Primitive Baptist Church and Family History
Research Assistance for Blount County, Tennessee
CHURCHES:
TUCKALEECHEE (TOWNSEND)(1802)
CADES COVE (CADES COVE)(1829)
The Cades Cove Church, located in a "cove" by that name, began holding services as early as May 1825, as an arm of nearby Miller's Cove Church. In November 1826, the members in Cades Cove requested letters of dismission from Miller's Cove Church, and placed them with the Wear's Cove Church.The members of the "arm" were John Oliver, Lucretia (Lurena) Oliver, James Oliver, Mary Oliver, James Johnson, Emily Johnson, Christopher Winters, Edward James, John Lacey, and Elder Richard Davis, the pastor. The Cades Cove Church then requested letters again, and were then formally constituted on June 19, 1829. The presbytery consisted of Elders Thomas Hill and Augustine Bowers, who pronounced them a gospel Church on the following day, June 20th, 1829, after a rigid examination.
The members of Cades Cove Church met in members' homes, or in one of the schoolhouses, until in 1836 William Tipton deeded to trustees of the church a tract of land for a meeting house. A more modern building was constructed on this site in 1887 to replace the older log structure. It is the present building.
The church suffered hardships during the Civil War, especially on account of most of the members being Union sympathizers; on this account, no services were held for three years of the war. The church also suffered from the ravages of the division over the modern mission system, in the year 1838. Thirteen members, including the pastor, were excluded from fellowship, who immediately formed a Missionary Baptist church in Cades Cove, but it never attained much strength, and the Primitive Baptists remained the predominant religion in the Cove.
The pastors of the church included Elders Richard Davis, Johnson Adams, Absalom Abbott, Jackson B. J. Brickey, W. A. Gregory, W. H. Oliver, and Shade Tipton. Many other preachers visited and helped the church (some may have served as pastor), including Elders William Brickey, John Abbott, James Abbott, Giles P. Dunn, John H. Brickey, and G. P. Adams.
Cades Cove Church united with the Tennessee Association, and remained a member through the many changes which took place in over a hundred years. A division affecting several churches occurred early in the 20th century, and one part of the church may have united with the consolidated Tennessee & Nolachucky Association, while the other part remained in what was called the "Original Tennessee Association.".
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Copyright c. 2005-2023. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
