MONROE COUNTY, GA - CHURCHES Flint River Baptist Association Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: John Adams traceradams@cox.net This was printed in Taylor County Tracer Vol 7 #11, November 2002 - the publication of the Taylor County Historical-Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.com/~gataylor/tchgs/tchgs1.htm FLINT RIVER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION The tenth association to be constituted in Georgia was the Flint River Association, which was organized at Rocky Creek Church in Monroe County, eight miles southwest of Forsyth on October 16, 1824. The Presbytery was composed of brethren appointed by the Ocmulgee and Ebenezer Associations. From the Ocmulgee: Edmond Talbot, Jonathan Nickols, David Montgomery, Joshua Callaway and John Milner. From the Ebenezer: Vincent A. Tharpe and Theophilas Pierce. Fourteen churches from the Ocmulgee and six newly constituted churches were the charter churches. The General Association (Georgia Baptist Convention) had been organized in 1822. The Flint River flatly refused to correspond with the General Association and other missionary associations for nearly 20 years. The minutes of the Flint River Association often carried queries about missions and no doubt there were strong feelings on both sides. We will present more on this with the Baptist split of the late 1830's. We publish here some of the information from the Minutes of the first Flint River Association. We believe that this information has both a genealogical and a historical value to our readers. Religion paid a very important part in the lives of our early ancestors. It is very obvious that one of their highest priorities was the establishment of a house of worship. The first community, in what is now Crawford County Georgia, to establish a church was at Society Hill in 1815, seven years before the creation of Crawford County by an act of the Georgia Legislature on December 9, 1822. Crawford County was formed from the northern part of Houston Co., Ga. We have featured some of Crawford County in this issue of the TRACER (Nov 2002) as well as Mt. Paron Primitive Baptist Church which was constituted on September 6, 1824 just two years after the creation of Crawford County.. Mt. Paron Church was one of the 6 newly constituted churches in the organization of the Flint River Baptist Association. We have reproduced a membership list taken from the minutes of the church. We are only publishing the members from the first book which covers from September 6, 1824 to December, 1910. Church Minutes are a very valuable resource in tracing your family. Many times death dates are provided in the minutes. Also one very valuable bit of information is when they joined the church. Sometimes when they joined by letter the minutes will reflect from which church they were transferring their membership. When members left the church by letter is a very good indicator of when they moved from the area. THE FLINT RIVER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION CONVENED AT ROCKY CREEK MEETING HOUSE MONROE COUNTY, GEORGIA FROM The 16th to the 18th of October 1824 1. Whereas a number of Churches (from the Ocmulgee and Ebenezer Associations) met in order to be constituted into an Association. The meeting being opened by a sermon of Brother Edmond Talbot, from Isaiah 32nd Chapter and 1st Verse, "Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and Princes shall rule in judgment." Brother Edmond Talbot sat as Moderator pro tem. 2. The presbytery present were - From the Ocmulgee Association, Edmond Talbot, Jonathan Nichols and David Montgomery, who called to their assistance Joshua S. Callaway and John Milner, Shackleford and John Hambrick having failed; and from the Ebenezer Association, Vincent A. Tharp and Theophilas Pierce. Read letters from fourteen churches. Brother Edmond Talbot read the Constitution which was received by this body, and the right hand of fellowship given by the Presbytery to the members delegated by their respective Churches. Brother Edmond Talbot made an appropriate prayer, and brother Vincent A. Tharp delivered a short charge. 3. The Association went into the election of Moderator and Clerk, and chose Brother Robert McGinty, Moderator, and Brother Robert Kelton, Clerk. 4. Read and adopted Rules of Decorum. 5. Invited ministering brethren, not messengers, to a seat in the association. 6. The following newly constituted churches petitioned by their delegates for admission into the association, viz.: Whatley's Meeting House, Monroe County; Shiloh, Bibb County; Mount Paron, Crawford County; Paron, Monroe County; Sandy Creek, Monroe County; Hunting Shoals, Monroe County; -- which were cordially received, and the right hand of fellowship given their delegates by the Moderator. 7. Appointed a committee of three, viz.: John Blackstone, Lamar and Courson, to join with three members of Rocky Creek Church, to arrange the preaching from day to day during the association. 