Clay-Early County GaArchives Church Records.....Bluffton 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, 10:34 am 1869 BLUFFTON BAPTIST CHURCH 1932 The Bluffton Baptist Church was organized about the year 1869. The charter members were C. B. Holmes, W. P. McArthur, William Grace, G. W. Collins, Guss Ingram, and some others whose names we are now unable to furnish. At that time Bluffton was in Early County Rev. J. S. Parker was the first pastor of this church and assisted in the organization of the church. W. W. Grace was its clerk and his post office was Fort Gaines. C. B. Holmes and W. P. McArthur were the delegates to the Association when the church joined the Association, the Association that year convening with Salem Baptist Church, Calhoun County Georgia. At the time of its connection with the Association it had only twenty one members. It received that year by baptism six and by letter eight and dismissed one by letter. PASTORS Brother J. S. Parker served as pastor of the Bluffton church from its organization in 1869 to 1875; Brother L. R. Sims from 1876 to 1877; Brother J. A. Mundy 1877; W. H. Norton 1879, 1880; J. S. Parker 1881; W. L. Curry 1882, 1883 and 1884; Thoomas Muse 1885, 1886; R. B. Taylor 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892; J. S. Knowles 1893; J. L. Underwood 1894, 1895, 1896; J. I. D. Miller 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902; J. e. Dykes 1903; B. W. Davis 1904; J. W. Martin 1905, 1906, 1907; J. I. D. Miller 1908, 1909, 1910; W. L. Culbertson 1911, 1912, 1913; T. M. Thomas 1914, T. M. Thomas 1915, 1916; H. M. Melton 1917-1929; William T. Bodenhamer 1930; 1931 no pastor. The present membership is 110. Pastor's salary is $400.00. Total local expenses for 1931 were $525.33, gifts for missions, etc. $118.96; value of property $2000.00 The church house is where it was first erected, near the bluff on the west side of town. The Bethel Association met with the Bluffton Church in 1900 and again in 1921. In the summer of 1923 there was organized in the Bethel Association an Associational Encampment, which was projected by the Executive Committee and operated by the W.M.U., B.Y.P.U., and Sunday School Convention. The pastor of the Bluffton Church, Brother H. M. Melton was put at the head of tis Encampment and through his efforts and the cooperation of the churches over two hundred young people engaged in the regular class work of the Encampment the first year. This Encampment was made an annual affair and met during July of each year up until the year 1932, with the Bluffton Church. The Bluffton people cooperated beautifully in the entertainment of this Encampment. The B.Y.P.U. work was organized in the Bluffton Baptist Church in 1918 and has been maintained since that time. A Sunday School has been maintained by the Bluffton Church continuously since its organization. Brother John Mansfield has been superintendent of the Sunday School for about thirty five or forty years. (page 144-145) "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 Complied and Edited by Alexander Lee Miller Moderator of Association 1909 -- 1934 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/clay/churches/nbb18bluffton.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb