Dodge County GaArchives Church Records.....History of Eastman Christian Church
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 December 28, 2004, 12:13 pm

THE EASTMAN CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

  IN 1885 Mrs. Miller, mother of Messrs. Tom and Len Miller, former residents of
this city, wrote and asked the Rev. Mr. Billingsly, of Griffin, to come down and
preach for the few Christians here* He came and arrangements were made to hold
the services in the Methodist Church. Large and attentive audiences, composed of
Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and the few scattered Christians, were had
at each service. The Whiddon family, the Deffinalls, the Millers, the Murrells,
and Mrs. J. F. Powell were the first ones to confess faith and join the
Christian Church. Mr. Billingsly was young and impulsive and got impatient that
not more were being converted. In one of his sermons he preached against infant
baptism, which offended the Methodists. Old Brother Skelton, one of the Stewards
of the Methodist Church, arose and stated that the church was closed to any more
of the services, whereupon Dr. P. A. Jessup of the Baptist Church arose and
extended them an invitation to continue their services in the Baptist Church.
The offer was accepted, and next day services began in the Baptist Church, Mr.
J. M. Arthur and another family uniting that day. In another day or two Mr. H.
J. Sapp and family joined; revival was fast getting under way when the preacher
preached against close communion. This offended the Baptists, so it was again
time to move. A Mr. Williams, who had gotten interested in the revival, invited
them to Orphans Church, about three miles from Eastman, which was then a Baptist
Church. This offer was accepted, and so successful was the meeting that the
church came into the Christian faith, and those that remained true to the
Baptist faith drew out and built Zebulon Baptist Church.

  In 1887 the present building was begun with a few working, some giving kegs of
nails, and others giving lumber. Mr. Colcord gave some lumber, and with other
help the building was completed. Rev. Tom Harris was the first pastor of the new
church, and later his son, Tom, became the pastor.

  The following were members of the church when it. was built:

  Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Sapp, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Murrell, Mr. and Mrs. Whiddon, J.
M. Arthur, Dr. J. M. Buchan, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Deffinall, Dr. and Mrs. Jeff
Buchan, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Luther Hall and family.

  The present members are:

  Mrs. A. G. Williamson, Mr. W. J. Deffinall, Mrs. Alice Buchan, Hubert Buchan,
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Cannon, Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. M. P.
Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Cooper, Mrs. J. S. Cooper, Herbert Cooper, Ernest
Cooper, Annette Phillips, Pearl Buchan, Ruth Coleman, Sara Lou Coleman, Dorothy
Coleman, Mrs. Henry Burch, Mildred Burch, Mrs. Enuo-gene Manley, Mrs. Menzo
Thompson, Mrs. Jim Harrell, Mrs. A. J. Wrye, Virgie Wrye, A. J. Wrye, Jr.,
Jeanet Wade, Mrs. M. A. Waldron, Mrs. Joe Rowland, Mrs. R. L. Revels, Mrs.
Jessie Fuqua, Mrs. C. Coffee, Miss Mary Ida Sapp, Mrs. Everette Pickette.

The pastors who have served this church are:

  Mr. Jackson, Mr. Davis, Dr. Brince, Mr. Oliver, Mr. E. L. Shelnutt, Mr. Bragg
Mr. Mays, Mr. J. H. Wood, Mr. Blalock, Mr. C. K. Marshall, Mr. Wal-lons, Mr. S.
P. Speigle, Mr. P. H. Mears, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Edmondson, Mr. Mason, Mr. Curtis, Mr.
Perdue at three different times, Mr. Autry, Mr. Snow, Mr. Creedle, Mr. Sweatman,
Mr. Crocker, Mr. Sipple, and Mr. F. L. Adams, who has served three different
times, and who is the present pastor.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY
OF
DODGE COUNTY

COPYRIGHT    1932
By MRS. WILTON PHILIP COBB

Printed by
FOOTE & DAVIES CO., ATLANTA.



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