Michael Vaugh Sims
3 August 2003
Bethany Church and Republican Church were offshoots of Big Stephens Creek Church and all members of the Edgefield Baptist Association.
My amateur research for the past ten years has centered on the families which migrated from Edgefield to Dallas and Lowndes Counties, AL, and who were members of the Edgefield Baptist Association - - i. e. Carson, Bussey, Mealing, Quarles, Doolittle, Hardy, Day, Grumbles, etc. These families founded new churches in Alabama upon arrival, building a strong cultural tie between Dallas/Lowndes and Edgefield. I feel that the history of the Baptists in Alabama is rooted in the Baptist churches of Edgefield, specifically in Big Stephens Creek Church.
As stated in John A. Chapman's book, History of Edgefield County from the Earliest Settlements to 1897, the Bethany Church of Edgefield Baptist Association was constituted on December 2, 1809, and united itself with the Edgefield Baptist Association in 1810.
(John A. Chapman; History of Edgefield County from the Earliest Settlements to 1897. Elbert H. Aull; Newberry, SC; 1897; reprinted Southern Historical Press; 1976.)
following taken from Mrs. M. L. White and Miss Emmie Sheppard; “Bethany Baptist Church;” Hortense Woodson, editor; History of Edgefield Baptist Association 1807-1957. Edgefield Advertiser Press, Edgefield, SC; 1957; pp. 167-182.
Bethany Baptist Church, located on U. S. Highway No. 378, six miles East of McCormick, S.C., is one of the oldest churches in the Edgefield Association. The following is an exact copy of the early minutes.
“In the year of our Lord 1808, the inhabitants of Coffeetown and Hardlabor Creeks came together and concluded to build a Meeting House at a place nearly central between them. They accordingly proceeded and built it, after doing of which the settlements called the Rev. Amos Dubose to occupy it statedly.
“In the year of our Lord 1809, a revival took place in the congregation and from the encouraging prospects which appeared then, members of Fellowship and Plum Branch Churches, living remote, thought it expedient to be dismissed and form a constitution. Then, accordingly they proceeded and sat the second of December in the same year. They called on the Rev. Enoch Breazeal, Robert March and Amos Dubose to inquire into the circumstances and constitute them should they conceive them ripe for it. They accordingly proceeded, inquired in their circumstances, found them in order and constituted them. A true copy of the certificate is hereunto annext.
“We do hereby certify that the members dismissed from the Fellowship and Plum Branch Church for the purpose of forming a constitution at the Bethany Meeting House being more convenient to them were this day constituted and set in order by us, Dec. 2, 1809 - - Amos Dubose, Enoch Breazeal, Robert Marsh.”
After the church was constituted, two members, Garrett Longmire and John Chiles, were ordained as Deacons of the new church. The eight charter members from Fellowship and Plum Branch Churches were: Garrett Longmire, John Chiles, George Coleman, Elizabeth Barrett, Winnefar Ferguson, Frances Henderson, Frances Davidson, and Abigail Jay. Larkin Cason was first clerk. He served from 1810 to 1829.
The next two years following its organization were fruitful years for Bethany. A revival held during that time brought in 37 new members, and two members - - Washington Belcher and Henry Casper - - were licensed to preach. It was in 1810 also that Bethany joined the Edgefield Association. The first two delegates to the Association were John Chiles and Garrett Longmire.
It is interesting to note that the old church had black as well as white members, the black sitting in a balcony located in the back of the church. Most of the blacks were slaves but a few were free men.
One of the present members of the church relates having heard her grandmother tell the following anecdotes in regard to these colored members. One of the Deacons was serving the communion to the blacks in the balcony and handed it to Old Uncle Pheb, as he was called. Pheb had been asleep and didn’t realize what it was all about, so he took the goblet of wine, drank it all, and then said: “Thank you, boss.” She also said that when the slaves were baptized, they had on such thick white clothes that they were as dry when they come up out of the water as they were before being baptized. Baptisms were performed in Hardlabor Creek at that time.
First pastor -- Rev. Amos Dubose -- 1809-1824
Rev. Amos Dubose served as pastor of the Church from its beginning to 1824. John Longmire was made deacon in 1816 and Edmund Belcher in 1818.
Rev. R. M. Todd -- 1825-1831
Rev. R. M. Todd was called as pastor in 1825 and served until 1831. William Childs was elected clerk in 1829 and served until 1840.
