[Granville-Hough] 18 Oct 2009 - New Sardis Baptist Church

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

NEW SARDIS BAPTIST CHURCH FORMED

    New Sardis Baptist Church was organized Oct 25, 1891 in Smith 
County, MS.  (It began with members from New Zion Baptist Church. Though 
the record does not say, its first meeting was probably at the home of 
either Joseph and Margaret Sullivan or at the home of Jeff D. and 
Frances Jane Sullivan.)  By request of the brethren and sisters, the 
following were appointed as an ordinating council: Rev. Prier Anderson, 
Rev. S. Mayfield, and Rev N. W. Gunn.  After preaching by Rev. N. W. 
Gunn the three ministers formed a Presbytery with Rev. Prior Anderson 
was elected Moderator.  He called for letters and Brother Joseph 
Sullivan, Jr, and his wife Margaret, Brother N. C. West and his wife 
Celia, Brother Elias Clark and his wife Cassie, and Sister Melinda Clark 
presented letters, which were approved by the Presbytery.  The 
Presbytery extended the right hand of fellowship to those received and 
declared them an independent church to transact business for the Lord.  
Brother Joseph Sullivan was elected Clerk, and Brother N. C. West 
elected Deacon.  Visiting brothers and sisters were invited to extend 
right hand of fellowship.  Resolved that the church would be known as 
New Sardis, that the church have open conference at all times, that each 
member hear the Rules of Decorum, that each member who did not follow 
the rules of the church would have a committee talk to them.  If the 
member repented and confessed, they would be retained; if not, they 
would be excluded  
May 1892.  There was a call for a supply (GWH: phrase for a preacher) 
for the balance of the year, which resulted in the choice of Brother 
Prier Anderson. 
June 1892.  Agreed to hold annual (protracted) meeting in August and 
invite ministers to assist: Z. T. Faulkness,  W. Z. West, J. I. Hitt, L. 
J. Caughman, Chapman, and M. H. Braudas.  (GWH: Rev. W. Zeno West, named 
for his grandfather and my great grandfather Zeno Hough, was brother of 
Nathan C. West.  He normally preached at churches in Wayne and Clarke 
counties.)
Aug 1892.  Association business considered, with Brethren N. C. West and 
W. L. Allen to be delegates, and Joseph Sullivan and W. H. Allen as 
alternates, and $1.50 would be sent as contribution.  (W. H. Allen had 
been active in the New Zion Church.) The Association met at Sylvarena.  
(The New Liberty Baptist Church Association had been formed in 1888 at 
the Liberty Church in Smith County.  At first it included churches in 
Covington and Simpson Counties, but around 1920, all churches except 
those of Smith County dropped membership and it became known as the 
Smith County Association.  My father, Elisha Hough, was a frequent 
delegate to the Smith County Association from Old Salem on Upper Cohay, 
and perhaps from Concord.)
    The other church requiring explanation is the New Zion Baptist 
Church.  The original Baptist church was called Zion Hill, and it was 
located somewhere near old
Bunker Hill.  This church moved as a body to its present location south 
of Mize.  Some families who lived near the old church site decided it 
was too far to walk to the new Zion Hill location, so they formed a new 
church and named it the New Zion Baptist Church.  It was members of this 
group who lived almost on the Simpson and Covington County lines 
(Christian Ridge) who formed New Sardis.  It is my general understanding 
that there was feuding and a killing in New Zion Church about 1900, so 
that the remnant congregation plus others from New Sardis and from 
Shiloh (in Covington County) then formed Oak Grove Baptist Church, and 
New Zion was terminated as a church.  I cannot say that is exactly 
correct, but it is close.
    I can say that the moving forces in New Sardis were Joseph Sullivan, 
Jr, his brother Jeff D. Sullivan, and their brother-in-law Nathan C. 
West.  Their brother Jack lived a little closer to Simpson County, and 
their brother Eph lived over in Simpson County.  How religious Jack and 
Eph were or how often they attended church I do not know, but they did 
bury their family members in the new cemetery at New Sardis.  Allens, 
Clarks, Wells, Harveys, and Gentrys, all Sullivan relatives, also took 
part in this church.