Unadilla Forks Free Baptist Church History 1802-1902

The following article was transposed by Jerry Jones in 2006 from an article presented at the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Free Will Baptist Church now located at Unadilla Forks. If you are interested in learning more about Unadilla Forks you can visit this web site:

http://home.roadrunner.com/~Unadillaforks

One hundred years ago the 28th day of October, 1802, the initiatory steps were taken to establish a Free Communion Baptist Church in the Town of Plainfield. According to the records a member of the Brethren belonging to the F. B Church at Richfield, thought it necessary to call a council of surrounding churches in order to be constituted a Church of Christ. On this date the delegates from the different churches met, (the place of holding the meeting is not given in the records) and after singing and prayer the Council was organized by choosing Elder Benajah Corpe of Norway, Moderator, and Aaron Town, Clerk. The following churches were represented in this Council: Norway, Elder B. Corpe, Jonathan Smith, Charles Mandell and Warren Carpenter; Richfield, Dea. Dodge, John Hunt, Consider Herrick and John Farley: Salisbury, Elder Eleazer Carr and Oliver Sweet; Litchfield, Elder Jeremiah Main, Noyes Allen, Nathaniel Warner, Abner Cutler and Henry Main; Milford, John Smith, Brothertown, Isaac Wabby. After due consideration of the subject, the Council decided that there was a call of God to have a Church established in this place. Elder John Strait was chosen the first pastor of the Church. There were twenty charter members. At the close of 1802 the number had increased to 35. In 1803 18 were added to the church, 9 in l804, 11 in 1805, 46 in 1806, 24 in 1807, 39 in 1808, 18 in 1809, 6 in l8l0,17 in 1811, making a total of 216 names which appear upon the Church Book at the close of the year 1811. During this time several had died, others had been dismissed by letter and many had been excommunicated for various causes.

At the first church meeting held on Nov. 21, 1802 at the house of Jacob Moor, Waitstill Crumb was chosen Deacon and Aaron Town, Church Clerk. At this meeting a clause was added to the Articles of Faith that a Brother should not go to law with a Brother. The Church Meetings were to be held the 3^rd Thursday of every month at 1 P.M. The Covenant meeting to be held on the 4^th Saturday of every month at 1 P. M. (The first of these meetings were business meetings and the second were to receive new members and prepare spiritually for the communion on the next day).

At the church Meeting held in December of 1802, it was voted to hold the meetings one-half of the time at the school house near David Wood’s and the other half at the house of Caleb Brown during the winter. The record of the Church meetings held from this time until January, 1804 consist principally of dealings with different Brothers and Sisters for some misconduct or unfaithfulness to the Church.

At the 15^th Church Meeting held in January 1804, a committee was appointed to purchase a piece of land to set a Meting House on. There is no further record of the doings of this Committee but the record of the Church Meeting held in April, 1805 states that it was held in the Meeting House. This Meeting House is spoken of later as the “Old Logg Meeting House” and was located between the Moore homestead and the Palmer homestead on the road from here (Unadilla Forks) to Wood ‘s Corners. In February, 1805 a branch of this church was organized at Norwich with Elder Salvenas Campbell as pastor.

At the 50^th church meeting held in Jan. 1807 a committee of three was appointed to purchase a spot or piece of land sufficient to build a Meeting House upon and to ascertain the bigness of the house and place where said house should stand, and to circulate a subscription paper in order to raise a sufficient fund for to build a house. In Jan. 1810 this project was again the subject for action in a Church Meeting and four places in the vicinity of the Old Logg Meeting house were mentioned to select from on which to build. Also the size of the house was discussed and was to be 30 ft. by 40 ft. and 12 foot posts. This is the last in regard to this meeting house which appeared in the records but I have learned that a church was built in the vicinity of the old log meeting house. At the church meeting held in September, 1807 it was voted that each member of the church should pay $0.25 for the support of the minister.

There are no records of that was done in this Church from this time until Jan. 1813 except among the records of General Meetings, as they were called, in Councils which were held at different places in which the names of the ministers and different brethren appear. At one of these meetings, held in this church, the career of Elder John Strait was a preacher was abruptly brought to an end. Under his leadership this Church had been a power for God. Four branches had been established namely Norwich, Warren, Sherburne and Plymouth. The membership had grown from 21 when the Church was organized to over 200 names on the Church Book in 1811. No doubt that the individual members each had their share in the work and according to the record they earnestly strove to live Christian lives and have everyone in the church do likewise.

