Concord Missionary Baptist Church to celebrate 150 years

A little way north on DD Hwy., when you turn off Hwy. 54 East at Cedar Springs, a gentle curve to the west reveals a small white building on a hill. The yard is well kept and the road to the front door is well-worn. There is no sign in the front yard – only a small sign above the front door giving the name and date: “Concord Baptist Church – 1893.”

Concord Missionary Baptist Church, originally known as Concord Baptist Church, began on Oct. 15, 1871, when a group of members of the Old Antioch Baptist Church met in Lebeck to form a new Church.

Present for the meeting where: Daniel Kays, Joel H. Smith, James Maxwell, James W. Hawkins, Susan A. Williams, Luvina Cole and Drucilia C. Barnes.

The Presbytery was composed of Eld. E. Burdette, Eld. P. B. Smith, Deacon S. L. Smith and Joel H. Smith.

There are no known minutes of the church’s business meetings until May of 1884.

According to Sister May Blackmore’s history presented at the Centennial of the church in 1971, the church met at Lebeck, with Bro. V. Ingram as pastor and F. M. Reed as church clerk.

Concord hosted the Antioch Association on Aug.22, 1879 with Bro. J.C. Mitchell preaching from Gal. 6:2.

At the May 1884 business meeting there was a committee formed to assess the indebtedness of the Free Will Baptists with whom the Concord members shared a building. There was also a motion to accept the invitation from Sulphur Springs Baptist church to cooperate with them in religiously celebrating the 4th of July.

By Aug. of that year, the church voted to pay the Free Wills $50 for their part of the church house.

1982 Concord tornado damage

In July of 1885, the church voted to meet with the Antioch Association which would convene at Cedar Church on Aug. 28. Delegates were: Bros. J. Brown. John Stotts, Joel Smith and Fr. M. Reed.

During the late 1880’s several members were expelled for various forms of misconduct. Several requested letters to other churches and at least one individual requested that the right hand of fellowship be withdrawn from him.

Pastors during that time were:

1886 – Thomas Casey,

1887 – J. T. Metcalf,

1888 -Eliheu Lee who resigned and was followed by J.C. Mitchell,

1891 – EW. F. Shackleford, nm

In January 1891, several men were appointed to negotiate with the “Campelllights” to buy out their interest in the church house. It appears that the original house that Concord was a part of was shared by the Free Wills and the Campellites.

The minutes of the June meeting in 1891 opens as “Concord Baptist Church-Church of Christ” and continues to open like that until January of 1896 when the clerk writes, “We, the Missionary Baptist Church, met at Concord.”

By Oct. 1896, the clerk began opening the minutes with “Concord Missionary Baptist Church.” Also, during October 1896, the church called for a payoff of the debt on the house.

Blackmore’s history states, “In 1892, Concord Baptist Church voted to build a new house on Bro. P.S. Smith’s land, he having agreed to donate and give a deed to the church on an acre of land for church purposes.”

“The location of this land is south of brother Paul Smith’s on the present Leroy Rector land.”

Sometime between 1884 and 1902 the church was moved to its present location in Cedar Springs. There is no written account of the church being moved, but the story goes, that was passed down from Bro. Paul Smith and Bro. Everett Smith, that the church was moved on logs placed one in front of the other as it was rolled to the current location. There is no known record of who built the foundation. After the church was moved, no records were kept for a while.

In 1912 Bro. Howard Dale was called as pastor and was ordained to the ministry.

The succession of pastors is as follows:

Bro. A. M. Weaver, then Bro. I N. Pace.

1922 -Bro. I. F. Shurley, followed by C. E. Clemons

1926 –  Bro. Ben Zener

1927 – Bro. Walter Martin

1933 –  Bro. J. F. Leith

1954 –  Bro. Hobart Mustain

Bro. Boothe – no exact time given

1937 –  Bro. C.A. Wynes

1942 –  Bro. Ed Elliot

1945 –  Bro. Granvil Budd and  C.A. Wynes until 1950. W.F. Pace served until 1955 – Brother Hobert Mustain until 1970

1970 – Brother Russell Ingram until his death in December of that year.

In Nov. 1, 1953 Council met with Concord Church to ordain Bro. Raymond Smith to the ministry at the request of Old Union Church.

On April 12. 1970, Council met with Concord Church to ordain Bro. Everett Smith to the ministry.

1971 – April 1973 – Bro. Hersheline Pinkley.

The church observed its Centennial with services on Friday night Oct. 15, 1971. Bro. Lytle Barnett lead the devotional and Bro. Larry Lawler brought the message. Saturday night, Bro. Ed Elliot filled the stand and Sunday morning the sermon was by Bro. Hersheline Pinkley. Following dinner on the grounds, Bro. Everett Smith preached in the afternoon.

May – September 1973 – Bro Everett Smith

Oct. 1973 – 1982 – Bro Denzel McCall

On March 15, 1982, a huge storm went through the Cedar Springs area leaving several trees destroyed around the church building. There was some damage to the roof, but otherwise the church house remained to carry on the Lord’s work in the community.

Concord Church member Lois Smith who lived a mile SW of the church was called to meet the Lord during this tornado.

By request of Glade Springs Church, on Nov. 7, 1982 ordained Council met at Concord to ordain Bro. Lewis Eslinger into the full ministry of the Gospel.

1983 – 1988 Bro. DeWayne Burdette

1989 – Bro. Don Fulbright

1990 – Bro. Dean Covert until his death in April 1991

Bro. Denzel finished out Bro. Dean Covert’s year and was called to pastor until Dec. 1992. Several preachers were called on to help with our services.

1993 until Dec. 1994 – Bro. Junior Ingram

1995 – 1997 – Bro. DeWayne Burdette

May 1998 – Aug. 2003 Bro. Gary Box

2004 – 2014 – Bro. Ralph Benham

April 2015 – Feb 2017 – Bro. Calvin Stoop

May 2017 – Dec. 2019 – Bro. Bobby Budd

2020 to present 2021 – Brother Howard Hamilton

Deacons ordained by Concord Church as recorded in the existing records as of 2021

1895 F.M. Reed and William U. Light

1897 W.K. Long

1932 Harve Sumner, A.D. Belisle and T.L. Eslinger

1944 Elsa Eslinger, Paul Smith and Gilbert Blackmore

1976 John L. Eslinger and Sam Barger

Our current membership is 79.

Services are held Saturday Night, Sunday Morning and Sunday Night of the 2nd and 4th weekends. Sunday School at 10 a.m. every Sunday.

The first 100 years of history was written by Church Clerk May Blackmore in 1971 and on this 150-year anniversary the history was submitted by Church Clerk Janet Jones.

Additional information by Kimball Long.

The 150-year Commemoration begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, with devotional by Bro. Howard Hamilton and preaching by Bro. Bobby Budd. A carry-in lunch begins at noon, followed by devotional Bro. DeWayne Burdette and preaching by Bro. Ralph Benham.