H-55
6-Aug-2006

HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BAPTIST
by: Unknown Author


ANDERSON COUNTY CHURCHES

A large group of Baptists collected about Shockley Ferry on Savannah
River in Pendleton District sometime in the 1780's, and at least by 1790 they
had been constituted into a church of that name. Their earliest affiliation was
with the Georgia Association from which they were dismissed in 1792, under
George Tillman as pastor, in order to enter Bethel Association. But their
entrance into that body was not effected until 1794, when they were pastor-
less. Shockley Ferry had only one other minister during its existence as a
church, Cooper Bennett, who was a member in 1795 and began his ministry
in 1796. The congregation embraced several branches, one of which, Cedar
Creek in Georgia, was dismissed in July, 1801; another called Salem Meeting
was constituted a separate church in November, 1802. Still another, Moun-
tain Creek, remained an arm of the mother church well into the new century.
These branches, at least after 1800, helped toward the support of Ben-
nett. Dismissed by the Bethel Association in 1800 to join a more convenient
body, Shockley Ferry became a constituent of the Saluda Association in
1803.

Though they were in close proximity, there is no evidence of any organic
relation between Shockley Ferry and Genestie Church, which is said to have
been organized about 1786. Judging from its place in the list of churches,
Genestie must have been a constituent member of the Bethel Association in
1789. James Chastain served the church as pastor from 1790 to 1792, and
possibly before. During that time Genestie had a difficulty with Shockley
Ferry which was settled with the help of a committee from the association.
Another committee appointed in 1793 reported Genestie extinct in 1794.

In the same region, and with some of the same members as Genestie,
a new arm of Shockley Ferry called Mountain Creek was already in existence;
or it began to develop under the influence of James Chastain. The place of
meeting was about seven miles southwest of Anderson. The first existing
record of Mountain Creek is a decision of October, 1798, that "it is Gospel
for the church to do all things touching fellowship by a unanimity." In
May, 1799, the church considered having one John McCutchen exercise his
gift, but for some reason decided that he should only sing and pray, if he felt
moved to do so. Cooper Bennett did most of their preaching. As a branch
of Shockley Ferry, they appointed James Burriss and Thomas McGregor in
1800 to meet with four others to adopt measures for the support of the Gospel.
Again in 1801, when the question came up, the church agreed that corn after
Christmas and wheat after harvest should be furnished for Bennetfs
support. An interesting appointment of 1801 was that of a committee to
settle all temporal matters. Mountain Creek remained a branch of Shockley
Ferry until February, 1812.

Big Creek Church, said to have been organized by Moses Holland
in 1788, was one of the constituent members of the Bethel Association.
(Originally near Saluda River in Pendleton District, about one and a half miles
southeast of Williamston, the meeting place was later moved a half mile
nearer the town. Moses Holland served as pastor apparently from the consti-
tution of the church, and Big Creek generously shared his ministry with other
meetings. One licentiate, George Vandiver, appears on the records of the
church. Two members, John Nicholson, at his own request "as long as may
be to the Glory of God," and William Stanton, believing himself "to have
impressions of the spirit," received permission to exercise their gifts within
the bounds of the church, but evidently their efforts did not lead to 
ordination. A list of members of 1801 gives James Wilborn as elder and deacon. 
The eldership of both Brush Creek and Brushy Creek churches assisted in ordain-
ing John Harper and William Harper deacons in April, 1802. As both were
dismissed in November of the same year, the church in July, 1803, appointed
Chanon Breazeale, Joel Holbert, and Thomas Wilson to act on trial as deacons.

The records of Big Creek to September, 1801, are lost or destroyed;
those remaining begin with concise and comprehensive Rules of Decorum
for church meeting days. The first entry deals with the fate of queries put
before the church, it being decided that if the body should find itself unable
to answer a query which they had "unthoughtedly" taken up, they were to
"acknowledge their fault to the brother who flung in the query/' A specific
case must have prompted the question brought forward in December, 1803:
"Is it worthy of dealing with a member for starting to market with his
wagon and team or roling hogshead on the sabeth day . . . ," to which the
church answered, "We disapprobate such conduct."

