Minutes of the Seventy-Fourth Annual Session of the Mountain District Baptist Association
Convened with
Zion Church, Alleghany County, N.C.,
on 4th and 5th days of October, 1872.
1st. The introductory sermon was delivered by Elder S. M. Dickey from Matthew 1st chapter and 21st verse: “And his name shall be called Jesus.” After a short intermission, the delegates assembled near the meeting house and were called to order by the Moderator. Prayer by Elder Wm. Lundy.
2nd . Received and read letters from all the churches in our union except Knob Fork, from which the annexed table was prepared.
3rd. Organized the association by appointing Elder George Douglas, Moderator and Wm. H. Joines, Clerk.
4th. Correspondents from Sister Associations were called for, when A. J. Taylor, from the Washington, and a file of minutes from the Roaring River; Elder James Shumate and Bro. J. R. Long with a file of minutes from the Senter: Elder N. M. Senter and Bro. A. J. Taylor with a file of minutes, received the right hand of fellowship and aided us in council.
5th. Transient ministers of our faith and order and transients of the laity were invited when Brethern John Reeves and J. W. Hardin came forward and received the right hand of fellowship, and aided in council.
6th. Authorized the Moderator to make all temporary appointments during our session.
7th. Appointed Bro. H. W. Roberts, G. T. Reeves, and Robert Gambill a committee to appointed correspondents to sister Associations, who reported as follows: To the Roaring River, Elder B. E. Caudill, Wm. Lundy, George Douglas, and C. H. Collins. To the Senter, Elders Thomas Carr, G. F. Hackler, Wm. Lundy, and Wm. Hawkins. To the Washington, Elders B. E. Caudill, S. M. Dickey, Wm. Lundy and E. H. Billings.
8th. Appointed Elder B. E. Caudill to write a corresponding letter to the Washington Association; Elder William Lundy to the Senter; and Elder Thomas Carr to the Roaring River, and have them ready for inspection to-morrow.
9th. Appointed Bro. L. H. Hampton, J. M. Dickey, and G. T. Reeves, with the delegates of this Church as a committee to select preachers for the stand during our session, who reported for tomorrow, 1st Elder G. F. Hackler, 2nd N. M. Senter, 3rd B. E. Caudill.
10th. Appointed Elder B. E. Caudill, Thomas Carr, Stephen M. Dickey, G. F. Hackler and Wm. P. Goins, with the Moderator and Clerk, a Committee of Arrangements. Correspondents were invited to sit with them. Adjourned until tomorrow morning 9 o’clock–. Prayer by Elder N. M. Center [sic].
Saturday, October 5th, 1872
Met pursuant to adjournment. Prayer by Elder Wm. Lundy.
1st. Called the names of the delegates and read the Rules of Decorum.
2nd. Called on the Committee of Arrangements to report; the report received and the Committee discharged.
3rd. Appointed a Committee of Finance, viz: L. H. Hampton, J. M. Dickey, and S. H. Thompson, who reported that they had received from the churches $25.43; on settlement with the Treasurer, the Association was in arrears $5.00, which was paid–Allowed the Clerk $5.00 for his services. Left in the hands of the Treasurer fifteen dollars and forty-three cents ($15.43) to defray the expenses of printing Minutes and other purposes. Appointed the Clerk, Treasurer, to superintend the printing of the minutes; have 500 copies struck and distribute as usual.
4th. Question from Jordan church: Is it right to fellowship those persons baptized by Methodists and Missionary Baptists in our churches? Answer: We advise our churches to go to other churches and ask them to remove such grievances.
5th. Question from Good Hope and Jordan churches: We ask the Association to say to the brethern belonging to the Masonic fraternity to show us the in the scriptures which sustains the order, or withdraw from it? Answer: We, as an advisory council, say to Good Hope and Jordan Churches, that since the organization in 1798, as a body, we have neither known or recognized Masonry; and if the churches have unruly members, you have the law of Zion; execute that law, and do not enact new laws.
6th. Question from Rock Creek Church: What must be done with members that have taken the Bankrupt Law, and have money and means in their hands to pay their debts and refuse to do it?– Answer: If you know of any such members; we refer them back to their own churches.
7th. Request from Elk Creek Church: We ask the Association to notice the standing of Pine Fork Church. Request received and a committee appointed to visit the Pine Fork Church, to wit: Elder George Douglass, E. H. Billings, and Bros. James Andrews, S. H. Thompson, and William Whitehead; to meet on the 4th Saturday in March, 1873.
8th. Question from the Senter Association relative to the adoption of the original Articles of Faith of the Mountain Association– Answer: The original adopted, except the first, and in lieu thereof adopt the article by the Association of 1872.
9th. Called on the committee on the corresponding series to report: Report received and committee discharged.
10th. Relating to correspondence with the Three Fork Association, we say that we drop correspondence with the Three Fork Association.
11th. We appoint a Standing Committee, to wit: Elder B. E. Caudill, Wm. Lundy, Wm. Hawkins, T. Carr, S. N. Dickey.
12th. Appointed to preach on Sabbath; 1st Elders N. M. Senter, 2nd. Wm. Lundy, 3rd B. E. Caudill, 4th George Douglass.
13th. Called on the brethern that were appointed to write Corresponding letters to sister associations to read them. Letters read, received and the brethern discharged.
14th. Our next Association will be held with Saddle Creek Church, Grayson County, Va., Commencing on Friday before the 1st Sabbath in October 1873. Elder G. H. Hackler to preach the introductory sermon, Elder C. H. Collins, his alternate.
15. Resolved, That we return our thanks to Almighty God, and the brethern and friends of this vicinity, for their kindness to us during our session.
16th. Resolved that we now adjourn to time and place above mentioned.
Prayer by Elder M. Perry.
George Douglass, Moderator
Wm. Joines, Clerk
Remarks–The stand was occupied on Sabbath according to arrangements: 1st Elder N. M. Senter preached from 2nd Samuel 15th chapter 14th verse; 2nd Elder Wm. Lundy preached from Isaiah 62nd chapter 10th verse; 3rd Elder B. E. Caudill preached from Isaiah, 38th chapter and 14th cerse, and wound up with an appropriate exhortation which seemed to have deep impression on the assembly.
Wm. Joines, Clerk.
Articles of Faith
1st. We believe in one only true and living God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
2nd. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God and the only rule of faith and practice.
3rd. We believe in the doctrine of eternal particular election.
4th. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.
5th. We believe in man’s impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature, by his own free will and ability.
6th. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
7th. We believe that God’s elect shall be called, converted, regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
8th. We believe that the saints shall persevere in grace and never finally fall away.
9th. We believe that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, and that true believers are the subjects of these ordinances and we believe the true mode of baptism is by immersion.
10th. We believe in the resurrection of the dead and a general judgment.
11th. We believe the joys of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.
12th. We believe that no ministers have a right to the administration of the ordinances, only such as are regularly called and come under the imposition of hands by the presbytery, &c.