In 1813 the name of Elder William Hunt appears as Pastor of this church. He continued to be its leader until March 1832 when it was voted at a Church Meeting to have him preach one-half of the time and Brother Waitstill Phillips the other half. Elder Hunt owned and worked a farm during a part or all of the time he was Pastor of the church.

In January 1832 a committee was appointed to meet with the S. D. (Seventh Day) Baptist at Nathaniel Crumb’s January 19^th to see about building a Meeting House at the Forks of the Unadilla. The committee met on the above date but the S. D. Baptists were not represented. However, the committee was disposed to deal fairly with them so it was agreed that the S. D. Baptists should have a right in the Meeting House which we contemplate building according to what they do towards its erection. A subscription paper was circulated and the Trustees of the church were made a building committee, with power in case of a lack of funds to assess and raise the deficiency by a tax levied according to the assessment of the real and personal property of the members. It was decided to build on the rise of ground south of the dwelling of Nathaniel Crumb and the house was to be as large as or larger than the Close Baptist Church in this place and have a gallery and steeple. The record states that the subscription was approbated after underlining the words “believing in future rewards and punishments”. The seats were to have doors and were to be sold and the amount received for such sale to be applied on the subscription for the building. There are only two or three allusions to the building of this Meeting House but it was surely built as many who are now living can testify to. There is no record that it was ever dedicated but it undoubtedly was.

In September, 1834 Jeremiah Phillips was licensed to improve his gift by way of preaching. This was one of the first members of this church licensed by this church to preach the Gospel. There is nothing further in the records concerning this devoted servant of the Master. From other sources we have learned that he was ordained in this church and sailed as a missionary to India, August 22, 1835 where he founded the first Baptist Mission.

In June 1836 it was voted to form a missionary society. Parley Phillips, Orrin S. Brown and Elijah Gates were appointed to a committee to draft a constitution for the missionary society. At the same meeting it was voted to license Orrin S. Brown to improve his gift in the way of preaching. Again in 1837 he was licensed for one year and shortly after this was ordained a minister. March 1^st, 1838 the Church voted to give Mather Brown a license to improve his gift in preaching. From this time until October 1842 we find the names of Elder A. S. Brown, Elder Green, Elder Burdick and Daniel McKoon associated with that of Elder William Hunt in preaching to the people. Judging from the records Elder Hunt was Pastor of the Church for nearly 30 years for the whole or some part of each year. Elder Chaney is the next minister whose name appears on the records. This pastorate lasted one year. He was succeeded by Elder Whicher who remained two years when Elder Chaney was secured as pastor for a second time. During this second pastorate the parsonage was built. After two years Elder Belkap took up the work and was the spiritual leader of this flock for three years.

In April 1850 the name Elder Starr appears as pastor of the church. He remained for three years and was followed by Elder Vary who preached to the people for one year. In April 1855 Elder S. D. Gardner began his labors in this parish. For nearly one year of his pastorate the record continued and then occurs a gap of ten years which lands us at March 1866. During this time the Church was moved from the hill where it was built to the spot where this building now stands. While moving the church an accident occurred which cost the contractor his life. I am told that Elder Gardner was pastor for three years, also that a minister by the name of Jackson preached here one year and that Rev. M. C. Brown was pastor a portion of the time. Among the delegates appointed to attend the Quarterly Meeting at Washington Mills in September, 1866 the name of Rev. O. S. Brown who was licensed to preach by this church in June 1836 and in 1837 was ordained a minister at this church appears as Pastor of this church. Following him in 1869 Rev. M. C. Brown who was licensed to preach by this church became the shepherd of this flock, for the second time. He continued his ministry in this pastorate for three years. From 1872 to 1875 there is nothing in the records that anyone preached here but if I am not mistaken Rev. M. C. Brown preached a portion of that time. Rev. James Huxtable preached here for a time previous to 1875. April 1^st, 1875 Rev. A. T. Worden was called to this church and remained its beloved pastor for eight years. During these years the church made rapid strides in growth both spiritually and temporally. As near as I can find by the records about 70 united with the church during his pastorage. The bell which has called us together today was bought. The organ in use at the present time was purchased soon after the bell; these together with quite a debt which had been accumulating for several years were all paid for and the church had just cause for rejoicing that it had no burden for debt.

