| Salvation by Grace Alone | |
 |
| Salvation by Grace Alone | |
|
|
HISTORIC SKETCH OF THE CHURCH AT MT. OLIVE CHURCH,
LEE COUNTY, ALA FOR FIFTY YEARS
CHAPTER III. The house that the church now occupies (1893) was completed and the first meeting held in it September 1853. The total membership at that time was forty-two. After getting in the new house, everything seemed to move along tolerably well for a time, but occasional troubles would spring up about one thing and another. But in all matters of discipline pertaining to fellowship, the church proceeded with great caution and tenderness, and whenever they came to a final decision they were always unanimous. But now in 1854 one of the saddest and most trying things that had ever come before the church had to be met and disposed of. Their beloved pastor, who had been serving them so satisfactorily for a year or two, suddenly fell into such disorder as to result in his exclusion in July of that year. This was a heavy blow upon the church, but the good Lord was watching over them that they should not be left without an under-shepherd, for before this disorder and exclusion of the pastor had occurred preliminary arrangements had been made for the ordination of H. M. Higginbotham to officiate in all the junctions of the gospel ministry, and in August he was thus set apart by the church and presbytery, but did not agree to serve till December of that year. From June 1854 till January 1855, the church had no regular pastor, but as W. M. Mitchell’s health was slowly improving, so that he could attend the meetings, we find his name as Moderator of each conference during that time. It had now for a season been a time of sorrow and distress, but as saith the word of the Lord, “Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” The beloved pastor, who had been cut off, returned to the church just twelve months after his exclusion. The Lord had given him repentance, and a more full and humble acknowledgment and hearty forgiveness and restoration is seldom ever witnessed. Eld. Higginbotham continued to serve the church very satisfactorily up to the regular time of calling a pastor in November 1855. At that meeting he said he knew that Eld. Mitchell was really the regular and desired pastor of the church, whose long and severe afflictions had suspended his pastoral labors for a few years, but now, as he had improved, he thought it proper for him to resign and let Eld. Mitchell again resume his pastoral charge of the church. The church accepted the resignation of Elder Higginbotham, and Eld. Mitchell was unanimously chosen and again resumed his pastoral labors, which have continued down to the present time. The church then had three ordained ministers, who were members with them, with a substantial and well disciplined membership; and though their numerical strength did not increase much, peace and love, with prompt attendance of meetings, prevailed among them. Nothing very unusual took place for a few years, except that the Beulah Association was held at Mt. Olive in 1856. In changing Clerks, procuring a new book in which to keep a record of the proceedings of the church, or from some other unknown cause, there is no record of any church meeting or conference from June 1857 till November of that year. It may be proper here to remark that the church had adopted a custom soon after it was first organized to choose a pastor annually at each November conference, or, if they had a regular pastoral supply, to give some expression of satisfaction with his services and a desire for his continuance. And thus between the church and her pastor there has been undisturbed relations and mutual expressions of satisfaction given annually. Another custom very early adopted by the church was at each December conference to appoint some brother, or brethren, to take charge of the house, carry the keys, open the door, sweep the house, and other things necessary to be done. But to the honor of the brethren there never was, for many years, any trouble on this subject, as four brethren would generally agree voluntarily to attend to this business free of charge for one year, each one of the four to have special charge for three months, except just before the annual three days meeting, communion and feet washing, when there was generally some extra and additional work to be done in and around the house and cemetery; then all four of the brethren together, with as many other members and friends as voluntarily chose to come, did so. Doubtless these two customs noted above are both good, provided they are faithfully carried out; but why this last mentioned custom has for a few years past been omitted we are not informed by any record on the church book. It may be that because several of the former members have either died or moved away, and the membership for some years past having been much scattered and far more distant from the church