(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
Churches - Page 2 - Baptist Church
In
1792
the
first
new
church
formed
from
Greenbrier
Baptist
was
on
Indian
Creek,
and
that
church,
with
the
old
church,
joined
the
New
River
Association.
In
1796,
Elder
John,
Elder
James
Johnson,
and
Josiah
Osborn
started
the
Big
Levels,
or
Lewisburg,
Baptist
Church.
Johnson
was
the
first
Baptist
minister
whom
Elder
John
had
seen
in
this
section.
The
same
two
ministers
organized
a
church
on
the
Kanawha.
These
four
organized
churches
then
became
the
Greenbrier
Association.
It
has
been
written
that
Elder
John
Alderson
helped
organize
several
other
churches.
His
son
did
not mention any others in his history.
Elder
John
certainly
was
a
"marrying"
preacher.
The
first
marriage
records
in
Greenbrier
County
Court
are
completely
obliterated
from
1778
through
1780.
But
beginning
in
1781
marriages
are
recorded
alphabetically,
and
Elder
John
was
marrying
people
with
great
frequency.
The
first
recorded
marriage
was
on
January
11,
1781,
when
Michael
Keeney
was
married
to
Catherine
Lewis
by
Elder
John.
(Of
course,
there
were
many
marriages
performed
in
the
Greenbrier
area
long
before
1781,
but
these
were
recorded
in
Augusta
County,
or
Botetourt,
Virginia,
before
Greenbrier
County
was
formed in 1778.)
The
best
source
of
Old
Greenbrier’s
history
is
the
Church
Minutes.
Old
Greenbrier
Baptist
Church
is
the
only
Baptist
Church
in
West
Virginia
with
complete
records
covering
such
a
long
period
of
time
since
its
organization
—
183
years.
Reading
these
old
minutes
is
fascinating
and
gives
an
insight into the great changes that have occurred in the Alderson community, religious, moral, political, scientific and economic.
From
the
first,
the
church
had
difficulty
in
non-attendance,
and
for
a
great
many
years
members
were
put
out
of
the
church
if
they
did
not
attend
regularly.
The
church
exercised
its
strict
discipline
by
excommunicating,
or
"excluding"
members.
Some
of
the
charges
were
"stripping
to
fight",
fighting,
fornication,
adultery,
frolicking,
playing
cards,
dancing,
intoxication,
"drinking
too
much",
profane
swearing,
stealing,
and
laziness.
In
April
1856,
during
the
pastorate
of
M.
T.
Bibb,
the
Church
resolved,
"Therefore,
that
we
give
notice
to
our
brethren
and
sisters
that
if
any
of
them
engage
in
carnal
plays,
songs,
playing
the
violin,
checkers,
backgammon,
shooting
matches,
and
such
like,
as
some
of
them
have
done
heretofore,
that
upon
being
informed
thereof,
we
will
forthwith
without
full
satisfaction,
withdraw
our
fellowship
from
them."
In
July
1856,
eight
members,
all
of
prominent
families
who
were
long-time
pillars
of
the
church,
were
expelled
for
"carnal
mirth".
The
eight
refused
to
give
the
Church
satisfaction
and
said
they
would continue the practice.
In
September
1801,
the
Greenbrier
Baptist
Church
resolved
to
allow
"any
of
our
Negro
Brethren
or
Sisters
to
join
this
church
by
letter
or
Experience".
There
is
a
list
of
about
370
white
members
and
27
colored
members
between
July
1835
and
October
1846.
All
slaves
were
listed
by
first
name
only
and
the
names
of
their
owners
are
noted
after
each
name.
Five
of
these
colored
members
were
listed
by
full
name
which
possibly
indicates
they
were
free.
Still
another
list
of
members
from
1846
to
October
1872
lists
462
names,
and
the
Church
reported
to
the
Association
it
had
217
living
members in 1872. These lists are rich mines of genealogy.
The
Church
frequently
interceded
in
disputes
between
members
and
often
settled
them.
"Going
to
law"
between
church
members
was
not
countenanced.
Regular
business
meetings
were
held,
and
all
kinds
of
topics
were
discussed.
