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As
published (expect where formatting was web prohibitive) in Cass County
Connections Volume 23 Number 2 September 1977. Cass County Connections
is a quarterly publication put out by the Cass County Genealogical
Society of Cass County, Texas. Permission granted by Cass County
Genealogical Society to Dana Thomas for publishing on The Cass County,
TXGenWeb Project Pages.
CHURCH MINUTES OF THE ENON BAPTIST CHURCH
Knights Bluff, Cass County, Texas
This
information was taken from the original Church minutes by Velma Green
Foster when she was Enon Church Clerk. She was Clerk for the Enon Church
from September 6th, 1952 to 1976. Her father-in-law, Leroy Foster, was
Enon Church Clerk in 1911. Velma is the daughter-in-law of James Leroy
Foster and Annie Molly Ida Griffin. Molly's father was James Sargent
Griffin and her Grandfather was James Washington Griffin.
Punctuation and
structure is as written. Only obvious misspellings have been corrected
for ease of reading.
The
Enon Primitive Baptist Church was constituted June 7, 1845 in Cass
County, by Elders Spencer, Edwards and Charles Jones as a presbytery.
First five members were T.J. Foster, Elysabeath Barcraft, Rebecca Kolbe,
Malysa Fenson, Bethena Davis.
Brother Spencer Edwards was their pastor from the beginning but first
record of his name as Moderator was in Oct. 1845. First record of an
appointed clerk was in October 1845, when T.J. Foster was appointed.
First
black man baptised into our church was in June 1845, named Porter.
June
1847 Elder Mark Allen was called as pastor.
July
1848 another black man, belonging to Mr. Proctor, joined and was
baptized. His name was John.
In
August 1848, brother T.J. Foster was appointed by the church as
treasureman, to receive contributions at anytime and he should keep a
minute of all contributions.
May,
1850 Elder Michael Burkhalter as Moderator in Elder Mark Allens place.
Black
brother Porter, property of Mr. Rickey, was excluded for stealing and
using bad language.
April
1852 Wm. H. Burkhalter appointed treasure for church.
Feb.
1852 John M. Burkhalter was appointed their clerk.
July
1854 William Griffin was appointed their clerk.
1861
Jones Frances was called as assistant clerk.
June
1864 D. W. Burkhalter was chosen as their moderator, as their moderator
had died. Burkhalter ask church to exclude him because he had forfited
his right to fellowship for trying to seduce M.E. Griffin
March
1866, J.W. Griffin was ordained as deacon.
April
1870, W. Morgan was appointed their clerk in Bro. Griffins place by his
request.
April
19, 1879 J.W. Griffin was licensed to preach. Elder I. Herring was
moderator all these years. 1881 J.W. Braley Mod.
Jan.
1883 J.W. Griffin was chosen as pastor and Moderator, with his consent
to be ordained and set apart to the ministry when legal presbytery could
be obtained.
March
1884 W.A. Boon was called clerk.
Aug.
1884 J.W. Griffin was ordained minister.
Oct.
1890 Brother A.S. Griffin was called as clerk, after brother W.A. Boon
was granted a letter of dismissal.
3rd
Sunday in Oct. 1889 Church called for the liberation of Brother J.S.
Griffin to preach. Motion and second carried.
March
1891, Brother J.S. Griffin confessed he was guilty of committing an
assault on brother J.P. Griffin. He was forgiven.
Enon
was first known as State Line Church.
State
Line church chose Elder J.S. Griffin to the care of said church and
requested
Enon
to have him set apart to the ministry, Nov, 1891/ He was ordained Dec.
1891.
State
line church was the first church J.S. Griffin served as ordained
minister.
Oct.
1893 Elder J.S. Griffin was called pastor of Enon church, and G.W.
Griffin clerk.
Sept.
1895 Elder J.W. Griffin was chosen pastor and G.W. clerk.
Dec.
1898 Elder J.S. Griffin was called pastor again.
Feb.
