CLARKE COUNTY, GA - CHURCHES   Crooked Creek Baptist Church

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CROOKED CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

A Commemorative Look At Our First 200 Years


PART V - "Preserved by His grace" - 1866 - 1916

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is
made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9a

The years immediately following the Civil War were
difficult in the South, and difficult for Crooked Creek
as well. Church membership had peaked at 100 in 1856,
but an alarming trend began in 1857, when over four
years more than 30 members transferred their membership
to sister churches. Whether this was due to new
churches being founded in the area is unclear at
present, but the possibility warrants further research.
Whatever the reason, Crooked Creek's membership began
to decline, and even though at least 14 were saved and
baptized from 1860 to 1863, membership had fallen to 47
by October of 1863. 

The trend continued after the war. Only 41 members were
reported in 1867, 17 of whom were black. The following
year, however, only four black members remained, and by
1871 all had left. It is believed that the members who
left may have begun Summer Hill Baptist Church about a
mile north of Crooked Creek, but this is unconfirmed at
present. There are several older graves in the Summer
Hill cemetery which could be those of former Crooked
Creek members, but this too is unconfirmed, due partly
to the fact that black residents generally didn't use
surnames until after they were freed. 

Twenty-two new members were saved and baptized from
1870 to 1874, but overall membership declined by a
third, from 45 to 30. In 1876, Crooked Creek reported
only 24 members, the lowest known total since 1804,
when the church was just two years old. After 40 years
of stable membership, Crooked Creek must have seemed on
the brink of disaster to those few who remained. We
have no record of whether church members were concerned
about their small number, but God was again about to
show himself mighty.

During the 20 years from 1879 to 1899, Crooked Creek
saw many more souls saved than usual. Such was
apparently the case across the nation, as the century
closed with a widespread revival. Rev. Washington
Franklin Stark served as Crooked Creek's pastor for
eight years from 1872 to 1879 - the longest term of any
pastor on record up to that point. Fourteen were saved
at Crooked Creek during the final year of Stark's
tenure, and 27 more in the 1880s. Rev. Adoniram Judson
Kelly pastored for nine years during this time, from
1883 to 1891.

The establishment of a Sunday School on April 26, 1884
may have played a role in the revival. W.A. Carithers
was the first Sunday School superintendent. Several
others filled the role later, including Nathaniel J.
Williamson from 1900 to 1902 and again for one month in
1906. After being elected to the office on March 7 of
1906, Williamson contracted pneumonia while attending a
Civil War reunion near Atlanta, and died April 6.
Church minutes note that the April 7 conference was
cancelled due to his funeral.

During the 1890s, 66 more souls accepted Christ at
Crooked Creek, nearly half of them in 1894 alone. New
members also poured in from other churches during the
decade, with 62 joining by letter. Membership topped
100 again, and has remained above that mark ever since.
Among the pastors during this time was Martin Van Buren
Lankford, who is said to have baptized 1977 during his
39-year ministry. Fourteen were saved during his one
year at Crooked Creek in 1892. Lankford pastored
several churches in the area, including Oconee, Apple
Valley, Pendergrass, Cave Spring, Berea, and Center.
Lankford was a member of Highland Park Baptist Church
in Chattanooga, Tennessee at his death. Current members
Rev. Tom Miles and Rev. Ed Raines are both former
members of Highland Park.

In 1896, Samuel H. Hardy gave one-half acre of land to
the church, adjoining the cemetery and property already
held by the church. This is interesting because no
earlier deed record for transfer of property to Crooked
Creek has been found. It is therefore unknown who sold
or donated the original church lot. There is some
confusion as to whether there may have been two men
named Samuel H. Hardy in the area at the time, but it
is believed that this Mr. Hardy was the husband of
Nancy Mitchell, daughter of 1850s church clerk Walter
Mitchell. The couple were the parents of Martha Slee
Hardy (Aug. 17, 1860 - Sept. 25, 1861), whose grave is
the earliest marked site in the Crooked Creek cemetery.
Samuel and Nancy Hardy were also great-grandparents of
current member Miss Elizabeth Archer, who has been one
of Crooked Creek's most stalwart members for more than
46 years.

