History of the Spoon River
Regular Baptist Association of Illinois
The Spoon River Association was formed by churches dismissed for that purpose from the Sangamon Association in 1830. (The Sangamon Association had grown to 39 churches, and it was deemed advisable to divide into five associations at that time.) It is believed that the constitution of the Spoon River Association took place on the third weekend in September 1831, when messengers from seven churches convened with Crane Creek Church near Rushville, in Schuyler County.
The seven churches in 1831 were Crane Creek, Salem, Copperas Creek, Henderson, Mt. Pleasant, Bethel, and Crooked Creek. In 1832 this association passed a resolution against missionary innovations.
In 1832 and 1833 the Spoon River Association dealt firmly with those in her body who favored the mission system. Those who were excluded became the nucleus for the Salem Missionary Baptist Association.
By 1835 the Spoon River Association had increased to 19 churches and 546 members, and several churches were dismissed to organize, for convenience, the Salem Regular Baptist Association. The 19 churches were: Crane Creek, Bethel, Salem, Union, Crooked Creek, Copperas Creek, Henderson, Middle Creek, Mt. Pleasant, New Providence, New Salem, Mill Creek, New Bethel, North Fork, New Salem, Little Flock, New Providence, New Harmony, and Bear Creek. The last ten of these were dismissed to organize the Salem Regular Baptist Association.
Ministers of the Spoon River Association, at first, included Elders Stephen Strickland, John Howard, Amaziah Howard, John Foster, John Goforth, William Bradley, John Holcomb, Squire Willcoxen, Micajah B. Rowland, Samuel Dark, John Logan, Joseph Jones, and Charles Vandeveer.
Resolution Passed by the Spoon River Association in 1832
TABLE OF THE SPOON RIVER ASSOCIATION IN 1831, 1834, and 1835.
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Spoon River Association Table for 1831,
from I. M. Allen's Register of the Baptist Denomination, 1833.
Bethel S. Strickland 51
Crane Creek J. Logan 48
Crooked Creek 26
Salem 20
Henderson 20
Copperas Creek 20
Mt. Pleasant John Foster 16
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201
Note: The Minutes of 1834 have been found (they were preserved as
part of the papers of Elder David Chenault of Kentucky). The Spoon
River statistical table for 1834 is as follows:
Bethel Lic. John Holcom 66
Crane Creek 41
Crooked Creek 31
Salem John Goforth, Squire Wilcoxson 25
Henderson 40
Copperas Creek 26
Mt. Pleasant 13
Union 27
Middle Creek William Bradley, Micajah B.
Rowland, Thomas H. Owen 44
New Providence 34
Mill Creek William Roberts 48
New Bethel 22
North Fork McKees Cr Elijah Bell 13
New Providence Henry C. Davis 23
New Salem, Pike Co 9
New Salem, Adams Co 16
Total 481
59 baptisms during the year.
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Spoon River Association Table for 1835,
from I. M. Allen's Register of the Baptist Denomination, 1836.
Bethel 61
Crane Creek 38
Crooked Creek 34
Salem John Goforth 32
Henderson 38
Copperas Creek 28
Mt. Pleasant 14
Union Lic. S. Dark 36
Middle Creek T. H. Owens, M. B. Rowland 51
New Providence 21
Mill Creek William Roberts 50
New Bethel 27
North Fork Elijah Bell 15
New Providence J. G. Williams 22
New Salem Lic. B. Alsbury 26
New Salem 26
Little Flock 13
New Harmony 7
Bear Creek 7
Total 546
45 baptisms during the year.
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OVERVIEW OF THE BAPTISTS IN ILLINOIS IN 1835.
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I. M. Allen's Register of the Baptist Denomination, for 1835,
gives the following statistics for Illinois:
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PRIMITIVE BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS MISSIONARY BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONS
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Name # of Members Name # of Members
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Apple Creek 395 Blue River 221
Bethel 352 Clear Creek 185
Illinois 225 Edwardsville 210
Kaskaskia 275 Northern 120
Little Wabash 460 North District 518
Morgan 294 Salem 217
Muddy River 260 Saline 170
Okaw 236 South District 663
Sangamon 511 Independent
Salem 286 churches 122
Spoon River 546
Vermilion 233
Wabash District 446
Independent churches 223
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Totals 4,742 Totals 2,426
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In 1832, after the Spoon River Association declared non-fellowship for the modern mission system, the members who followed Elder John Logan (who had accepted an appointment as a hired missionary) were excluded, and they then organized missionary Baptist churches, which formed the Salem United (Missionary) Baptist Association in 1833. A first-hand detailed account of this trouble (including certificates from the churches involved which were written at the time) is available upon request, in pamphlet form. The Salem Regular Baptist Association was organized in 1835 by churches dismissed in regular order from the Spoon River Association for that purpose.
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