University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 6-1941 The History of the Baptists of Tennessee Lawrence Edwards University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Edwards, Lawrence, "The History of the Baptists of Tennessee. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1941. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/2980 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Lawrence Edwards entitled "The History of the Baptists of Tennessee." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in History. Stanley Folmsbee, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: J. B. Sanders, J. Healey Hoffmann Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) August 2, 1940 To the Committee on Graduat e Study : I am submitting to you a thesis wr itten by Lawrenc e Edwards entitled "The History of the Bapt ists of Tenne ssee with Partioular Attent ion to the Primitive Bapt ists of East Tenne ssee." I recommend that it be accepted for nine qu arter hours credit in partial fulfillment of the require­ ments for the degree of Ka ster of Art s, with a major in Hi story. Wean� have read thi s thesis oeptanoe : rJ9?&0�!*fr" �·=' Accepted for the Committee I I Dean of th aduar te School HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS OF TENNESSEE WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS OF EAST TENNESSEE A THESIS Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Study of The Univexsity of Tennessee in Paxtial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of lla.ster of Arts by Lawrence Edwards June, 1941 ii FOREWORD The Baptists of East Tennessee , especially those today known as Primitive Bap tists, have been poor record keepers. Per­ haps a-number of reasons could be enumerated for this, but two present themselves as of out standing note: 1. � churches !£! pu rely democratic bodies, f�rming and dissolving themselves at the will of their members , and keeping records only of the activi­ ties of their own membership . Therefore , once a church ceased to function likely as not the meagre records kept found the ir way into the private papers of the last pastor or the last clerk of the church , and eventually, no doubt in a great many instances , into th e family fireplace or onto the spring cleaning rubbish _ heap . From the records kept only meagre knowledge of the ac tivities of each individual church can be obtained, for the Primitive Bap­ tists seem to have been better worshipers than historians . Typi- o cal of the minutes of a monthly meeting of Primitive Baptists is (J\ � this record from the church book of Pl easant Point Pr imitive Bap- � tist Church, Go in , Tennessee • ..... ,. July 2 Sat 1920 The Church met and after wor ship proceeded to Business as follows let Ordained Bro . J. E. Xeck to the full work of the Gospel Ministry 2nd Ordained Bros T. c. Xeck , K. c. Xeck and J. M. Cox Deacons . 3rd Deferred the electing of our pastor till our next meeting • 4th Closed in regular order . 17695';- M. B. Weaver , Mo d. J. D. Xeck , Clerk iii 2. �Primitive Baptist s 8!!! E!!a � controversial peopl e. They have divided and subdivided time and again. Often after a division the records were carr ied off by some di sgruntled clerk or pastor , and thus succeeding generations are deprived of the church records of the time up to the controversy . At the time of the schism caused by the mission qu estion, in the 1830' s, many church records were misplaced or de stroyed. And later, at the time of the split that occurred over secret orders , one church had its records carried off to Texas by an offended member, wh o later removed to Oregon carrying the records with him. Of the me agre records that are still in existence most of them ar e in the hands of individual s wh o are loath to part with them even for examinat ion by a student or otherwise interested person . And often tho se records that are accessible are in such a jumbled and disorganized condit ion that it is hard to trace a well-def ined sequence of event s in the history they af ford. But without access to the se tangled bits of historical data it is practically impossible to gain sufficient information ab out the Primit ive Bapt ists to do even a semb lance of justice to them and the stern creed they propound so rigorously. The writer acknowl edges a debt of grat itude to El der w. 0. YcKillon of Sevierville, Tennessee, who has been generous enough to lend records and wr itings of one kind or another which have been quite valuabl e in preparing this thesis. Elder o. H. Oayce, Editor of the Primitive Baptist, Thornton, Arkansas , has furni shed editorial iv l and historical items that have gone into the writing. There were others, however , to whom the writer has appealed for data relative to some of the ohurch divisions , who persisted in main­ taining a silenc e that spelled !2 in big letters.2 1 Elder D. K. Raulston of the Sequatchie Valle7 Association and Elder v. H. Graves of the Powell Valley Associat ion assisted in gathering material . Old minut es were obtained from several lay members of the various associations. 