177 years in 177 seconds…

(or maybe a little more)A Brief History and

Background of the Lord’s church in Trenton,

Georgia1837-2014

Dr. Daniel Hook

Christian Herman Dasher

Nathan W. Smith

S.H. Hall

AtlantaAtlanta

SkullSkullShoalsShoals

Augusta

EffinghamEffinghamCountyCounty

SavannahSavannah

TrentonTrenton

Lowndes Cty. Lowndes Cty. DasherDasher

Restoration Movement In Georgia took place all over the state with a variety of great men

William Howard Sutton

Earliest Years

• James Buys– DeKalb County, Georgia – 1828 wrote to

Christian Messenger (CM) concerning efforts in that county.

– Communion Meeting at Bethel Meeting House--eleven elders.

– Stated that 26 “joined the Church of Christ” at this meeting. CM, Dec. 1828, p.43

– In 1830 Reported another camp meeting 7th of Oct. where “twenty professed faith in Christ, and fourteen joined the church.” CM, Jan. 1830, p.46f.

– Also said in same report that he had traveled to Jackson County, GA on 21st of Oct to a camp-meeting, “the result was, about fifteen professed faith in him; ten joined the Church, and about the same number were baptized.” CM, Jan. 1830, p.46f.

– Also reported a meeting in Pike County, “about ten made an open profession of faith in Christ, while Christians were much encouraged” CM, Jan. 1830, p.46f.

AtlantaAtlanta

Earliest Years

• Christian Preachers Who Evangelized Early– 1833 - Thacker V. Griffin,

Winchester, TN came to Georgia in winter.

– William T. Lowe baptized in Old Rose Creek, near the church, by William R. Pendleton, believed to be the first man in North Georgia to be baptized for the remission of sins.

AtlantaAtlanta

Earliest Earliest Years in Years in GeorgiaGeorgia

• 1835 – William R. Shehane, of Tenn. Made preaching trips among Georgia Churches in April, 1835

• 1836 – William R. Hooton, Tennessee Evangelist came in the winter of 1836

• The Obituary Of Dr. D.W. Elder (1809-1901) stated that he was one of the first ‘Christian’ men in Georgia. (Read the Bible thru hundreds of times). He was an elder of the Republican Church.

• Early 1830s. James J. TrottJames J. Trott, a Methodist Missionary to the Cherokee Indians, read Campbell’s writings while while imprisoned in Georgia for imprisoned in Georgia for refusal to take an oath of refusal to take an oath of allegiance to the State.allegiance to the State.

AtlantaAtlanta

Earliest Earliest Years in Years in TrentonTrenton

• 1837 – Gospel Meeting held in Salem (the name of Trenton until 1840) by two men from “a town north of Savannah” baptizing several--The names have been lost to history

• 1838– Leroy and Elizabeth Sutton who were already Christians moved to a farm near New England and began worshipping with the congregation at Union

• 1840– First recorded meeting house erected about two miles south of current location (off Cedar Lane) 20x20 log building.

• 1844– James J Trott James J Trott (from previous slide) held a revival in Dade County and reported about 20 members of the Lord’s church.

TrentonTrenton

James J Trott James J Trott

Early Early Years in Years in TrentonTrenton

• 1859—There are records of a Gospel Meeting conducted by preachers M. Love, T. Witherspoon and A.P. Seitz with 30 responses during the meeting.

• The Union church of Christ Union church of Christ had at the time a membership of over 100.

• The 20x20 building was remodeled and had an addition built on in about 1849 or 1850.

• Later the building was weather-boarded, sealed and painted. The building was heated by a wood burning ‘pot-bellied’ stove located in the center of the building.

• The building had hand made pews and an “Amen” corner. For a number of years the men and women sat on separate sides as was the custom of the day.

Picture of the old Union building estimated to be from the 1950’s after the building had been abandoned for nearly 20 years. The building is no longer standing.

Mid 19Mid 19thth Century in Century in

TrentonTrenton

• Mid 1800’s – Records indicate from several sources the membership at the Union church of Christ to be 100.

• 1861-1865– Church in Dade County suffered greatly as did the county and many areas during the Civil War. The Lord’s church survived the Civil War and Reconstruction with help from brethren from around the country and continued to meet at Union.

