a field with the Coleman Baptist Church under the pastorate of Bro. J. W. Snelson who lived in Coleman. The regular preaching days were first and third Sundays in each month and have been until the present. The church remained in a field with Coleman until the resignation of Bro. J. W. Harper. The church then united with Morgan Church as a field and the present pastor began his service with the church May 1929, living at Morgan. The Morgan Church was unable to maintain two Sundays each month and in 1930 Bro.Sayer moved to Leary and became their first resident pastor. Other churches served in connection with Leary, namely Milford, Pineview, Bethany and Hillside. Besides maintaining and supporting organization which minister to the spiritual needs and welfare of all ages and classes of people within the territory of the church, it is also a strong supporter of all the causes fostered by the Baptist Denomination. The contributions and work done by the Leary members are proportionately as great as any other church in the Bethel Association. The organization of the church at present is as follows: Deacons, Dr. C. A. Roberts, R. M. Jordan, Sr., E. A. Durham and B. B. Shepard; Clerk, J. M. Jordan; Pianist, Miss Evelyn Wilkinson; Treasurer, R. M. Jordan, Sr. The Sunday School lacks one or two points being a Standard School. Bro. R. M. Jordan, Sr., has been a most faithful and consecrated Superintendent for a number of years. Under the leadership of Bro. Jordan and Pastor Sayer a Junior Department of the Sunday School has been organized, the Beginner, Primary and Junior classes, and an Assembly room with class rooms surrounding it in the basement of the church has been provided and equipped during the past two years. Mrs. E. Henry Ward and the present superintendent, Mrs. W. D. Jordan have served this part of the church well. Other officers of the Junior Department are: Mrs. C. A. Roberts, Beginners Class Teach; Miss Ermyne Kenney, Primary Class Teacher and Pianist; Mrs. G. A. Dozier, Jr. Junior Class Teacher. Other officers and teachers in the main school are: Secretary, Marvin Jordan; Pianist, Miss Evelyn Wilkinson; Men's Bible Class Teacher, E. A. Durham; Women's Bible Class Teacher, Mrs. J. R. Langford; Young People's Class Teacher, B. B. Shepard; Intermediate Class Teacher, Mrs. N. B. Johnson, Bro. E. A. Durham is the Secretary of the Arlington District Bethel Sunday School work which holds quarterly Rallies each year. Enrollment of the school is 65. Mrs. W. D. Jordan is the efficient and capable leader of the Woman's work in the Leary Church. She is President of the Missionary Society. This Society has had a remarkable growth and development during the past two years. Its membership numbers 21. Mrs. Marvin Jordan is leader of the Sunbeam Society and Mrs. G. A. Dozier, Jr., leads the Girl's Auxiliary. The B.Y.P.U. of the church was organized in 1930. Those who have served as President of this organization are: Paul Peacock, Miss Evelyn Wilkinson, James Langford and Harvey Jordan. Mrs. N. B. Johnson is leader. (pages 204-208) "History of Bethel Association - Including Centennial Meeting" Centennial meeting held with Baptist church at Edison, Georgia, October 25, 26, 27, 1932 A. L. Miller, Edison, Ga., Moderator. W. H. Joyner, Coleman, Ga., Clerk Compiled and Edited by Alexander Lee Miller Moderator of Association 1909 -- 1934 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/calhoun/churches/nbb44learybap.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 10.0 Kb