East Fork Church, Franklin County,
Illinois
Quotations showing the claims of Missionary Baptist historians regarding old East Fork Church
East Fork Church was organized by 1817, or earlier, in the Dillon settlement. It was already listed as a member of the Little River Association (which consisted mainly of churches in Kentucky), in 1818 - the oldest minutes presently known to exist, so it had united with that body by 1817 or earlier. In 1820, the minutes of the Little River Association list East Fork of Muddy River Church as being represented by messengers Elders Isaac Herring and John Wren, who reported 29 members. That year, 1820, East Fork Church and Big Creek Church in Pope County, Ill., were dismissed by the Little River Association to help constitute the Muddy River Association in Illinois.In the year 1826, East Fork Church increased from 17 members to 100 members, mainly by new members being baptized. In 1820, the church had 31 members; in 1821, 34; in 1822, 28; in 1823, 23; in 1824, 22; in 1825, 17; in 1826, 100; in 1827, 85; in 1828, 62; in 1829, 53. In 1827-1829, the church dismissed 68 members by letter to join or organize other churches.
In 1829, East Fork Church was dismissed from the Muddy River Association to go into the constitution of the Bethel Association. East Fork Church was represented, or mentioned, in the minutes of Bethel Association as late as 1875, the church having dissolved sometime after that date.
Elder Achilles Coffey, in his history, states that the Franklin Association of United (Missionary) Baptists was constituted at Old East Fork. In the history of Pleasant Grove (East Fork) Missionary Baptist Church, we find that Elder William Ferrel and his two sons Wilfred and Hezekiah (see history of Bethlehem Church, Williamson County), organized that church in 1840, with twelve members. This was probably the result of a few members being excluded from Old East Fork Church. The East Fork Regular Baptist Church remained in the Bethel Regular Baptist Association, as shown above.