Of fourteen cases of discipline from September, 1801, to December, 1804,
six were for drunkenness, three for adultery or sin which "for decency and
good order was not publicly charged but was left to a committy of sisters."
The rest were less serious, as not paying a note when due, bringing home a
stray hound dog "not being his own property," going to a shooting match, and
keeping bad company. On May 12, 1804, "The church came together in love &
union haveing no dealings on hand." Revival began in Big Creek in 1799
and brought such an increase in numbers that two branches sought and
obtained independent constitution in 1803, Neals Creek and Six-and- Twenty
(Hopewell). In that year Big Creek became a constituent of Saluda Asso-
ciation.

Although situated on Brushy Creek, a branch of Saluda River, Brush
Creek Church soon dropped the "y" from its name, but not before giving rise
to confusion in the records of neighboring churches. These sought the help
of both Brush Creek and Brushy Creek under the latter name. Little is known
of the history of Brush Creek. The church was organized in 1791, when
Carter Tarrants itinerated there and John Gladdies was a candidate for the
ministry. It entered the Bethel Association in 1794 and left in 1802 to become
in 1803 a constituent member of the Saluda Association. During the early
years of association John Howard and Robert Or.r served as pastors, and
John Bray and James Head, an ordained minister in 1802, were officers of the
church. Evidently seeking help on a problem coming up in its church meetings,
Brush Creek asked the association in 1795 whether it was disorderly to
commune with other denominations. Brush Creek's membership was diminish-
ing when it entered the Saluda Association in 1803. Shortly thereafter the
church disappeared from the records, apparently having been absorbed by or
having changed its name to Mount Pisgah.


OCONEE COUNTY CHURCHES

The beginnings of the churches in the Oconee County section of what
was formerly Pendleton District were, in the main, closely connected with
Shoal (Shole) Creek Church, a congregation of Franklin County, Georgia,
not far across the Tugaloo River from Chauga. The first entry in the earliest
extant Shoal Creek Church book is dated January, 1796, and reads: "The
Church met according to appointment," which implies constitution prior to
that date, at the latest sometime in 1795. At the time, John Cleveland was
pastor and Charles Bond church clerk.

As early as April 23, 1796, Coneross, to which Brother Cleveland was
to preach quarterly, or oftener if called, is mentioned as an arm of Shoal
Creek, with the same implication of previous existence. On October 22, 1796,
the church told "Brother Cleveland to attend at Shole Creeke first Chocy
Next Chogy third Coney Ross forth," to lead in keeping the days of hu-
miliation and prayer suggested in the circular letter and minutes of the
Charleston Association, brought back by Cleveland from the Sarepta Asso-
ciation meeting. Coneross continued as an arm of Shoal Creek until September,
1798, when it petitioned the parent church for separate constitution. The
congregation had been known previously as "Cobbs & Kilpatrick Meeting
House." The committee appointed to attend consisted of Thomas Gilbert,
John Doss, and John Cleveland, while Thomas Maxwell and Dozier Thorn-
ton were asked to attend at Coneross at any time that congregation appointed.
In May of 1800, Shoal Creek sent John Cleveland, Thomas Gilbert, John
Doss, Francis Callaway, John Barton, Charles England, and James Gibson
as "helps for ordination" at the petition of Coneross. The minister ordained
was probably Littleton Meeks, as he is listed as pastor in the minutes of
the Sarepta Association, which Coneross joined in 1800. At that time there
were seventy-three members of the church, one of whom was John Cobb,
pastor in 1805, when the membership had increased to one hundred and
seventy-eight.

In April, 1797, Shoal Creek "Recvd a petition by the hand of Brother
Poe in behalf of a scattered peopel that the Church would send thare minestearl
help to advise with them." In answer. Brethren John Cleveland, William Mar-
tin, William Gates, Benjamin Cherry, John Carter, Peter Waters, Benjamin
Barton, and Charles Bond were to attend at the place appointed for a meeting
house on the fifth Lord's Day in May, and to receive the congregation as a
church if they desired. Nothing seems to have come of this, and another pe-
tition "from part of our Bretharn Near Bever dam meting house for Con-
stitution" met the response: "We thinck that thay are not Ripe as yet by not
being found in the worke." However, in June, 1797, Esas Harbour, John
Prestrig, Stephen Poe, William Haley, Mark Haley, John Silman, Aaron
Arnal, Elizabeth Prestrig, and Fancy Haley were dismissed for constitution of
a new church. Only one other reference to this group occurs, when, on Satur-
day before the second Lord's Day of November, 1799, Shoal Creek for conven-
ience "Met at Beverdam Meeting hous and Prudance Leget joins by letter."
This was the beginning of Hepzibah Church on Beaverdam Creek, which had
an arm called Beaverdam, constituted apparently about 1803.

