Chattahoochee County GaArchives Church Records.....Harmony Missionary Baptist Church Copyright Date 1933
************************************************
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:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 4, 2004, 12:51 am

HARMONY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Georgia, Muscogee County.

    Richmond Powell to Deacons Harmony Baptist Church May 10, 1847.
Consideration $25.00 4 A. more or less, lot 80 Sixth D. as follows: viz.

    "Beginning where the west line crosses the Columbus road, thence down said
road 25 1/2 rods, thence west to the original line, thence north along said line
to the beginning, containing four acres more or less. Signed
                          Richmond Powell.
In presence of
S. C. Parks
Archibald Nobles J. P.
     Recorded May 28, 1891.
           James Castleberry, Clerk.

    Mrs. Carrie G. Parks and her husband J. E. Parks made H. M. Gordy Atty. in
fact for sale of lot where Missionary Baptist Church now stands.

    Carrie G. Parks et al to Harmony Baptist Church May 23, 1896, Georgia,
Chattahoochee County. C. G. and J. E. Parks of Texas to G. M. Osteen and J. W.
Pierson, Deacons of Harmony Baptist Church of Cusseta.

    Consideration $10.00 Town Lot No. 65 (one sixteenth A.) confronting Mt.
Olive St. described in deed from Justices Inf. to G. P. Gordy March 19, 1856.

    From a directory of the Missionary Baptist Churches of Columbus District
these facts are gleaned: Harmony was constituted in 1840; present church house
built in 1896. But there was a church of this denomination prior to 1840 when
Rev. C. C. Willis began his pastorate at Harmony (Cusseta). The membership
according to Baptist history was 13, in 1839. Col. J. E. D. Shipp says there
were only four members; one of these being his great grandmother, Mrs. Lucy H.
W. Bussey, of the original church here. So this church was organized presumably,
when the Missionary and Primitive Churches became separate organizations.
Baptist history also says that Rev. C. C. Willis after a pastorate of ten years,
left this one of the strongest churches in the Columbus Association. The maximum
membership throughout the years of its existence was about 100. Its membership
decreased, due to deaths and removals, until no regular services were held there
for a year, but Rev. Pickren of Columbus revived the services.

    From records of Baptist Church: The Association of 1849 was held at Bald
Hill Camp Grounds (this was located about one mile from Cusseta), with J.
Perryman, Moderator, H. Williams, Clerk, and introductory sermon preached by
James Perryman. (Evidently Harmony Church built between the cemetery lot
belonging to the church and the public road was erected between 1849 and 1859—as
following is first reference to the church.) Association of 1859 at Harmony,
Chattahoochee County with C. C. Willis, Moderator, E. H. Beall, clerk, and
introductory sermon by Carey C. Willis. The next associations at Harmony
(Cusseta) were in 1863, 1879, 1894, and 1919.

    In the historical collection at Colgate University, N. Y., Harmony Church is
mentioned in the minutes of the Columbus Association 1841.

    Among the names on the church roll in past years were found Howard, Shipp,
Castleberry, Parkman, Farr, Molder, Jones, Harp, Psalmonds, Osteen, McCook
Averett, Davis, McLester, Allums, George, Bussey, Gordy, Wynn, Wooldridge, Sapp,
Spivey, Hickey, McMurrian, Flanigan, Gaylor, Burgin, Stephens, Johnson, Mrs.
Emma Barbett, Mrs. Ella Wilkinson, Mrs. Ellen Lightner, Mrs. S. A. Cooksey, Mrs.
C. C. Minter, Mrs. F. B. Harris, Mrs W. F. Dillard, and Mr. John Stephens who
financed the building of the present church (erected 1892; value $1800.00) and
gave the membership an indefinite period of time for repaying the loan.

    From Records of Harmony Baptist Church at Cusseta.

    Feb. 22, 1879 a committee composed of M. A. George, I. ,N. Johnson, G. H.
Sapp, J. Castleberry, and D. C. Cody formulated the Decorum which was adopted by
the church for its government.

    Rev. Corley, F. M. Blalock and W. R. Arnold were among pastors between 1879
and 1899. J. A. Griffin was pastor and V. L. Averett clerk. Records not found
from 1879 to 1899 when there is a report that the church had paid out of debt;
B. B. Williams pastor, W. M. Gordy clerk, L. W. Parrott pastor 1902-03 with J.
T. Spivey clerk. Dr. B. W. Bussey pastor 1904-19 with clerks G. H. Sapp, J. W.
Osteen and R. L. Harp. Rev. R. M. Rigdon pastor 1919-24; J. T. Goar 1924-25
C. L. Johnson clerk. R. M. Rigdon again until 1928; J. B. McClung, A. V. Pickren
recent pastors; present pastor the Rev. R. L. Bivins whose ancestral home to
which he has returned, is in Marion County, near line of Chattahoochee.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, GEORGIA
By N. K. Rogers

Dedicated to

KASIHITA CHAPTER U. D. C.

and all worthy descendants of the County's first settlers.

Copyright 1933

by N. K. ROGERS

PRINTED   BY
COLUMBUS  OFFICE  SUPPLY CO. COLUMBUS, GA.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/chattahoochee/churches/gbb166harmonym.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/

File size: 5.3 Kb