Randolph County GaArchives Church Records.....Enon 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, 10:15 am 1842 ENON BAPTIST CHURCH 1932 Enon, one of the oldest churches in the Bethel Association, was first organized about one hundred yards from the east bank of Pataula Creek eight miles from Hatcher, Georgia. Few written records have been preserved, but as can be best determined, it was organized in about 1842. Fifty years ago, only the foundation logs were left of the original church, and now there is no sign of the place where the church first stood. Mr. J. H. Hatcher, doubtlessly, was the first clerk of the church, although the records do not say who the first clerk was. It was organized with a membership of about thirty, some of the first members being Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hatcher, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Methvin, and a Mr. and Mrs. Neel. For some reason, possibly on account of high water from Pataula covering the churchyard, the church was moved to the opposite side of the creek, about four hundred yards from the first location. Just what year it was moved cannot be determined. Quite different from other country churches, the dead were never buried at Enon churchyard, except in two cases. A Mr. Lanier died while visiting in the community and was buried on the churchyard of the second site. Also a Miss Neel, daughter of the Mr. and Mrs. Neel, charter members, was buried there. An iron picket fence was placed around the grave, and today is in a good state of preservation. A Southern Pine, possibly fourteen inches in diameter, now stands at the head of the grave, nature's own tombstone for this deceased member. The grave of Mr. Lanier was never marked. Just before the war, apparently during the year 1857, Enon was moved to its present site, and the old church and cemetery was turned over to the negroes. They have used the cemetery as their burial ground since that time, and there are possibly two hundred negro graves on it now. They named their church Mount Zion. This new church building was very crude and was afterwards rebuilt. It must have been about this time that Midway was formed as an arm of Enon, some of the members not wanting to come to the new site. The church now stands on the same side of Pataula as that of the second site, about a mile from the creek, and ten miles from its first site. It is about two miles north and slightly east of Hatcher, Georgia along Highway No. 50. As is brought out in the following poem written by Miss Sallie T. Neel, daughter of two of the church's early workers, its old members loved Pataula and always built near its banks. PATAULA Pataula, Oh dear Pataula I love thee yet too true, To leave they banks and wander In climes I never knew. "Twas on the banks of Pataula The first sweet breath I drew; "Twas on the banks of Pataula I first beheld the red rose blushing hue. 'Tis on the bank of Pataula I've seen little flowers many, Woodbine strong and green bur keed Willow Herb, with sweet bay seed. 'Twas on the bank of Pataula I learned the A.B.C. On the bank of Pataula I heard first a voice of laughter, a voice of glee. 'Twas on the bank of Pataula That I learned to lisp 'Twas on the bank of Pataula I first loved the will-o-the-wisp. 'Twas on the bank of Pataula The last of loved ones lie On the bank of Pataula Dear Friends, please lay me when I die. Adieu, Adieu! To Pataula, I must leave they bank now Wherever I go, my love for Pataula Will be ever fresh as now. The present church-site coves about four acres of land, a conservative valuation of which is $100. The Church building is in a fair state of preservation, but needs painting very badly. A conservative valuation of the building and equipment would be $700.00 making the total value of the property $800.00. It is bounded on three sides by land owned by Dean and Moore, and on the front by Highway No. 50 as has already been stated. The records do not show just who the first Pastor was, but according to legend, Rev. J. O. Cumbie was the first to preach at Enon, the organizing pastor. He served as pastor until 1856. The church never sent out but one preacher. R. E. Balkcom was licensed by Enon to preach in 1895. While a student preparatory for the work for which he had been called, he died and was buried at what is known as Old Pataula burial ground about one mile west of the present site of Enon. The minutes of the Bethel Association do not state when the church connected with the Association. Its first appearance in the minutes was at the twelfth annual session of the Association held with Friendship Church, Sumter County, Georgia, on November first through the fourth, 1844. J. H. Hatcher and William Ross were the delegates that year to the Association. Apparently, as has already been mentioned, J. H. Hatcher was clerk at this time. In 1845 the minutes show that R. Thornton and T. Pierce were the delegates that year to the Association, and that the church baptized one, received five by letter, and had a total membership of fifty, with contributions of $16.50. It held its meetings on the first Sunday in each month. The same delegates appeared in 1846 and 1847. Just what the church accomplished those years was not shown. Beginning in 1848 a fairly complete record now exists as to the offices and how many members were added each year. The Bethel Association met with Enon in 1877, the