The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, August 23, 1907, Page THREE, Image 3
CORNER STONE FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH LAID.
(Continued from page 2.)
the organization, the church did not
conneet itself with any Association;
but in the Fall of 1833 delegates were
appointed and a letter written to the
Reedy River Baptist Association, into
which body the church was duly and
eordially received. In March, 1834,
three additional deacons were chosen
J. B. O'Neall, M. T. Mendenhall and
Drayton Nance-and, by special reso
lution of the ehurch, they were "re
quested to conduct all prayer-meet
ing, from time to time, and to take
part in any other religious exercises
to which they may be prompted by
the Spirit, in aid of the pastor
of the church.'" At the end of 1834,
the highly efficient and blessed pastor
ate of Mr. Hodges came to a close.
In January, 1835, Rev. Daniel Man
gum, pastor of Bush River Church,
was invited to the pastorate and en
tered upon his labors, assisted by Rev.
E. Lindsey. At the same time, Pea
cons O'Neall and Mendenhall having
shown decided gifts for public speak
ing and the conduct of public wor
ship, were by the church "authoriz
ed to exercise their gifts in any way
that they might deem their duty, eith
er in public prayer, exhortation or
preaching." It was no uncommon
sight at that time, and a deeply im
pressive one, to see the tall figure of
the pastor, clothed in a long white
robe and followed by a number of can
didates similarly clad, attended by a
vast crowd, marching in procession
to the baptistery in the grove already
mentioned, to adminster the ordin
ance of baptism. And as they mareh
ed, the pastor would fine out the words
of some appropriate hymn and lead
in the singing of it, in which all the
people joined.
In February, 1836, Thomas Frean
was licensed to preach, and in the
Fall of 1837 he was ordained to the
ministry. In '37, Mr. Hodges return
ed to the pastorate of the church,
preaehing, however, only once a
month through '37 and a part of '38.
He was succeeded by Rev. Thomas
Frean, and during his pastorate in
1840, Rev.,J. A. Chaplain acted as
assistant. Mr. Frean's ministry end
ed with the year '42, and he was sue
eeeded by Rev. Samuel Gibson, of
Greenville, who rode down through
the country and filed his appoint
ments once or twice a month. At the
end of three years-in Jan., 1846-he
was succeeded by Rev. J. G. Lan
drum, of Spartanburg, and in 1848 he
was succeeded by Rev. M. C. Barnett,
also of Spartanburg, whose pastorate
lasted two years-to the end of '49.
During this period of the church's
history-from the close of Mr. Hod
ges' pastorate to 1850-no decided
change in its conditioin had taken
place, but it had sustained the loss of
two of its leading influential mem
bers in the death of' Thomas Pratt
and the removal of Dr. Mendenhall to
t Charleston.
In Februtary, 1850, after corres
pondence by Judge O'Neall through
Dr. Mendenhall, the church called
Rev. J. J. Brantly, then of North
Carolina, and on the 12th of May, in
that year, he began his long and use
ful pastorate. On the 11th day of
November, 1850, Y. J. Harrington,
who had been the treasurer of the
church from its very origin, and a
deacon from the time of his election
two months after the church was con
stituted, gave up his owrk and enter
ed upon his rest. Drayton Nance suc
ceeded him as treasurer of the church,
and in 1852, G. T. Scott was elected
deacon. At the May meeting in 1852,
the communion set, still used by the
church, was given by the pastor,
through Deacon John S. Carwile, who
presented it in the name and at the re
quest of Dr. Brantly, "together with
the expression of a hope, that the
season, in which it may be called in
to use to remind us of our Redeem
er's death, may afford us a foretaste
of that sweeter communion which we
may all enjoy in our Redeemer's pres
enee.'' In the same year, through the
active efforts of the female members,
who had what they called a "working
society,'' money was raised and some
important improvements were made
in the church building. On the 8th of
November, 1852, just two years after
the death of~ Deacon Harrington, the
ehurch sustained another great loss
in the death of Deacon John S. Car
wile, the~ first deacon, and for many
years the clerk of the church. On the
14th of the same month the vacant
deaconate -as filled by the consider
able religious interest in the commun
ity and a number were added to the
church by baptism. In September,
-1854, Deacon Drayton Nance was sud
denly summoned from the church on
earthi to the assembly of the saints
on high, being the third deacon that
had died within sis: years. In Decem
ber of that year, 1856, John B. Car
wile was elected to succeed him as
deacon, and W. H. Harrington as
treasurer. At the end of 1857 the
eustom of extending an annual call to
the pastor was dropped, and Dr. I
Brantly was called during mutual I
pleasure. In 1861, J. D. Nance suc
ceeded W. H. HarrinAon as treasur- t
er, and that same year Thomas H.
