Last updated 8 August 1998
Submitted by Missy RICKETTS, 8095 Carriage Lane, Apt., 304, Cordova, TN 38018
Published by her permission
[Editor's Note: This is a transcription of the original church record book
which begins with the founding of the Union Baptist Church on Hardin Creek,
Wayne County, Tennessee on 26 March 1825. Ms. RICKETTS found the original
book in her grandmother's trunk and submitted a xerox copy of the original.
We will publish the entire record book as a series in the Historian. To date,
this is the earliest individual church congregation record book that has
surfaced. The minute book of the Shoals Creek Baptist Association, of which
the Union Church was an organizational member, begins in 1826. This record
book does not have page numbers so when the text flows onto a new page we will
use the convention of // to indicate a page change. Information appearing
in brackets [ ] will be information added by the editor]
Abstract of Principles
Of the Baptist Church of Christ on hardins Creek Wayne County State of
Tennessee first Constituted the 26th of March in the Year of Our lord 1825
We believe in the only true & loving God the father the word & the
holy Ghost
Second we believe that the scriptures of the Old & new testament are the
word of god & the only rule of Faith & practice
third We believe in the doctrine of Election and that God chose his people in
Christ before the foundation of the world
fourth We believe in the doctrine of original Sin
fifth We believe in Mans inability apostry to recover himself from the fallen
state he is in by nature by his own free will and ability
sixth We believe that sinners are Justified in the sight of God only by the
imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ
seventh We believe that Gods elect shall be called converted & regenerated
and sanctifyed by the holy Spirit
Eighth We believe that baptism and the lords supper are ordinances of Jesus
Christ & that true believers are the only subjects & we believe that
the true mode of Baptism is by emersion
ninth We believe the saints shall finally persevere in grace and never fall
finally away
tenth We believe in the resurrection//
Eleventh We believe that the punishment of the wicked and the Joys of the
righteous are eternal
twelfth We believe that no ministers have a right to the administration of the
Ordinances only such as are regularly Baptised and come under the imposition
of hands by the presbatry
thirteenth We believe that none but regularly baptised members have a right to
commune at the lords table
January the 7th day 1825
This day agreeable to a forme appointment we the members of the baptist Church
of Christ have met with the presbatry we called for We being members which have
removed from different Churches and have settled in this place & after
devine Worship the presbatry proceeded to business and finding us Orderly
and Orthodox} we agree to Join in the following Covenant {viz}
For as much as almight God by his Grace has been pleased to call us whose names
are under neath subscribed Out of darkness into his marvelous light and all of
have been regularly baptised on a profession of our faith in Christ Jesus and
have given up ourselves to the lord and one another in a Gospel Church way to
be governed & guided by a proper deciplin agreeable to the word of God we
doth therefore in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ//
and by his assitance we covenant and agree to keep up the deciplin of the church
We are members of in the most brotherly and affectionate manner towards each
other while we indavor punctually to observe the following rules
First in brotherly love to pray for each Other to watch Over each Other &
if need in a most tender & affectionate manner to reprove that is if we
discover anthing amiss in a brother to go and tell him his faults according
to the directions given by our lord in the Eighteenth chapter of St. Matthews
Gospel & not to be whispering & back biting we also agree with Gods
assistance to attend our church meetins and observe the lords day and keep it
marrally and not absent ouselves from the communion of the Lords Supper
without a lawful excuse to be ready to communicate to the defraying of the
church expense and for the support of the ministry and not irregularly to
depart from the fellowship of the church nor remove to distant churhces
without a regular dismission these things together with a belief of the
abstract of principles on the first page of this book we do covenant &
agree to observe and keep the same in the name of ad by the assistance of
the holy trinity signed by mutual consent of the members who names are subscribed//
Names of the ministers that Constitutes the Church
Presbitry Elders Aaron CUNNINGHAM Elisha BELL
Names of the members
Thomas MONTAGUE #1
Simon a black man #2
James ELLIOTT #3
John GRIMES #4
George SHIPMAN #5
Peter RENTFROW #6
Benjamin HUDDLESTON #7
Thomas WHITE #8
Micager JOHNSON #9
Emery JARMON #10
James HUDDLESTON #11
William PIPER #12
Wilson GRIMES excluded #13
John H. GRIMES Ex #14
Allen MULLICAN #15
Loyd GRIMES #16
Wilie MANGUM #17
David GOSSETT #18
William GRIMES #19
William CAROTHERS #20
Jacob DAVIDSON #21
Henry GOSSETT #22
Dickson WALKER #23
Jacob HOLLINSWORTH #24
John FALKNER #25
Archible WEST [diff. handwriting] #26
Jonathan FEWSTON [diff.handwriting] #27
Williams REAVES [diff. handwriting] #28
James HOLLANDWORTH [diff. handwriting] #29