year that a committee was appointed to stake off a site for the new church the site on which the church now stands. The delegates to the Convention that year were Mr. W. B. McLendon, J. E. Smith, and J. H. Callaway. This is the only time as can be determined that the Association met with Enon. The committee which staked off the present site was composed of the following: W. B. McLendon, W. J. C. Harrell, and J. L. Roberts. Also during that year a finance committee was appointed to solicit funds with which to build the new church. This committee went to work and after the time for the committee to give its report had been put off several times, the committee reported that enough money had been subscribed to start with the building. The records of Enon have not been well kept, but following is a summary of what the church accomplished each year as shown by the minutes of the Bethel Association: Year Pastor Clerk Bapt. - Letter - Total Membership 1848 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 0 14 46 1849 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 0 2 44 1850 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 18 6 62 1851 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 1 2 50 1852 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 30 18 95 1853 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 0 0 0 1854 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 3 1 81 1855 J.O. Cumbie - J.E.J. Smith 9 1 88 1856 W.L. Crawford - J.E.J. Smith 2 3 98 1857 W.L. Crawford - J.E.J. Smith 2 3 92 1858 W.L. Crawford - J.E.J. Smith 0 1 56 1859 - Joel E. Smith 0 0 62 1860 W.L. Crawford - Joel E. Smith 8 5 58 1861 - Joel E. Smith 0 1 54 1862 W.L. Crawford - Joel E. Smith 12 4 47 1863 W.L. Crawford - Joel E. Smith 0 2 58 1864 T. Muse - E. J. Moore 8 4 45 1865 T. Muse - E. J. Moore 39 8 97 1866 T. Muse - E.J. Moore 10 3 99 1867 T. Muse - J.S. Oliver 8 7 105 1868 T. Muse - J.S. Oliver 6 7 102 1869 T. Muse - J.S. Oliver 5 3 101 1870 T. Muse - J.S. Oliver 9 1 112 1871 T. Muse - J.S. Oliver 9 6 124 1872 T. Muse - W.F. Castellow 15 4 142 1873 T. Muse - W.F. Castellow 15 4 142 1874 T. Muse - W.F. Castellow 3 5 134 1875 T. Muse - W.F. Castellow 6 5 140 1876 T. Muse - A.H. Teel 15 12 168 1877 T. Muse - A.H. Teel 7 4 165 1878 W.H. Patterson - A.H. Teel 4 2 146 1879 W.H. Patterson - A.H. Teel 0 0 --- 1880 W.H. Patterson - A.H. Teel 10 3 150 1881 W.H. Patterson - A.H. Teel 29 3 168 1882 W.H. Patterson - A.H. Teel 2 7 167 1883 W.H. Patterson - A.H. Teel 4 1 155 1884 H.L. Crumbley - I.L. Balkcom 0 0 99 1885 T.H. Stout - I.L. Balkcom 16 17 118 1886 T.H. Stout - I.L. Balkcom 13 3 127 1887 T.H. Stout - I.L. Balkcom 20 10 154 1888 T.H. Stout - I.L. Balkcom 11 7 162 1889 T.H. Stout - I.L. Balkcom 7 2 161 1890 J.G. Corley - I.L. Balkcom 0 8 161 1891 J.G. Corley - I.L. Balkcom 10 2 142 1892 J.G. Corley - I.L. Balkcom 15 3 148 1893 J.G. Corley - I.L. Balkcom 8 1 130 1894 No reports - I.L. Balkcom No report 1895 J.G. Corley - I.L. Balkcom 1896 J.G. Corley - I.L. Balkcom 1897 Wm. H. Norton - I.L. Balkcom 11 0 103 1898 J.S. Knowles - I.L. Balkcom 1 0 92 1899 No Minutes 1900 J.S. Knowles - J.C. Moore 5 2 75 1901 J.W. Newsome - J.C. Moore 4 2 82 1902 J.W. Newsome - J.C. Moore 5 1 77 1903 J.W. Newsome - J.C. Moore 2 0 87 1904 W.H. Simmons - H.S. Roberts 0 0 80 1905 W.H. Simmons - J.F. Castellow 1 3 84 1906 J.E. White - J. F. Castellow 8 6 1907 No Pastor named - J.F. Castellow 0 2 87 1908 Inactive to 1912 1913 J.C. Daniels - J.P. Surles 0 3 55 1914 No Minutes 1915 No Minutes 1916 to 1925 Inactive 1926 H.L. Crumbley - W.H. Gorsuch - - 50 1927 H.L. Crumbley - W.H. Gorsuch - - 30 1928 H.L. Crumbley - Julian Moore - - 39 1929 H.L. Crumbley - Julian Moore - - 18 1930 and 1931 Inactive During the year 1884 dissension arose among some of the members. Deeming it not best to keep trying to carry on without harmony, a part of the members withdrew and formed what is now known as Midway Church. As has already been stated, Midway was first organized just before the war between the states, when the church was moved to its present site, and had been operating as an arm of Enon. But when this dissension arose, it withdrew and became a separate and independent church. Also Liberty was similarly formed about this time. As can best be determined, there are eighteen members of Enon still living near enough to attend services should the church ever be revived again. They are as follows: W. B. Hart, H. W. Hart, J. T. Hart, Amos Hart, Miss Lila K. Hart, Miss Sallie Hart, Miss Carrie Hart, Miss Bell Hart, Mrs. Dora Hammonds, Miss Ethe Ogletree, William Agletree, Miss Mable Ogletree, Mrs. Mattie Lasseter, Mrs. Phennie Lee, Mrs. Viola Guerry, J. C. Moore, Julian Moore, and Miss Viola Moore. Just as the old fall by the wayside, allowing the new to take its place, Enon is very inactive, these members attending other churches. This is but an example of what is happening to many of our oldest and once strongest churches, the backbone of our ancestors. Should these old churches be allowed to disband and the buildings crumble to earth again as its deceased members? In closing let us say, "God send a great revival and teach us to reverence, love, and respect what the efforts of our ancestors have accomplished for us." (pages 188 - 192) "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/randolph/churches/nbb13enonbapt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 15.1 Kb