Church Index

BETHESDA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1899 to 1966

History

Bethesda Presbyterian Church was started on September 22, 1899, by a group of citizens of Johnson City, including William Wolfe, H.N. Hale, Frank Gibbons, J.C. Rhea and G.A. Fitzgerald. The church was part of Rogersville Presbytery in the Synod of East Tennessee. Early members were examined on their acquaintance with the Christian religion. The Kimball pump organ now in use at Watauga Avenue Church was purchased in November 1903. Benevolent donations were always a part of the church's budget, including donations to the local Freedman's School. In 1911, the Carnegie Mission Sunday School was established in the annex. After meeting in several schools, the group built a church in 1913 on Millard Street. A parochial school was operated in conjunction with the church, and R.P. McDowell was superintendent for many years. A manse was built in 1915. Grace Bundy was elected the first woman elder on June 21, 1942. During World War II, the church annex was used by the Red Cross.

In 1966, the African-American Bethesda Presbyterian Church on Millard Street, founded in 1899, closed because of declining membership, its members were invited to join Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church, which became one of the early integrated churches in the city. Twenty-six members of Bethesda transferred their membership to Watauga Avenue; others joined the Jonesborough Presbyterian Church. See Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church

Pastors

Henry L. Peterston, 1900 -1902

T.J. Crawford, Feb. 8, 1903 - Sep. 1, 1912

F.M. Hyder, 1912-1913

C.B. Dusenbury, Jr. Aug 24, 1913 - Nov. 15, 1914

J.H. Byers, D.D., May 16, 1915 - Oct 16, 1927

J.H. Forte, 1928-1929

J.F. Whitley, Apr 13, 1930 - Mar 12, 1933

P.J. Augustus Coxe, Nov 27, 1933 - Oct. 14, 1944

Isaac K. Rakestraw, Jun 20, 1945 - Dec. 31, 1951

P.A. Flack, Oct 7, 1952 -

Rev. Washington, Aug 27, 1957 - Feb 23, 1958

Carl C. Murray, 1959 - 1961

Charlie J. Johnson, July 30, 1961 - July 23, 1966

Donald E. Frederick, 1966

Posted 29 May 2005; updated 8 Oct 2005

LEESBURG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1818 To 1982

Location

About 500 yards from the Old Stage Road near TN Hwy 81 at Fairview. It stands among old trees on a hill, overlooking the graves of many early members of the church, some of which are unmarked graves of slaves.

History

The church was organized in 1818 by the Rev John Whitfield Doak, a son of the Rev Samuel Doak.

The present church was built in 1883 of brick masonry with additions of brick veneer which were erected since 1930. An interesting architectural feature is the shape of the roof of the narthex, the entrance area which supports the steeple. The church has a chandelier given by the Rev. E.O. Guerrant, M.D., founder of many churches in Eastern Kentucky.

There is a tradition that the present building is the third one that the church has occupied, the two earlier buildings having burned. The first was made of logs and the second of brick. In 1835 subscriptions were being taken for a church building, probably the second one. Prior to 1842, the records show that the Session met at various places - homes of Ruling Elders, Duncan's Schoolhouse, the Male Academy in Jonesboro, and the Salem church at Washington College.

On 7 February 1834, John Strain was replaced as the first Clerk of the Session by John Stephenson. who began the first book of minutes by writing a narrative history of the church. The first minutes which are dated have the date of 11 May 1835. There are four books of minutes of the Session: the first dating from 1818- 23 June 1867; the second from 1867 - 4 April 1896; the third from 1896 - 28 April 1947 and the fourth from 1947 - present.

The Session compiled a list of members in 1836, at which time the church had 115 members. The list was updated in 1842.

In the early days church funds were obtained by subscription. In 1860 the Presbytery requested the churches to adopt a system for giving to benevolences; the Session resonded by placing boxes in the church, each labeled for a different fund, e.g. Foreign Missions, Education, Home Missions. This system was still in use at least until 1870.

