Randolph County GaArchives Church Records.....Springvale 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, 2:05 pm SPRINGVALE BAPTIST CHURCH Known for many years as Old Bethel, was first "Bethel", a little log church near Pataula Creek, built on the Stevenson Place. The church was constituted in 1843, it seems, with 17 members. In 1845 Jas. Matthews was the pastor. It was represented at the Bethel Association by Jas. Matthews, Fain Eanon and Pippin as messengers. For twelve years the church with the same pastor and 21 members held monthly meetings. In 1847 Thos. Muse of Cuthbert, then a young preacher, held a weeks meeting with them; the following year John Rushing, pastor with W. B. Jones, Clerk. R. Gay, messenger contributed $1.25 for Indian Missions. In 1848 and 1849 Samuel Foster, John Mangham gave the Bethel Church 3 acres of ground on the Cuthbert and Eufaula Road on which to build a house of worship. James Bass was pastor five years with membership recorded as 42 whites and 2 blacks. T. Muse was chosen again as pastor in 1854, with A. S. Fellows church clerk. In 1857 Isaac Martin was pastor, and Newton McArthur was clerk for two years. J. O. Cumbie was then called as pastor and N. J. McArthur, Clerk. Rev. Cumbie was pastor or six years, L. A. Goneke, church clerk. These were hard trying years, the destructive years of war. 1865 was perhaps the most prosperous year ever experienced thus far in its history with J. Martin, pastor, G. W. Edwards, Clerk, Jefferson Edwards, Deacon, J. J. L. Calloway, a young, minister, asked to be ordained. After his ordination in 1866 he was called and served as pastor one year. The membership had grown quite large hence it was decided best to divide the church. The house was given the negro members to be removed and the new church built half a mile west in a beautiful spot donated by M. W. Adam Butler to be used strictly for church purposes, so the old church grounds are still the Springvale Cemetery. When the old church was moved and rebuilt by the negroes, the new one built near the village and each retained the name "Bethel". For twenty years the two churches were little more than a mile apart. The new church was dedicated by Rev. T. H. Stout, the pastor in 1870 who served several years with W. J. Morris, Clerk. J. C. Bass was pastor again in 1873 and 1874. In 1875 W. H. Martin, a very enthusiastic Sunday School worker, came. In 1876 the first Baptist Sunday School was organized in Bethel Church, while an interesting neighborhood Sunday School had for years met in the school house and taught the Bible Catechism. No Sunday School had ever been organized in the church. Jefferson Edwards was appointed Sunday School Superintendent. State Sunday School Evangelist, F. C. Boykin, conducted a few days meeting with great benefit to both church and Sunday School. E. H. Lee was the second superintendent. Soon thereafter E. H. Lee was chosen church clerk. 1878 began eighteen years of consecutive service keeping all records correctly and neatly. 1880, 1881, 1882, and 1883 W. H. Cooper was pastor, E. H. Lee, Clerk, L. C. Goneke, Sunday School Superintendent. The first W.M.S. was organized and a few faithful consecrated sisters labored patiently to build a strong society with little success. A Ladies Aid was organized, which also failed. Then a combined Missionary and Aid Society succeeded for a while but not in some years was there a W.M.U. The Bethel Association met with Bethel Church in 1884. W. H. Patterson, pastor, E. H. Lee, Clerk, W. B. McLendon, Wm. Cumbie, A. H. Teel, Deacons, W. P. Tarvis, Sunday School Superintendent were the officers of the church. A. J. Hillman and W. P. Tarvis were ordained as deacons in 1889. By request of Elim Church, E. A. Keese was ordained to the full work of the ministry by W. H. Patterson and W. L. Rogers in 1888. 