Members
needing
assistance,
religious
questions,
finances,
church
repairs,
attendance
at
Association
meetings,
accusations
against
members,
defense
of
charges,
acceptance
of
new
members
and
granting
of
letters
of
dismissal
to
those
leaving,
church
publications,
missions,
and
other
matters,
received
public
attention.
The
Church
in
1802
sent
a
committee
to
see
why
a
brother
was
not
attending
church.
The
committee
found
he
had
gotten
in
debt;
the
sheriff
had
a
warrant
to
take
him
in,
and
he
was
making
himself
as
unavailable
as
possible.
Just
give
him
time,
he
begged,
to
pay
his
debts
so
he
would
not
be
jailed,
and
back
in
the
church
he would be. The Church understood his dilemma, and granted his request to stay away for a time.
By
1793
the
first
log
building
needed
repair,
a
stone
chimney,
and
to
be
re-shingled.
The
old
church
probably
served
until
a
new
one
was
built
during
the pastorate of James Ellison, who followed Elder John Alderson in 1821.
This
new
church
was
a
frame
building
40
by
50
feet
in
size.
It
had
a
gallery
around
three
sides,
with
a
high
pulpit
so
the
preacher
could
see
both
the
main
floor
and
the
gallery
which
slaves
occupied.
Women
sat
on
one
side,
men
on
the
other.
If
a
member
was
not
in
good
standing,
he
sat
in
a
corner section reserved for sinners or transgressors. Wooden brackets held tallow dips which lighted the room.
This
second
building
was
replaced
by
the
third
church
built,
probably,
in
1872.
The
third
church
was
extensively
remodeled
in
1903.
Victorian
adornments
were
added,
additions
were
made
on
the
rear,
windows
changed,
a
furnace
installed
and
electric
lights
added.
This
third
building
is
well
remembered
by
numbers
of
living
Aldersonians.
It
was
a
substantial
white
frame
church
with
a
spire
in
which
a
good
bell
rang
loud
and
clear
for
services.
It
had
three
windows
on
each
side,
and
in
the
front,
and
an
"amen
corner"
to
the
left
of
the
pulpit.
It
also
had
the
first
baptistery
behind
the
pulpit
to
immerse
the
converted.
As
everyone
knows,
Baptists
practice
complete
immersion.
In
the
early
Minutes
it
is
frequently
recounted
that
after
new
members
were
admitted
to
membership,
all
headed
straight
for
the
river;
the
preacher,
the
converts,
and
the
congregation.
Once
on
November
22,
four
joined
and
in
a
short
time
had
been
baptized
in
the
Greenbrier.
Another
time
three
were
baptized
on
a
wintry
February
25.
The
prospect
of
a
complete dunking in icy Greenbrier explains why "protracted" meetings were held in warm weather so as not to discourage confessions of faith.
In
1915
the
first
mention
is
made
of
plans
for
the
fourth
church
building.
In
1921
the
Baptists
began
to
raise
the
money.
On
July
2,
1930,
a
contract
was
let,
and
then
the
Depression
hit,
and
work
stopped.
Finally,
in
1935
the
splendid
new
church
was
formally
opened.
It
is
of
Indiana
sandstone,
and
it
and
its
site
would
be
an
ornament
to
any
community.
This
is
no
place
to
describe
it.
It
is
there
for
all
to
admire,
and
it
will
be
there
for
ages
to
come.
In
1964
a
fine
new
parsonage
was
built,
from
the
same
kind
of
stone,
from
the
same
quarry,
costing nearly $50,000.00.(Click on photo for larger view)
Main Index
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV Used by permission - November 18, 2008
The
old
Greenbrier
Baptist
Church
building
about
1910.
Elder
John
Alderson
established
this
as
one
of
the
churches
west
of
the
mountains
when
it
was
charted
on
November
25,
1781.
This
building
was
constructed
in
1870
and
the
bell
tower
added
after
1900.
Upon
the
foundation
of
this
church
and
its
first
minister
was
the
town
of
Alderson
laid.
Photo J. W. McClung.(Click on photo for larger view)
The History of Alderson, West Virginia
From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia
Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell
