 |
| This photo of the Sardis Baptist Church was provided by
Mrs. George Daniel Shell |
The following is an excerpt from Rev. J. W. Joyner's book, A History of the Baptists in Butler County ( 1819-1957). Surnames have been capitalized for easier visualization.
SARDIS BAPTIST CHURCH
Sardis Church was organized in the year 1856. The presbytery in charge consisted of the following preachers: Robert KEITH, Thomas M. BRAGG, Hansel DICKENS, David KITE, and Claiborn CALLOWAY. Deacons of the the church were Claiborn CALLOWAY, and David KITE. The members were David WOOD, Josiah FRANKLIN, Thomas LOVELS, Matilda MINYARD, E. F. CALLOWAY, Sarah A. WOOD, Mary Ann FRANKLIN, Phoebe M. KEITH, Eliza LANGFORD, and Temperance CAMPBELL. The church information I have does not give the name of the clerk of the church.
Following is a list of the pastors under whose leadership a strong and useful church was built. They had a good influence over this community, county, state, and world: Rev. Robert KEITH, Mathew BISHOP, John C. R. LOCKHART, Walter T. LAWSON, T. G. LOMY, J. J. COMBIE, W. C. AVANT, Ervin TAYLOR, W. G. COOPER, A. T. SIMS, Ned SIMS, FOLMER, A. C. SHELL, Will DAVIDSON, B. M. BARNETT, R. T. McLEOD, W. A. GAUGH, J. A. FORTNER, A. W. PARKER, Ira HARRIS, AND SPEARS.
This church was first associated with the Alabama Association. Later it belonged to the Zion Association. When the Butler Association was organized in 1903, Sardis gave her full support to the new Association and has delighted in entertaining the Association a number of times.
From the following, from the minutes of a conference held on December 19, 1857, it will be seen that in the early days of this church strict discipline was exercised by the church over her members. "Two male members stated to the church that they had been guilty of intoxication, and since they showed a spirit of repentence, the church forgave them on condition they would never do so again." However, less than a month had passed before one of these men was again intoxicated, and in the January 17, 1858, conference he was charged with drunkenness, profanity, and falsifying his promise to the church. Two brethen were appointed to see that the offender be present at the next conference. He was, and acknowledged the charge as true, but the church was divided as to what to do with him -- forgive him and keep him, or turn him out. The case was held open until next conference, but in this same conference four others were charged with drunkenness, fighting and gambling.
In conference on March 20, 1858, all five of these brethen were expelled from the membership of the church. It seems that the church in her early days intended to keep the unclean and evil from her midst. The old minutes show that members were dealt with on such matters as putting dags to chasing hogs, directing some to a neighbr's watermelon patch, dancing and attending dances.
The membership of this church has been high as three hundred, but at this time the membership is sixty-eight. The cause of the decline in membership is economic, as stated in another chapter in this history.
Before the church was organized the christian people of this community met and worshiped under a brush arbor not far from the present site. The first building was located across the road. The second was a frame structure and faced parallet to the present road. The large sanctuary now in use was constructed in 1918 under the leadership of Rev. R. T. McLEOAD and Rev. W. T. DAVIDSON.
I think it is of interest to note that in the early days of the church they had negroes in their membership, but when slavery was abolished, the community built a church building for the negroes.
|
|
Page updated 9 Apr 2007.