A number of interesting items may be found in the
church minutes from this period.

Sept. 7, 1901: paid "Mr. Tom Moore one dollar for work
on pool"

This must have been an early baptismal pool, as noted
on Sept. 17, 1904:

"Bro. S.A. Seagers agreed to see that the pool was in
shape for baptism"

The location of this pool is unknown, but it may have
been in the same spot where a concrete block pool was
built in the 1950s, behind the old church near the
creek. It may also have simply been a pool in Crooked
Creek, as the creek is known to have been used for
baptisms during the 1930s and 40s.

Minutes also note that male members were each expected
to pay a set amount toward the pastor's salary. Members
who were behind on payment were denied letter transfer
requests until the dues were paid in full, "unless they
were in poverty", as noted in the church minutes. The
church also owned an organ at least as early as Sept.
13, 1902, when the congregation voted to have it
"overhauled". The repair of windows and doors was
approved during the same conference. 

A week-long August revival meeting was held each year
during the early 1900s. Members usually set aside a day
just prior to the revival to clean up around the church
yard and cemetery. Meetings were held morning and
night, generally around 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. New converts
were baptized nearly every year during this time,
including 13 in 1914, when a tent was apparently used
to house the meeting. Pastors were usually granted
permission to seek help from other preachers of their
choosing during revival. 

An early form of Bible School may have been held as
early as 1904. From church minutes dated July 9 of that
year:

"Being children's day we had no regular conference."

Similar statements were recorded during July of
following years. Members agreed in 1908 to bar lemonade
stands on church grounds during children's day. Also in
1908, Rev. W.M. Coil was permitted to "run a meeting
over on the railroad in behalf of Crooked Creek
Church". In 1910, "the Methodist brethren asked us for
our house to hold their annual meeting". The request
was granted.

Church building maintenance was a frequent topic of
conversation during conference meetings. The meeting
house apparently received a new roof in 1906, and
Crooked Creek came within a committee's recommendation
of constructing a new building in 1911. A building
committee was appointed in August of that year, and a
month later suggested to repair rather than rebuild. A
number repair expenditures were approved during
subsequent years, including a new stove (1914),
weatherboarding and painting (1915), step repair
(1924), and pillar repair (1926). As early as 1912, a
member was chosen annually for housekeeping duties at
the rate of one dollar per month.

Rufus Newton Massey was elected to the office of church
clerk October 12, 1912, and served until September 18,
1949. Church members gave him a standing ovation upon
his resignation. Mr. Massey was also Miss Elizabeth
Archer's first Sunday School teacher, and twice served
as Sunday School superintendent.

Minutes from the years 1916 to 1921 are missing.

PART VI - "Great war and Great Depression; greater God"
- 1917 - 1939

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken
and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." -
Psalm 51:17

If the years after the Civil War were hard on the
South, the years 1917 to 1941 were perhaps more
difficult for the entire nation. The scale of the first
World War must have been mind-boggling to Americans of
that time, and those who lived through the Great
Depression were so changed that everything from voting
habits to personal spending levels were impacted for
decades - even today, some 70 years later.

Crooked Creek surely was also affected by these two
mammoth events, but minutes from 1916 to 1921 are lost,
so any effect the church felt from the war will likely
never be known. Aside from a couple of financial and
missions references, readers of church minutes from the
period would also be hard-pressed to find any effects
of the depression, though certainly times must have
been hard for church members.

Rev. Preston Benjamin Cash served as Crooked Creek's
pastor from 1923 to 1929, and his time at the church
provides clear evidence that though church pastors had
begun to be paid for their efforts, they were certainly
more interested in the spiritual health of the church
than of the thickness of their own wallets. Cash's was
one of the three longest pastoral terms at Crooked
Creek prior to 1965. This, despite the fact that his
salary was reduced or remained the same every year
until near the end of his tenure. The pastor's salary
had been $150 earlier, but Cash accepted renewal of the
post on September 8, 1923 for $125. He had already
served as pastor for one month, after J.E. Logan's
resignation in July. Cash's salary would be reduced at
least twice over the next four years, until he received
only $81.25 in 1927. 

