BLADEN COUNTY, NC - CHURCH - History of the Antioch Church
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ANTIOCH CHURCH, Bladen County, N.C.

According to information given by MRS. CORA ANN HOWARD [1861-1943], MRS. LENA
BENNETT and MRS. ISABEL PETERSON the first Antioch Methodist Church was
located on the DUNCAN MELVIN farm and was of log construction.  Further
verifications found in a letter written by MR. FLETCHER PARKER to MR. LIVIOUS
PETERSON, dated October 15, 1930:  "I find nothing on the records concerning
the building of the first house of worship, which was built near South River,
and just back of where GEORGE PETERSON now lives."

During the religious and educational awakening in the early ninteenth century
it is believed that the church organization grew out of a meeting of
neighborhood people which was held at the old HANSON PETERSON house on South
River.  The exact date is not known.

According to the previously mentioned letter Antioch was on the South River
Circuit and the first known quarterly meeting held there to be recorded was on
March 28, 1846.

Seven years later, on April 2, 1853 another quarterly meeting for the South
River Circuit was held at Antioch Church.  According to the minues of this
meeting, "W. J. PARKER, JOHN HERRING and MILES P. OWEN" were appointed a
committee to procure a deed and obtain subscriptions to build a house of
worship at or near present site of Antioch Church.  At the time of this
meeting R. J. CARSON was presiding elder and MILES P. OWEN was secretary.

The original deed which is dated April 30, 1853 for the present church site
states that EDWARD REEVES and wife NANCY, sold this tract of land along what
was then known as Hatters Shop Branch to a Board of Trustees composed of JOHN
HERRING, WILLIAM F. PARKER, DUNCAN MELVIN, JOHN C. MELVIN, DANIEL ROBINSON and
WILEY REEVES for one dollar and other considerations.

Records indicate that the church organization thrived, for in 1885 the church
membership was well over one hundred and fifty.  Sometime between the years
1853 and 1885 the name of South River Circuit was changed to Bladen Circuit.

(This information was printed in the program of the 22nd Annual PETERSON-
HOWARD-OWEN REUNION, Sunday, May 7, 1972.  Author unknown.)

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	This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives 
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