Dumplin Baptist Church Minutes, 1797-1860

Part 13 of 24 Parts

Transcribed from the WPA Typescript and Submitted by Al Baumbach
Research Tip: This is posted (with extraordinary thanks to Al) as a finding aid.  It is a transcription of a transcription.
Even the most diligent transcriber is subject to error, so it is imperative that you consult the original document.

January 8, 1831 - The Church met and after prayer proceeded to business - 1st. - Rec'd a letter from Big Spring Church , McMinn County, Tennessee Recommending Br. Cate walk to be as a Christian also (p.101) a few lines from him to us as a Church requesting the Church to consider his case - Therefore the Church takes it up and lays it over till next meeting.

February 12th 1831 -- The Church met and after prayer proceeded to business. 1st. Took up the reference of last meeting concerning Br. Cate & wife and after some consideration on the matter the Church Restores them to fellowship and Grants them letters of dismission.

March 12th 1831 -- The Church met and after divine Service was dismissed.

April Meeting 1831 -- no preacher nor no business.

May 14th 1831 -- The Church met and after worship proceeded to business. 1st . Church appointed Br. Charles Kelly and Br. Gibbs to cite Sist. Nancy Elder to our next meeting -- 2nd. Sarah Bales came forward and offered a relation to the Church and was received -- 3rd. Martha Sellers offered to the Church and was received -- adjourned.

June 11th 1831 -- The Church met and after divine Service proceeded to take up Sister Elder and on having heard the report of the Bro. the Church waits till next meeting -- 2nd. the Church excludes Sister Ruthey Thomson who was Ruthy French for goying out of the Country and not praying a letter of dismission -- 3rd. also Sister Catharine Manard went of to another County without requesting a letter of dismission but the Church waits with her till next meeting -- 4th. Sister Elizabeth Kneel requests a letter of dismission and granted.

July 9th 1831 -- The Church being few in number and reference of last meeting.

(p.102)

August 13th 1831 -- The Church met and after prayer proceeded to choose Br. Joseph Sullins Moderator -- 2nd. the reference concerning Sister Elder laid over till next meeting also -- 4th -- appoints Bro. Charles Kelley -- Obediah Gibbs & John M. Lockhert Delligates to our next Association to commence on fryday before the first Saturday in October next at this place.

September 9th 1831 -- The Church met and Excommunicated Nancy Elder from the fellowship of the Church 1st. for moving away without making any request for a letter of dismission and for not hearing the Church now where she has been sum months in the bounds of the Church -- 2nd. proceeded to excommunicate Sister Catharine Manard for moving out of the bounds of the Church and not requesting a letter of dismission also for sum hard talk that she had about the Church before she went away -- 3rd. Grievance taken up against Sister Rachel Davis for moving off out of bounds of the Church without requesting a letter of dismission and laid over till next meeting. -- 4th -- Order by the Church that they give to Sister Rebecca Kelley a few lines of recommendation of her walk since she has been among us. 5th -- the letter to the Association red and rec'd and ordered to be signed.

October 8th 1831 -- The Church met and after worship proceeded 1st. opened a door for the reception of members -- none offered -- 2nd. the Church rec'd a letter from Catharine Manard making sum acknowledgment for her part conduct & after sum consideration on the subject the Church receives her recantation & restores her fellowship and grants her a letter of dismission -- 3rd. took up references concerning Sister Rachel Davis and proceeded to exclude her from the fellowship of the Church then dismissed &c.

(p.103)

November 1831 -- The Church met -- now business done.

December 10th 1831 -- A few members and now business done.

January 14th 1832 - The Church met and after divine Service proceeded to business - 1st. - Br. Thos. Jones came forward to the Church and told her that he had been guilty of drinking too much Sperits at a certain time not long since & the Church determines to take up the charge against him to consider of it till next meeting.

February 11th 1832 - The Church met and after divine Service proceeded to business - 1st. - took up the reference of last meeting concerning Br. Jones & after sum investigation the Church not yet being satisfied she continues it till next meeting for further consideration.

March 10th 1832 - The Church met and after divine Service proceeded to business - 1st. - took up the matter against Br. Jones & after sum consultation on the matter the Church forgives him & restores him to fellowship again but under the resolution not to do so anymore - should he not reform.

April 13th 1832 - The Church met & after divine worship proceeded to business - 1st. - Elizabeth Smith who was Elizabeth Newman requested a letter of dismission & granted.

May 1832 - The Church met and after divine Service proceeded to business.

June 1832 - No business.

July 14th 1832 - The Church met & after divine Service proceded to business - 1st. - it was made apparently due proof that Br. Thomas Jones has been drinking too much Spirits for which the Church excludes (p.104) him from the fellowship of the Church.

August 11th 1832 - The Church met and after Worship set for business - 1st. - tried the fellowship of the Church and being no greivance nor reference then opened her doore for the reception of members and rec'd Pansy Hadock & Mary Coppock by expr. - 2nd. - She appoints Willis Hammons, Noah Cate & Anderson Skein as delligates to our next Association to be held at Little flat Creek commencing on the 1st fryday before Saturday in Oct. next by the Clerk to prepare the letter against next meeing.

September 7th 1832 - The Church met on fryday it being the Communion Season proceeded to business for the Church recommends to the Association the former paractice of sending corresponding deligates to other Association next set for the reception of Members - 1st. - Rec'd by experience Manning Summers Jr., Malinda Lockhert, Manning Summers Sr., Mary Thomas & Nancy Brooks - 2nd. - Rec'd by letter Levina Cate Requests a letter of dismission and granted.