Pope was licensed t, preach the gos
pel. 1riiing the dark and terrible t
t
days of the war, the church struggled
on against th-: dificulties and trieas d
commoa to all parts of 'he south, and
to al! enterprises, led by :heir faith- t
ful and devoted pastor. lI 1863, at e
the request of Lower Duncan's Creek '
Church, Thomas H. Pope, who was t
still a member of ibis chnrch, was or- e
dained. In September of that year
quita a revival inCueace vas experi
enced in the e::urch snd i number
were received by baptism. As the
year 1863 drew to a close. two severe
blows fell upon the church in quick
and sharp succession, in the death of 3
Deacon J. B. 0'Neall, on the 27th of f
December, and of F. B. Higgins, on
the 30th of the same month. The '
years 1865 and 1866 were occupied by t
everybody in trying to gather up and
repair the shattered fragments left by
the war. In October, 1866, Dr. Brantly a
offered his resignation, and on the 6th I
of Januarv following his farewell ser,
mon was preached. His pastorate of I
sixteen years had been distinguished e
by steady, faithful, permanent work,
which left its in:1ress upon the
church and the community so clear I
and deep as never to be effaced. 6
Rev. J. T. Zealy was called to the
vacant pastorate March 3d, 1867, ac
I
cepted and entered at once upan his
labors. In March, 1868, John R.
Leavell and W. T. Wright were elect
ed deacons, and in 1870, together with
G. T. Scott and J. B. Carwile, who
had been previously elected, were or
dained. Mr. Zealy resigned in Septem
ber, 1868, and Dr. Richard Furman
was celled and began his pastorate
the last of that year. His health fail
ing, in the spring of 1669, the church
was supplied with preaching to the C
end of that year by professors and C
students of the Southern Baptist The- t
ological Seminary, especially Dr. Wil
liam Williams, who continued to
preach in 1870, but early in that year
Rev. John Stout was invited to take t
charge of the church and did so, but t
continued his studies in the Seminary s
untill May, 1871, when he came to '
Newberry to live. He resigned and 9
left in December, 1873, and was suc- -
ceeded July 1st, 1874, by Rev. F. W. t
Eason, and heL the first of January, ~
1878, by the present pastor. In 1869 ~
William Hayne Leavell, a member of '
this church, was ordained to the min- t
istry. Deacon G. T. Scott died in ~
1870, and in that same year Jaipes '
McIntosh was elected deacon. 1
The office of clerk of the church
was first filled by James Divver, who ~
was followed in a year or two by Ren
ben Pitts. In 1835 John S. Carwil;e
was made assistant clerk, and in 1843
he succeeded Mr. Pitts, as clerk,C
holdinig the office until 1852. He was
followed by his son, John B. Carwile,
who served as clerk for fifteen years, C
and was followed in 1867 by Y. 5.
Pope, who was succeeded in 1877 by .