• George Washington Bacon George Washington Bacon preached in Dade County and Rocky Springs, AL during and after the Civil War and was very influential in gathering assistance to help the church survive in Dade and Jackson County, AL.

TrentonTrenton

Reconstruction in Tri-State

Area

• Following is a letter from brother Bacon to David Lipscomb at Gospel Advocate concerning the desperate conditions in Trenton and Rocky Springs, AL

Trenton, GA., January 18, 1868,Brother Lipscomb: It has occurred to me that, although I have given you in scraps, the success of the Gospel in my field of labor for the year that has just passed and gone, that it would be nothing amiss to condense the whole. At the commencement of the year, my broken down circumstances my broken down circumstances was such that I thought I would confine my labors exclusively to my immediate neighborhood, and was such that I thought I would confine my labors exclusively to my immediate neighborhood, and preach for and to the three congregations in this county as I had no horse to ride, and did so for a preach for and to the three congregations in this county as I had no horse to ride, and did so for a timetime. And having a little business on the west side of the Tennessee river, in the neighborhood of Rock Springs, Jackson Co. Alabama the brethren at that place earnestly solicited me to visit them and preach for them. I told them that I had no horse; Bro. William Hughes proposed to pay my fare on the railroad, if I would preach for them. I thanked him for his liberal proposition and told him, as we were all broken-down by the war, to keep his money for other purposes, and as soon as I could we were all broken-down by the war, to keep his money for other purposes, and as soon as I could make it convenient, I would visit themmake it convenient, I would visit them. So I added that point to my field, a distance of twenty-three , a distance of twenty-three miles, walking all the whilemiles, walking all the while. But after my crop of corn was finished, I then extended my labors down as low as Calhoun county, Ala., the result of which has been on hundred and fifty-eight to the army of the faithful, and the organization of four congregations. To the Lord be all the praise. And now for this present year, I have engaged to preach for seven congregations, scattered over a large extent of country, one hundred miles below this. It will occupy four weeks to accomplish one trip, leaving me only two days in each month to recuperate. I have been resting for some two weeks and shall not ride any more till the first of March, when I shall start for another year's labor.My brother, hold out and hold on to the positions taken in the Gospel Advocate, and may God bless you, and long continue you at the helm of the little bark, for God is with you, and ere long you will get the ascendency, the good and the wise will take to heart. I am brother, yours in the hope of a glorious immortality.—Washington BaconWashington Bacon

Reconstruction Reconstruction in Tri-State in Tri-State

AreaArea

Following are excerpts from another letter written in 1866 that expresses the

severe needs in the Union congregation

“…the fifty sacks of food has not supplied more than half of the actual needs of the congregation of this county. There are some (of our members) that are totally destitute….”

Painting of the Union church of Christ building by sister Ruby Wheeler, former member of this congregation now deceased. Sister Wheeler painted this when she was 80 years young.

19th Century in Trenton

• One of the great early gospel preachers at Union was William William Howard Sutton.Howard Sutton.

• Brother Sutton was born near Trenton, Ga., in Dade, County, on August 21, 1852 and baptized at Union in 1869.

• On January 27, 1875, he was married to Miss Ella Faulkner, of Lebanon, Tenn., while teaching in Nashville. Soon after his marriage he was called to his old home in Georgia to take charge of a literary school. After teaching there for a while he formed a partnership with Judge Shackleford and established a business college in Chattanooga, Tenn.

• In 1881, Brother Sutton accepted a professorship in Burritt College, Spencer, Tenn., and taught in that college nine years. In 1887, while teaching at Burritt College, he was asked to take the place of president of the college. Brother Sutton continued as president of the college for two years, resigning in 1889. William Howard SuttonWilliam Howard Sutton

BROTHER WILLIAM HOWARD

SUTTONAll who knew Brother Sutton testified that he was a good man. Brother E. A. Elam said: " Some preachers are noted for their eloquence; some, for their logic; some, for their being debaters; and some, for their eccentricity; but I would rather live, as Brother Sutton lived, a power for good, noted for righteousness and godliness –genuine goodness– than for all other things combined. Without genuine goodness, all else amounts to nothing.“

Brother Sutton was in a meeting at Algood, Tenn., in 1905. He had been preaching there day and night for one week. Soon after nine o'clock on the second morning of the second week of the meeting, July 9, 1905, he was suddenly stricken and died immediately. His body was taken to Sparta and laid to rest there. A large multitude assembled to pay tribute to the memory of this great man of God. Every one who knew him called him "Brother Sutton." He had a kind word for everybody and his friends were numbered by his acquaintances. For the length of time that he lived, labored, and loved, possibly no other man even did more good than did Brother Sutton. —From Biographical Sketches Of Gospel Preachers, H. Leo Boles, Gospel Advocate Company

Early 20th Century in

Trenton

• The church at Union continued to grow through the turn of the century.

