ABOUT US
Excerpt from The History of New Prospect Baptist Church ……
Exciting things were going on in that fabulous year of 1849. Gold had
been found in California, and sensible, sane people of the country over
were joining the mad rush to claim a fortune. Texas became a state;
railroads and steam engines were making the scene. Great minds were
putting forth efforts to remove the threat of war, which was slowly
creeping through the country.
In the midst of all these tremendous happenings a conference was held in
Hurt, Virginia, which was destined to make a terrific impact on the
lives of those there, and on thousands of others who would come after
them for the next one hundred and twenty-one years hopefully until the
end of time!
On April 28, 1849 Samuel B. Pillow, Jesee D. Green, William Dove,
Overton Pugh, and Sisters Sarah A. Pillow, Sarah M. Pillow, Elizabeth
Elizabeth L. Pillow, Anna Irby, Mary E. Green, Permelia Dove, and
Elizabeth Irby met at a schoolhouse near Jesee Green’s for the purpose
of constituting at that place a church. Others present at the meeting
were Elder Robert Hurt, Elder Robert Lewis, Elder John D. Hankins, C.
Gilbert, and Elder William H. Plunkett.
Elder Brother John D. Hankins was chosen moderator and C. Gilbert acted
as clerk pro tem. Elder Hankins examined the faith and practice of the
members and being satisfied that they were sound in faith and practice,
the church members were led in a constituting prayer by Elder Robert
Hurt. Brother Robert Lewis gave the charge and Elder John D. Hankins
gave the right hand of fellowship. The members then unanimously chose
John D. Hankins as their first pastor.
Imagine that small group as they prayerfully drew up their constitution
and their first rules of decorum. There they sat behind those old-timey
school desks with the inkwell in the upper right hand corner. As the dim
light from the kerosene lamps fell across the room, C. Gilbert, clerk
pro tern sent his stalk pen flying across the now-yellowed pages, which
are now assigned, to the archives of our church.
Maybe someone said, "Expect great things"--or reminded the group that
where two or three are gathered in my name there will I be. We don’t
know all the thoughts, words, deeds, and acts that transpired that
night, but we do know that to God goes the Glory of that meeting.
The simplicity and sincerity of that constitution for the new church was
the beginning. God must have looked at the labor of its members and said
that it was good. Maybe He said, "I’ll give them a blessing--I’ll make
them grow in warmth and numbers." In the 121 years of its existence one
can easily see that the word, "Growth" is synonymous with the church.
At the very next meeting on May 12, 1849 the church received Henry G.
Walker, his wife, and daughter into the fellowship of the church by
letter from the Greenfield Baptist Church.
On June 9,1849, it was decided to buy land near Cool Spring at $3.00 per
acre to build the meeting house.
On July 7, 1849 the church met and chose Brethren H. G. Walker and J. D.
Green as delegates to ask for communion church’s with the Roanoke
Association as provided in Article 15 of the Constitution. Delegates.
were also given one dollar to give to the association in the event they
were received. Also at this July meeting Brother Henry Walker and
brother William Dove were appointed deacons and Brother Jesse Green was
appointed treasurer.
At the meeting held on August 11, 1849, on a motion, trustees to manage
and arrange the meeting house near Cool Spring were chosen. They were
Captain Thomas W. Wooding, Shubal P. Barnard, Overton Pugh, and Henry G.
Walker. Jesse D. Green was appointed trustee to superintend the building
and management of a house of worship for this church.
The next noticeable growth was on March 9, 1850. The church met at the
school house and when the meeting was opened for business, Sarah Pugh
came forward and related her experiences which the church thought to be
good, and she was received. Wyatt G. Walker was also received by letter.
On May 11, 1850 Brother Joel Hubbard was chosen to preach to the
members. Brother Samuel B. Pillow and Brother Overton Pugh were sent to
the meeting of the Roanoke Association.
From August 20 through November 20 the church enjoyed a tremendous
growth in church membership. On August 20, 1850 Mrs. Nancy Farmer and
Mrs. Matilda Pugh were received as members. On the 2nd and 3rd days of
September, William W. Walker, Thomas Pugh, Ezekiel H. Pillow, Thomas F.
Chumley, William T. Adams, Nathaniel C. Adkinson, and Thomas W. Irby
came forward and related their experiences which the church thought to
be of grace and they were received. On October 19, 1850, The Baptist
Church of Jesus Christ met at the school house and Florence H. Walker
and Nathaniel B. Walker were received into the fellowship of the church.
On the same date at night the church was called to Brother Henry J.