8. Agreed to correspond with the following Associations, viz.: Ocmulgee, Ebenezer, Yellow River, and Piedmont; appointed Brother Lamar to write to the Ocmulgee, and Brethren McGinty and Lamar delegates; to the Ebenezer, Brother John Courson to write the letter, and Brethren John Blackstone and Eden Taylor delegates; to the Yellow River, Brother Littleberry Gresham to write the letter and Brethren Nipper Adams and Chipman delegates; to the Piedmont, Brother Moses D. White to write the letter, and Brethren John Blackstone and Eden Taylor delegates. 9. Adjourned until Monday morning, 9 o'clock. 10. Monday, Morning, 9 o'clock -- The Association formed with devotion, the corresponding letters read and approved. Appointed the next Association at Mount Pisgah, near Mims Mills, Monroe County, on Saturday before the third Sunday in October next; Brother John Blackstone to prepare a Circular Address, Brother Robert McGinty to preach the introductory sermon and Brother Eden Taylor in case of failure. 11. Appointed General Meetings as follows, viz.: At White Water, Fayette County on Friday before the last Sunday in May next. At Bethlehem in Pike County, on Friday before the last Sunday in March next. At Shiloh, Bibb County on Friday before the fourth Sunday in January next. At Holly Grove on Friday before the fourth Sunday in July next. 12. Resolved, that no Church shall be considered regularly constituted, Preachers or Deacons ordained, within the bounds of this Association in future, without two ordained preachers, and that by Church authority. 13. Resolved, That our minutes be printed, and that the Clerk prepare a Circular address to be attached to these minutes, and that he is at liberty to call on help to prepare the same. 14. Resolved, that we will unite with Sister Association Ebenezer in setting apart the Friday before the first Sunday in January next, as a day of Prayer and Fasting. 15. Directed that the Clerk superintend the printing of 800 copies of these Minutes and distribute them in any manner he may deem best calculated for the early reception of them in the respective churches. Major Joel Baily contributed five dollars for the benefit of the Association, Brother Pitt Milner contributed three dollars in like manner. Agreed that the Clerk be allowed fifteen dollars as a compensation for his services. Preaching arrangements were as follows, viz.: On Sunday, commencing at 10 o 'clock, by Brother Joshua S. Callaway and followed by Jonathan Nichols and Vincent A. Tharp. On Monday Brethren Theophilas Pierce, David Montgomery and John Blackstone, in the order of their names, to an attentive congregation and some warm exhortations were given by different Brethren, attended with apparent good effect. AN ABSTRACT OF PRINCIPLES Held by the Baptist in general, agreeable to the confession of faith adopted by upwards of one hundred congregations in England, published in Philadelphia in 1742, which is a Standard for the Baptist. 1. We believe in one only true and living God, and that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 2. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice. 3. We believe in the doctrine of eternal and particular election. 4. We believe in the doctrine of original sin. 5. We believe in man's impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature, by his own free will ability. 6. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ. 7. We believe that God's Elect shall be called regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 8. We believe that the saints shall persevere in grace, and never finally fall away. 9. We believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances, and we believe that the true mode of baptism is by immersion. 10. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, and a general judgment. 11. We believe the punishment of the wicked will be everlasting, and the joys of righteous will be eternal. 12. We believe that no ministers have a right to administration of the ordinances, only such as are regularly called and come under imposition of hands by the presbytery. The Plan or Constitution of the Baptist Associations or The Substance thereof. From a long series of experience, we the Churches of Jesus Christ being regularly baptized upon profession of our faith in Christ, and being regularly dismissed from the Ocmulgee and Ebenezer Associations, are convinced of the necessity of a combining of Churches, in order to perpetuate a union and communion amongst us and preserve and maintain a correspondence with each other in our union. We therefore propose to maintain and keep up the order and rules of an association, according to the following plan or form of Government. 1. The Association shall be composed of members chosen by the different Churches in our union and duly sent to represent them in the Association, who shall be members, whom they judge best qualified for that purpose and producing letters from their respective Churches certifying their appointments, shall be entitled to a seat. 2. In the letters from the different Churches shall be expressed, their members in full fellowship, those baptized, received by letter, dismissed, excommunicated, and dead, since the last Association. 