John F. Spearman, and he, in 1881,1
by the present clerk, John S. Carwil.. t
The singing in the public worship t
was, at first of course, without aid of 1
instrumental music, and was led by r
Reuben Pitts, aided among the fe- 3
males by Mary Carwile, Mary Har- s
rington, Caroline F4rnandis, iSarah l
Fernandis, and others. Mr. Pitts was t
early succeeded as leader by John B. 'e
Carwile, and Deacon Drayton Nance, t
occasionailly rendered some service in I
this direction. Soon something of a '
ehoir was formed and, as early as
1851, a melodeon was bought and us- t
ed in the worship. The first performer a
was Miss Bettie Carwile, now Mrs. r
Mims, and she was followed by the g
pastor's wife, Mrs. Brantly, and she e
by Miss Kate Leavell, now Mrs. s
Spearman. In 1855 the present or- (
gan was bought, and the aid and en- t
joyment it has furnished, in the wor- t
ship of God's house for over a quarter t
of a eenutry, must be attributed in 4
great measure, to the energetic and
enthusiastic efforts of the accom- 1
plished and devoted Mrs. Brantly, a
through, whose exertions the organ a
was secured.
Very soon after its organization, in 5
the beginning of 1832, the church be
gan the Sunday-school work, organiz- 1
ing the first Sunday-school in all this (
sal-~.on of country, so far as can be e
ascertained. It was, of course, lack- t
ing in the spirit and efficiency that e
distinguish the Sunday-school work r
of the appliances for giving interest t
of the aplliances for giving interest
and aid to the study of the scriptures, s
which are so abundant now, and Sun- +
day-sohool singing, that delightful y
and efficient agency in the modern t
Sunday-school, was, as yet, an unde- a
veloped science. A colletion of the t
church hymnns was used, and such
tunes as "Old Hundred'' were sung
to them, while the children sat in sil- t
enee, not being expected to taka any a
part in this exercise. But though i
quite unlike a modern Sunday-school, c
it was as good as any the times af- 1
forded, and was equipped at the begin- z
inz with the best outfit that could be
ought. The first person who attempt
d to teach the children to sing and
o improve the Sunday-school music,
ras Mrs. Brantly, and through her
nterest and exertions in this diree
ion marked progress was made. The
;unday-school of those early times,
eficient perhaps in some things that
elong to modern Sunday-school en
erprise, was nevertheless distinguish
d for the thoroughness and fidelity
oith which the word of God was
aught in it, and the great pains tak
n to indoctrinate the young in the
undamental principles of the gospel.
'he first superintendent was Deacon
J. Harrington, who filled the office
eith fidelity and success for many
-ars and was suceeded by Deacon
)rayton Nance, and he, after a few
-ears, by John B. Carwile, who was
ollowed by Y. J. Pope. On the re
ignation of Mr. Pope, Mr. Carwile
ras again chosen to the office. At
imes during its history, the interest
a the Sunday-school has waned, but
[:has never been abandoned, even for
time, and has sometimes reached a'
igh degree of efficiency and success,
umbering at one time during the
astorate of Dr. Brantly, and the sup
rintendence of Mr. Carwile, as many
s a hundred and twenty members,
rhile a large majority of the converts
vho have swelled the numbers and
ustained the efficiency of the church
ave come from it ranks. The two
oung ministers who in recent years
ave been sent forth by this church,
homas H. Pope and William Hayne
eavell, were both reared from their
-ery childhood in this Sunday-school.
he same may be said of Rev. J. K.
fendenhall, who, though never a
aemebr of this church was for years:
n his early boyhood a pupil in the
unday-school.
Like most Baptist Churches in the
;outh, this church had until the close
f the war a large membership 'of
olored people, numbering most of the
ime about as many as the whites, and
rith the delicate and difficult pro-I
ilem, growing out of the peculiar
ondition and wants of t-c people,
hey had early and often to deal, and
o this work they addressed them
elves with their accustomed energy
nd devotion. Careful attention was
iven to their spiritual wants and ev
ry effort made to meet them. From
he beginning special meetings were
eld for their benefit, and in 1835,
4r. Mangum, the pastor, and Mr.
ndsey, his assistant, by request of
he church, held regularly Sunday af
ernoon services specially for the col
red people, and this custom was kept
p until the close of the war. In
~anuary, 1833, four leaders for the
olored people wvere apopinted, tha
rst named of whom was Dred, af-?
erwards known as Dred Rutherford.
rho died at an advanced age, highly
steemed and respected, on the 11th
ay of last September, only a few
sys prior to the fiftieth anniversary
f the church's organization.
