MITCHELL COUNTY, NC - CHURCH - Bear Creek Baptist Church 101st Anniversary
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Contributor's Note:  The following is from an old news paper clipping from the 
Spruce Pine News, that was sent out to Washingon State to my Grandmother Sena 
Young Davis.

                 BEAR CREEK BAPTIST HOLD DEDICATION SERVICE.
                 101st Anniversary Observed  May 24th, 1931.

     Bakersville, May 23.  The Bear Creek Baptist Church, near Ledger in
Mitchell County, observed it's 101st anniversary Sunday morning May 24th
with a combined memorial and dedication service beginning at 10 o'clock.

    The church, which is one of the oldest in the South, has 350 members and
is very active in all lines of church work, including home missions, Sunday
School, and Bible instruction.  It's members include many of the best known
citizens of the county, and often the statement is heard, "thousands  of
people have been converted through the influence of this old church" thereby
testifying to it's influence and leadership as a community institution.

    The Rev. Charles G. Ellis, of Bakersville pastor of the church, is one
of a long line of zealious Baptist ministers who have led the congregation
as they gathered at Bear Creek to worship since many years before the War
Between the States.  He ___ chosen pastor for several___.

            NEW BUILDING IN 1926
    ____ present home of the ____ was erected in 1926.  The ___ is modern in
design ___ structure and has several ___ class rooms.  Near by, is a
beautiful
and well kept cemetery where sleep 600 men, women and children.  The
cemetery is maintained by the church and is one of the most beautiful and
neatest burial plots in the county.

    It was in 1830 that a small group of Mitchell County pioneers, realizing
the need of a church building, went into the virgin forest, cut down the
trees, hewed them into logs and erected, in what was then a wilderness, the
first Bear Creek Baptist church.  At the time, even Mitchell county and few
of the other Western North Carolina counties had been mapped out or named.

    In 1861, the year Mitchell county was formed, a term of superior court
was held in the building.  This log church served the succeeding generations
until 1891 when a frame building was erected and used for both church and
school purposes.

    In the church yard sleep many of the pioneers by whose labors and
spititual guidance the church was organized and the first home was built.
It is to these and others who have been instrumental in establishing the
work that tribute was paid Sunday morning when the congregation with many
others assembled.

                    PROGRAM
    The program as follows:  Hymns, "Rock of Ages," and "Jesus, I come";
report of historical committee; dedicatory service; Scriptural reading by
Clarence Buchanan from Psalms 122: 1-9; hymn, "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord;"
Scripturial reading, from the Book of Chronicles and Psalms, Jennie Willis;
prayer of thanksgiving, the Rev J. Y. Sparks; hymn, "Give of Your Best to
the Master"; offering; special hymn, "Tread Softly", Jeannie Willis; sermon
by the pastor, the Rev. Charles G. Ellis; Scriptural reading from the
Psalms; dedicatory prayer, the Rev. Clarence Buchanan; hymn "God Be With You
Till We Meet Again", and benediction by the pastor.

There is a small picture of the church & the congregation, 3 1/2" x 3 3/4".

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
Archives by: Thomas Simpson	simptf@charter.net
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