house and from each other than formerly, this has caused a good custom to be partially abandoned or much neglected. In May, 1859, John C. Hanson, a acting deacon, and his wife, Nancy Hanson, were received by letter, and in November - J. G. Renfroe, the Clerk, having moved away, Walter Collins was chosen and served as Clerk for many years. Up to the close of 1859, a period of sixteen years from the organization of the church, a few bad been received each year except five, and the total baptized in that time was twenty-eight. But there was not a year for the first eighteen years but what there were some received by letter, and the total thus received in that time was sixty-three, and eleven on confession of faith, who had been baptized before the general division of the Baptists in 1837. The total membership, however, had not increased during ten years, from the fact that fourteen had died, seven had been excluded and fifty had obtained letters of dismission and moved away or obtained membership in other churches nearer to them. In 1861 five were received by baptism, and the total membership was forty-four. It was in April of this year that the terrible war between the North and South broke out and continued with great destruction of life and property till May 1865. It would be impossible and contrary to the main design of this writing to describe the amount of human sufferings, destitution and hardships which fell upon the Southern people in many localities during this unnatural and cruel war. And our churches and gospel ministers were not exempt from the terrible calamity. But during all these years of distress Mt. Olive missed only five or six regular monthly conferences, and then it was mostly in consequence of bad weather. But as very few white men were left in the country, except the aged and infirm, the congregations which assembled for worship were generally small, consisting mostly of distressed women and children whose husbands, fathers or brothers had either fallen in battle or were then engaged in the deadly conflict of carnal strife. The war raged with increased fierceness and terror. One raid after another of armed soldiers passed through this section of country, tearing up railroads, destroying property and provisions, burning gin houses and cotton, capturing the farmers’ horses and mules and pillaging private houses, even where there were not one present save defenseless women and helpless children. It was during this state of things in April 1865, just before the close of the war, the pastor of this church, Eld. W. M. Mitchell, and one of his sixteen-year-old sons were intercepted about eighteen miles from home by Federal soldiers, their two horses and saddles taken, and were left on foot to make his way home. Arriving home April 17th, he found that about a dozen raiders had pillaged his house, opening every trunk and drawer, scattering papers, taking clothing and other things at pleasure, as only his wife, four daughters and a few children and negroes were there. Other members of Mt. Olive church suffered much, and there was great distress and destitution. Eld. Mitchell bad a growing crop on hand, a large family then dependent on him, and not a horse left to plow. Corn for bread or feed was scarce, forty dollars per bushel, and seldom could get any at that or at any price, and other necessaries of life in proportion. The war ended in May 1865, and the Lord favored the country with good seasons and bountiful crops in many places. In 1864 five were received by baptism—two in ‘65 and five in ‘66, and two in 1867. And now when we take all these trying scenes through which the church has passed into consideration, and see the good band of God in her protection and preservation, may we not exclaim with the Zion of our God of olden time, “That it is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not?” In April 1868, Brethren J. N. Hurst and Walter Collins were set apart by ordination to the office of Deacons, and in May of the same year we find the following tribute to the memory of three aged Deacons who had been removed by death: “Whereas, it has been the pleasure of God to remove from the church at Mt. Olive three aged Deacons in quick succession—namely, Jesse Taylor, who died February 22, 1863, in his seventy-second year James Mitchell, who died October 18, 1867, in his seventy-fourth year, and John C. Hanson, who died March 5, 1868, in his sixty-seventh year—we, as a church at Mt. Olive deem it proper as a tribute of respect to their age and usefulness to say, as was said of some of the ancient patriarchs, that they all died in faith, and during their long and useful life as citizens, or as church members or deacons, they were enabled to maintain a good and unblemished Christian character, and while we deeply feel the loss which the community and church has sustained, we desire to bow with humble reverence to the will of God, who has