The salvation of at least 20 souls during the 1923 to
1929 August revivals must certainly have brought much
joy to Cash's heart, and to the hearts of all church
members. Among those saved at those revival meetings
was long-time Crooked Creek member Frank Kittle, in
1925.

Sunday School also remained a high priority during this
time. Members agreed in November of 1930 to have a
"Sunday School study course some time in the near
future", possibly to train teachers. Three months
later, the church asked Claud Scarber to teach the
course.

At least part of Crooked Creek's operating expenses
were apparently offset by selling cotton grown on
church property. A committee was appointed on March 9,
1929 to "look after land and fertilizer to plant a
cotton patch to be worked by the members of the church
for church purposes". The committee was also granted
permission to borrow money in July of that year.

A wheat collection was taken up for an orphan's home in
July of 1934, and three souls were saved during the
August revival preached by a Rev. Read. Rev. George
Washington Wallace served as pastor that year, but was
apparently in bad health during his entire term. A Rev.
Brewer filled in for Wallace during much of the year.
Rev. Joseph Parham preached for several months at
Crooked Creek in 1936, prior to his ordination that
year at nearby Attica Baptist. That same year, long-
time member John "Jay" Stringer was saved during the
August revival and baptized in the creek by Rev.
Parham. Stringer's wife Frances (Moore), an active
member today, was saved during the 1939 revival, and
was also baptized in Crooked Creek.

Less than a month after Frances Moore's baptism,
Germany's invasion of Poland would eventually bring
about a second World War.

One other note of interest from this time period is
found in the conference minutes of August 8, 1931, when
Rufus Massey was appointed to "write up a history of
the church". Whether this task was carried out or not
is currently a mystery, but should be investigated by
church historians in the future.

PART VII - "Steadfast through war and change" - 1942 -
1965

"Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord ... ye know that your labour is not in
vain in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 15:58b

The dawn of the 1940s saw the world full of tension
once again.  Hitler's incredible rise to power had
brought fear to much of Europe, and the invasion of
Poland in September of 1939 turned that fear to chaos. 
In the United States, the social programs of President
Roosevelt were helping turn the nation's economy
around.  That environment, with a huge boost from the
military buildup prior to and during World War II,
drove the United States into the strongest financial
time in the nation's history.

But that financial soundness came with a price.  As in
any prosperous time, the people of our nation began to
take their new and improved standard of living for
granted. The result was a period of social change that
would bring great challenges to the institutions of
family, church, and government.  The results of this
period are still being dealt with today.

Though situated in an area that was still quite rural,
Crooked Creek surely was affected by the economic and
social change that began after the war.  Times were
also changing within the church.  During the 1950s,
Crooked Creek became somewhat of a pastoral training
ground with many of her pastors serving as part of
their studies at Bob Jones University.  Rev. Joe Parham
resigned August 10, 1940, to enter school.  He was
later called on to deliver the homecoming sermon in
1986, just months after current pastor Rev. Tom Miles
accepted the post. 

Rev. Hugh Eberhart was named pastor of Crooked Creek
September 9, 1945, just days after the Japanese
surrender.  Born in 1913, Rev. Eberhart had been named
for former Crooked Creek clerk and Athens newspaper
editor Hugh Rowe, whom Eberhart described as a very
godly man.  Rev. Eberhart served the Lord with a radio
ministry and as an evangelist prior to his term at
Crooked Creek.  He also operated a tract ministry and
later authored a moving short history of his life.  One
of the early converts of his ministry was a young boy
named Thurman Wade who is now director of Macedonia
World Baptist Missions.

