Union Parish Louisiana |
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Spearsville Baptist Church
- Brief History
- On 5 June 1848, a group of residents who had recently settled in northwestern Union Parish Louisiana founded one of the earliest Baptist churches of that region. The founding members chose the name Fellowship Baptist Church. Jesse Tubb preached the first sermon, and the church elected William Cleaton Carr as their first church clerk. A man with medical training and a businessman, Carr had also served as the first sheriff of Union Parish.
Soon after the church's organization, the members began making plans for a church building. On 30 September 1848 the church appointed a committee to determine the best location for a meeting house. The committee consisted of William C. Carr, Job M. Williams, and James H. Gulley. On December 2nd, the committee gave this report to the church:
The report of the Committee who was appointed to draw a draft for the building of a meetting house was called for, and they made their report as follows: The house to be 42 ft. long, by 30 ft. wife, 10 ft. reserved in the back part of the building for the Blacks. 3 Doors, 7 Windows, 3 on each side and one back of the Pulpit with Sash. 10 ft. betwean floore and joists; good comferable Seats; the house to be covered with 3 ft. boards of good Syprus or pine.We do not know where the church held services for the first year. However, in July 1849 they decided to erect a meeting house about three miles east of the village of Spearsville, with the construction beginning on July 9th. The building was still under construction that fall, for on September 29th, the church appointed a committee to help raise funds to complete the building. They must have completed the building soon afterwards, for on 12 January 1850, Daniel J. Abbott gave the church five acres of land, including the spring and meeting house.
On 2 February 1856, the church voted to move to the Village of Spearsville, and they changed their name to "Spearsville Baptist Church". Sometime thereafter, probably after the war, the church gave the old building and property to former slaves in the region, and this church retained the name of Fellowship Baptist Church.
1947 Photograph of the Spearsville Baptist Church Building
1975 Photograph of the Spearsville Baptist Church Building
Virtual Spearsville Cemetery
Spearsville Baptist Church Minutes
- Acknowledgements
- Some years ago Mr. Gene Barron photocopied the original minutes, had multiple copies made, and distributed them. Without his efforts, these transcriptions would not be possible.
We are extremely grateful to Shawn Martin for her work in transcribing these minutes from photocopies of the originals. Thanks also to Jan Craven for submitting these minutes for the USGenWeb Archives.
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