Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Shiloh Baptist Church 1970's ************************************************ 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: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:19 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY Shiloh Baptist Church Part I As we have already seen, Jasper County was first created as Randolph County in 1807. In 1812 the name was changed to Jasper when the early citizens disagreed with Representative Randolph over his stand in the War of 1812. Before 1807 the lands we know as Jasper County today were a part of Baldwin County and a few hardy souls had begun to penetrate into the southern and eastern sections of the future county as early as 1803. In 1807 and 1808 land in the county was divided out to the settlers by lottery. At this time, the lands along the Little River were a part of the new county. The most sought after lands were along Little River and Murder Creek. Many of those getting land along these two waterways and their tributaries were veterans of the Revolution. The routes followed by these early settlers were chiefly out of southern Virginia, North and South Carolina by way of Edgefield, Aiken, Chester and Fairfield counties thru Wilkes, Green and Hancock counties into Putnam, Morgan, Jasper, Newton and Walton counties. According to an earlier church history, written about 1911, a Primitive Baptist Church called Hephzibah was organized in 1808 and used as a meeting house near Farrar, Georgia. This church struggled along for a number of years in a pioneer land gradually weakening until there were only four or five members, services were finally discontinued and the meeting house was used as a workshop. About the same time, the early 19th century, another church was organized on the Little River in what is now Morgan County. This church also had a few good years but it also began to weaken and was on the verge of extinction when its members under the leadership of Rev. T. U. Wilkes joined Hephzibah in a protracted meeting. A Great revival resulted in which many souls were saved, the church was reorganized and named Shiloh. After four or five years the church was moved to Morgan County. The exact time of the revival is uncertain as no dates are given in the earlier church history, but must have been before 1837, as the Rev. Wilkes preached the introductory sermon at the organizational meeting of the Central Association in 1837. He was clerk of the association from 1844 to 1847 and again in 1850. Sometime during the late 1840's and early 1850's the section between Murder Creek and the Little River passed to Morgan and Newton counties. Sometime later about the 1800's about half of the area was returned to Jasper County. Therefore a researchers looking into this area must research records in our neighboring counties, as well as Central Association Records. One excellent source is the records at Powelton in Hancock County. The earliest written records at Shiloh date from 1871. The earlier records have been lost or destroyed. A memoriam written for Mr. J.E. Spears, at his death in 1892, stated that he joined the church in 1845 and was baptized by Rev. T. U. Wilkes. The church record begins with the minutes of the church conference on May 20, 1871 and is rather complete to the present. In those days conference was held on Saturday afternoon, every church member was required to attend and if he or she was absent for as many as three conferences a committee was appointed to inquire into the reasons for his or her long absence. A footnote to the minutes of July 15, 1871, read, "The Deacons report a compromise in favor of the church and two acres of land secured around the church and recorded in deed from the Executors of the estate of Issac S. Walton to A.C. Foster, acting for the church, reserved two acres and the church to Shiloh as long as used for church purposes. This site is on the E. L. Johnston property and is thought that the church building stood on the left of the highway from Broughton to Pennington about half a mile from the Wilson Broach house. ON OCTOBER 25, 1879, is was decided to move the church as soon as convenient, and in May 1883 it was decided the move to be near Brother Dixons. A deed made on July 23, 1883 and recorded in Book 1, Page 531 in the clerk's office in Jasper County conveys a certain plot of land from T. P. Doster to the deacons and clerk of Shiloh Church. This is the site where the church is today. SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH PART II THE PRESENT Shiloh Church was constructed in 1907 and dedicated, the second Sunday in June, 1911. Three men were said to have been principally responsible for its construction as the building committee. They were W. Carroll Starr, Tommy Lee Wagner and Lee Perry Bryant. “Timbers were brought from the old church in Morgan County.” It’s value as recorded in a letter to the Central Association was $1,242. Before going on to the modern times of the church let us look back into the early minutes. From them we can get a view of rural churches throughout the South. After the Civil War living conditions were difficult, conditions bordering on famine were common, and bankruptcies were numerous. The church also experience considerable financial difficulties during these times. It had been handed down by word of mouth that one pastor was paid a jug of molasses for a year’s service. The minutes show other occasions and difficulties. One year the $24 needed to repair the floor and walls of the church seemed an almost impossible amount. In the late ‘90’s the pastor’s salary, $50 to $75 a year seemed almost impossible. Once when the church was two years behind, the pastor showed his faith in the members by accepting the call of the church for another year, “provided the church did its duty by him”. Assessments were made on both male and female members to pay the pastor, but times got better and the church survived. The minutes reveal other happenings that were not of a financial nature, such as entertaining the Central Association in 1873, barn-dancing among church members in 1875; in 1888 permission was given to Judge A. S. Thurman and Walter Hill to open a school at the church; in 1889 Shiloh Academy was founded with the church officers as trustees the same year a tract of land was purchased from T. P. Doster for the school. In 1885 a Sunday School was founded with J. W. Wagner as superintendent. In 1912 the Women’s Missionary Union was organized and during the war years (1917) the church experience a period of growth and prosperity. At this time the church began two services a month and the pastor’s salary was raised to $800.00. In 1920 additional Sunday School rooms were added. This period of prosperity came to a sudden end with decline in cotton prices and the advent of the boll weevil, the worst year being 1922. In 1923, the pastor’s salary was reduced to $20.00 a month. A Baptist Young People’s Union (BYPU) was formed in 1921, giving valuable training in their responsibilities as church members to the youth. In 1946 it was reorganized as the BTU and at least one member, Rev. Wayman C. Reece credits BYPU as being very influential in his decision to enter the ministry. In 1947 the church went back to two services a month and in 1950 formed a field with the Mansfield Church. Together with that church a pastorium was purchased in Mansfield. Since it’s founding the church had had 42 pastors. During World War II, Mercer University furnished divinity students to serve as interim pastors. Among the pastors are those who are especially remembered: The Rev. A. M. Marshall who served the longest; the Rev. J. J. Winburn who served the church twice; the Rev. Winburn and his son the Rev. Billy Winburn are the only father/son pastors; the Dr. Scott Patterson, Rev. C. E. Evans, missionary to Kenya and East Africa. The Rev. D. L. Knight, pastor in 1962 died while pastor and Rev. James Herring who was ordained to the ministry in the church in 1974. In 1964 a lot was given for the building of a pastorium by Mr. T. H. Blackwell who had served the church on the board of Deacons for over 50 years. The new pastorium was dedicated on Jan. 31, 1965. In 1975, a special program and night was held for the retirement of Mrs. George Spearman after 40 years as treasurer of the church. The present membership of 137 residents, 87 non-residents for a total of 224 members. Sunday School membership is 135. Other activities of the church are WMU, Mrs. Ralph Johnston, president; adult, young people and children’s choirs, with Mrs. Martha Melton, director. Sources: History of Shiloh Baptist Church, 1805-1958, William Wagner Mrs. Sam Dykes Mrs. George Spearman A special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wagner who suggested sources and people to talk to. Note: Mrs. Dykes who was so nice about telling us about the church and its history died before this article was ready for print. She was very interested in the history of Shiloh Church as members of her family had been charter members. We hope this will be the sort of article she would have wanted. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw201bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 10.0 Kb