Life and the Church

During the first 75 years of the Church's existence, the Elders took seriously their responsiblility for encouraging attendance at worship services. From time to time the Session sent committees to call on members who had "absented themselves from church" to inquire about the reason for absence and to remind them of their duty to attend.

During these years the Session also assumed responsibility for deciding when a member had acted or spoken inconsistently with the moral standards of the day, of the church, or of a particular pastor or Session. One of the earliest examples on record is that of a member accusing of "telling lies and causing mischief among neighbors." Sessions reacted to "common fame" or gossip by sitting as a court to decide on the innocence or guilt of the person accused of misconduct. Accused members were requested to appear before the Sessons to answer allegations of intemperance, intoxication, drunkeness, adultery, fornication, profanity, taking too much toll as a miller, threatening to take life, having a ball in their home, dancing, fighting, and betting on elections. In some cases the member was found not guilty, but in other cases the member was suspended until he or she gave "evidence of repentance."

In 1835 a member applied for dismission to join a "Methodist Church at McCrackins", then a new demonination in the area. He was requested to appear before the Session, apparently to explain why he wanted to become a Methodist. The record does not show whether he ever satisfied the Sessions's curiosity.

In 1852 the Session adopted four resolutions which reflect its sense of authority and its stand on alcoholic beverages, dancing, attending public worship, and admitting members of other churches to the Lord's Table. The first resolution condemned persons who "engage in the manufacture of intoxicating drinks or in the vending of such drinks, or who use them as a habitual beverage." The second resolution condemned persons who are in the "habit of dancing or encouraging dancing parties or balls in their homes." The third stated that "it is incumbent duty of members of Christ's church to attend upon the ordinances of his house" and that "in failing to so so most faithfully and punctually, unless providentially hindered, they are neglecting a high an dsolemn duty and setting a bad example before the church and the world and acting inconsistently with their profession." The fourth resolution stated that the Session "most cordially and affectionately invites to the Lord's Table all who are regular and consistent members of all sister Protestant churches and welcome them to come and obey with us the commandment of our Saviour, 'This do in remembrance of Me.'"

Members

First Ruling Elders elected: John Strain, James Cowan and John Cowan. John Strain was also the first Justice of the Peace appointed in Tennessee, receiving his appointment from John Sevier.

Pastors

The Rev. John W. Doak was installed as pastor in the Fall of 1819.

Throughout most of its history, Leesburg Presbyterian church has had part-time pastors and for periods of various lengths has had no pastor. When an ordained minister could not be obtained, lay preachers conducted worship services.

Cemetery

For cemetery information, see the Cemetery Section of this web site.

Source: Leesburg Presbyterian Church, 1818-1982, Washington County, Tennessee, compiled by Mary Sue Carson Goins. 1981. Contributed by Elaine Cantrell. Posted 13 Nov 2004.

JONESBOROUGH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1790 to Present

Pastors

[courtesy of W. Eugene Cox and Joyce Cox, Oct 2006]