In the winter of the first year of Elder Worden’s pastorate a series of revival meetings under the direction and by the united efforts of the Pastors of the two churches in this village were held, which resulted in bringing many souls to a knowledge of Christ and infused new life and energy into the church. There are many here today who are loyally and joyfully bearing the burdens of the church and toiling for its maintenance and upbuildijg who date the beginning of their Christian experience to some period in elder Worden’s pastorate. In 1883 Elder Worden severed his relations with this church and took up the work of the Master at Ames. He was followed by Rev. E. E. Whittemore who remained two years. During these two years new windows were put into the old church and the parsonage was repaired and put into its present condition.

In 1885 Rev. A. E. Wilson, who is her to join us in celebrating this the 100^th anniversary in the life of this church became its pastor. He, of all the ex-pastors of this church remaining in the denomination, is still working for the Master; the others have all gone to their rewards. In the two years of Elder Wilson’s pastorate 22 members were received into the church. His faithful ministry and unflagging zeal in the cause of Christ are treasured in the hearts of the members of this parish.

In April 1887 Rev. W. C. Byer began a pastorate which extended over a period of ten years. From the beginning Elder Byer had the love and hearty support of all the members of this church and society. In August, 1895, this old church was burned and from the ashes arose this new church in which we gather today to worship and to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of this branch to Zion. All that is now left of the Old Meeting House is the memory of its periods of prosperity and adversity, its struggles and hopes, of the prayers and exhortations, the sermons and hymns of praise which have ascended to God from beneath its roof. Much love and sacrifice were built into the walls and furniture of this new house of worship and by the blessing of God and the hearty cooperation of everyone who had any interest in its welfare this church was dedicated to the worship of God April 30th, 1896, clear from all debt. During Elder Byer’s ministry 72 untied with the church. In the first years of his pastorate the Ladies Aid Society was organized and in February, 1893 the Christian Endeavor Society was organized. Both have been and are powerful auxiliaries to the church. April 1, 1897, Brother Byer left this field to take up the work at Columbus.

For three months Rev. J. A. Platts, S. D. B. pastor at Leonardsville occupied the desk. On July 1, 1897 our present pastor Rev. W. R. Wood settled with us. Coming from the halls of Hillsdale College he seemed to infuse new vigor and energy into the church and as a result it is stronger today to do the work of the Master than at any time in its history. The wise counselor, the tender, loving sympathetic friend, the diligent, earnest pastor, the faithful leader and shepherd of this flock, Rev. Wood has endeared himself to the members of this church and community by ties that only death can sever. In the five and one-third years during which Rev. Wood has been our pastor, 61 have united with the church which makes the present membership 171. In 1901 a Junior C. E. Society was organized with Mrs. William Wood as president. Under the energizing and persistent efforts of Rev. Wood and the hearty cooperation of his co-laborers the different branches of church work are well maintained. The results of Brother Wood’s work for the Master in this parish were made manifest last winter at a series of revival meetings held in this church. Although ably assisted by rev. C. H. Sprague of Columbus and Evangelist Mrs. McLatchey, I am persuaded that Brother Wood more than any of all others was God’s ambassador to bring nearly two score of souls to a knowledge and belief in the risen Savior. All of these, with one or two exceptions have publicly confessed Christ by baptism and have united with this or our sister church in this village.

At the close of the Quarterly Meeting which immediately follows this anniversary the relations of Brother Wood as pastor of this church will end. That the blessing of God may attend Brother and Sister Wood in the new field to which they go is the earnest wish of those who keenly feel the separation from beloved friends.

This closes the last chapter of the brief history of this church for 100 years.

The churches consolidated on 5/6/1914 and the pastors from then to the present are as follows:

· Robert S. Wallis; 7/12/1914 – 7/9/1916

· C. W. Newman; 12/10/1916 – 12/26/1920

· W. D. St John; 7/17/1921 – 5/13/1923

· George O Read; 7/1/1923 – 10/1/1925

· R. W. Roberts; 12/1/1925 – 5/1/1936

· Kenneth F. Bliss; 10/4/1936 – 4/1942

· John Harrison; 6/1942 – 11/16/1947

· Roy T. Plank; 1/1948 – 5/18/1952

· Elwood V. Kemmerer; 6/1952 – 7/1959

· Jack Corey; 11/29/1959 – 10/1962

· Joseph F. Barber; 2/17/1963 – 12/1969

· Charles D. Fitch; 9/6/1970 – present (1/2006)