In May, 1804, Shoal Creek received a petition from Liberty Meeting
House for helps for constitution. A presbytery was appointed, which reported
in July that the constitution took place on the 28th day of June of sixty mem-
bers under the pastoral guidance of Francis Callaway, long an active member,
deacon, and minister of Shoal Creek.

The mother church, with her many arms, listed two hundred and nine
members in fellowship in September, 1797, most of whom must have been
in South Carolina. She was conscientious in "deeling" with members. The
church book, kept at first by Charles Bond as clerk with Francis Callaway
as assistant in 1798, and then by William Callaway in 1804, is a full and
engagingly misspelled record of the sins and struggles of the members. Meet-
ings opened always with prayer and exhortation, and often with singing,
after which the congregation "set in church order." In February, 1796,

Brother John McNeill informes the Church that he has attatched some
of the property of Brother Watson decest it being the only way he had to
Come at his Right the Church Commety sent out on the Matter Re-
poarts that thay find Brother McNeil not out of duty as fare as we heare.
Brother Moses denman Comeplains that there is a matter of tempral deel-
ing betwixt him and Brother John Carter and that he is not sattisfied-the
Commete sent out Brings in Report that Brother Denman Bargain and
Brother Carters Bargain to Stand as they made it.

Denman said something disrespectful of the church shortly after, and the
committee "finding him Ripe for Excommunication we give him up to the
mesengir of Satin for the distruction of the flesh that the Sperit may be savd
in the day of the Lord." In considering the case of Josiah Burgess, cited for
selling corn at a dollar a bushel and stating that he also sold wheat at a 
dollar and a quarter a bushel, the church's committee announced that they could
not with consistency fix a price for grain, "owing to the Various Sircumstances
which often attend' contracts Respecting that article." The question "What
is extortion ?" asked in this connection met the response: "To Reeve more for
any artickel than its Rail value." In two other cases serious financial 
questions arose. Of the sins dealt with, drunkenness, with eighteen cases, 
stands high


PICKENS COUNTY CHURCHES

Evidence of early origin of Liberty Church at Liberty in Pickens County
is slight. It claims 1780 as its date of constitution, but 1790 is more 
probable. Its associational history did not begin until 1817.

Secona Church claims it was constituted in 1786, but it was probably
organized just before its entrance into the Bethel Association in 1790 or 1791.
At that time William Murphy was a licensed preacher of the congregation; he
was ordained in 1792 and served as pastor from 1793 to 1800. Secona was
one of the constituents of Saluda Association in 1803. It is situated not tar
from the town of Pickens.

Keowee, or Keowee River Church, organized in 1791, entered the Bethel
Association in 1793. Joseph Logan became pastor sometime between 1791 and
1796 and served the church for several years, but reports to association were
so irregular as to make the length of his pastorate uncertain. At the same time
James Abbott was a candidate tor the ministry. Other messengers to the as-
sociation were Isaac Lynch, in 1794, who reported seventeen members, William
Floyd, in 1796, when there were twelve, and Charles Dodson, in 1800, who again
reported seventeen communicants. The church was dismissed by the Bethel
Association in 1802 to enter the Saluda Association. The building stood on a
two acre lot of land originally granted to John Gresham in Pendleton District,
near Fort Prince George and Crow Creek on the Keowee River.

Nothing is known of Oolenoy Church but that it entered the Bethel
Association in 1799 under John Chastain as minister, with William Eddins as
messenger; at that time its membership was sixty. Situated near Caesar's
Head, on the west side of the Pumpkintown-Pickens road near the old
Pickens road, it was one of the churches dismissed to form Saluda Asso-
ciation.

Cross Road Church emerged in 1798 as a member of Bethel Association,
represented by Nathaniel Newman and John McClure. Situated about twelve
miles northwest of Table Rock on the head branch of Doddys Creek of Saluda
River, it was a near neighbor of Head of Enoree, with which it frequently
exchanged aid. Archibald Harris was pastor in 1799. John Bourland and
William Davis were considered for the position in 1803, when Head of Enoree
petitioned for part of Bourland's labors. William Davis became minister in
August, 1804, after Bourland left. The membership fell from seventy-nine
in 1798 to fifty-two in 1802. Cross Road Church was also one of the con-
stituents of the Saluda Association."