Rev. Eberhart pastored a handful of area churches prior
to Crooked Creek and was instrumental in the founding
of Central Baptist Church in Athens in 1944.  The
meetings held during the construction of that church
are said to have changed the entire city.  Rev.
Eberhart was still serving as Central's pastor during
his tenure at Crooked Creek.  Services there were held
in the afternoon.  Shortly after his time at Crooked
Creek Rev. Eberhart traveled all over the southern
United States, sharing the Gospel and seeing folks
saved all along the way.  He continued his tract
ministry and later added a newsletter ministry. 

Rev. Eberhart was called on to serve Crooked Creek as
interim pastor for five months after Ron Biggers'
resignation in 1985.  He went to be with Our Lord
earlier this year.  He was preceded shortly by
Virginia, his wife of 68 years.

Among the other pastors around mid-century was Rev.
Dave Falconer, who served in 1951 and 1952 before
resigning January 1, 1953, after completing his BJU
studies.  He immediately accepted a position as
associate pastor in Detroit, Michigan.  The task of
replacing Falconer was apparently a difficult one, but
Rev. Elmer Branyon was chosen after trial sermons from
several preachers.  The church building was painted and
classrooms added in 1953, and 50 children attended a
Bible study during the August revival with Rev. A.C.
Carpenter.  A gas heater was installed that year as
well.  A midweek prayer meeting was held at least as
early as November 4, 1956, when the meeting day was
changed from Tuesday to Wednesday. 

The old church building, which by now had been used for
a century or more, required much work in the 1950s.
Sunday School rooms were improved in 1954, and the
church doors were repaired in 1955.  Outdoor lights
were approved, and a committee was appointed to repair
the baptismal pool steps and to build a wall around the
spring supplying drinking water.  Interior walls and
the ceiling were repaired in 1957, and flooring was
replaced in 1958 with donated materials.  The floor was
repaired again in 1964.  Despite members' best efforts,
it was becoming clear that a new meeting house was
needed. 

PART VIII - "In His grace we stand" - 1966 - 1985

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men,
be strong." - 1 Corinthians 16:13

The year 1966 marked a major turning point in the
history of Crooked Creek Baptist Church.  Rev. Bill
Carpenter was called as pastor late in 1965 and
preached his first sermon as pastor in late December.
Changes began almost immediately with the establishment
of a building fund during Carpenter's first month as
pastor.  The initial funding of $900 came from the
church general fund, but within four years the building
fund had grown exponentially to more than $40,000.

As with any such venture, the move to build a new
meeting house met with several obstacles along the way.
The first was an issue of location.  Not only was
Crooked Creek Baptist Church founded on the rock of
Christ's Gospel, but the first two meeting houses were
literally built on rock.  As members studied the area,
it quickly became obvious that the new church building
could not be built on the old site. 

The Moore family, long associated with Crooked Creek,
stepped forward and donated three acres at the current
church site.  The donation was made by Mrs. Ellis Moore
and her children: Frances Stringer, Vernard Moore, and
Eugene Moore.  Construction on the 7200 square-foot
building was begun in August of 1970 by Hayes
Construction with $65,000 of funding provided through
the sale of bonds. 

At the same time, the Holy Spirit was doing a great
work on the spiritual state of the church.  By the time
construction began, about 60 souls had been saved and
joined the church by baptism.  Membership and regular
attendance figures had grown by about 50 percent, but
offerings had increased more than sevenfold.  The
faithfulness of God's people in giving to the church
continued throughout the 1970s, to the extent that the
$65,000 in bond notes was paid off after just 10 years,
five years earlier than planned.

The first service in the new building was March 7,
1971, and the dedication was held March 21.  From the
beginning, it was clear that Our Lord had great plans
for the new building, as three new members were
baptized and one was saved during the first service. 

Vacation Bible School was greatly expanded during Rev.
Carpenter's tenure, and a bus ministry was begun in
June of 1973.  Bob Evans was the first bus driver, and
at least 36 souls were saved as a direct result of the
bus ministry during its first 19 months. 

