Church and Family History Research
Assistance
for Rush County, Indiana
The Primitive Baptists established themselves in Rush County in a
very early period of the county's history, almost if not quite
simultaneous with the Methodists. As early as 1821 there was a
church organized, known as the Flat Rock Church. John P. Thompson
was the founder, and made monthly visits to them, but later left
the Baptists and joined the Campbellites. Early Primitive Baptist
ministers who preached in the county included Elders Wilson
Thompson, John Sparks, and George Harlan, all from Fayette County.
A split occurred in the Regular Baptist Church (as it was called at
that time) in Rush County in August 1845. There was at that time a
meetinghouse, known as the Zion Church, a church
which belonged to the White Water Association. The controversy,
which ended in division, began at the East Fork Church. Elder
Sparks began to advocate conditional salvation, and Elder Hatfield,
a local preacher for that congregation, opposed with such offensive
criticism as to cause Elder Sparks to prefer charges against him
which resulted in the withdrawal of fellowship from Elder Hatfield.
Elder Hatfield appealed to the White Water Association for redress
and the hearing took place at the Zion Church on the date as above
stated. Elder Wilson Thompson defended Elder Hatfield, and David
Drummonds supported the church in its action in excluding Elder
Hatfield from its fellowship. The ground upon which the house stood
belonged to Mrs. Nancy Cook, and she was appealed to as to which
party should have possession. She decided in favor of Elder
Thompson, whereupon, Elder Sparks called upon his friends to know
how many would follow him to a grove about one mile south. The
trial was had on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday much the larger
part went with Elder Sparks to the grove. The rights of property
were finally tested in the civil courts, and by a kind of
compromise or conciliator measure, East Fork's meeting house was
given to the Spark's party, and Zion's meeting house to the
Thompson party. (A book published regarding this trouble is located
in the Primitive Baptist Library, Carthage, Illinois.)
CHURCHES:
BIG FLAT ROCK, RUSHVILLE (1821)
BEN DAVIS
PLEASANT RUN (1823)
LITTLE BLUE RIVER
EAST FORK FLAT ROCK
East Fork Flat Rock Church was organized at the home of William Jackson, on July 21, 1827, with eleven charter members, viz., William Jackson Sr., William Jackson Jr., Jeremiah Coleman, George Weirick, Thomas Wells, Benton R. Cook, Abigail Jackson, Sarah Coleman, Anna Coleman, Heistis Cook, and Sarah Weirick. The presbytery was composed of Elder John Caldwell, moderator, and Isaac Martin clerk, and other brethren, George Brown, Thomas Sargent, George Zion, Richard Koll, Schuyler Jagger, Nathaniel Murphy, and William Dickey, representing Little Blue River, Ben Davis, and Lick Creek churches.
SALT CREEK
ANTIOCH
ZION
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