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SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH
LIBERTY, DEKALB COUNTY,
TENNESSEE


Salem

Salem Baptist Church
This 1918 view includes the Cemetery, the largest in the County.


The two earliest churches in the county were both Baptist, and both were established by the same young man, Cantrell Bethel. Born December 17, 1779, in North Carolina, Cantrell Bethel was only twenty-two when he and his parents helped constitute the Brush Creek Baptist Church in Smith County on May 29, 1802. Cantrell Bethel served as the first pastor at Brush Creek from 1802 to 1810. During the time that he was pastor there he helped establish at Liberty in DeKalb County (Smith County at the ti me) an arm of the church, which in August 1809 was organized with 31 members in Salem Baptist Church. Cantrell Bethel also served as first pastor of Salem Church.

A number of Cantrell Bethel's relatives had moved onto the newly opened land near Sink Creek in what was then Warren County. On June 26, 1809, Cantrell Bethel and Thomas Burgess organized the Bildad Baptist Church on Sink Creek. Cantrell Bethel is t hought to have served as Bildad's first pastor, from 1809 until 1814. It was posible for him to serve three or four churches at the same time because each church only met once a month. Some of Cantrell Bethel's brothers and several of his Cantrell cousi ns were among the early members at Bildad.

The above was taken from "A Bicentennial History of DeKalb County, Tennessee" by Thomas Gray Webb, With his permission.

Thanks to Mary Bryant Park for furnishing the "Membership List" from the Salem Baptist Church.


"Salem Baptist Church Minutes 1809-1908,
Membership List"


1809
NOTE: Spelling of names was not changed

Cantrell BethelAdam DaleWilliam DaleBerry YongWilliam Bratten
Joseph EvansRichard CantrellConstancy CantrellRebecky YongPolly Bethell
Betty BrunageJacob TruitNancy TruitWhitefield Elage Moses Garrison
Robert SheltonIsiah DanielSamuel ForsterJoshua LeakeyJery Leakey
Alexandria BleaklySister DuncanBrother BorenNancy RobertsBrother Benjamin
Ally AllenCharty LawrenceJohn FiteCharles Lawrence Pricilla Allen
Jane GobtJane StanfordMartha FiteJoshua Leakey Jonathan Hendrickson
Molley Hendrickson----


1810

John LewisMary LewisLetty PistoleCaty Bethel Judith Brazel
William GivanCyrus HendricksonNancy HendricksonEliza BrattenJames Brown
Benjamin HallMary ParsonSally BrownMathew Hunt Nehemiah Garrison
Martha CandlerPolly HailPhiby DillenJohn Sellars Nancy Hamilton
Pricilla BrazelJohn JenkinsJohn HeasPolly Evans Betsy Griffith
William ChaneyJohn ScotCaty ScottJohn Ashford Bety Bratten
Elizabeth EstesNancy HendricksonBetsy EvansHenry Dillon Moarning Melton
David Benton----


1812

Charlotte SellarsJohn CandlerSamuel G. GibbonsSimon AdamsonNancy Philips
Maryan AdamsonWilliam EstesJincy AshfordMollie GivenElizabeth E. Dale
Malley WarrenBetsy Dale (colored)Peggy AllenDeanna BledsoeJesse Adamson
Nancy GossettPolly BorenLewis McClendonNancy Lewis Kaziah Perry
Thos. BrattenThos. LewisSelah BentonCloak Melton Susanna Snow
Betsy BentonMarin SellarsSally JinkinsPolly Bratten Bessy Adamson
John HornJessie AdamsonJoseph MullinixPatty Bratten Jacob Perriman
Margret PerrimanEdmond ParsonsBetsy GriffinEdith ParsonsPolly Bratten
Polly AllenSusana LewisHana L. OverallCreasy WilliamsAkis Philips
Molley GriffinCaty HaasJency GarrisonArchabald McIntireNancy Adams
James EvanPeggy H. DaleSister HornSusan Griffith Betsy Buckley
Nancy PhilipsHannah LewisThos AllenJohn Philips Abraham Gossett
Elizabeth GossettMoses AlexanderBetsy AlexanderElizabeth KnightSarah Welch
James LewisSally TinneyJacob PerierNathaniel Ferier Nancy Ferier
Francis BentonCooper MeltonSister MeltonLucretia SellarsMenney Haanead
Hanal LewisRachel FloydMary Knight--


1814

John ShencerMary ShencerCloe SellarsTilmon Bethell Daniel Burford
Lucinda Reynold? SheltonWilliam AllenLyda Allen Peggy Bledsaw
Jamima FindleyMargret KnightThos PistoleLousia PistoleAnna Pistole
Nancy HicksSusana DehartJoshua GarrisonJohn Warford Mary Warford
Nancy LewisBesey AdamsonSarah MullinxJohn Lawrence Josha Bratten
Sarah BethellNancy Given---


1817

Sister PorterSusanah LewisHannah PistoleEbe Burton Nancy Burton
Polly EvansCaleb PrestonEphraim EvansJames PendletonPolly Pendleton
Elizabeth LambersonPolly EvansPolly AllenJames HeflinEllizabeth Heflin
Richard ChampinDarcas ChampinWilliam HulletRachel HulletCaty Evans
Bethanea GossettPeter LambersonElizabeth LambersonJoseph HaysJames Boren (Bryan?)
Nancy ChapmanSarah NealSister BrownRebecka Whaley Thos. Strong
Milcha StrongWilliam EvansDruna SellarsRuben Evans W. D. Evans
Anna BethellBetsy ParsonBetsy OwenJohn Evans Sarah Crips
Allen MullenZachriah SewardSister SewardJames SewardSister Seward
? HayesJ. JenkinsFrancis SewardSucky Hayes William Hayes
Br. CareyJohn Gossett---


1819

Betsy StrongPolly LewisWilliam CelyEdward Lewis Richard Wilson
Rachael CooperJame HayesPatsy PhillipsBetty Jenkins Lona Beshears
Mary SewardCharles WatsonJohn DaleNancy Parker Polly Rhey
Thos. WilliamsonSally AllenMoses F. GarrisonMoses FiteThos. Bratten, Sr.
Rebecak MainerJacob HollansworthHenry FiteBenjamin Blades Emila Evans
Ellizabeth EvansDaniel L. RheySuckey AllenJincy Johnson Polly Mullinah
Robert CelleyKitty BrattenPheby CooperCharlotty Griffin Eliza Overall
John GarrisonFrancis ScottNancy DaleSusanny Garrison-

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