Walker’s, when Mrs. Julia Thurman and Mrs. Fanny F. Rowlin related
experiences which the church thought to be of grace and they were
reéeived into the church. On the next day, October 20, the church was
called together at Brother Thomas Irby’s and James T. Irby related his
experiences and was received by the church. Then on October 22 the
church met again at the school house and Mrs. Sarah Lane came forward
and was received by the membership...."And the fields were white unto
the harvest..." could have easily been spoken of oi~t church at this
time, for on the next day, October 23, 1850 still others were added to
the church family! Miss Jane Walden, Duncan Grubbs, Anna Dalton, Miss
Sarah A. Cox, Henry Adams, Miss Nancy Wilson, Abigail Simpson, Harriet
Irby, Mary A. Pillow, Jane Simpson, Sarah F. Jarrel, and John Wilson.
Then on November 15, 1850, Mrs. Colby McNealy, Mrs. Catherine McNealy,
Sarah F. Watlington and John Rowlin came forward and were receive.d~
These activities remind us of the very early churches which met in homes
and glorified God with more souls for the Kingdom.
On the 16th of November 1850, the church met at New Bethel and added an
additional committee to attend the building of the meeting house.
Brothers Thomas Irby and William Roark were appointed. The Rules of
Decorum were changed to state that fiye male members (instead of the
previous three) would constitute a quorum to do business.
Thirty-five members were added to the church in the months of June,
July, August, and September in the year of 1851. We might say that the
church had token integration as far back as August 16, 1851. The
following statement was made--"A door was opened to
receive members and Julia A. Wilson, and also Mrs. Cox’s "Willis," a
colored lady, all related experiences which the church thought to be of
grace and they were received. At the water Sunday morning Henry Colbert,
Molly T. Vaughn, Julia A. Vaughn, Eliza-’ beth Bruce. Royal Walker, A.
J. Vaughn and Tincy Mitchell all related experiences and were received.
In those days ladies’ dresses were quite long and cumbersome and the
dresses had a tendency to float with the tide when the women were
baptized, but not for long. Our ever resourceful females sewed stones to
the hems of their dresses to hold them down. The favorite baptizing pool
was located in Sycamore Creek near Wayside Park today.
From the beginning our church has relied strongly on the power of
prayer. Mr. Amos Hudson once said that he would rather have the prayers
of this church than all the medicine in the world.
There were no minutes in the church records from November 18, 1871 until
November, 1872. The minutes for the November, 1872. The minutes for the
November 18, 1872 read thus--"There was no business done by the church.
I. H. Lacy was chosen moderator or pastor and was with us a few meetings
only and the church was not brought up any during his stay with us from
the fact that he did not labor with the church scarcely any." It takes
little imagination to feel the despair that is evidenced in those
minutes. No doubt some concerned brothers and sisters went on their
knees and prayed to God for help and He heard and He answered their
prayers in a glorious way as the reader will see when he reads the
following minutes which will give him good cause to rejoice too.
"November 1872 Brother W. M. Reed, missionary for the bounds of the
Roanoke Association, knowing that Brother Lacy had given up the care of
the church under her deplorable condition without taking any final leaf
of the church came here in November and held a protracted meeting at
Mount Pleasant Church after the manner of the Apostles and preached the
gospel in its purity and his labor has greatly helped which the record
will show."
During the meeting under Brother Reed’s leadership fourteen new members
were added to the fellowship. The malady which had plagued the church so
long was being cured. If the health and spiritual well being of the
church had relapses from that time until now they were slight and of
short duration.
On November 23, 1872 it was resolved to call a meeting of the deacons
and clerks of Gum Spring, Reed Creek, and Edge Hill to assist in
examining the records during the late war.
On March 16, 1873, the church selected Brother W. M. Reed as their
pastor.
In April 1873 there was no regular church meeting because of the great
fires all over the county!
In June 1873, three new members were added to the church membership.
These were the vitamins that the ailing church needed as it made its way
back to a healthy body once more.
July 12, 1873 a committee consisting of N. C. Adkerson, M. W. Reed, and
N. B. Walker were chosen to sell the church building at Mount Pleasant
and appropriate the money for a new building.
On September 20, 1873 the above committee reported that they had sold
the building for two hundred dollars to the Staunton Township for a
school house and it was appropriated to the building of the new church.
On the first Sunday in April 1874 at a call meeting of the male members
it was decided that no other church meeting will be held at Mt.
Pleasant, but that the next will be held at the new church on Saturday
before the 1st Sunday in May.
According to appointment the church met at the new church May 27, 1874.
After preaching by the Rev. H. Petty from Pittsylvania County, the
church was called to order by the pastor and invitation given for
brethren to sit with us. First the resolution and minutes of former
meeting was read. Second on invitation Mrs. Sallie W. Whitehead was met
by letter and Bro. Hundley returned his letter and was welcomed back.
Third on motion it was unanimously carried to change the name of the
church. According to Mrs. Mabel Green of Altavista the name "New
Prospect" was suggested by Mrs. Mary Green. Mrs. Green said that it was
a fitting name for there will always be a new prospect at New Prospect
for as long as the church will stand.
More of The History of New Prospect Baptist Church can be found in the
church library.