Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Primitive Baptist Churches in Douglas County, Illinois
CHURCHES:
ZION (ARCOLA)(1838)
Zion Church, at Arcola, was organized in 1838, or earlier, as it was already a member of the Wabash District Association when the session of 1839 began. In 1839, Elder Jesse Day and G. Butler were the messengers, who reported 26 members in fellowship. It appears that Elder Day was probably the first pastor of this church. Little information is available about the church, except from the minutes of the Association. The minutes for 1861 show that the church was still represented, with 26 members. During the 1860's the church withdrew from the association for a few years, but reunited with it again in 1873, and continued to represent annually until about 1907.
Zion Church had a meeting house, originally built on North Locust Street, in Arcola. Elders John Shields, O. B. Gamron, J. Craft, William Luce, and William Baughess were all members of this church, and probably also served the church as pastor at different times. Elder F. M. Reeds was also a member here, prior to the constitution of New Hope Church at Hindsboro.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Baughess, Butler, Cox, Craft, Day, Gamron, Houston, Irwin, Luce, Mason, Moody, Reeds, Reeves, Rollins, Shields, Silence, Wilson (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
NEW HOPE (HINDSBORO)(1886)
New Hope Church was organized June 26, 1886, in the town of Hindsboro. It had previously met as an arm of Providence Church (located southwest of Isabel), beginning in November 1885. The nineteen charter members were Elder F. M. Reeds, J. Clapp, Sr., J. Clapp, Jr., J. Hudson, J. O. Bates, J. Shields, P. Taylor. S. Starks, J. H. Patton, Sarah Hancock, Louisa Taylor, Symantha Clapp, Harriett Hudson, Kitty Anne Bates, Jane Shields, Polly Taylor, America Starks, Rebecca Patton and Jane Clapp. The presbytery was composed of Elders C. W. Kemper, A. J. Lanter, W. H. Smith, M. B. Moffett, and Deacons D. B. Powers, S. R. Mock, J. B. Smith, R. W. Thompson, and Abner Coats.
New Hope Church applied for membership first in the Wabash District Association in which it remained until 1945. In 1959 the church entered the Little Wabash Association.
The present building was erected in 1886. A lunch room was added across the east side of the building in 1960.
Pastors have been Elders F. M. Reeds, Stuart Flanigan, J. A. Modlin, C. C. Hughes, W. E. Wright, Charles Moore (assistant), John E. Sparks, Lloyd Clapp, and B. T. Stevens.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Allen, Barkley, Bates, Beckman, Burgess, Butler, Caldwell, Clapp, Combs, Craft, Craig, Douglas, Dulgar, Edwards, Fisher, Foster, Frantz, Greer, Halsey, Hancock, Haren, Harvey, Henegar, Herren, Hoedebeck, Hogbin, Hopkins, Houk, Hudson, Jones, Lane, Luce, Madden, Miller, Millsap, Mitchell, Moore, Neal, Orndorff, Paddock, Parkhurst, Patton, Payne, Pugh, Redden, Reeds, Sanford, Shields, Starbuck, Stark, Stevens, Stiff, Swango, Swinford, Taylor, Weaver, Weber, Williams.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES FROM THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST LIBRARY:
Minutes of the Wabash District and Little Wabash Associations; records of New Hope Church.
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