taken them from their labors and sufferings here to that eternal rest that remains for all the people of God:” For several years after the close of the war, the Lord favored the church with much peace and love. In January 1870, Eld. C. S. Tate and wife were received by letter, and in May, J. E. W. Henderson, a licensed preacher, and also in June Eld. H. R. McCoy, were received by letter. This was quite an eventful year in Mt Olive, with regard to the ministry, for in November J. E. W. Henderson was ordained, and soon had the pastoral charge of Providence and other churches. It had now, for several years been a time of peace and fellowship in the church, with some little increase, but this desirable state of things was not to continue, for, in 1873, serious troubles and contentions among some of the members sprung up and continued from one thing to another till, notwithstanding all the care and tender labor to save them from self-destruction, the church was under the painful necessity of having to cut off three precious members in 1874. Six had been dismissed by letter during the year, and two had died, thus reducing the total number in one year from 70 to 59 members. In April 1875, J. T. Puckett was set apart to the office of deacon, and in June 1876, the church gave an expression of encouragement to M. F. Hurst to exercise whatever gift the Lord had given the church in him, and, as his gift appeared to develop into further usefulness, he was set apart by ordination to preach the gospel and officiate in all its ordinances, November 24, 1877. For a few years before and after this time, the church was blessed with peace and love and had a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Much interest was manifest in the preaching of the word of the Lord, and several were received by experience and baptism. But as society and business relations were ever changing, there were continually some obtaining letters and moving to other localities, so that the total membership did not increase but little for several years. In July 1880, Wm. Lively, an ordained minister from the Missionary Baptists, was received by experience and baptism, and several others of the same denomination, and some from the Methodists during the year were received in the same way, and some, also, who had never before made any religious profession. Ten had been baptized in 1880, and six the next year, but owing to so many moving away, the total membership was ten less than it was eight years before. In October after Bro. Lively was baptized, he was ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry and soon had the pastoral care of churches. In December 1874, Providence Church dissolved and left her church-book with Mt. Olive, and in August 1880, the church at Bainbridge, Russell county, Ala., gave her record also over to Mt. Olive, and the five members of Bain bridge Church became members at Mt. Olive. For a period of ten years from 1880, so many had moved to other localities that but few were left anywhere near the church as they had been formerly. Most of the membership was from ten to twenty miles away, and the travel to and from the church meetings was by private conveyance. Bad weather and roads occasionally interfered with prompt attendance. In 1887, the pastor of the church, Eld. W. M. Mitchell, being old, infirm and lonely, broke up housekeeping and sold his little farm, where he had been in one mile of the church for thirty-six years, and went to live with his son-in-law in Opelika, four miles from the church. A few other Primitive Baptists besides Eld. Mitchell and wife were also in Opelika, and desiring to assemble together for worship and to hear the gospel preached, after some delay an effort was made to procure a suitable house in which to hold religious services, and Prof. D. M. Banks, a Methodist minister, kindly tendered the use of a “large upper room” of Opelika Seminary. In this room Eld. Mitchell preached one Sunday in each month, for nine consecutive months, and such was the interest manifested in the preaching, and desire for its continuance, that it was thought advisable to make an effort to build a church house which Primitive Baptists could claim as their own, and into which they could feel free to invite others. Accordingly the matter was submitted for consideration to the church at Mt. Olive, and receiving approval, a suitable lot was kindly donated by Judge W. J. Carlisle, of Opelika, and many others in the city aided liberally, so that in November 1890, the first services were held in the new house, and the first sermon preached by W. M. Mitchell, from Psalms xcv. 6, “O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is our God.” From this first meeting, Eld. Mitchell has preached there monthly, when able, and other ministers have had occasional appointments. There has been no church organized in this house in Opelika. The deed to the lot has been made