File contributed by Hazel W. Craig ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Following taken from "Centennial History and Memories of Weldon Baptist Church and Community 1900 - 2000" Submitted by: Hazel Welch Craig who attended this church as a child and baptized into this church. HISTORY OF THE WELDON BAPTIST CHURCH The history of Weldon Baptist Church is closely related to the early history of the Weldon community. The community was first known as the Alabama Camp Ground where revival meetings were held annually under an arbor. When and how the community became known as Weldon is not clear, however, possibly named after the Weldon family about 1850. Prior to 1835 very little is known of the settlers in the Weldon area. In 1835 steamboats began navigating the Ouachita River and the lower parts of D'Arbonne and Corney Bayous. Thereby making the region accessible to settlers. The pioneers who moved through and into the area were primarily traders and farmers. The area was dense forest land and required hard labor to prepare the land for crops. The fertility of the sail attracted the farmers and transportation by water were the magnet for traders. The farmers attached themselves to the sail, and the descendants of many of these early settlers still live in the area. Sometime around 1835, Mr. Samual Smith and Mr. John Green established residences in the area. Mr. Smith settled near Cupps Crossing on Corney Bayou. In 1842, Mr. A. C. Barber settled near Summerfield and purchased a yoke of oxen from Mr. Green to break land for his first crop. The early founding of churches by the pioneers showed the strong faith these men and women had in God. It also clearly showed the deep need of spiritual consolidation among these brave, strong-hearted men and women. The task of establishing homes in the wildness far from all that was familiar and friendly was more than they could accomplish without the sustained presence of God. Mr. Severn Ozley and Mr. John T. Beville owned much of the land in the Weldon area. They in turn sold portions of the land to: J. T. Wade, Aaron C. Harper, J. R. Fuller, J. J. Booles, T. G. Weldon, C. A. Wade, T. H. Land, J. E. Haynes, J. H. Haynes, T. H. Williamson, C. A. Roach, O. E. Glover and J. M. Houst. As soon as the pioneers provided shelter for their families, churches were established and then schools to educate their children. Weldon had its beginning at the Alabama Camp Ground, where revival meetings were held annually under an arbor. The community was not known as Weldon until years after the beginning of the Alabama Camp Ground, probably prior to 1850. The Alabama Methodist Church was established at Weldon in 1846. Mr. W. B. Nicholson was a founder. Several members of the Harper family became members in 1848. The Hebron Baptist Church was established about 1847-1848. The Rev. R. A. Hargis, MD, was the first pastor and Mr. Richard Young was the first deacon. Hebron Church served as the community center and a private school. Mr. Buggs and Mr. Higginbottam were the teachers. The first school in Walden was a private school in 1857 taught by Miss Laurinda Kidd, daughter of Dr. J. L Kidd. The schoolhouse was an 18 square foot split log building with a dirt floor and split log seats. A peeled stump stood in front of the schoolhouse with pegs driven in to serve as locker and cloakroom for the pupils. The Thurmon School and Weldon High School were established about 1905 and 1920, respectively. Unfortunately, the schools were located too close to the parish line and Bernice schools. The Thurmon School and Weldon High School students were transferred and consolidated to Summerfield schools in 1926. Early businesses in Weldon were three general stores. Strickland, Glover and Foust, and a gristmill. Rev. W. M. Cooksey organized the Weldon Baptist Church on August 25, 1900. Deacons were Mr. Henry J. Odom and Mr. George W. Stewart. Worship services were held in the Baley Schoolhouse located about three miles southwest of this building. There were no Baptist Churches within a five-mile area of Weldon. Five miles was a long way to walk, ride a horse, wagon or buggy to church services. A committee consisting of Bros. Marion Odom, Charlie Culpepper and Ellec Hanes was immediately appointed to obtain a building site for a church. Soon, one acre of land was purchased from Mr. A. C. Harper, a Methodist brother in Christ, for $20. Mr. Harper made the Methodist Church available for the Weldon Baptists to hold worship services one Sunday each month until a church could be built. The new one-room church was completed and dedicated to the Lord debt free in the spring of 1902 at this present site. Pastors were paid $20. a month. Until 1949, worship services were held once a month. By the grace of God, many improvements and additions were made to the original building. In 1949, the church was remodeled and three Sunday School Classrooms were added. For the next two years, services were hold on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. In 1951, weekly worship services began. In the late 1950's, four additional acres of the present property was purchased from Mr. Clay Roach. The boundaries are Louisiana Highway 2 Alternate on the south, Union-Claiborne parish line on the east, and Marie Foust's land on the west and north. In 1964, the church purchased a building from Homer Oil Field, which serviced as the parsonage. Bro. Tommy Mellinger, with his wife, was the first pastor to occupy the parsonage on church property. In 1980, the Lord led Weldon Baptist Church to construct the present sanctuary, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Expansion programs included the education building in 1984 and the fellowship hall in 1986. In 1991, the church replaced the old parsonage by purchasing the home of Ricky and Vickie Rea about a mile west of the church. In 1996, three more Sunday School classrooms were added. On March 30, 1998, Weldon Baptist Church was incorporated. In 1999, a pavilion, play ground and chain link fence was constructed on the church grounds. By the love, grace and guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ, Weldon Baptist Church is the lighthouse of this community. Our prayer at Weldon will continue to be: Lord, Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. (Ps. 4:6). With prayer and concern of Christians, the Lord will continue to bless and lead Weldon Baptist Church for another 100 years. WELDON BAPTIST CHURCH PASTORS (FULL TIME PASTORS 1900-2000). Bro. Eliot, J. T. King (1912) J. R. Durham (1912-1915) H. T. Killen (1915) M. V. Burns (1916- 1918, 1936-1937) B. C. Smith (1918-1921, 1923- 1941) M. A. Price (1921- 1922) W. P. Lofton (1923) M. F. Swilley (1923- 1927) G. C. Odom (1927 - 1948) Bro. Crawford (1935) John Wesley Green (1941 - 1942) Carlous Rockett (1943) Mike Tridate (1949) W. C. Smith (1949) James Gantt (1958) Bro. Wilsey (1962) Tommy Mellinger (1963) Orville Bryant (1968) Mike Parker (1971) Roger Johnson (1972) M. M. Melder (1974 - 1975) Kevin Barron (1975 - 1977) Phillip Smith (1977 - 1981) Jim Gunether (1981 - 1986) Gene Thomas (1988 - 1989) Neal Everett (1989 - 1996) Allan Barnes (1996- 2000) # # #