• In the 1920’s the first effort to move to Trenton was made.

• The congregation made arrangements to share a building with the then existing Presbyterian church—one group meeting in the morning and one in the evening.

• This arrangement soon fell apart and the congregation returned to the Union building.

• In 1937, as the congregation marked its 100th Anniversary, in the midst of the Great Depression, property was secured in our present location and a building was erected. This facility served the congregation until 1975.

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20th Century in Trenton

• From 1937 until the 1970’s, the Trenton congregation grew into and then out of the ‘old building’.

• It was a time of great memories for many as the congregation grew and was filled with young people. Can you find Bill Newby in this picture from 1940-41?

• From weekly Bible classes to annual Vacation Bible School in the summer, the congregation grew and prospered.

• It became evident as the 1960’s came to an end that a new facility would be needed.

• The decision was made to build a new building but stay at the same location just off the square in downtown Trenton.

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Late 20th Century in

Trenton

• In 1974 a new auditorium was built and then a new classroom and fellowship hall were added. These were completed in 1976 at a cost of about $100,000 due to the generosity of not only finances but of labor by many of the men to build the facilities.

• In the late1970’s the congregation began to host a mother’s day out program known as Thursday School. For a number of years this program had a significant impact on many youngsters in Trenton. The program was revived in 2013 after being discontinued for a number of years.

• The sign that stands in front of our current building was built of stones taken from the foundation of the old Union building when the new building was built.

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2020th &th &2121stst Century Century Missions of Missions of

TrentonTrenton

• In 1980 Trenton was part of a campaign to St. Thomas in the US Virgin IslandsSt. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The campaign was very successful with 13 members of this congregation going on the trip. Several of our current members including Jackie Hill, Suzan Gross and Ghanell Forester were on the trip. Trenton would continue to have an impact on the Lord’s work around the world in the new millennium.

• In 2005 plans were made and in January, 2006, brother Don Walker was sent by this congregation on a mission trip to the island of Luzon in the Philippines.Luzon in the Philippines. Since then the annual trips have been part of establishing and strengthening numerous congregations and helping with a school of preaching. Chris Gerber, Bradley Hicks and Jamie Walker have been on several of the trips as that work grows. This work continues today and Trenton just spearheaded the drive and purchased property for a new congregation in Asingan while helping support the workers there.

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Late 20th Century in

Trenton

• In 1980 under the leadership of the late Charles Hill and others, Trenton began to host the annual Tri-State Singing on the third Friday night in May. That tradition continues to this day.

• Through the early 1990’s the youth group that was very active, grew up and many moved away. The congregation had ‘greyed’ or gotten older as many congregations did in the 80’s and 90’s.

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21st Century in Trenton

and Beyond

• In the second decade of the 21st century the Trenton church of Christ has revitalized and currently is averaging close to 90 members each Sunday and has become very involved in a number of evangelistic programs.

• Currently the Trenton Youth Group Trenton Youth Group has roughly 20 members including 5 attending college. The decision was made 3 years ago to begin to employ a summer youth intern from a Christian college. Our young people are also very active in Lads to Leaders with nearly 50 of our young people and adults attending this year.

• In 2010, after many years without elders or deacons, on Sunday, September 5 a new eldership was appointed for the first time in nearly three decades. Deacons were appointed the following year.

• The congregation is virtually debt free and continues to make plans to expand our efforts at home and abroad. Recent years have seen wonderful growth and we continue to look for God to open doors of opportunity for this family of believers. We currently are averaging about 90 for worship services on Sunday morning and 70 on Sunday night and Wednesday night.

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Editor’s Note and Acknowledgement

• I received information from many sources for this presentation. Brother Scott Harp’s work was especially helpful.

• If you know of any updates that could make it more accurate or photos that would add to it, I would appreciate if you would email them to me don_walker56@yahoo.com

• Thanks so much!