Short History Of Sugarfork Baptist Church

On Saturday, August 13, 1836 a presbytery consisting of Adam Corn, B. Stiles, and James Kimsey met and constituted the fifth Baptist Church in Macon County at Sugarfork. There were twenty-six members coming from the Franklin Church to Sugarfork. They were: William Bryson, George Lowdermilk, James Bryson, William E. Mull, Isaac Moore, William Arnold, Jesse Kerby, James D. Franks, John Lowdermilk, Zachariah Peek, Ephraim R. Davis, Hiram Ledford, William Lowdermilk, Frances Hagen, Elizabeth Bryson, Elizabeth Mull, Rachel Kerby, Margaret Bryson, Jinsa Davis, Sarah Lowdermilk, Sarah Peek, Elizabeth Ammons, Susannah Ballard, Rebecca Bryson, Naomi Kerby, and Mary Ledford. (Zachariah and Sarah Peek and James and Elizabeth Bryson had also been charter members of Franklin when it was organized in 1822.) William Bryson and William Arnold were ordained as deacons. William Bryson, William E. Mull and William Arnold were selected as delegates to the Association. William Bryson was selected as treasurer, Hiram Ledford as clerk, and Elder James Kimzie as pastor. At the end of the service Polly Peek, Matilda Moss, Rinva Hagen, and Dica Hagen came by experience and Rachel Hall by letter. Cyntha Mull was received by experience on Sunday, August 14, and the first baptizing of the new church was held the same day with those that had joined the church by experience on Saturday and Sunday being baptized.

Three more deacons were ordained during 1837 and 1838. William E. Mull and James D. Franks were appointed as deacons on Saturday, April 22, 1837. James D. Franks was ordained on June 23, 1837; however, William E. Mull was acquitted because he was licensed to preach. Thomas Ammons and Hiram Ledford were ordained July 8, 1838. William Bryson, one of the first deacons died February 27, 1837 and James D. Franks was granted a letter of dismission March 24, 1838.

Although the church had not been officially organized, meetings were held much earlier than 1836, possibly as early as 1832 or 1833. The minutes of the Franklin Church indicate that the meetings at Sugarfork were well established prior to June 1, 1833 when they asked as many of the Eldership as conveniently can to attend on Sugarfork at Brother Stiles meeting on the 3rd Sunday and Saturday before to receive members. Their records show that between June 1833, and July 1836 there were seventeen members that joined Franklin Church through the Sugarfork arm of the church. Twelve of the seventeen became charter members of Sugarfork and some of the others moved their Letters to Sugarfork shortly after it was organized. The meetings at Sugarfork were under the leadership of Brother Stiles in the earlier years and Brother Kimsey in the later years before the church was constituted.

During the remainder of 1836 Nancy Hagen, Lucinda Moss, Nancy Arnold, Margaret Lowdermilk, Minerva Peek, Lucinda Arnold, Nancy Cook, Thomas Ammons, Elizabeth Cook, and Elizabeth Passmore all joined by experience; and Cyntha Mull was dismissed by letter. The first Lord's Supper was observed December 25, 1836.

Throughout the years the congregation has met in three different buildings, all at the same location. The first meeting house was a log structure located on property owned by William E. Mull. William E. Mull made a grant to the church for three acres of land for the use of the church, as the land where the meeting house stands is Brother Mull's. William Arnold, Thomas Ammons and Hiram Ledford, deacons of the church, were appointed as trustees. This is recorded in the church minutes of Saturday, October 27, 1838 although no deed was made until Mr. Mull sold the property to Felix Kilpatrick and he made a deed to the church for the three acres in 1851.

The second building was a frame structure built around 1860 that was used until about 1898 when it is believed to have burned. In a conversation with Mrs. Esther Crisp several years ago, she said that as a child she could remember her parents and other adults talking about the church burning.

The third building was a one-room brick structure built around 1900 from hand-made brick made on a near-by farm. Although almost a hundred years old, this building is still being used as a very important part of the church. The building remained a one-room structure until the early 1950s when Sunday School classrooms were added. The stained glass windows in the sanctuary were installed in the early 1960s and additional classrooms were built in the early 1970s. In the late 1970s after considerable discussion among the members concerning a baptistry or a pastor's home, the members voted to build a parsonage. The pastorium was completed and dedicated in 1980. Baptizings would continue to be held outdoors, at this time, in the Cullasaja River as they had been for well over a hundred years. the parking lot was paved in 1983. The chimes were installed in 1985. In the early 1990s the congregation grew to the extent that the church had to add an 8:30 morning worship service during the summer months in order to accommodate the entire congregation. In 1994 the members voted to build a larger sanctuary joining the current church. The new sanctuary was completed and dedicated July 20, 1997.