October 1832 - On account of wether being inclement the Church did not meet on Saturday and on Sunday the Church met and set on a Church way - 1st. - Rec'd Rebecca Higden (recantation) who was Rebecca Cate and granted her a letter of dismission - 2nd. - Rec'd Susannah Gillalan by experience.

November 10th 1832 - the Church met and after divine Service proceeded to oppen a door for the reception of members - 1st. - Rec'd Anna King by expr.

December 1st 1832 - the Church met in the valley and rec'd by experience Sarah Nelson & Elizabeth Piland.

(p.105)

December 8th 1832 - The Church met and no business done.

January 1st, Saturday, 1833 - the Church met in the Valley and Rec'd Cyntha An Johnson & Polly N. Piland.

January 12th 1833 - The Church met and after worship proceeded to business - 1st. There being no preacher present choce Elisha Cate Moderator - 2nd - the Church agrees to have a four days meeting in April - 3rd. - Rec'd Polly French by experance.

February 3rd 1833 - The Church met at Rocky Valley and Rec'd by Expr. Leamar Boyd.

February 8th 1833 - The Church met at Dumplin and after devine Service proceeded to business - 1st. - Rec'd John Newman - 2nd. - John L. Newman by Expr.

March 2nd, 1833 - The Church met at the Rocky Valley and Rec'd Carline Davis by Experence.

March 9th, 1833 - The Church met at Dumplin and after divine Service opened a doore for the Reception of members - 1st. Rec'd Wm. King by Experience.

April 7th, 1833 - The Church met at the Rocky Valley and Rec'd Pheebe Howard by Letter.

April 12th, 1833 - The Church met at Dumplin on Fryday and continued 4 days and during the meeting - Rec'd by Experience - John Sellers, Priscilla Coppock, Katharin McCormack & Elener Newman.

May 4th, 1833 - The Church met at the Rocky Valley & Rec'd Zilpha Sellers & Elizabeth Daffern by experience.

May 11th, 1833 - The Church met at Dumplin & after due Service proceeded to open a door for the reception of members - 1st. - Rec'd Isabel Rankin & Samuel Newman by experience - 2nd - Motion made - met at Rocky Valley - adjourned.

(p.106)

May 14th, 1833 - The Church met at Rocky Valley and after worship Rec'd Elizabeth Hasket by Expr.

May 31, 1833 - met again at the same place (Rocky Valley) and Rec'd Samuel Glidden by Experience.

June 1st, 1833 - The Church met at the Rocky Valley and Rec'd John Hasket by experience, and Marthy King by Letter.

June 8th, 1833 - The Church met and after divine Service proceeded to open a doore for the reception of members - none offered - then took up the reference of last meeting concerning the establishing of a Church at the Rocky Valley meeting also rec'd a petition signed by 26 members of sd. Church praying that they may have a Constitution on the Northside of Bays Mt. at the Rocky Valley meeting house and granted. - 2nd. - took up a grievance against (Black Betty) who formerly lived with Sam Newman for having a mulatto child & deniing it and the Church immediately Excommunicated her - 3rd. - Took up a grievance against "Black Fan" living with Br. Isaac Newman for having a bastard child and laid it over till next meeting & appoint Sr. Fanny Langston and Elloner Newman to talk to her & cite her to our next meeting &c.

July 6, 1833 - The Church met at the Rocky Valley and Rec'd Nancy Ore, Jacob Ore, Sarah Bolton, Fanna Herron & Henry Fry by experience.

July 13, 1833 - The Church met at Dumplin Creek and after worship proceeded to open a door for the reception of Members - 1st. - Rec'd Wm. Ellis by recantation - 3rd. - took up reference of last meeting concerning Newman's Fan - and she attend according to the request of the Church and made satisfaction - done in Church conference - Elisha Cate.

(p.107)

Wednesday 17th July, 1833 - the Church met and after Service of Br. Love and Rogers opened a door for the reception of members - 1st. - Rec'd Presley Johnson by Expr. - 2nd. - Sarah Kelly by letter - Done in Church conference - E. Cate - Clk.

August 10th, 1833 - The Church met at Dumplin and after Service proceeded to open a door for the reception of members - 1st. - Rec'd Moses Barnes by Expr. - 2nd. - Br. William Ellis Solicited the Church the liberty of exercising his gift and granted as follows Viz - in the bounds of Br. Kimbrough & Rogers Churches, also in the bounds of Ellyjoy and paw-paw hollow Churches - 3rd. - appointed Br. Noah Cate, Samuel Newman and Joseph Sullins delligates to our next Association and the Clerk prepares a letter for the same and presents it to the Church at our next meeting - Done in Church conference - Elisha Cate, Clk.

September, 1833 - On account of the inclemency of wether the Church did not meet on Saturday and on Sunday the Church met and set for Business - 1st. - Red the letter to the Association - 2nd. - C.W.D. Cate requested leave of the Church to exercise his gift in the bounds of his Church and granted. -3rd. - Br. Obediah Gibbs also requests leave to exercise his gift where he felt and granted when in the bounds of the Church - Done in Church Conference - Elisha Cate, Clk.

October 14th, 1833 - A protracted meeting commenced at Dumplin and put off the appointment of a case as was under consideration till another time & during the meeting - Rec'd Margaret Cate, Elizabeth Douglass and Samuel Langston by Experience and Dismissed Presley Johnston by letter done in conference.

November, 1833 - Now business - Elisha Cate, Clk.

(p.108)

December 14th, 1833 - On account of bad wether no business done. Elisha Cate, Clk.

December 25th, 1833 - and after divine Service of Br. Cate opened a door for the reception of members and Rec'd Jane Hodges and Synthy Kelley by Expr. Done in Church Conference. E. Cate, Clk.