Among the first settlers of the "Old North State" were a class of persons known as Anabaptists, and mention is made of them as early as the year 1695. We can find no trace of a regularly organized church until the year 1727, when one was established in the north-east corner of the State, at a place called Perguimans. It is most probable that the early Baptists of this State were emigrants from the colony of Virginia. The oldest association in the State is Sandy Creek, which was formed in 1758. It was so called from the church of that name, which was constituted by Shubael Stevens in 1752.Of this church the following, from the minutes of Pee Dee Association of 1834, is an interesting and valuable history: "The Sandy Creek church, the oldest in our body, originated in the following manner: Soon after the Reformation under George Whitfield and others, who began their extraordinary career about the year 1740, Shubael Stevens, a native of Boston, being a preacher, labored among them until 1751, when he embraced the sentiments of the Baptists, as many others of the Pedobaptist Separates did about this time, and soon after was baptized by Wait Palmer, and was ordained the same year. Mr. Stevens, and most of the Separates, had strong faith in the immediate teachings of the Spirit. They believed that to those who sought him earnestly, God often gave evident tokens of his will. S. Stevens, listening to some of these instructions of the Spirit, as he conceived them, believed himself called upon by the Almighty to move far to the westward, to execute a great and extensive work. Incited by these impressions, in the year 1754, he and a few of his members took their leave of New England. They halted in Berkley county, in Virginia. Stevens, not meeting with his expected success here, felt restless. Some of his neighbors had removed to North Carolina; he received letters from them, informing him that preaching was greatly desired by the people of that country.
He and his party once more got under way, and, traveling about 200 miles, came to Sandy Creek, in Guilford county, N. C., where he took up his permanent residence. As soon as they arrived they built them a little meeting house, and 16 persons formed themselves into a church, and chose Shubael Stevens for their pastor. (Benedict, vol. 2, p. 38.) He had Daniel Marshall and Joseph Brede for his assistants, neither of whom were ordained. Of Shubael Stevens, Benedict says, page 867: 'His character was indisputably good, both as a man, a Christian, and a preacher.' Of Daniel Marshall it is said, Benedict, page 39: 'Though not possessed of great talents, he was indefatigable in his labors.' He sallied out into the adjacent neighborhoods, and planted the Redeemer's standard in many of the strongholds of Satan. In process of time, some of the inhabitants became converts, and bowed obedience to the Redeemer's scepter. These uniting their labors with the others, a powerful and extensive work commenced, and Sandy Creek church soon swelled from 16 to 606 members. In the year 1758, a few churches having been constituted, and these having a number of branches fast maturing for churches, Stevens conceived that an Association, composed of delegates from them all, would have a tendency to forward the great objects of their exertions. For this purpose he visited all the churches and congregations, and explaining to them his contemplated plan, induced them all to send delegates to his meeting house, in 1758, when an Association was formed which was called Sandy Creek.
This Association experienced great changes; her limits extended into different sections of the country. The missionary spirit, or strong confidence in God, which actuated Stevens and Marshall, and their associates, and induced them to travel into destitute regions, diffused itself into their successors in the ministry. This Association, and some of its spiritual daughters, have nourished that practice in every age. Soon, after the period when Judson and others visited the shores of Hindostan and Burmah, and an account of their labors and success resulted in the formation of the Baptist Board of Foreign and Domestic Missions, the Sandy Creek Association, at their session held at Rocky Spring, in Chatham county, in October, took up the subject, and appointed Robert T. Daniel, Corresponding Secretary to said board, and appointed R. T. Daniel and Robert Ward messengers to the general meeting of the Baptists in North Carolina. At that session the Association was divided by mutual consent, and the churches south and west of Deep river formed a new Association, called the Pee Dee, and John Culpeper and Bennet Solomon were appointed messengers to represent the newly formed Association in the Baptist general meeting. This general meeting occupied nearly the same place among the Baptists of North Carolina that the Baptist State convention now does.
The Pee Dee Association held its first session at Richland, in Montgomery county, on the 19th, 20th, and 21st of October, 1816, and adopted the same course; allowed J. Culpeper six dollars for attending the general meeting, and appointed J. Culpeper Corresponding Secretary to the Baptist Board of Foreign and Domestic Missions, and Corresponding Messenger to the general meeting, and Bennet Solomon his alternate. This Association held its session at Cedar Creek, on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of October, 1817. Elders Daniel Gold, J. Culpeper, Armstead Lilly, Archibald Harris, Ralph Freeman, Nathan Riley, Daniel White, and others, attended. They then and others resolved that the Association do recommend to the churches which compose the same to take into consideration the importance of the missionary business, and that they contribute to the support thereof what they can reasonably spare. The minutes for 1818 not found. The session for 1819 was held at the Bethlehem meeting house, in Richmond county, the 16th, 17th, and 18th days in October. There the churches were very fully represented, and took under consideration the missionary business, and resolved that they approve the proceedings of the Board of Foreign Missions, and recommend to the churches to continue to support the missionary cause.
The session for 1820 was held at the Jersey Settlement, in Rowan county. The rain prevented the Association from accomplishing much business, but much peace and harmony prevailed. "The session for 1821 was held at Cartlege's Creek, Richmond. The Association desired the ministering brethren to visit the vacant churches. The session for 1822 was held at Rocky River, when it was recommended to the churches to set apart a day of fasting and prayer to God, to spread his gospel from pole to pole. The session for 1823 was held at the Bethlehem meeting house, in Montgomery county. A query was introduced in these words: -- Is the mission cause the cause of God?" Answer: "We believe it is the cause of God." The session for 1824 was held at Pine Wood meeting house, Rowan county. In the circular for that year are published the following words: "Many of the churches are forming auxiliary societies for the purpose of sending the gospel to every neighborhood in our State, and the Lord is abundantly blessing their labors of love."