to the deacons of Mt. Olive Church and their successors in office, to be under the control and direction of Mt. Olive. It may be proper here to state that owing to the scattered condition of Mt. Olive members, and their remoteness from the church, Ed. Mitchell, when able, preached to them at Thompson’s, Whatley’s, and Carmack’s school houses, each of which was eight or ten miles from Mt. Olive, thus giving the members and congregation of Mt. Olive, and their families, opportunity to attend meetings and hear preaching near home, as well as at the church. But in 1890, Eld. Mitchell’s health became so bad that these school-house appointments had to be discontinued, and his preaching confined mostly to once a month at Mt. Olive, and one or two Sundays in each month at Lake Street Chapel, in Opelika. And in 1891, such was the severity of his afflictions, that he seriously thought it would be for the good of the church that he should tender his final resignation as pastor, but finding that the church was unwilling to accept his resignation and call another, he requested, for the good of the church, as well as for himself, that they call an assistant to aid him in his pastoral labors. The church willingly agreed to this, and unanimously chose Eld. J. T. Satterwhite, of Mt. Pisgah Church, Chambers County, Ala., at the May Conference, 1892, and in July thereafter he attended the church meeting and formally agreed to serve in that capacity, and so continues down to the present time. And now, in summing up a few particulars for conclusion, we state that there has been, during fifty years of Mt. Olive’s existence, 123 baptized; 145 received by letter; 18 received on confession of faith, who had been baptized before the division of the Baptists; 20 have been excluded; 5 restored; 137 dismissed by letter; 53 have died, and the total for the fifty years is 297. The present membership is 84. And of this number, Eld. W. M. Mitchell, and his wife, Mary B. Mitchell, are the only surviving members who were in the church at Mt. Olive the year of its constitution, or for five years thereafter. And with this exception, none of the present membership of eighty-four were members of Mt. Olive even forty years ago. There have been ten ordained ministers whose membership have been at Mt. Olive: W. Cadonhead, W. M. Mitchell, H. M. Higginbotham, W. L. Taylor, C. S. Tate, R J. Cowsert, J. B. W. Henderson, H. R. McCoy, M. F. Hurst and Wm. Lively. During the same period of fifty years, there have been fourteen deacons: Jesse Taylor, James Mitchell, J. F. Sharp, Isham Cadenhead, Win. Collins, Simeon Monk, J. C. Hanson, C. C. Moore, L. B. Mays, Walter Collins, J. N. Hurst, W. C. Brittain, J. T. Puckett, and C. P. D. Taylor. There have been eleven clerks: W. M. Mitchell, Josiah Payne, Robert Burke, J. F. Sharp, J. G. Renfroe, H. W. Stevens, Walter Collins, G. H. Parker, M. F. Hurst, T. W. Herndon and C. P. D. Taylor. And now, in taking a retrospective view of the organization and progress of the church for fifty years past, we cannot fail to see the good hand of God through all these years. How wonderfully has the church been blessed and sustained through all the shifting scenes of trial, so that it has never been, except for a very short time, without an under-shepherd, or without a preacher a member with them, and sometimes three at the same time, besides other useful gifts in discipline. Has the church at Mt. Olive appreciated these wonderful blessings of God? How lonely, desolate, destitute, poor and dead, is any church when left for any length of time without a constant and faithful preacher! In view of all these mercies of God upon us, far beyond our numbering, may we not thankfully exclaim, with the Sweet Singer of Israel, “What shall we render unto God for all his benefits toward us? “—Psalms cxvi. 12. Great benefits have been multiplied upon us beyond our deserts. What have we to render unto the Lord, except it be our poor, sinful selves, with all our vileness? What can we render to the Lord, that. He will accept, save that humble and contrite, spirit which He gives? “A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Such a heart is from the Lord, and he accepts his own gifts. Fifty years have developed great changes, and when fifty years more shall have run their rounds every member of Mt. Olive Church here today will very likely be swept from the earth, as all our fathers have been during the half century past. But our God is from everlasting to everlasting, and may we not hope and pray that He will perpetuate his name and his worship here, that when the full century of the church at Mt. Olive shall have been completed, and all who are now here shall be gone to their long and eternal home, that He will raise up and bring in our children and others here? Amen. Respectfully submitted, H. J. REDD Submitted by Elder David Montgomery • Previous |
| Salvation by Grace Alone |
|