Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Fayette County, Pennsylvania
CHURCHES:
GREAT BETHEL (UNIONTOWN) (1770)
The Great Bethel (Uniontown) Church was the first church of any faith organized in western Pennsylvania. It was constituted on November 7, 1770, at the home of John Sutton, a native of New Jersey, by Elder Henry Crosbye. Isaac Sutton was licensed the next day, and soon became the first pastor. There were six charter members, viz.: Jacob Vanmeter, Richard Hall, Jeremiah Blackford, Sarah Hall, Rachel Sutton, and Leticia Vanmeter.
Another early minister who labored in this area, under deep affliction, was Elder John Corbly, whose wife and five children were massacred (by Indians) as they were going on foot to their place of worship, 1782. He himself had been imprisoned in Virginia for preaching the gospel. He died in 1803.
When the Redstone Association was organized at Goshen Church in Greene Co., Pa., on October 7, 1776, Great Bethel Church was one of the founding members. Prior to this time, Great Bethel Church was a member of the Ketocton Association of Virginia.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Anderson, Baccus, Blackford, Boltinghouse, Bowell, Carr, Davis, Drago, Gaddis, Griffith, Hall, Hardin, Heady, Jenkins, Littell, McCoy, Morgan, Murphy, Osborne, Pierce, Reed, Sutton, Thomas, Truax, Vanmeter (very incomplete list, but the records exist and we hope to add more names soon).
MOUNT MORIAH (GEORGE'S CREEK)(1784)
Mount Moriah Church was originally an arm of Great Bethel Church. On October 30, 1784, it was constituted with twenty-seven members, viz., William Wells, Rebecca Wells, Joseph Thomas, Jane Jenkins, Owen Davis, Hannah Davis, Joseph Brown, Abigail Brown, David Morgan, Robert Hannah, Ann Griffin, Jeremiah Becks, Dinah Becks, Thomas Bowell, Ann Bowell, Richard Reed, Sarah Reed, Ann Coombs, Eliza Carr, Eliza Ashcraft, Sarah Hardin, Joshua Pane, Balthahazer Drago, Margaret Wood, Philip Jenkins, Jesse Coombs, and Abraham Hardin. The church united with the Redstone Association in September 1785.
Pastors of this church until the time of the trouble over missions, included Elders James Sutton, Samuel Woodbridge, George Guthrie, John Corbly, David Loofborough, Benjamin Stone, James Estep, John Patton, and James Frey.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
BIG REDSTONE (PHILADELPHIA)(1791)
Big Redstone Church, at Brownsville, was organized on May 1, 1791, by Elder David Loofborrow. This church soon became a member of the Redstone Association, which was organized in 1776, by six churches in this region (not far south of Pittsburg). The Big Redstone church was originally called the Philadelphia Church. It remained with the Primitive Baptists in the division over missions.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Abrahams, Adidis, Arnold, Bell, Boughman, Brener, Brewer, Brown, Calvin, Combs, Cralle, Dalauf, Danielson, Dougins, Emmons, Fitz, Frazer, Fritz, Gibson, Grable, Hamstide, Hilands, Jordan, Laverd, Lecraw, Leverd, Logear, Merril, Mooney, Oliphant, Olton, Phillips, Rittenhouse, Rogers, Rossel, Sharp, Spencer, Stivers, Thompson, Updegraf, Warman, Wells, Wheatley, Whitsell, Wilderman, Winders, Wooley, Yeagley (very incomplete as it includes only the period from 1791-1803).
CONNELLSVILLE (1796)
Connellsville Church was organized June 26, 1796, with nine charter members, viz., David Lobdell, Samuel Trevor, Caleb Trevor, Joshua Lobdell, Michael Bryant, Sarah Muirs, Sarah Trevor, Nancy Bryant, and Mary Lobdell, all of whom had been members of other churches in Europe and/or America. Connelsville Church became a member of the Redstone Association .
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
MERRITTSTOWN
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