Mary MONTAGUE 25
Haner MARS 26
Phebe NEAL 27
Penelope GRIMES 28
Jane RENTFROW 29
Margaret HUDDLESTON 30
Patsy WHITE 31
Patience ROSE (dead) 32
Cassander ELLIOTT 33
Nancy ENOCHS 34
Margaret HUDDLESTON 35
Hannah BOOTHE 36
Polly JOHNSON 37
Patsey McSWANE 38
Susannah MULLICAN 39
Rachel GRIMES 40
Sally CARATHERS 41
Edy HOLLINSWORTH 42
Rebecca REEVES 43
Elizabeth BAUGH 44
Mary FALKNER 45
Opha HUDDLESTON 46
Sinthey SNOW [diff.handwriting] 47
Nancy HOLLANDWORTH [diff. handwriting]
Cate WOODY a black woman [diff. handwriting]
Dicy BLACKSHIER [diff. handwriting]
//
Isaac HOLLANDWORTH
William WHITE
Alfred DILL
William GRIMES [something unreadable]
W. W. GRIMES dead 1851
John O. ROBERTS
J. W. MONTAGUE
John MONTAGUE
Jes John JOHNSTON
William C.G GRIMES Junr excluded
Isom KEYTON
Katherine BAILEY
Nancy CROMWELL
Stacy CLARK
Francis ALLTOM
Francis JOHNSTON
Francis FEWSTON
Delila GOFORTH
Joel FEWSTONS wife
Martha NESBITT
Emarintha M. MONTAGUE
Isabella ELLIOTT
Margaret McMAHAN
Mahala Coloured woman
Nancy HOLLANSWORTH returnd
Mary E. ROSS
Sister JOHNSTON
Church Record of Union Church
Church met at union meeting house on Saturday before the 4th Lords day in
February 1826 and after worship proceed to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members none come forward second it was motioned that
this Church Choose a pastor to attend sd. Church & the church was unanimous
in the Choice of brother James SMITH and the Church sends brethren George
SHIPMAN and Thomas WHITE as messengers to the Indian Creek Church as applicants
for him to attend us.
James ELLIOTT clk
Saturday before the fourth Lords day in March 1826 Church met at union meeting
house & after Worship proceeded to business first a door was opened for
the reception of members none come forward second brothers Thomas WHITE and
George SHIPMAN come forward with a return from Indian Creek Church & state
that Indian Creek Church concented to hear request & Concented for brother
James SMITH to attend us one fourth of his time third ordered by the church
that May & September be our communnion season
James ELLIOTT clk
Church met at union meeting meeting house Saturday before the fourth Lords
day in April 1826 first a door was opened for the reception of members &
none came forward Signed by order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
May 1826 and after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened for
the reception//
of members none came forward second appointed brothers Benjamin HUDDLESTON
& Peter RENTFROW to attend the next association third it is agreed that
this Church settle with the trustee the meeting before our Communion Season
signed by order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth Lords day in
July 1834[?] after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened for
the reception of members none came froward Second brother Micager JOHNSON applied
for a letter of dismission and it was granted Signed by order of the Church
James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth Lords day in Aug't
1826 & after Worship proceeded to business first a door was opened for the
reception of members & none came forward Signed by Order of the Church
James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at Union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
September 1826 and after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members & none came froward 2nd it was agreed by the
church that Our Communion Season untill Our October meeting Signed by Order of
the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting hous Saturday before the fourth lords day in Oct'r
1826 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened for the
reception of members & none came froward 2nd a motion made by brother
Thomas MONTAGUE to remove{?] on meeting house Signed by order of the church
James ELLIOTT Clk//
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the 4th lords day in
November 1826 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members & none came froward Signed by Order of the
church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting hous Saturday before the fourth lords day in
December 1826 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception of members & none came froward 2nd brothr JARMAN
came froward with a charge against himself forgetting in a passion &
the Church forgives him signed by Order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
May 1827 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members & none came froward Signed by Order of the
Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
June 1827 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members. _____JOHNSON Came forward and offered her
Exerience & was rec'd 2nd Brother WILSON GRIMES offered his experience
& was re'c 3rd brother John H. GRIMES offer his experience & was
rec'd Signed by order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
July 1827 & after worship a door was opened for the reception of members
& none came froward 2nd brothers James HUDDLESTON & James ELLIOTT
attend the association with a letter from this church signed by order
James ELLIOTT Clk//
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
August 1827 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception fo members & none came froward 2nd Eemery JARMON
came froward & with drew himself from the church & is considered no
