Northampton County NcArchives Church Records.....Hebron Baptist Church Copyright Date 1856 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Penny Beasley the3bees@embarqmail.com December 17, 2009, 6:26 pm History of HEBRON BAPTIST CHURCH Highway 258, 3 miles N. of Woodland, NC (Northampton County) Written July 29th, 1956 by Edna T. Futrell (Woodland) and Miss Hazel Futrell (Woodland) In the year 1856 a band of Christian people gathered together in what is now the Hebron Community for the purpose of organizing a church. Mr. Tommy Joyner and Gus Jones donated the land on which the first church, made of hand-hewn logs, was built. This first building was located 3 miles Northeast of Woodland, in Northampton Co, NC and was called Joyners Church, and later changed to Hebron church. Information about the actual organization of this church is rather vague because records were either destroyed or not kept. Yet the treasured bits of information we do have was handed down through stories told to the children and grandchildren of our early members. Mr. Hersey B. Parker, a hard-shell Baptist, was the first pastor of Hebron and served until March 1880. He did not believe in a missionary board but wanted each church to work individually toward helping others. This was not satisfactory with the members, so Rev. Hersey Parker left Hebron and began another church in another part of the county known as the Hersey Parker Free Will Baptist Church located in New Town. During Mr. Parkers pastorate Hebron Church was a member of the Kehukee Association, which was non-missionary and was probably the fourth Baptist Association in America. The West Chowan Association was organized in 1883, and Hebron joined it in 1884. In June of 1880, Mr. Ben Williams was called as pastor. During that year plans were made to rebuild the church and in 1881 the church paid $21.00 for handmade pews which are still used today. While Mr. Williams was pastor the West Chowan Baptist Association met with Joyner Church and this is when the name was officially changed to Hebron Baptist Church. Mr. Williams served for 17 years. The first deacons that we have record of before 1896 were James VINSON, Jim GRIFFIN, B.J. FUTRELL, Sr., and Isaac OUTLAND. In January 1896, the following deacons were elected: C.S. EDWARDS, Dr. C.F. GRIFFIN, Charlie REVELLE, & Ashley LIVERMAN, who was a former deacon of Meherrin Baptist Ch. In 1893, Rev. Dancy Cale came and served as pastor for eight years. During his tenure as pastor the church bought ½ acre of land from Mr. James H. GRIFFIN to be used as a cemetery. That year C.J. D. PARKER was ordained to the ministry. During the early years of the Church membership increased slowly. Those attending church would leave home early in the morning wither walking or riding to attend the long services of the day, many bringing their dinner with them, many of our elders in our church speak of how long winded some of the early pastors were and how their shoulders would ache from hours of sitting. A good part of the day was spent in conference. Committees appointed to look after the wayward members had to give report and the church then had to make final decisions. Unless the guilty repented and expressed sorrow they were often expelled from their church membership. Time and lack of records erase the good deeds and names of many of those members who were so faithful to the church. From 1901 to 1907 Rev. E.J. Harrell served as Pastor. On June 22, 1902 a group of Baptist men and women met in Woodland to organize their church business and officially calling E.J. Harrell to serve as their pastor. Hebron membership suffered the loss of many fine men and women because of this new organized church. Hebron is, likewise the mother church of Menola Baptist Church (1908) and Ashley’s Grove Baptist Church (1910). Mr. Waltz served for 3 months after Rev. Harrell left us, and Lloyd A. Parker served from Feb. 1907-Oct. 1907. Then in November of 1907 A.T. Howell served until sometime in 1908. In 1909 our third set of deacons were appointed: J.C. GATLING, R.G. OUTLAND, W.A. FUTRELL, and H.C. GRIFFIN. Church clerks from early years to 1956 were as follows: J.C. Blanchard (1880-1896), R.M. Griffin (1896-1897), A.T. Vick (1897-1902), J.K. Revelle (1902-1909), H.T. Vann (1909-1935), Quinton Futrell (1936-1937), & Mr. A. Marnch Futrell (1937-1956 as of this writing) Further list of our pastors: C.W. Scarborough (1909-1913), E.F. Sullivan (1913- 1917), F.B. Raymond (1917-1918), Jessie Colston (1918-1918) H.G. Bryant (1919- 1919) J.P. Bennett (1920-1921) V.E. Duncan (1921-1923) H.G. Bryant (1923-1926) B. Townson (1926-1927), R.B. Lineberry (1927-1933), R.R. Jackson (1933-1943), H.W. Hollowell ( 1943-1948), and J.B. Dailey who came to us in 1948 and is still our beloved pastor. From 1909-1926 these were our most progressive years, during these years our pastors urged members onto a higher and better standard of work. Our membership was much larger than now, and the young people were more numerous. Both the Sunday School and