Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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vvilii to m. 1 ' N£T*? ', HJ:: .J -J' # - W *4 A^y i'A' M ftp# ' !/•* tist Cburcb of Newberry was or ganised in 1831. On October 6, 1831, John S. Carwile and Janes Driver were dismissed from Bush RlYer Baptist Church to become the foundation of the First Baptist Church in New berry. Daniel Mangum, pastor of Bush River, assisted in construction of . this church. The State Convention of Bap tist Churches in S. C. was or ganised in Dec. 1821, as a re sult of the efforts of Dr. Rich ard Furman. In April, 1855, an extra session of the Baptist State Convention was held at Bush River. This session was held in regard to changing the name of Furman Institute to Furman University. Bush River was a leader in Newberry County in founding and establishing many sister churches. It was also promi nent in the activities of the Baptist Association and the Baptist Convention. Bush River became a charter member of the Congaree Association In 1771. Since then it was active in the formation and member ship in the Bethel Association which was formed in 1789, and the new Reedy River Associa tion. In 1866, at the close of the War Between the States, the colored members requested that Bush River give them a piece of land cm which to build a church of their own. The church agreed, gave them land across foe road from the old cemetery, and on June 13,1866, 39 colored members were dis missed from Bush River to Join their new church. They now have a large brick church further down on the road to Newberry. The first Sunday School was organized in 1862 at Bush River with Wm. Reeder as Superint- endant. Bush River observed its one hundredth birthday on the se cond Sunday in August, 1871. Rev. Thomas H. Pope, pastor, sermon. His ser mon was later published hi the Baptist Church Organ--“The Working Christian.* hi the same year, the first Woman's Missionary Socie ty south of Baltimore, organiz ed after the War Between the States was the W. M. S. of the First Baptist Church in New berry. The second organization of this kind in the Reedy River Association and perhaps in the state, was formed in 1875 at Bush River with 40 charter members. Several times during the his tory of the church it has been renovated. The parsonage, built in 1900 sits across the road from the church. During the wars in which this country has been engaged there have been many of the sms and daughters of Bush River who NEWS-SUN-CITIZEN TRICENTENNIAL EDITION Newberry County, S. C., November 12,1970 have gone forth to fight Many of them now lie at rest in the church cemetery. Inscriptions on some of the markers tell us of their valor. hi the modern history of this church, that is, since 1935 the membership has basically been right at two hundred members. The rural setting around which this church has ministered for two hundred years is now chang ing and with this change there has been a dedicated adjustment by the membership. At the present time there are six living ministers who have pastored at Bush River. There are nine members still living who have been members for over 50 years. Bush River is a member of the Reedy River Baptist Asso ciation, the State Baptist Con vention and the Southern Bap tist Convention. It has the eld est record books of any church in Newberry County. They go back to the year of 1792. The church is located come 10 miles outside the city of Newberry. Several years ago a history of this church was written and on the last page is the following quotation * If anything should ev er happen to this church audits doors should forever clone then let me leave you with these words from 0 Corinthians 5:1, For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a build ing of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the hea vens.* Mrs. Clerk. M. Smith, Church Bush River Baptist Established In 1771 The establishment of Bush River Baptist Church in 1771 was the manifestation of the work of two missionaries, Da key who were responsible for organizing at least 16 Baptist churches in the Back Country. Their field stretched from the upper reache of the district to the high hills of the Santee and from the North Carolina line to the Savannah River. The Baptists in the Back Country were Separates, whose ancestors, the New Light Sep arates, had withdrawn from the Congregational churches of New England and had moved south. As early as 1766, Daniel Mar shall, one of the New Separa tist missionaries from New England began holding meetings in the house of Samuel Newman. In 1771, Marshall and Phillip Mulkey had baptized Samuel Newman and eight others. Sam uel Newman and his wife, Mar tha; his daughter, Uriah New man Gary; William Crow, his wife and daughter and two oth ers, and constituted them into a church. One of the members, Samuel Newman, became the first pastor of the newly form ed church. From its constitution in 1771 to 1850, a period of 79 years, the pastors with one exception, were called from among the church membership. In 1773, Thomas Norris, a licensed preacher of Little Saluda in Edgefield district was called to the care of Bush River Church in the place of Samuel Newman who had died. He was ordain ed the same year by Phillip Mulkey and David Rees. “Thomas Norris was a pecu liar man” who practiced foot washing of his brethren, and visited his people and friends on foot. He preached the doc trine of “non-resistance" dur ing the Revolution and for this teaching was imprisoned in the old jail in Ninety-Six. He was offered his liberty many times provided he would cease to preach as he did, but he re fused release on any such terms. Finally he was released without condition and continued to preach until he passed away in 1780. “Quote from O’Neall’s Annals. ” John Cole, Sr., a member of the church was chosen pastor— was ordained in 1783--and serv ed for 35 years. It was during his pastorate that the church came to be known as Cole’s Meeting House. The church grew and increased until 1792, when it was first represent ed in the Bethel Association, at thie time Michael Landers was appointed clerk of the church and a regular record of the proceedings began to be kept. One of the customs of the early church was astrictmoral code of the members’ conduct. If a member was guilty of any misconduct he was brought before the church, asked to make a confession of his sin and to be repentant. Otherwise, he was excluded. Drunkenness seemed to be the worst sin. Some of the others were gamb ling, dancing, cardplaying; fail ing to attend church meetings; using vulgar language; leaving the neighborhood in a clandes tine way; leaving just debts un paid; horse swapping on the Sabbath and “many others.” Mr. Cole was succeeded by Rev. Charles Crow. “Never was any religious body confided to abler, better hands. Few prea chers were better endowed with grace from on high, fewer men in or out of the pastorate pre sented more lovable lives than Charles Crow.” Quote from O’- Neall’s Annals. Rev. Daniel Mangum suc ceeded Mr. Crow and served as pastor for 26 years. The out standing event of his ministry was the great revival of 1831- 1832 when one hundred, forty five new members were added to the church. The First Bap-. ■MM IT S BEEN OUR PLEASURE— to serve the people of Newberry County Since 1913 and look forward to even greater service In Progressive Newberry County X Mi . n W I. .i^Ay ' '* ^ ? i o' ■■K 8 16701970 We Welcome Our Visitors To Newberry County During This Week of Tricentennial Cele bration! SMITH MOTOR CO if Dodge — Plymouth — Chrylsler — Dodge Trucks College Street Newberry, S. C. WELCOME 1670 SOUTH CAROLINA TRICENTENNIAL to NEWBERRY COUNTY DURING OUR TRICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION A? • Mm \ .M Ij&k mm m: j f mMi w» 1 0 •*!3* "•sssssr ^1 he County Officials of Newberry County Hope llhat You Will Enjoy Your Visit In Our County 0 U^ A Tit;, County Newberry 16701970 SOUTH CAROLINA