YEAR	PASTOR	COMMENTS
1790	Samuel Doak, D.D.	Served Hebron Chruch, four miles from Jonesborough
1796	Samuel Lake, John Cosson, D.D., James Witherspoon	Served for two years
7 Sep 1800-12 Apr 1801	Charles Coffin, D.D.
1802-10 Jul 1808	John W. Doak	Son of Samuel Doak
1808-1818	Charles Coffin, D.D.	1816 church built
Feb 1820-Aug 1825	Robert Glenn
Fall 1826-5 Oct 1832	Lancelot Bell	1831 church built
-	-	Vacant one year
Apr 1833-Apr 1834	Henry M. Kerr
Oct 1834-Feb 1845	J. Whitfield Cunningham	9 Apr 1840 name changed from Hebron to Jonesborough Presbyterian Church
28 Sep 1845-19 Oct 1862	Rufus P. Wells	1847-1850 church constructed
Jun 1863-Jun 1865	J. D. Tadlock
25 Nov 1865-21 Oct 1866	Calvin Waterbury
9 Jun 1867-28 Jul 1872	James G. Mason	Split in church, 1868. Now Second Presbyterian Church
1 Dec 1872-Nov 1877	Perez D. Cowan
8 Dec 1877-5 Jun 1892	Calvin A. Duncan	Second Presbyterian build church in 1881 at 126 E. Main Street
May 1892-25 Jun 1893	C. H. Polheumus
Jul 1893-Nov 1893	-	Temporary pastors
Dec 1893-1894	George F. Ayers
1 Apr 1894-1896	B. B. Bigler
1897-1904	John S. Eakin
Jun 1904	Jonathan C. Day
1904-1905	M. W. Graham
1905	O. C. Peyton
1905-1907	J. A. Frances
16 Apr 1908-Fall 1909	Roy Ewing Vale, D.D., LLD	Moderator, 156th General Assembly
1909	Calvin A. Duncan, D.D., LLD
1909-1910	J. C. Ritter
1910-1911	Fred F. Schell
1912-1913	Robert L. Bachman
1913-1915	John N. Crawford
1915-1921	Robert L. Bachman	Proposed Ten Commandments be placed on courthouse wall
1921	A. C. Holt
1 Aug 1922-Dec 1922	Thomas Freeman Dixon, D.D.
9 Jul 1925-1930	Garner R. Martin	First to live at 504 W. Main St. parsonage
4 Jan 1931-1935	William E. Harrison
1937-1940	Charles Marston
8 Sep 1940-Nov 1942	George K. Neff
2 Jun 1943-Sep 1946	Clarence L. Shelby, D.D.	Led 1944 restoration of church and merger of the two churches. Name changed to Jonesborough Presbyterian Church
31 Aug 1947-1950	Robert W. Jones
29 Nov 1950- 31 Jul 1964	Floyd D. Ballard	Continued serving until new pastor hired
1964-1968	Harold D. Jensen
1968-1971	William D. Waters
Jun 1972-31 Oct 1994	William E. Allen, D.D.
1995-1996	Donald E. Frederick
1996-1999	Scott V. Solether
2000	Earle Barron, D.D.	Interim pastor
26 Aug 2001-	Mary E. Yarborough	First female pastor
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
1867	William B. Carter
1868-1872	J. D. Tadlock
1872	J. P. Gammon
1872-1874	W. W. Morrison
1874-1876	J. Albert Wallace
1876-1883	D. O. Byers
1883-1885	C. W. Johnson
1886-1888	J. B. Converse
1891-1892	P. D. Kennedy
1892	O. J. Jones
1892-1896	J. P. Doggett
1897-1899	W. J. Lewis
1900-1901	K. A. Roane
1901-1903	J. P. Doggett	Second time
1904	J. M. Clark
1904-1906	A. H. Doak
1909-1910	J. W. Hethron
1912-1917	D. O. Byers	Second time
1920-	W. C. Young

Sources:

Hash, Judith Haws, "A History of the First Presbyterian Church of Jonesboro, Tennessee," M.A. thesis, East Tennessee State University, 1965, p. 332-334. All First Presbyterian Church pastors from Hash.

Jonesborough Presbyterian Church Session Minutes, 1845-1862. p. 325, 330, and 338.

"Historic Sketch and Directory of the Second Presbyterian Church" Jonesborough, TN: Herald and Tribune.

Ruth Broyles, Jonesborough, Tennessee.

Herald and Tribune, Jonesborough, Tennessee, various issues.

Cox, W. Eugene and Joyce Cox. Jonesborough's Historic Churches.

Source: Jonesborough Presbyterian Church 1990 Directory. Posted 29 May 2005. Updated 12 SEp 2007

Also see Tour of Historic Jonesborough for more photos and history.

 

SALEM PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1780 to present

Location

152 Washington College Road, Limestone, Tennessee.

History

Salem Presbyterian Church was founded in 1780 by the Reverend Samuel Doak. Dr. Doak was of Scotch-Irish heritage, a graduate of Princeton and licensed to preach by Hanover Presbytery in 1777. Reverend Doak rode into East Tennessee in 1780 and reportedly came upon a group of men felling trees near Little Limestone Creek. He preached a sermon from the back of his horse and from this meeting, Salem Church the first Presbyterian Church in the state, came into being.