1889 found Bethel Church very much agitated over the question as to whether it would be best to join the Summer Hill Association or remain in the Bethel. After many heated discussions it decided to remain. During the years 1891, 1892 and 1893 R. B. Taylor was pastor, and W. P. Tarvis, Sunday School Superintend. In 1893 the name of the church was changed from Bethel Church to Springvale Baptist Church. R. B. Taylor, Moderator and E. H. Lee, Clerk served in 1893. W. W. Arnold was pastor, E. H. Lee, Sunday School Superintendent in 1894 and 1895. J. L. Underwood was pastor and J. N. Massee was Sunday School Superintendent in 1897. Springvale Church entertained the Bethel Association in 1898. A new church organized at Morris drew heavily from Springvale, and a number of families withdrew. Three deacons, Wm. Cumbie, A. H. Teel, A. J. Hillman, also withdrew. The two former had at times been Sunday School Superintendents. Many times they had been messengers to the Association. J. W. Cumbie resigned after a short time as Clerk. H. C. Sparks was elected. 1900 and 1901 and 1902 B. Broom became pastor, H. C. Sparks, Clerk and A. H. Teel, Sunday School Superintendent. The deacons were Tarvis, Teel Cumbie and Hillman. The church decided to hold a two days meeting inviting W. D. Upshaw to conduct same. August 1901 the two days meeting resulted in a contribution to Mercer University of $123.50 1903 W. H. Simmons was pastor and T. M. Davis, Clerk. J. E. White became pastor at this church in 1905. T. M. Davis was clerk, J. N. Massee, Sunday School Superintendent, and deacons, T. M. Davis, J. M. Massee, and J. L. Eden was pastor in 1907, 1908 and 1909. During these years the church decided to sell the church building to the negroes. H. Davis donated a building lot which was in the village. The Methodist Church of Springvale kindly offered their house of worship to be used until the new building should be ready for occupancy. The offer was gratefully accepted. In 1911 a Womans Missionary Society was reorganized by Mrs. Lula Standley; Mrs. Gertrude Davis, President; Mrs. Stella Russell, Secretary and Mrs. Emma Cobb were Treasurer. In 1912 G. Y. Hunt was pastor, T. M. Davis, Sunday School Superintendent. In 1913 a Sunbeam Band was organized by Miss Cora Massee. For three years the little band was quite interesting. In 1913 J. Q. Pinson was pastor and T. M. Davis, clerk. The deacons were T. M. Davis and J. N. Massee. In 1917 Rev. Johnson was pastor and T. M. Davis, clerk. In 1918 and 1919 W. M. Sentell was pastor, J. D. Oliver, Sunday School Superintendent and T. M. Davis, Clerk, J. D. Oliver and Wm. Cobb were ordained deacons. No pastor in 1920. In 1921, 1922 and 1923 H. L. Edwards was pastor, W. M. Ledden, Clerk and J. D. Oliver, Sunday School Superintendent. In 1923 a very interesting U.D.C. was organized by Mrs. R. E. Zachert, Miss Ethel Sawyer, President. In 1924 H. L. Crumbley was pastor, W. M. Ledden, Clerk. G. C. Mims and J. E. Sawyer were ordained deacons in 1925. The B.Y.P.U. was organized by Mrs. R. E. Zachert, with Miss Ethel Sawyer president. In 1922 Mr. Jack Phillips was next president. Gertrude Reddick was president in 1925, and 1926. In 1927 George Phillips was president and following him was Miss Ann McDonald as president and then Miss Nannie Stanford. The B.Y.P.U. has been kept up and is still doing a wonderful work. In 1931 and 1932 J. C. DeShazo is pastor, W. M. Ledden, Clerk, G. C. Mims and John Sawyer served as deacons and Cecil Anderson as Sunday School Superintendent. In the 75,000,000 campaign drive J. N. Massee was Director and J. D. Oliver booster for the church. Mrs. Emma Lee Cobb was one of the first women in the State of Georgia and also in the Southern Baptist Convention to complete the Mission Study Course then prescribed by the Woman's Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention, which brought honor and distinction to our beloved member and also to our Woman's Missionary Society and Association. (pages 233-235) "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 Compiled and Edited by Alexander Lee Miller Moderator of Association 1909 -- 1934 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/quitman/churches/nbb47springva.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/gafiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb