Action of Olive Branch Church in the Blue River Association of Indiana, 1906
This church is located in Washington county, Indiana. Inasmuch as our people, the Primitive Baptists, have been disturbed and divided and rendered unhappy by the introduction and advocacy of sentiments heretofore opposed by our people, especially the position that the "great commission" was given to the church, we refer to the words of Christ in Matt. xxviii, 18-20, we think it prudent for us as a church to make public our objections to these things. We do this because we find that strife and confusion have resulted where this position has been taught or tolerated among our people. Some of our best informed men regard it as a bedrock of all differences between us and the Missionary Baptists, and as being the cause of the great division in 1832.
We are unable to see why elders should insist on this sentiment among us, seeing it is destructive of peace wherever it is urged, unless it is because they desire to put our churches into modern missionary work. We think that recent events among our people justify this conclusion. We are in peace and love among ourselves and greatly desire to remain so. We are content to go along without those things - without instrumental music in our church or any other new practice or doctrine. Therefore, preachers who advocate these things or uphold others in doing so, would be unwelcome among us. We hope in making this statement we are actuated by a sincere desire to do good and what is best for the cause, and not from an unworthy spirit.
Signed by order of the church and ordered published in the Monitor and Advocate, and in Zion's Advocate. Primitive Baptist please copy.
CLAUDE MATTOX, Moderator
JOHN REED, Clerk, pro tem. Salem, Indiana.
(Copied from "Zion's Advocate, 1906, page 421).
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