 

Alexander Mathes I, an early pioneer, urged Doak to stay and he donated fifty acres of land to him to be used for the establishment of a church and school. Salem Church and Martin Academy (now Washington College Academy) were founded. The original church building was constructed of logs at the west corner of what is now Harris Hall on the Academy campus, and east of Salem Cemetery. In 1825 the first church building was replaced with a brick building erected northeast of Harris Hall.

 

The present church building was constructed in 1894-95 when the 1825 brick building became too small to house the growing congregation. A new site was chosen at the south side of the school campus. In 1894 a deed was drawn up describing the church property boundaries and recorded in Register of Deeds in Jonesborough. The official name of the church was changed from Salem Church to Salem Presbyterian Church by the approval of a new charter in 1899. The cost of the new building was $10,073.76. Church records show that James H. Willis, a contractor form Greeneville, TN, served as superintendent of the project. Church members and students of the school helped whenever they could. The brick for the church was burnt on the premises by the firm of C.A. Coile of Greenville, TN. The logs for the beams in the sanctuary were donated by James Miller. Mrs. Nettie Fowler (Cyrus) McCormick donated $3,500 and hired A. Page Brown to design the church.

The building is constructed in Richardson Romanesque style, and has a number of distinctive exterior features. The bricks vary somewhat from a general length of 8 inches and laid in common bond pattern. A water table band of stone extends around the building. The original slate roof is still in place and stone coping caps the walls around the rooflines.

 

Stained glass windows are on all sides of the building. In front of the church, a rose window eleven feet in diameter is featured. The west side of the building is dominated by a large stained glass window which is flanked on either side by two smaller stained glass windows separated by small buttress. On the east elevation are four semi-circular arched stained glass windows and a smaller segmental arched stained glass window on the south end.

 

To the west of the main entrance portico is a square bell tower rising somewhat higher than the central gable. The original bell is still in use.

The sanctuary has English style Craftsman wood truss structure which is made of two hand-hewn unjointed white pine beams of approximately fifty feet in length bearing the marks of the adz, which are clearly visible, and supported by hand forged metal braces. The crossbeams are enhanced by modified square billet trim cut into the edge. Between 1945 and 1948, six chandeliers of Gothic design replaced the single hanging lamp. The sanctuary is entered via of three sets of double oak doors with egg shaped doorknobs.

Salem Presbyterian Church is on the National Register of Historical Places under criterion C for its architectural significance and under criterion A in social history for its association with the philanthropic endeavors of Nettie Fowler McCormick.

 

Pastors

A fairly complete list of pastors of Salem Church has been compiled with the help of the Mary Hardin McCown Collection located in the Washington County-Jonesborough Library. Mrs. McCown has listed the pastors from Samuel Doak to the year 1891; all were also presidents of Washington College (now Washington College Academy).

 

Rev. Samuel Doak, D.D., 1780-1818 Rev. John Whitfield Doak (1st son of Samuel), 1818-20 Rev. John V. Bovelle, 1821-29 Rev. James McLin, 1829-1838 Rev. Samuel W. Doak, D.D., (2nd son of Samuel), 1838-40 Rev. Joseph I. Foote, D.D., elected 24 Aug 1839; died 21 Apr 1840. [Rev. Foote was thrown from his horse while enroute to the College and died before inauguration.]	Rev. Archibald A. Doak, 1840-50 Rev. E. Thompson Baird, D.D., 1850-52 Rev. Archibald A. Doak, D.D. (2nd term), 1853-56 Rev. Samuel Hodge, D.D. 1857-58 Misses Eva A. and G. Adda Telford, Principals, 1866-68 Rev. William B. Rankin, D.D., 1868-75 Rev. J.E. Alexander, D.D., 1877-83 Rev. J.W.C. Willoughby, D.D., 1883-1891
After 1891 and up until the present time, with a very few exceptions, the pastors of Salem Church were chosen independently of the school.
William S. Doak, 1875-1882 J.W.C. Willoughby, 1882-1896 H.G. Dension, 1897-1899 James M. Walton, 1901-1903 C.B. Clark, 1904-1910 J.C. Ritter, 1910-1915 Robert L. Houston, 1923-1929 J.T.W. Stewart, 1929-1941 Alexander M. Warren, 1941-1943	B.B. Lavender, 1944-1950 Richard R. Gilbert, 1950-1954 A.H. VanderBosche, 1955-1958 A.S. Caldwell, 1959-1961 Bruffie Conner, 1961-1974 Howard Pusey, 1976-1982 Michael Fleenor, 1893-1991 Durl Edwin Odom, 1992 -