The church membership has grown from 31 when it was organized in 1836 to about 50 in two years, to approximately 75 members in twenty years, to about 130 members at the turn of the century, to 386 resident members at the present.

From the time the church was constituted until at least 1916, the church had services once a month on Saturday and Sunday -- usually the third Sunday and Saturday before. I have been unable to determine when the Saturday service was discontinued, but the church continued to meet once a month until about 1940. With few exceptions, during the 1940s the church had services two Sundays a month and after 1950 serves were held every Sunday.

We have had several people participate in various mission trips while they were members of Sugarfork Church. Rev. Steve Reeves, went to Korea in 1982. Barry Bryson went to Brazil in 1985. Tom and Carmella Pruitt and Freddie Holland went to Brazil in the mid 1980s. Dennis Thurman went to India in 1995. Don Capaforte went to Alaska in 1997 and Rev. Tom and Nancy Duke went to Mexico in 1998.

The church has ordained at least 9 men and possibly others into the gospel ministry. They are William E. Mull; Floyd Womack; W.L. Griggs, 1907; Joe Bryson, 1907; Tom Tilson, 1938; Jess Cunningham, 1961; Neville Owen, 1979; Darryl Womack, 1983; and Brian Holland, 1994. We also licensed Phil Frady but he moved from our area before he was ordained into the ministry. he was ordained by Holly Springs Baptist Church of Hendersonville in 1975. We licensed Gregg Bolick in 1998 and Tommy Vanhook in 1999. Both young men are currently attending Fruitland Bible Institute.

The following is a list of men who have served as pastors of Sugarfork Baptist Church and the time they served.
James Kimsey, 1836-1839; Joshua Ammons, 1840; Thomas Henson, 1841; William E. Mull, 1842-1843; James Kimsey, 1844; Joshua Ammons, 1845-1870; J.B. Ammons (joint pastor), 1861-1865 and 1867-68; J.L. Buchanan, 1870-1871; J.D. Vinson, 1872; W.H. Conner, 1872-1873; J.S. Woodard, 1874-1878; W.W. Reed, 1880; J.L. Buchanan, 1881-1882; S.H. Harrington, 1883-1887; F.M. Morgan, 1887-1890; J.S. Woodard, 1891; J.G. Ammons, 1892; J.R. Pendergrass, 1893-1897; A.H. Sims, 1898; W.L. Bradley, 1899-1900; W.R. Rickman, 1900; J.W. Briggs, 1901-1903; J.R. Pendergrass, 1903-1905; J.W. Kesterson, 1905; J.A. Brendle, 1906; W.L. Griggs, 1906-1908; S.L. Loudermilk, 1909; J.L. Kirsland, 1910-1911; R.P. McCracken, 1911-1912; T.J. Vinson, 1912-1916; J.A. Brendle 1917-1919; J.A. Bryson, 1920-1921; G.Al Bartlett, 1922-1923; John Baty, 1924-1927; A.S. Solesbee, 1927-1935; J.I. Vinson, 1935-1938; R.F. Mayberry, 1938-1940; George Davis, 1941-1942; R.W. Williams, 1942-1945; W.L. Sorrels, 1945-1950; Doyle Burgess, 1950; Clarence Taylor, 1951-1954; Jarvis Underwood, 1954-1961; Clarence Farmer, 1961; J.S. Cunningham, 1962-1968; James Crayton, 1968-1977; Harold Horne (Interim), 1977; Grey Fisher, 1977-1979; Steve Reeves, 1980-1987; Thomas Harris (Interim), 1988; Tommy Madden, 1988-1990; Melvin Brooks (Interim), 1990-1991; Dennis Thurman, 1991-1995; Melvin Brooks (Interim), 1995; James Crayton, 1995- 2002; and Tom Duke (Associate), 1998-1999; Geoff Jeffress (Minister of Youth/Music) 2001-2002 .

Submitted by Louise M. Ledford, Church Clerk.
Updated 6/03/2002 F. Richard Holland Jr., Webmaster