A General Meeting
To Warn and Unite the Primitive Baptist Churches
of the Southern Appalachian Region
Against the Liberal Movement
Prior to the American Revolutionary War large numbers of individuals migrated from Europe to the North American continent seeking freedom and liberty, praying to the Great Jehovah that they would be granted such peace under tranquillity. Even though many miles separated them from the governments they left behind, many of these immigrants found religious oppression under the church state government in the New World from the seat of power in Great Britain. Those of various religious identification, or what we would call denominations in today's setting, that were independent and outside the official "church" that was sanctioned, protected and intricately guarded by governmental laws, continued to seek unfettered liberty in their fervent desire to worship the Son of God in spirit and in truth. The most prominent of these independent religious bodies outside the official Church of England was the Baptist. Even though within the Baptist at that time they may not have agreed on some minor points of scripture or doctrine, for the most part these Baptist were just one, plain Baptist by name and accord, not Primitive Baptist, not Particular Baptist, not General Baptist, not Union Baptist, not Missionary Baptist, not Southern Baptist, not Northern Baptist.
After the American Revolutionary War, during the last few years of the 1700's, there began to come to light new and strange precepts advocated by some of those professing to be Baptist. Dissension kept growing among the Baptist over newly introduced precepts when in September, 1832, a group of Baptist staunchly holding to the old paths met at the Black Rock Meeting House, Butler, Maryland to proclaim to the world their opposition to new, man-made ideas and practices brought in to the Baptist ranks. A marked split openly fomented from that time onward with the new age ideas of man identified primarily as Missionary Baptist and those holding to the old paths as set forth in the King James Version of the Bible identified as Old School or Primitive Baptist.
During the time between the latter part of the 1700's and latter part of the 1900's there were various upheavals and splits within the Old School or Primitive Baptist.
Toward the end of the 1900's serious trouble once again arose within the ranks of an element of the Old School or Primitive Baptist. Basically these issues were the same that arose about two hundred years ago which prompted the Black Rock meeting, and a group met at Pitts, Georgia in January, 2000, to affirm denouncement of the reintroduction of ideas and practices that are not God-honoring. The meeting at Pitts, Georgia produced what is commonly referred to as the Pitts Resolution.
Issues documented in the Black Rock Address and the Pitts Resolution have not permeated the Primitive Baptist Churches corresponding through associations, and in independent congregations, in the Appalachian area, but beginnings have been noticed. Those wishing to introduce these unsettling ideas and practices are usually referred to as "liberals", while those of us holding to the old paths are usually referred to as "conservatives." Some Brethren have thought it needful to have a general meeting of the conservative Primitive Baptist for the purpose of discussing and bringing these issues to the forefront, and inform our churches, as well as others that are interested, on the dangers of these unscriptural practices among many Primitive Baptist congregations. We are thankful the Almighty has blessed us to have spiritual peace and prosperity within our ranks, and pray these inventions of men do not corrode our borders.
Some of the liberal issues opposed in the Black Rock Address and the Pitts Resolution, which the liberals are now spreading:
1. Organized Bible Classes. These are weekly Sunday schools dressed in different clothing.
2. Youth Camps. Purposed to entice and teach young folks how to become church members.
3. Mission Programs. Organizations purposed in sending and supporting foreign missions.
4. Preacher Schools. A mini theological school used to teach men how and what to present to a congregation.
5. Dedication of Infants. Another pretense or substitute for infant baptism.
6. Salaried Ministers. A sure system devised to buy and sell preachers for filthy lucre.
7. Tithing. Unscriptural way of putting a guilt trip on the innocent in order to try and assure support for an elitist ministry.
8. Pulpit Kingdomship By Pastors. An attempt to assure pastors have all power in the pulpit and that the pastor decides who occupies the pulpit without regard to the congregation.
9. Great Commission. Teaching the Great Commission was given to the church as an organization rather than to the Apostles as individuals.
10. Secret Orders. Allowing church members to belong to secret orders, when secret orders demand allegiance and are thereby unscriptural. (Christ is first and our all-in-all.)
Men advocating that liberal precepts be a part and parcel of Primitive Baptist congregations by their words and actions display contempt for the Old Line Primitive Baptist way our fore fathers have trod. Presently our churches are void from within of the above man-made teachings; we stand firmly in believing salvation is of the LORD, and He does not rely upon devices of man to illuminate His glory. Our laborings in the LORD in this region have been long and hard to establish and maintain peace in Zion, and now we are enjoying fellowship in peace as it is in Christ. By the mercies and grace of God, let us continue to labor to keep out those men and practices of men that would disturb our peace.
With all the above said, all interested individuals were encouraged and invited to attend a meeting scheduled on Saturday at 4:00 PM, June 29, 2002, at the Cranberry Primitive Baptist Meeting House located on Highway #113, between Highways #18 and #221, in the Laurel Springs Community of Alleghany County, North Carolina, to discuss these issues and possibly publish any conclusions.
(Directions to Cranberry Primitive Baptist Meeting House: From Sparta, North Carolina travel about twelve miles on Highway #18 toward the Laurel Springs Community, turn right onto Highway #113, and the Meeting House is about two miles on the left, a red brick building adjoining a cemetery.)
The Cranberry Declaration, June 29, 2002
To read the Cranberry Declaration, Click Here
Used by permission. 2002. The Primitive Baptist Library.
This page maintained by:
Robert Webb
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(bwebb9@juno.com)