[remainder of history omitted in this transcription -- MVS]
My amateur research for the past ten years has centered on the families which migrated from Edgefield to Dallas and Lowndes Counties, AL, and who were members of the Edgefield Baptist Association - - i. e. Carson, Bussey, Mealing, Quarles, Doolittle, Hardy, Day, Grumbles, etc. These families founded new churches in Alabama upon arrival, building a strong cultural tie between Dallas/Lowndes and Edgefield. I feel that the history of the Baptists in Alabama is rooted in the Baptist churches of Edgefield, specifically in Big Stephens Creek Church.
As stated in John A. Chapman's book, History of Edgefield County from the Earliest Settlements to 1897, the Bethany Church of Edgefield Baptist Association was constituted on December 2, 1809, and united itself with the Edgefield Baptist Association in 1810.
(John A. Chapman; History of Edgefield County from the Earliest Settlements to 1897. Elbert H. Aull; Newberry, SC; 1897; reprinted Southern Historical Press; 1976.)
following taken from Mrs. M. L. White and Miss Emmie Sheppard; “Bethany Baptist Church;” Hortense Woodson, editor; History of Edgefield Baptist Association 1807-1957. Edgefield Advertiser Press, Edgefield, SC; 1957; pp. 167-182.
Bethany Baptist Church, located on U. S. Highway No. 378, six miles East of McCormick, S.C., is one of the oldest churches in the Edgefield Association. The following is an exact copy of the early minutes.
“In the year of our Lord 1808, the inhabitants of Coffeetown and Hardlabor Creeks came together and concluded to build a Meeting House at a place nearly central between them. They accordingly proceeded and built it, after doing of which the settlements called the Rev. Amos Dubose to occupy it statedly.
“In the year of our Lord 1809, a revival took place in the congregation and from the encouraging prospects which appeared then, members of Fellowship and Plum Branch Churches, living remote, thought it expedient to be dismissed and form a constitution. Then, accordingly they proceeded and sat the second of December in the same year. They called on the Rev. Enoch Breazeal, Robert March and Amos Dubose to inquire into the circumstances and constitute them should they conceive them ripe for it. They accordingly proceeded, inquired in their circumstances, found them in order and constituted them. A true copy of the certificate is hereunto annext.
“We do hereby certify that the members dismissed from the Fellowship and Plum Branch Church for the purpose of forming a constitution at the Bethany Meeting House being more convenient to them were this day constituted and set in order by us, Dec. 2, 1809 - - Amos Dubose, Enoch Breazeal, Robert Marsh.”
After the church was constituted, two members, Garrett Longmire and John Chiles, were ordained as Deacons of the new church. The eight charter members from Fellowship and Plum Branch Churches were: Garrett Longmire, John Chiles, George Coleman, Elizabeth Barrett, Winnefar Ferguson, Frances Henderson, Frances Davidson, and Abigail Jay. Larkin Cason was first clerk. He served from 1810 to 1829.
The next two years following its organization were fruitful years for Bethany. A revival held during that time brought in 37 new members, and two members - - Washington Belcher and Henry Casper - - were licensed to preach. It was in 1810 also that Bethany joined the Edgefield Association. The first two delegates to the Association were John Chiles and Garrett Longmire.
It is interesting to note that the old church had black as well as white members, the black sitting in a balcony located in the back of the church. Most of the blacks were slaves but a few were free men.
One of the present members of the church relates having heard her grandmother tell the following anecdotes in regard to these colored members. One of the Deacons was serving the communion to the blacks in the balcony and handed it to Old Uncle Pheb, as he was called. Pheb had been asleep and didn’t realize what it was all about, so he took the goblet of wine, drank it all, and then said: “Thank you, boss.” She also said that when the slaves were baptized, they had on such thick white clothes that they were as dry when they come up out of the water as they were before being baptized. Baptisms were performed in Hardlabor Creek at that time.
First pastor -- Rev. Amos Dubose -- 1809-1824
Rev. Amos Dubose served as pastor of the Church from its beginning to 1824. John Longmire was made deacon in 1816 and Edmund Belcher in 1818.
Rev. R. M. Todd -- 1825-1831
Rev. R. M. Todd was called as pastor in 1825 and served until 1831. William Childs was elected clerk in 1829 and served until 1840.
[remainder of history omitted in this transcription -- MVS]
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