References:

Crawford, Earle W. Pioneer Missionary in East Tennessee: Samuel Doak," Jonesborough TN: Pioneer Printers, Washingotn College Academy, 1980.

Gibson, Jo Chapman, Salem Presbyterian Church, Johnson City TN: The Overmountain Press, 1992.

Kiener, John L. "Digging for Your Roots" Jonesborough Herald & Tribune, 16 March 2004, p. 7A.

Posted 12 Sep 2007

WATAUGA AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1892 to Present

Location

610 East Watauga Avenue, Johnson City, TN

 

History

Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church was organized as the Second Presbyterian Church of Johnson City on September 27, 1892. The church initially met at the Martha Wilder School on the corner of Myrtle and new Streets, then at the Lusk School at the corner of Watauga Avenue and Roan Street. It was chartered in 1894 as the Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church and has been at the present location at 610 East Watauga Avenue since 1896. John W. Cox, John W. Cure, Sam W. Wilson, J.E. Brading, Wm. B. Whiteside, James E. Strain, W.J. Palmer, J.A. Mathes and H.A. Talhelm signed the charter on 14 May 1894.

During the Civil War, the Presbyterian Church separated into "Northern" and "Southern" denominations. One of the expressed reasons for establishing a second Presbyterian church in Johnson City was the members' desire to be associated with the "national Presbyterian Church," officially known as the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. In 1983 the two major divisions of the Presbyterian Church were reunited as the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

In 1966, as the African-American Bethesda Presbyterian Church on Millard Street, founded in 1899, closed because of declining membership, its members were invited to join Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church, which became one of the early integrated churches in the city. Twenty-six members of Bethesda transferred their membership to Watauga Avenue; others joined the Jonesborough Presbyterian Church.

Inside Watauga Ave. Presbyterian Church - 2005

Pastors

D.L. Lauder, 1897-1898

R.F. Wertz, 1899-1900

Jere A. Moore, Apr. 28, 1901 - Apr 1, 1908

Dayton A. Dobbs, D.D., Jun. 14, 1908 - Mar 31, 1917

Edgar J. Vance, Oct. 1, 1917 - Apr 30, 1929

A.F. Von Tobel, D.D., Nov. 1, 1929 - Jan. 31, 1931

Raymond Coile Rankin, D.D. May 31, 1931 - Aug 31, 1944

J. Curtis Hodgens, Jul. 8, 1945 - Dec. 3, 1950

Howard C. Walton, Jr., D.D., May 1951 - May 31, 1957

Carl. C. Murray, Sep. 22, 1957 - Aug. 31, 1962

Donald E. Frederick, Jul. 17, 1963 - Dec. 1, 1971

George Hubbard, Dec. 31, 1971 - Sep. 1972

Donald E. Lagle, D.D., Sep. 10, 1972 - Apr 30, 1981

Charles Carson, .D., Aug. 1, 1981 - Jan. 31, 1982

Ronald Lee Bowie, Feb. 1, 1982 - Sep 11, 1988

Raymond Saunders, Dec. 1, 1988 - Sep. 30, 1989

David Johnston Wood, M.Div., Sep 20, 1989 to present (2005)

 

Posted 8 Oct 2005.

 

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