Visions of faith : the sesquicentennial history of the Kings Mountain Baptist Association, 1851-2001 PDF
Preview Visions of faith : the sesquicentennial history of the Kings Mountain Baptist Association, 1851-2001
The Sesquicentennial History of the Kings Mountain Baptist Association 851 -2001 Lansford Jolley Digitized by the Internet Archive 2013 in http://archive.org/details/visionsoffaithseOOjoll VISIONS OF FAITH The Sesquicentennial History ofthe Kings Mountain Baptist Association 1851-2001 LansfordJolley Authc Published by Kings Mountain Baptist Association Copyright 2001 Kings Mountain Baptist Association All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission ofthe copyright holder. Cover Illustration: Image Design and Advertising Book Design: Image Design and Advertising Table of Contents Acknowledgments 5 Foreword 6 Baptists in Europe and North America: a BriefHistory 9 Broad River Association 17 The Kings Mountain Association Is Formed in 1851 19 Association Leads in the Birth ofa High School 26 Leadership in the Development ofEducation 37 The Beacon BecomesThe Publication For theAssociation 38 LeLand Kerr Assumes Leadership ofthe Association 51 Observations 75 Appendix 78 The Churches ofthe Kings Mountain Baptist Association 83 Index 142 THE SESQUICENTENNIAL HISTORY ofthe KINGS MOUNTAIN BAPTISTASSOCIATION 1851 to 2001 History Committee since 1997 Mr. LansfordJolley, Historian, Boiling Springs Church Mrs. Delores Hamrick,Associate Historian, Poplar Springs Church Mrs.Theresa Lowe, Double Shoals Church Mrs. Betty Black, Emmanuel Church Mrs. Ruth Philbeck, New Buffalo Church Mrs. Barbara Starnes, Eastside Church, Kings Mountain Mr.Thirlen Osborne, Boiling Springs Church Mrs. Helen Blanton, Eastside Church, Shelby Mrs. Lenora Morris, First Church, Grover Mrs. Becky Hamrick, First Church, Shelby Mrs. Lib Hughes,Westview Church Twopersonsnotonthe committeewhoprovidedmuchassistancewere Mrs. LouiseWrightfrom OakGrove ChurchandMr.YatesHarbisonfromFirstChurch,KingsMountain. Weappreciateeveryonewhohelpedmake thebookpossible. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ^<-^v J& ne researcn an<^ writing ofthe history ofthe Kings Mountain ( s^JsF Baptist Association has been an enjoyable experience. When I ^- becamehistorianfortheAssociation,Ihadjustcompletedwritinga Gardner-Webbhistorywhichwaspublishedin 1997. Forsometime therehad beendiscussionsoftheneedforanewhistoryoftheAssociation. Manychurch- es and various Christian organizations were founded near the middle of the NineteenthCentury. Itbecame obviousthatifwewere tohaveanupdatedhis- tory, the year 2001 wouldbe thepropertime to celebrate the Sesquicentennial oftheAssociationfoundedin 1851. While I did the research and writing ofthe history oftheAssociation, many othersplayedsignificantrolesincreatingthisbook. ProfessorThirlen Osborne, formerfacultymemberintheEnglishDepartmentatGardner-WebbUniversity andmemberoftheHistoryCommitteeoftheAssociation,proofreadthemanu- scriptandmade correctionsonstyle,grammar, andpunctuation. Fromthebeginning,itwasfeltthatthebookshouldinclude ashorthistoryofeachchurchintheAssociationalong with pictures of the present pastor and church building. The other members of the History Committee of the Association gave assistance in contacting the churches and getting this material. Many people in the churches are responsible forthe churchhistories andpictures. While wehave done some editing, the materialinthebookdealing withthe churchesoftheAssociationisthematerialprovidedbythe churches. Wethankyou. I am grateful to many people at the Associational office. Executive Director Leland Kerr gave his support and encouragementthroughouttheprocessofcreatingthehistory. Thestaffwasmostcooperativeandhelpful. Iwillalways appreciatethehelpfulness,kindness,andChristianspiritofMargaretLipscombassheprovidedneededmaterial,typed themanuscript,andwashelpfulinverymanyways. JudyFranks,JoeCollins,andothershelpedinvariouswaysinclud- ingthedevelopmentofgraphs. RobynKerrscannedandhelpedcorrectchurchhistories. LelandKerr, CharlesReed, Bonnie Doughtie,Joe Collins,andTeresaDaviswereinterviewed,andIamthankfultothemfortheirtimeandinfor- mation. Theirinformationwhichwasobtainedintheinterviewsmade avaluable contribution. Suzanne Gobble servedasasummerworkerattheAssociationandduringthe summeroftheyear2000spentcon- siderabletimetakingpicturesandgettingmaterialfromthechurches. SheisthedaughterofDr. Marvin Gobble,pas- torofZoarBaptistChurch,andhiswife,Joy. Mywife, Cothenia,isalwaysagreathelpandsourceofinspirationandencouragement. LansfordJolley Author FOREWORD ings Mountain Baptist Association, Inc., has a rich heritage of ision, faith, ministry, and missions. A vision 150 years ago created this Association and named it for a region (Kings Mountain Battleground) thatwasdeartothehearts ofthepeople. Throughout ourhistory, Godhasblesseduswith"visionaries." The thirteen founding churches responded by faith believing that the forming ofa new Association would broaden opportunities to work together with other churchesina smallergeographicregion. Throughout our 150 years, this faithhas continued as more and more churches have been started and more opportunities occurto worktogether. LelandA. Kerr As theAssociationhasgrown, more opportunities are available forourchurch- es to partnertogether to minister. Throughout our 150 years, our churches have ExecutiveDirector responded to ministry needs. Today we are one of the strongest Baptist Associations in North Carolina. Missions supportandmissionsinvolvementhavebeenanimportantpartofthe workoftheAssociationthroughout ourhistory. As theAssociation assists churches tobe onmissionintheir setting, we also encourage churches topart- nertogetherto domissions literally all around the world. We are amission-mindedAssociation. Thishistory will take you on ajourneyof 150years. Itwill alsohelp you learnmore aboutourfamily ofchurch- es. I encourage you to readitwith a sense ofgratitude forthe past, anawareness ofthe present, andachallenge for the future. — LansfordJolley,ourAssociationHistorian,isalife-longmemberofoneofthethirteenfoundingchurches Boiling Springs Baptist Church. His expertise as a historian and appreciation for the work of Kings Mountain Baptist Association, Inc., combine to create this fine writtenhistory. Forthis I am grateful. I think ill be inspired as you read ofour rich heritage ofvision, faith, and ministry. I heartily recom- mend this book to ministers, church members, friends, supporters, and other readers. LelandA. Kerr Executive Director Kings Mountain BaptistAssociation, Inc.
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