more a member of this church 3rd this Church authorizes Brother Wilson GRIMES
to exercise a publick Gift in any way he may think proper Signed by order of
the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
September 1827 & after worship proceed to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members & none came froward 2nd Brother SHIPMAN
motioned that the first thing in our rules of Decorum to call for fellowship
& it was agreed by the church that it be lade over till our next meeting
3rd Brother Allen MULLICAN & Susannah MULLICAN came ffroward & Joined
us by letter Signed by order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
November 1827 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception of members & Synthia a black woman joined us
by experience Signed by order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
March 1828 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception of members & none came froward 2nd it was
agreed tht the rules of the association be taken for the rules of decoram
of this church signed by order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk//
Church met a uion meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day in
June 1828 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception fo members & none came forward Signed by
order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords
day in July 1828 & after worship proceeded to business first a door
was opened for the reception fo members & Rachel GRIMES Came forward
and Joined us by experience secondly it was agreed by the church that
our next meeting be held at the school house near Abraham MONTAGUEs
signed by order of the Church james ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day
in August 1828 & after worship proceeded to business first a door
was opened for the reception of members & Wilie MANGUM Came forward
& Joined us by experience 2nd it is agreed by the church taht we
removed our meeting from this place to a meeting house that is near
Abraham MONTAGUEs on Hardins Creek which shall here after be called
Union Meetinghouse signed by order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union Meetinghouse Saturday before the fourth lords day in
October 1828 & after wroship proceeded to business first opened a door
for the reception of members & none came forward 2nd Sister Nancy ENOCHS
requests a letter of dismission from this church which is granted and the
clerk is appointed to give her a letter Signed by order of the Church
James ELLIOTT Clk //
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day
in November 1828 & after worship proceeded to business first a door
was opened for the reception of members & none came forward Signed
by order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day
in January 1829 and after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception of members & none came forward Signed by
order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourt lords day in
March 1829 and after worship proceeded to business first a door was
opened for the reception of members & none came forward Signed by
order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the fourth lords day
in April 1819 after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened
for the reception fo members & none came forward 2nd it is agreed
that our Communion meeting the 3rd lords day in may next Signed by order
of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meting house Saturday before the 4th lords day in
May 1829 & after worship proceeded to business 1st a door was opened
for the reception of members & Margaret GRIMES Joined us by letter.
Signed by Order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk.//
Church met at Union meeting house Saturday before the 1st lords day in
July 1829 & after worship proceeded to business first a door was opened
for the reeption of members & none came forward 2nd Brothers RENTFROW
& SHIPMAN was chosen to bear our letter to the association & the
clerk to to write it Signed by order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before the 4th lords day in
August & after worship proceed to business first a door was opened
for the reception of members & none came forward 2nd Brother Michael
ROBINSON from Beech Creek Church came with a petition to this church to
have Brother Wilson GRIMES ordained to the ministry & it was laid
over till our next meeting for consideration & then say twhether we
take it up Or no Signed by Order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk 3rd it
was agreed that Brothers Wilson GRIMES & Benj. HUDDLESTON be sent to
see see Brother PIPER & request him to come & make satisfaction
to the church concerning some reports that is in circulation about him
Signed by order of the church James ELLIOTT Clk
Church met at union meeting house Saturday before th fourt lords day in
September 1829 & after wroship proceeded to business 1st Brother
WALKER from Beech Creek was chosen as moderator 2nd a door was opened
for the reception of members and none came forward 2nd took up the case
of Brother// Wilson GRIMES ordination & it was concluded that it lay
over untill our May meeting 4th the Church consider till our next meeting
whether it is the duty of the Deacons to act as moderator or not 5th it
is considered that our rules of decorum be read next meeting Signed by
order of the Church James ELLIOTT Clk