But construction of a new building and a greater
emphasis on evangelism were not the only big changes at
Crooked Creek during Rev. Carpenter's term as pastor.
The Southern Baptist Association was in the midst of
some difficult times, and many within the association
felt its leadership had taken too liberal a stance on
many key issues.  Crooked Creek had taken steps to
distance itself from the association for several years,
including the institution of its own missions program,
so the tie with the association had been in name only
for some time.  On December 9, 1979, members voted to
end Crooked Creek's affiliation with the Southern
Baptist Convention after more than 130 years.  For the
first time in its 176-year history, Crooked Creek was
no longer a member of an association of churches.

Rev. Carpenter resigned as pastor of Crooked Creek in
1982 after more than 16 years.  During that time,
church membership nearly tripled, and offerings
increased more than 50-fold. But the most vital
statistic of his tenure is the one that will last for
eternity; more than 200 souls accepted God's gift of
salvation.  Rev. Carpenter is still well loved by the
members of Crooked Creek and has preached from her
pulpit several times since his resignation. He was also
invited to deliver both the morning and evening
Bicentennial sermons.

In the years immediately following Rev. Carpenter's
resignation, the church struggled somewhat to find its
course for the future.  A number of people were saved
during revival meetings in the mid-1980s, but after a
few years several key church members transferred their
letters, and membership numbers declined substantially.
In December of 1985, former pastor Rev. Hugh Eberhart
was asked to return to Crooked Creek as interim pastor.
He served in that capacity for five months.

PART IX - "Neighborhood Gospel Missions" - 1971 -
present

"But Jesus said, 'Suffer little children, and forbid
them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom
of heaven." - Matthew 19:14

Another highlight of Crooked Creek's history was the
establishment of Now Generation Ministries, Inc. in
1971.  The organization is known today as Neighborhood
Gospel Missions.

The late Agnes Mackey was the driving force behind the
creation of NGM.  At age 70, her energy and devotion to
the Lord's work set the tone for what has become a
strong missionary organization.  Mrs. Mackey and Rev.
Bill Carpenter conducted preliminary work to set up
NGM, and on November 15, 1971, Now Generation
Ministries was officially organized during a meeting at
Crooked Creek.  Mrs. Mackey, who had previously served
as Georgia Director of Children's Bible Missions for
more than 30 years, was NGM's first Executive Director.
Rev. Carpenter was the group's first President.  The
remainder of the Board of Directors included a number
of Crooked Creek church members.  Other board members
were J.W. Arnold, Miss Elizabeth Archer, Charlotte
Arnold, and Melba Hanson.  Miss Margaret Meyer was
chosen as NGM's first missionary.

As time passed, Mrs. Mackey trained Miss Archer to take
the Executive Director's position, which she did upon
Mrs. Mackey's resignation. Mrs. Mackey continued to be
active with NGM until her passing on March 12, 1991. 

Today Neighborhood Gospel Missions continues after more
than 30 years, a testament to the fact that God can do
great things through a willing disciple.  District
offices in Crawfordville and Jefferson coordinate the
group's ministries which include school chapel
programs, correspondence courses, a telephone Bible
story ministry which receives more than 17,000 calls
each year, a senior ministry, Foreign Youth Camps, and
Neighborhood Crusades. But the highlight of the year
for NGM remains its summer youth camps, currently held
at Camp Echeeconnee near Macon.

Neighborhood Gospel Missions currently owns 78 acres in
Barnesville and two buildings on three acres near
Lexington.  According to Rev. Carpenter, the Board of
Directors hopes to purchase additional property near
the Lexington site to develop year-round camping and
retreat facilities.

PART X - "The modern era" - 1986 - present

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the
traditions which ye have been taught." - 2
Thessalonians 2:15

In show business, it is said that a strong act can be
tough to follow.  After more than 16 years under the
strong, bold leadership of Rev. Bill Carpenter, Crooked
Creek needed another strong presence to guide her in
remaining committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  God
brought that presence to her in May of 1986.

Rev. Thomas William Miles accepted the pastoral duties
at Crooked Creek in 1986 and preached his first sermon
as her pastor on May 11.  Four weeks later, Jeanie
Denise Dalton became the first of many people baptized
under Rev. Miles' ministry at Crooked Creek.  One week
later two more were baptized; one of them was Rev.
Miles' own daughter, Casey.

