History of the Upatoi Primitive Baptist Association, 1837.
FIRST RESOLUTION AND REASON FOR CONSTITUTING:
"Whereas, in the opinion of this Association, a great number of ministers and other members of the Baptist denomination have violated the second article of the Confession of Faith set forth in Philadelphia in 1742, and adopted by all true Baptists ever since, which says, "We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice," and forasmuch as we find neither precept nor example for any member of the church to unite with any humanly invented society for the purpose of carrying unto
Christ God's purpose for the salvation of His people, but believing that salvation is of the Lord, be it therefore
Resolved, that this Association will not correspond with any Association which stands connected with the Georgia Convention, nor with any of the "benevolent" (so-called) institutions of the day, and furthermore that none of the churches of this Association will invite or suffer any preacher who is a member of any of the said societies to preach in their houses, or bid them God speed."
CORRESPONDING LETTER, FIRST SESSION , 1837.
"Dear Brethren in the Lord, we a few of the scattered Baptist Churches, of the Primitive Order, after having met in council at Union Church, Marion County, Georgia, by delegation, November 4, 1837, were constituted into an Association denominated the Apostolic Baptist Association. We, therefore, as an Association, do offer a friendly correspondence to our sister Associations, of our faith and order."
Thirteen churches were in the constitution of the Association, of which Elders Battle and Turner were Moderator and Clerk. Union (Marion County), Union (Girard, Alabama), Valley Grove (Talbot County), Mt. Erion (Marion County), Upatoi, Mt. Carmel (Muscogee County), Sardis (Marion County), Ariel (Crawford County), Ramah (Marion County), Horeb (Talbot County), Lazar Creek (Talbot County), Hepzibah (Marion County), Philippi (Marion County).
- Copied from "History of the Upatoi Primitive Baptist Association, 1837-1962."