B.Y.P.U. became standard. According to some records Hebron was among the first in the Western Chowan Association to become a standard Sunday School and remained so for many years. During the past one half century many of our young men and women have gone out into the world from Hebron Baptist Church and made a good name for themselves, their church and their community, they are to be congratulated. The fourth set of Deacons ordained since 1910 were: Paul Beale, W.E. Futrell, and Eston Griffin, who is now a deacon at the Baptist Church in Troy, NC. Serving now as deacons are W.E. Futrell, H.C. Griffin, A.M. Futrell, and Clayton Beale, the last two named were ordained in 1950. The missionary society, too has been active in Hebron Baptist Church. Mrs. Kate Griffin, now a member of Woodland Baptist Church, played an important part in organizing and acting as leader in the early days. Though a very small group has carried on the church work for the past several years, they still make the society a worthwhile one to the church and community. Within recent years, many accomplishments have been made; The Biblical Recorder, Home Life and Open Window are Christian magazines found in each home. New light fixtures have been installed, new curtains, for the old classrooms were bought by members, and a new floor has been put down, new classrooms added, the benches have been painted and the auditorium was made over and beautified. 1954 with the help from friends and former members, we built a vestibule to the church and built and rocked a drive around the exterior of the church. Within the last two years many other accomplishments have been made. Gas and oil heaters have been installed and the floor sanded and waxed. A new ceiling has been added, fresh paint to the auditorium and classrooms, and fresh coat of paint to the top of the building. For the primary department table and chairs have been acquired to take care of our littlest members. This past year chairs for the Chapel were given to the church by friends of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Griffin. It is in the Chapel that weekly prayer services are conducted every Thursday night by our pastor or by a lay member of the church. Our goal to date is to raise enough money to underpin the church and give the exterior a new coat of paint, before our 100th anniversary celebration in July 1956. Faithful members of the Church, particularly our younger ones, have given unstintingly of their time, day and night, in doing this work for the church, constantly aided and encouraged by the older members. May the Lord’s richest blessings be with them throughout their days! Although our Church membership is very small today, we are progressive; we give generously to all worthy casues, and strive in all things to do the work of the Lord. Church Officers (current as of 1956) Pastor- Rev. J.B. Daily, Clerk- Andrew Marnch Futrell, Pianist-Miss Hazel Futrell Assist. Pianist- Mrs. R.H. Hodges, Treasurer- Mrs. C.W. Beale, Librarian- Anthony Futrell Missionary Pres.- Mrs. Edna Futrell, Secretary- Mrs. C.W. Beale, Founder Mrs. Kate Griffin Sunday school officers (current as of 1956) Supt-A.M. Futrell, Assistant Supt- J. Mason Beale, Pianist- Miss Hazel Futrell Secretary-Roland Hodges Jr., Teachers- Mr. J. I Griffin, Mr. C.W. Beale, Mrs. J. Mason Beale, & Mr. Simon Johnson. This history was written in July 1956, since this writing the Church was burned on January 18, 1964 by arson a couple of boys attempting to spend the night within the church set fires of papers to keep warm. The community once again rallied to rebuild the church and with the help of building contractor Billy Terry of Aulander and many men of the community. The new church was built and furnished. It soon reopened its new doors, once again to the members of the Hebron Community. The only known two marriages that took place within these hallowed walls of the Hebron Baptist Church, was in March on 1954 Mr. Robert L Mitchell of Harrellsville to Miss Jean Ann Futrell of the Hebron community, Woodland( the old wood church) and then in June of 1974, their daughter Miss Eleanor Lynn Mitchell of Plymouth, to Mr. Ronald L. Lane of Eugene, OR. ( in the new brick structured church). The last known full time pastor of the church was Reverend Tony Futrell. After this a part time pastor was sought to do once a month sermons for the few remaining member. About 2001 Hebron Church leased the church building to a holiness church congregation looking for a new home to hold their services, due to the lack of members it was in the interest of Hebron church and cemetery to rent this building to the new church group, they wished to put a new roof on, add a new central heat and air system. This allows enough money to maintain the cemetery for the few remaining family members that may wish to bury here or visit loved one who have gone to meet their maker. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/northampton/churches/hebronba51gbb.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 10.4 Kb