2 But sufficient material bas been gathered, it is believe�from the records of the various groups to give a fair if not a com­ pl ete survey of the subject . v TABLE OF CONTENTS • • • CHAPTER ONE BAPTISTS IN THE COLONIES Roger Williams ' church at Providence Baptist--Infant baptism denied--Baptists of Pennsylvania and Virginia--Belief in bapt ism upon confession of faith only--Sprang from England and Wales--Welsh Tract Church, in Delaware , from Wales-­ London Confession of Faith, entered into in 1644--Bapt ists divided into Particulars and Generals in England--Spread of Baptists to the southern colonies--Persecut ion in Virginia-­ Method used for selecting preachers--Baptists flee perse­ cution in Virginia, go to North Carolina--Jefferson and Madison favor liberty of worship--Sandy Creek Church formed in North Carolina , called 11mother of churches"--Some able frontier preachers ••••••.., ...•••••.•..••..•••� ••....••••1 CHAPTER TWO EARLY BAPTISTS IN TENNESSEE Tide of civilization overflows Appalachians--Baptists among earliest settlers in Tennessee--Took part in battle of Xing's Kountain--Churoh formed at Buffalo Ridge by Elder Tidence Lane , 1779--Early churches belong to Sandy Creek Associatio� Holston Association formed, 1786--Body composed of six churches--Churches far apart, often represented at meetings of association only by letter--Circular letters used, appended to minutes--Tennessee Association formed by churches dismi ssed for that purpose from Holston, 1802--0hurches of Tennessee Association in several counties--Powell Valley Association formed in 1818 by churches dismissed from Tenne­ ssee Association for that purpose--Nolaohucky Association formed in 1828--0ther associations in East Tennessee••• l5 CHAPTER THREE THE BAPTIST SCHISM OF THE 1820's AND 1830's IN TENNESSEE Religious awak ening on frontier ab out lSoo--All denominations affected by revival spirit--Social value of revival meetings-­ Strange phenomena of revival methods--East Tennessee intro­ duces the 1jerks11-Baptists strongly Calvinistic--Soon exper­ ienced feeling of reaction against revival--Parker , Taylor and Campbell foes of missions--Strong spirit of anti­ Yissionism arises among Baptists--Fear loss of democracy of vi church government--OontroTersy between mission and anti­ mi ssion Baptista--Dr . Wat son engages Kx. Howell in debate-­ Foreign mi ssions among Baptists almo st cease to function in l8301s in Tennessee--Schism complete by late 18 30's--Separ­ at ion causes no great stir in East Tennessee churches; irreconcilable& part company quietly--Anti-mission Baptists hold firmly to conTiotions--Keep Powell Valley As sociation intact--Holston and French Broad Associations missionary in sent iment-- Tenne ssee and Nolaohuoky mainly anti-mission •••40 CHAPTER JOUR ANTI-MISSION BAPTISTS OOOUPIED BY DOCTRINAL DISPUTES An ti-mi ssionists strongly controversial--Enter into heated doc­ trinal di scussions--Associations receive troublesome queries from churches on doctrinal points--War comes to give respite, and to sow more seeds of di scord--Powell Valley Association especially troubl ed by the war--Finally settles differences in 18 76--0ther associations not seriously at odds over war • • •.........••••.... • ... ........• .••.•..••...•..••••.71 CHAPTER FIVE THE TWQ-SEED HERESY AND ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION Powell Valley Association torn by strange doctrine--Trouble from ab out l88Q--Assooiation divides in 1889--Deolare also against Sunday Schools--Association almost equally divided between the two factions--Two-Seed faction dw indles in numbers ••• al OHAPTER SIX THE SECRET ORDER CONTROVERSY Division wide-spread, covers several states and many associations-­ East Tennessee associations affected--Powell Valley first to be troubled, divides almost equally between secret-order and non-secret-order factions--Nolachucky and Tennessee Associ­ ations weakened by cont roversy--Other associations take st&rl.d • •• ••••••• • •• •••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••• ••90 OHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSION Primitive Baptists divided into many small groups, some liberal , others severely do gmatic--In danger of losing identity--Do not seek to expand; membership voluntary--Not strong in vii numbers but stern, generally, in doctrine--Records scattered and inadequate •••.