3. The members thus chosen and convened, shall be denominated, the Flint River Association. 4. This Association shall have no power to lord it over God's heritage, nor by which they can infringe upon the internal rights of the Churches. 5. The Association shall have a Moderator and Clerk, who shall be chosen by the members present, who shall be of the body, and who shall hold their offices until a re-election. 6. If new churches desire to be admitted into this Union they shall petition by letter and delegates, and upon examination, if found orthodox and orderly, shall be received by the Association, and manifested by the Moderator's giving the delegates the right hand of fellowship. 7. No church in the Union shall have more than two delegates until they shall exceed one hundred members, and then they shall have a right to an additional delegate for every fifty after the first hundred. 8. Every query sent to the association by any church in the union, shall be read and put to vote by the Moderator, whether it shall be debated or not, and if there be a majority for, it shall be taken up and investigated, but if not, it shall be withdrawn; provided always, that those be first considered which effect the union of churches. 9. Every motion made and seconded, shall come under the observation of the Association, except it be withdrawn by the member who made it. 10. Every person who speaks in debate shall rise from his seat and address the Moderator, and shall not be interrupted while speaking, except he depart from the subject. 11. No person shall speak more than three times to the same subject, without leave of the Association. 12. No member of the Association shall have liberty of laughing during the sitting of the same, nor whispering in the time of a public speech, nor cast reflections on the speaker: he shall strictly adhere to the subject, and in no wise cast reflections on the person who spoke before, so as to make remarks on his imperfections, but shall fairly state the case and matter as nearly as he can, so as to convey his light or ideas. 13. No person shall abruptly break off or absent himself from the Association without leave from it. 14. The several names of the members of the Association shall be enrolled by the Clerk, and called over as often as the Association may require. 15. The Moderator shall be entitled to the same privilege of speech as another member, provided the chair be filled, and he shall have no vote except the Association be equally divided. 16. It shall be the duty of the Clerk, to keep a regular record of the proceedings of the Association. 17. The Minutes of the Association shall be read, and signed by the Moderator and Clerk before the Association rises. 18. Amendments to this form of government may be made at any time by a majority of the union, when they may deem it necessary. 19. The Association shall have power to provide for - 1. The general union of the churches. 2. To preserve inviolable a chain of communion amongst the churches. 3. To give the churches all necessary advice in matters of difficulty. 4. To inquire into the cause why the churches fail to represent themselves at any time in the Association. 5. To correspond with other Associations. 6. The Association shall have power to exclude any church in this union, which shall violate the rules of this Association or deviate from the orthodox principles of religion. 7. To admit any of the distant brethren in the ministry as assistants, who may be present at the time of their sitting, whom they shall judge necessary. 8. The Association shall have power to adjourn themselves to any future time or place they may think most convenient to the churches in the union. 9. Any member who shall willingly and knowingly break any of these rules, shall be reproved by the Association as they shall think proper. The Association shall be opened and closed by prayer. Decorum: Editors note: A history of the Flint River Baptist Association, 1824 - 1974 by Harold Elston Graham, Sr. page 154 - "The Decorum above first appeared in the 1834 Minutes" (The Decorum as printed above was on page 154) "The present day Constitution and by-laws is an outgrowth of this instrument. The Decorum, Webster "Whatever is suitable or proper," was printed on page 5 & 6 of the 1824 Minutes of the Flint River Association, as The Plan or Constitution of the Baptist Associations or the substance thereof. FLINT RIVER ASSOCIATION BY DISTRICTS - 1825 AND CHURCHES BY COUNTIES FIRST DISTRICT - MONROE COUNTY Forsyth Hunting Shoal Smyrna Sandy Creek Mt. Pisgah Mt. Pleasant Holly Grove Rocky Creek Paron New Providence Whatley's Meeting House Towaliga SECOND DISTRICT - HENRY COUNTY Padanaram Ramah (McDonough) Beulah Whitewater Bethel Flint River Providence, Indian Creek Hopeful (Locust Grove) THIRD DISTRICT PIKE COUNTY UPSON COUNTY Bethlehem New Hope Armagh-Gideon Bethesda Sardis Ebenezer FOURTH DISTRICT CRAWFORD COUNTY BIBB COUNTY Mt. Paron Shiloh Sardis