Dear brethren, let us go and do likewise. The session for 1825 was held at Bear creek; no minutes to be procured. This year the Abbot's Creek Association was formed: the dismission of some of our churches reduced our. body to 9 churches and 479 members. In 1827 we were reduced to 462 members. In 1828 no minutes found. In 1829 our increase was small, and our number 465. In 1830 our number increased to 12 churches and 487 members. In 1831 the great and extensive revival commenced, and we were the happy sharers of it. In that year 199 were baptized, increasing our number to 15 churches and 700 members. In 1832 300 were baptized, increasing our number to ____ in 1833 240 were baptized: our present number increased to 1080. In 1831-2 three of our churches forsook us, and came out in opposition to all the benevolent institutions of the day.
With the churches which withdrew from us, in opposition to the benevolent institutions, four of our ministering brethren, being one-half of our number, forsook us, but we hope our God has not forsaken us. We have supplied our churches with preaching, we have increased in numbers, and we hope we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And the Lord has raised up, and we hope is still raising up, young preachers to supply the place of such as have died, and others of us who are wearing out. "As to the other branch of the subject on which, by a resolution of the last session, we were to address you -- that is, the constitution of our churches -- we have no certain account of the date of the constitution of some of them. It appears from Benedict, volume 2, p. 42, that the Sandy Creek church, the oldest in our Association, was constituted in 1756, and the church at Little river in 1760. (This is the church known in our minutes as the church at the forks of Little river, as there are several churches on that river.) The church at Rocky river was constituted in 1776. The Pee Dee church was constituted in 1785. The church formerly called Richland, now Bethel, in Montgomery, was constituted before the division of Sandy Creek Association, which occurred in 1815. The church at Bethlehem was represented in the first session of the Pee Dee Association, in 1816, but the date of the constitution is not known.
The church at Cartlege's creek was constituted in 1833, of persons who were members of the Pee Dee church. The Spring Hill church was raised up by Bro. William White, and others of his countrymen from Scotland, and was constituted about the year 1818. The church at Saron was constituted about the year 1826, of members from the Bethlehem church. Brown Creek church was represented in the Association in 1829, and, it is presumed, was constituted in 1828; but, as the minutes of the Association for that year are not on file, it is not certain. The church at Kendall's and the Bethlehem church at Anson were both constituted in 1831, of members formerly belonging to the Rocky river church. The church at New Union was constituted in 1832, of members from the church at the forks of Little River, and the Bethel church in Montgomery. The Lawyer Spring church formerly belonged to the Moriah Association, and was dismissed from that body and joined us in 1833. The church at Dover was constituted in 1833, and was formerly a component part of the church at the forks of Little River.
We have here given you as correct a history of the origin, rise, and progress of our Association, and of the constitution of our churches, as our limited information and the time we could devote to the subject would enable us. We perceive the first churches were raised up, and the Association formed and built up, by men who had strong faith in the immediate teachings of the Spirit of God; who believed that to those who sought him out, God often gave tokens of his will; that such indications of the Divine pleasure were above, though not contrary to, reason; and following these indications, still leaning in every step upon the same Wisdom and Power by which they were at first actuated, they would inevitably be led to the accomplishment of the two great objects of a Christian's life: the glory of God, and the salvation of men. Listening to these instructions of Heaven, as they esteemed them, and called upon by the Almighty, as they believed, they left their friends, and traveled as faithful missionaries, or heralds of the gospel; and although they met with opposition, and had to encounter difficulties and privations, their success was measured, not by their abilities, but by the power of God. The same missionary spirit, or zeal, called by some a spirit of enthusiasm, has from that day to this run through their successors, and diffused itself, not only in the parent or Sandy Creek Association, but through the Pee Dee and other younger branches of the parent stock.
The Liberty Association, lately formed of part of the Abbot's Creek Association, in consequence of the determination of a majority of that body not to hold fellowship or sit with any persons who held with the Bible Society, Missionary Society, or any benevolent institutions of the day, received by baptism 307 persons during the last associational year; and have now 569 members, being 185 more than the whole number of their opposing brethren who disowned them. They, like our Association, have but few ministers, but the missionary spirit has prompted them to spread the glad tidings of life and salvation in the adjoining neighborhoods, and God has crowned their labors with abundant success. God has, and ever will, bless such as obey his commands and confide in his Word. The churches in the Associations of our State, including two where the churches are some in this State and some in South Carolina, who patronized the benevolent institutions of the day, have baptized 4751 persons.
From the unassociated churches we have not obtained sufficient information to say or write any thing certain as to their increase, progress, or number; but we know the increase in some of them is considerable. Our anti-missionary brethren, who are opposed (we hope honestly) to these institutions, have eight Associations; in six of these, where they print and publish the numbers baptized, they have baptized 180 persons; and by a comparison of the number excluded and died with the number baptized, they have experienced a small diminution.
There are other Associations in the State whose histories are full of interest, especially the Yadkin and Raleigh Associations, to which we hope to refer hereafter.
=============== [From the Christian Repository, January, 1861, On-line edition. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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