Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Primitive Baptist Churches in Greene County, Illinois
CHURCHES:
PROVIDENCE
Providence Church was organized in 1820, in Carrollton, by Elder William Jones, of Wood River, in Madison County, very shortly after the laying out of that town. Their first meeting house was a log cabin. Among the original members of this church was Thomas Carlin, the founder of the town of Carrollton (for whom Carlinville is named), and who was elected the sixth Governor of the State of Illinois in 1838, on the Democratic ticket. Elizabeth Hewitt is also named as a charter member.
Providence Church united with the Illinois Association in October 1820, at which time John Finley was the messenger, who reported 20 members. The church was listed as "Providence on Macoupin." At this time, Greene County was still part of Madison County.
Providence Church was one of the original churches which was dismissed from the Illinois Association to organize the Sangamon Association, on October 23, 1823. The messengers were John Drum, Lewis Crane, Calvin Tunnell, and Elder Aaron Smith, who reported 29 members. Elders Aaron Smith (a Revolutionary War veteran) and Charles Kitchens were members of this church in its early years.
In November 1830, Providence Church was the host for the constitutional meeting of the Apple Creek Association. The messengers that year were Elder Graham Jackson, Calvin Tunnell, and John Drum. Elder Graham Jackson was the pastor about this time.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Carlin, Crane, Drum, Finley, Hill, Kitchens, Smith, Stout, Tunnell (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
APPLE CREEK
The story of Apple Creek Church, at White Hall, is a heart breaking example of a bitter epoch in Baptist history in Illinois, although only a few glimpses remain to give us insight. Apple Creek Church was organized in 1822, in White Hall, with eleven members. The same year, 1822, Apple Creek united with the Illinois Association, her messengers being Charles Kitchens and Robinson Asher, who reported 12 members. In August 1823, the church again represented in the Illinois Association, her messengers being Charles Kitchens, William Waltrip, and Richard Griffin, who again reported 12 members. At this session, Apple Creek was dismissed, along with several other churches, to go into the constitution of the Sangamon Association in October 1823. When the convention met at Simon Lindley's home to form the Sangamon Association, Richard Griffin and Charles Kitchens were present to represent Apple Creek Church as messengers. The minutes of Sangamon Association for 1824- 1827 are missing, but the minutes of 1828 show that the church had increased to 52 members. Elders Aaron Smith and Charles Kitchens, and Bro. David Hudson, were the messengers from Apple Creek Church in 1828.
In November 1830, Apple Creek Church joined the Apple Creek Association, which was organized at Providence Church. Elders Charles Kitchens and Aaron Smith were her messengers. Minutes of the Apple Creek Association show that Apple Creek Church had 39 members in 1833; in 1834, 37; in 1835, 35; in 1836, 39; in 1837, 31; in 1838, 41 (18 were baptized this year). In 1839, however, Apple Creek Church was not represented, and the Association took note of the absence of the church as follows: "Took under consideration the distressed condition of Apple Creek Church, and appointed a committee of brethren, John Davidson, Meshack Browning, Abner Hill, E. L. Cooper, Isom Cranfill, Jacob Godwin, J. V. Rhoads, Ellis Davidson, Nathan Allen, Stephen Wright, B. F. Barnett, and John Taylor, to examine their records and give counsel, and report at the next association." In 1840, after hearing the report of their committee, the Apple Creek Association took the following action, "On motion, Apple Creek Church was dropped from the association, yet leaving the way open for those members who are desirous of obtaining fellowship with any regular Church in union." The nature of the trouble is not stated.
In October 1834, when the Missionary Baptists, led by John Mason Peck, decided to hold their first "State Convention," at White Hall (presumably because of its central location to their few scattered churches in Illinois at that time), they requested the use of the meeting house of Apple Creek Church. We quote the following account written by Elder Jacob Bower, a pro-mission advocate: "On October the 9th, 1834, the Baptist Convention of Illinois was organized in Brother A. Hix's barn, near White Hall, in Greene County. Such was the opposition manifested by the Anti-mission Baptists, that they would not allow us the privilege of holding our meetings in their Meeting House. A good [missionary] brother remarked, as though he had been inspired by the spirit of prophesy, Well, let them keep their old shanty, it won't stand there long. Just so it turned out. ..... Apple Creek Church was removed from that place."
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Asher, Godwin, Griffin, Hudson, Kitchens, Moore, Smith, Thompson, Waltrip, Woodall (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
TAYLOR'S CREEK
Taylor's Creek Church was organized on July 12, 1828, by 24 members, most or all of whom had been dismissed for that purpose from Providence Church in the same county. Taylor's Creek Church united with the Sangamon Association in 1828. It became a member of the Apple Creek Association in 1830, but the church divided over missions when the Apple Creek Association converted to the pro mission cause; and the majority of the church then (1843) joined the Concord Association. Information in the minutes of the Concord Association, relative to the division in this church, indicates it was organized on July 12, 1828, with 24 members, only two of whom (of the original members) went off with Elder H. H. Witt, when he began propagating heresy (rank arminianism) and led a party into the modern mission system. The pro-missionary faction of the church dissolved in 1857. This church dissolved in 1864.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Courtney, Cranfill, Dulen, Finley, Hankins, Harris, Hill, Jerrell, Love, Mahuren, Metcalf, Miller, Odle, Taylor (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
HOPEWELL
Hopewell Church, in Greene County, first joined the Sangamon Association in 1828. In 1830, it was dismissed, with several other churches, to organize the Apple Creek Association. When the controversy over missions arose, the church divided, and the part of the church which stood opposed to the modern mission system united with the Concord Association in 1842. It continued for a few years, but dissolved by about 1851.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Beeman, Chin, Clark, Dawdy, Dowdy, Godwin, Moore, Neal, Neece, Whiteside (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
UNION
Union Church was organized September 1, 1830, in a school house, by Elders Aaron Smith, James Smith, and Charles Kitchens, with the following members: Robinson Asher, John Rose, James Megeehe, Elizabeth Penalton, Jane Megeehe, William Thompson, Elizabeth Thompson, Peter Barrow, John Thompson, Winna Thompson, Walter Taylor and Susanna Taylor.
