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Constitution and Bylaws
The History of Carolina Baptist
Association
The Carolina Association was
organized at Double Springs Baptist Church on October 19, 1877.
This organization included six churches: Double Springs, Mountain
Page, Gap Creek, Mountain Hill, Cross Roads and Oak Grove.
The Henderson County Association
was organized at Old Salem Church in Fletcher, October 19, 1882 with
eleven churches: Hendersonville, Hoopers Creek, Salem, Refuge,
Ebenezer, French Broad, Mud Creek, Pleasant Hill, Mills River, Boilston
and Pleasant Grove. This association and the Carolina Association
covered the same territory and after four years the Henderson County
Association dissolved and the churches united with the Carolina.
Thomas E. Thompson was the first
Field Worker or Associational Missionary mentioned in the minutes.
He was called on May 10, 1944 and served eleven months and nine days,
until July 9, 1945. One thing mentioned as his work was a Mission
School held from July 30 - August 4, 1944.
Erskin V. Plemmons came to
Carolina Association on June 1, 1946 and served until August, 1947.
He published the first newsletter for the Association. The office
was located at the Hunter Building on South Main Street.
Roy D. Campbell served from 1950
until 1953. Conferring, counseling and assisting are the words
used to describe his service. He assisted about 100 people to go
to the Baptist Hospital.
At the January 31, 1954 quarterly
meeting, Roy C. Bennett made the following motion," I move that
the Moderator, with four Superintendents, W.M.S., B.T.J.U., Brotherhood
and Sunday School, be authorized and empowered to employ a secretary and
open an office in Hendersonville until such time as we can elect a Field
Worker. Mrs. Fred J. Swift was employed as Secretary.
January 1, 1955, Clay R. Barnes
was called as Associational Missionary to serve in Carolina Association
and Transylvania Association. An office was opened in his home.
Clay Barnes served until 1966.
The Association had met
quarterly, in addition to the Annual session, since it was organized.
On August 9, 1966, it was voted to discontinue the fifth Sunday
meetings.
Zeb Baker came as Associational
Missionary in 1967 and served until April, 1968. His office was in
the Hunter Building on South Main Street. In 1968 the office was
moved to the Staton Building on 4th Avenue West. Mrs. Carolyn
Surrett, Mrs. Gene Schuyler, Mrs. John Rymer have served as Secretary
for the Association office.
Guthrie Colvard came as
Superintendent of Missions in March of 1968 and served until June, 1974.
A world Missions Conference, a New York Crusade and work with churches
and leaders are listed as his work.
Latt Beshears came as Director of
Missions in February of 1975 and served until March, 1979.
Bearwallow Baptist Camp is probably the most remembered work for him.
Ron Pinkerton came as Director of
Missions on December 1, 1979 and served until May, 1991. The move
to the present office building (601 Hebron Street), restructuring for work of the Association,
work with churches in growth planning, meeting with committees and
individuals, full time office hours and planning with councils and
committees are some of the things that were done under his leadership.
Dr. Alex Booth, former president
of Fruitland Institute for 25 years, came as interim Director of
Missions in 1991. This soon led to a permanent position and
partnership with Rev. Zeke Crawford. He served Carolina Baptist
Association until passing away on August 3, 1998 at the age of 73.
Alex will be remembered as a great witness for the Lord, a very positive
person and never seeking to be in the "spotlight." He was always
concerned for others and not himself. He enjoyed his work
immensely and was solely committed to the work of the Association.
Dr. Henry S. (Sandy) Beck, III,
the present Director of Missions, came in March, 2000. Sandy came
from Kennesaw, Ga., where he served 17 years as executive pastor of
Kennesaw First Baptist Church. At this time, Carolina Baptist
Association has 58 churches. Helping churches prepare for future
growth and planting new churches are only two aspects of great concern
for Sandy. As this area grows, different age groups, different
nationalities and different cultures will be coming into the region.
"I want the churches to be prepared," says Sandy. "We can either
ignore them or plan for them." "In some cases we will need to
start new churches to meet the needs." Sandy feels there is a lot
to be done and believes God sent him here at just the right time.
His quest now is to discern, as he puts it, "which plans are real
visions and which are flights of fancy."
Carolina Baptist Association
celebrated its 100th anniversary on October 24, 1977 at Double Springs
Baptist Church. This was the site of the first meeting of the
Association when it was organized on October 19, 1877.
The present office staff includes
Sandy Beck, Director of Missions, Linda Marie Phillips, Administrative
Assistant and Paula Janes, Financial Manager.
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