From its origin, the church has
een careful of the want of the few
adigent members, who, from time to
ime, have needed its help. And
here seems never to have been a t-ime
a its history when a fund for' the
eedy was not provided, and, as it
as needed, used freely to relieve the
uffering. It is a cause for congratu
tion and gratitude to God that.
rougho'ut these fifty years, the
hurch has never approached any
ing like a schism, but the utmost
armony and good feeling have al-;
rays prevailed.
No records are at hand of the con
ributions of the church to benevolent
nd religious objects; but, although
iot for two years, after its or
-anization connected with any Asso-1
ation, it was from the first a con
tituent membier of the Baptist State
onvention, and, as the minutes of'
hat body show, contribti:ed liberally
o its education and missionary en
erprises. In the person of Judge
) 'Neall, this church furnished one of
he morst highly revered of all thei
onored presidents of the State Con
~enin: ini Dr. Brantly, its secretary,
ad in Dr. Mendenhall, its treasurer
or many years, while the present
astor has been, from the beginning
f his pastorate, the secretary of that
ody. The Emuctive Board of the
jon~ventionl n as fo.r a long time locat
d here, amd was composed chiefly of
iaembers o'f this eturch. In the gen
ral b)enevelent ref erprises of the de
iomiinaion, the church has always
aken an intelig t and liberal part.
It remains now only to trace our
gav azain throuigh this avenue of fif
yyears and call the roll of the he
oes whc have made the church 's his
ory, with such allusion to the life
,d character of each as may seem
o be desirable.
John M. lBanes, the first pastor, is
teri-ed as a yon man of attrac
ive if not brilliant, pulpit gifts.
ud was an exceedingly popular and
npressive preacher. iAttle is known
f him after his short pastorate here,
iut it is said that he subsequently
nod to the Wead ecaen identi-)
fied with another denomination.
The man who. doubtless more than
any other in those early days, made
a blessed and lasting, impression on
the character of the church and peo
ple, was the sainted N. W. Hodges.
He was a native of Abbeville District,
and at the time he became pastor of
this ehurch, was quite a young man.
Of fine native talent and of the best
cultivation the times afforded, a
graduate of the South Carolina Col
lege and of the Furman Theological
Institution, he was an instructive and
effl-etive preacher of the gospel. Unit
ed with his ability as a preacher
was a most beautiful Christian char
acter. Just before his death in 1842,
he made a visit to Newberry, and,
though physically unable to preach,
he followed the sermon of Mr. Frean,
the pastor, with some tender and
touching words, in which he referred
with modest but confident assurance
to his coming death. At the close of
his pastorate in '35, he became the
agent of the Baptist State Conven
tion. and later was professor in the
Furman Institution. He died in
Greenwood in the Fall of 1842, and
was buried at Mt. Moriah Church, in
Abbeville County. A monument over
his grave was erected by this church
and the church at Mt. Moriah. In
an extensive and appreciative notice
of his life and death, adopted by the
church in December, '42,.he is spok
en of "as the friend whom we love
and as the teacher sent from God."
In resolutions passed the same year
by the Board of Trustees of Furman
University, and adopted by the
State Convention, he is referred to as
"a conscientious, laborious, self
denying minister of Jesus Christ.
Exemplary for his singular devoted
ness to the interests of religion, and
crowned by the providence of God
with an uncommon measure of use
fulnes, he has gone down to -the
grave amidst the deep regrets of
many, who loved him for his work's
sake." In an address by Dr. Rey
nolds, some years ago, allusion was
made to "his calm, pale face, and his
eyes, that seemed to look beyond this
world." And one who in his boyhood
attended his ministry says that he re
minded him of "one of the old pro
phets and seemed like one who belong
ed to another world.'
Daniel'Mangum was the tird pastor.
Six feet high, of large frame, great
physical endurance and a powerful
voice, he sang and preached and pray.
ed with impassioned earnestness and
zeal. .By industrions application, he
improv'ed a limited education and be.
ecine an effective and very success
ful preacher. sometimes rising to the
heights of real eloquence. He died at
(Continue~d on page 6.)
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