They held meetings at the different houses until June 1845, when services were held in a church which they had just built on land given by John Taylor. In 1878, a new church building, 28 by 40 feet in dimensions, was erected at Barrow.
Union Church was a charter member of the Apple Creek Association, in 1830, and also a charter member of the Concord Association, in 1838.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Asher, Baird, Barnett, Barrow, Beeman, Brickey, Caudle, Davidson, Dawdy, Fisher, Kemp, Ludwick, McBride, Megeehe, Moore, Murray, Pennington, Record, Rose, Simmons, Sitton, Sturgeon, Taylor, Thompson, Weller (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
HICKORY GROVE
Hickory Grove Church began meeting as an "arm" of Taylor's Creek Church on January 30, 1830. The twenty members of the arm were Elder Thomas Lee, George Wright, Ellis Davidson, John Davidson, Matthew Garrison, Charles Lee, Isaac Hill, Abel Moore, James Moore, Casander Wright, Margaret Davidson, Elizabeth Davidson, Mary Garrison, Huldy Lee, Annas Lee, Lucy Hill, Delila Moore, Leannah Hill, Lucena Coonrod, and Polly Grimes. On the first Saturday in July, 1830, they were constituted as a church, at the home of Elder Thomas Lee. Elders Graham Jackson, Charles Kitchens and Aaron Smith composed the presbytery.
Elder Stephen Coonrod was the first pastor. He was followed by Meshack Browning, in 1834, followed by H. H. Witt, in 1842. About this time, the division occurred over the modern mission system, and this church went with those who advocated the new innovations.
MT. GILEAD
The autobiography of Elder Jacob Bower states that he helped constitute a church called Mt. Gilead in Greene Co., on the second Sunday in May, 1832, which united with the Blue River Association (a Missionary Baptist body formed by churches which were rejected by the Morgan Association due to the influence on them of Peck and Bower), and that he preached for them for two years. He further states that when the controversy over missions arose, over Elder Bower, thirteen of the members, including a licensed preacher, withdrew and organized a new church, and united with the Apple Creek Association.
BETHLEHEM
Bethlehem Church, at Greenfield, was organized in 1835, and united with the Apple Creek Association. In 1838, it was one of several churches which formed the Concord Association. Elder Stephen Coonrod was a charter member of this church, and served as pastor until his death, from smallpox, in 1872.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Brannon, Coonrod, Courtney, Drum, Gimblin, Grimes, Linder, Mahurin, Melvin, Metcalf, Miller, Philips, Taylor, Wright (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
GOSHEN, SALEM, MT. ZION, MT. PISGAH
LITTLE FLOCK
Little Flock Church united with the Concord Association in 1843, her messengers being James Mulberry, John Stone, and Elihu Bandy, who reported a total of 8 members. From the minutes of the Apple Creek Association in 1841, it appears that some of the members of Mt. Gilead Church, in Greene County, withdrew and formed this church because Mt. Gilead Church favored the modern mission system. The church represented in the association again in 1844, and 1845, but failed thereafter, and was dropped from the minutes in 1850 or 1851. The location of this church has not been determined; it may have been in Macoupin County.
MIDDLE FORK OF APPLE CREEK
Middle Fork of Apple Creek Church, near Scottville, was organized on Saturday before the second Sunday in November 1861, at the home of Harris Cox, across the line in Morgan County. It had been an arm of the South Fork of Mauvaisterre Church. Elder Isaac Conlee, assisted by Deacons J. Meacham and K. Deatherage, was chiefly instrumental in the organization. The first members were as follows: Isaac Daniel, Julian Daniel, Abigail Daniel, Wiley B. Daniel, Harris Cox, Mary Cox, Bartley Wilkerson, Elizabeth Wilkerson, Elijah Steele, William F. Starner, Claiborne Dalton, and Emory D. Grider.
The first pastor of this church was Elder Isaac Daniel; he was followed by Elders Thornton Shepherd, Stephen Coonrod, A. W. Murray, R. Q. West, J. C. Simmons, and W. Shepler. Services were generally held at the residences of the members until March 1868, when they moved into a church building which they had erected on land donated by Theophilus Sheppard and wife. The church was located at the site of the Sheppard cemetery.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Conlee, Cox, Dalton, Daniel, Grider, Hopper, Howerton, Kehl, Lankton, Matthews, Phenix, Sheppard, Sims, Sitton, Starner, Steele, Stillwell, Stone, Taylor, West, Wilkerson (very incomplete list due to loss of records).
ROODHOUSE
The brethren and sisters at Roodhouse, desiring to be constituted into a church, met at the Roodhouse church house on Saturday, the 23rd day of December, 1905, and after services, proceeded to organize. The presbytery was composed of Elders George W. Murray, A. J. Witty, J. A. Conlee, J. L. Ludwick, and Giles Reeder. After constitution the church agreed to be known by the title of the Primitive Baptist Church of Roodhouse. In 1907 the church united with the Morgan Association.
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTED REFERENCE SOURCES IN THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST LIBRARY:
Minutes of the Apple Creek, Concord, Morgan and other Associations.
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