As his ministry at Crooked Creek began, Rev. Miles
faced the challenge of rebuilding what had once been a
thriving congregation.  Many in the community felt the
church was beyond help, but as He had so many times in
the past, God showed His power and proved that He was
not done with Crooked Creek Baptist Church.

Membership grew, a number of lost people accepted
Christ, and some of the key members who had left the
church returned.  In a short time, it became apparent
that Crooked Creek needed to expand its facility,
particularly for Sunday School purposes.  In January of
1990 a group of 13 men met at the home of Doug Duke to
discuss goals for the church.  Among the items
discussed were land, hymn books, a sound system, a
music director, a youth director, and church
facilities. After much discussion, the group drove to
the church and prayed for guidance.

Not long after that meeting, a sound system was
purchased and the positions of youth director and music
director were filled.  God was answering the prayers of
His children, including their concerns about expansion.

The decision was made to add a Sunday School and
fellowship wing to the existing church structure.
Church members felt led of God to trust Him for
financing the massive project instead of borrowing
money.  One estimate for the cost of construction came
in around $700,000, but God's people at Crooked Creek
remained faithful to His leading.  Ground was finally
broken for the addition on April 11, 1993. Much of the
work was done by church members, and God miraculously
filled each need as it arose.  When the addition was
finally completed, the total cost of the project came
in well under $300,000, and no debt had been incurred. 
More importantly, the faithfulness of God to the people
of Crooked Creek during construction strengthened the
faith of the congregation and led to great spiritual
growth.  The church would need that stronger faith in
the coming years.

Children have always played a vital role in the
ministry of Crooked Creek Baptist Church.  As shown
earlier, records indicate that there may have been more
children in the church at its founding than adults.
Though society has changed and most families no longer
have many children, the church has returned to its
roots in this area.  In contrast to popular culture,
Crooked Creek stands firmly in defense of life, and
large families are now the norm in the church rather
than the exception.  For years, Crooked Creek has
nearly always had several ladies with child at once.
As Our Lord states in His word, "children are an
heritage of the Lord". 

In the closing years of the 20th century, Crooked Creek
families endured a trial of their faith like none that
had been seen for decades, at least.  Literally dozens
of unborn children were lost to miscarriage or
stillbirth over a period of two or three years, and few
families in the church were unaffected.  After several
months of agonizing over the losses, church members
gathered to pray in earnest over seven mothers who were
pregnant at the time and to seek God's guidance.
Though there have been some losses since that time, the
period of sorrow ended when all seven of those mothers
gave birth to healthy children. 

As yet, God has given no reason why He allowed the
church to endure this trial, but He has proven Himself
faithful to the body at Crooked Creek for 200 years,
and His ways are always just and right\ even when we do
not understand.  Almost without exception, the mothers
and fathers who lost children during this time have
testified of their conviction that God is Sovereign and
that even this trial was "for good to them that love
the Lord, who are the called according to His purpose".

After 200 years, Crooked Creek stands firmly on the
same rock of the Gospel on which our founders stood in
1803.  The church currently supports dozens of
missionaries, mission boards, and ministries, giving
nearly $50,000 to missions in 2002.  The annual
Missions Conference is one of the highlights of the
year, as is Vacation Bible School.  Most of the
families in the church have chosen home schooling or
private Christian schooling for their children's
education, and those who are in public schools are not
shy about their faith.  The focus of the church
continues to be on reaching lost souls with the Gospel
of Jesus Christ and on raising Godly children to carry
that same Gospel to future generations. 

As we look ahead to the return of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Baptist Church of Jesus Christ at Crooked
Creek anticipates with great joy the place of our
church in His plan for the future, both here and in
Heaven.  May future generations of her people remain
steadfast to this rock of the Gospel: that Jesus died,
was buried, and rose again for the redemption of
mankind.

May God bless and keep you all in His grace.