1903 Elder J.W. Griffin was called as Moderator and C.F. Griffin clerk.
Nov.
1904 J.S. Griffin called as pastor and G.W. Griffin clerk.
Oct.
19, 1907 brother C.L. Brown was called as clerk.
Feb.
18, 1911 Mr. Leroy Foster called as clerk.
January 1912 Enon Church called on sister churches, Mt Olive, Bethel and
Providence to meet with them in council. They agreed with council
findings. They said the churches trouble was caused by Elder J.W.
Griffin for advising their members to drink their dram and advising the
brethren not to make acknowledgement for getting drunk, when the church
was trying to discipline. We find the church did exercise long
forbearance. We deem your work all in order by feel you made a mistake
in allowing Elder J.W. Griffin to go un-rebuked. We find Elder J.S.
Griffin has been sorely persecuted, but amidst all of this, has not
moved from the truth. We deem him a sound and a safe man and that he is
worthy of your love and prayers. This was published in the Trumpet.
Note
written on side of paper: J.S. Griffins little girl died March 1912
Elder
J.W. Griffin was excluded for unfaithfulness to the church. He and his
wife were restored April 1916.
Nov.
1919 Elder W.T. Jones was appointed to help as pastor.
Oct.
1921. Move and second to adopt a treasure plan of financing our church
expense. Motion carried.
April
8, 1923 - Brother J.O. Mayfield and J.L. Foster were ordained as
deacons.
Sept.
8, 1923 J.T. Foster was elected clerk. and J.S. Griffin recalled pastor.
Feb.
9, 1924 J.L. Foster was called as clerk again.
J.W.
Griffin died July 29, 1919. J.S. died Feb. 9, 1942. Elmer Griffin died
July 17, 1930. Dillie Harwell died Nov. 11, 1939.
Aug.
7, 1926 J.L. Foster was elected treasureman.
Oct.
1927. John Griffin & Mary got church letters.
Oct.
12, 1929 John Griffin was ordained deacon and was received by letter
from Rock Spring Church the same day.
Sept.
12, 1931 - Floyd McMillion joined by letter.
Nov.
11, 1933 H.C. Slate was called pastor. J.L. Foster re-called clerk.
Aug.
31, 1934 bro M.B. Allen was called clerk.
Nov.
3, 1934 Sallie McMillion was called clerk because brother Allens
nervousness.
Artis
Foster and Velma joined the church July 8, 1934
Elder
H.C. Slate resigned as pastor April 4, 1942. Elder A.H. Brown was
elected to finish out Eld. Slates time.
Brother Elbert Brown was ordained Minister July 16, 1944.
Aug.
3, 1946, Yevon Pilcher joined by letter from Rock Springs Church.
Dec,
4, 1948 - Church first agreed to take money out of church treasure to
buy flowers for members who die.
Nov.
5, 1949, M.E. Green was ordained as deacon.
5
Sunday in May, 1966. Artis Foster was ordained as deacon.
Jan.
4, 1958 was Elder L.D. Hills last conference meeting.
May
31, 1958 Elder I.W. Thornton was called to finsh out Elder Hills time.
Aug.
16, 1958 Elder Thornton was called as pastor.
Sept.
4, 1937 Elder Hill joined Enon Church
Mar.
6, 1938 ordained as deacon.
Nov.
1, 1941 ordained to preach.
Sept., 4, 1943 - Called as pastor
Elder
L.D. Hills ordaination was first called for April 5, 1941.
Elders H.C. Slate, S.F. Moore and deacons - M.B. Allen, J.O. Mayfield,
J.L. Foster, E.C. Brown, Clarence Allen, J.S. Hellums, were in
ordaination service, Nov. 1, 1941.
Sept.
1, 1922, brother and sister M.B. Allen joined our church.
Nov.
3, 1934 Sallie McMillion was called clerk. Served until June 5, 1937.
June
5, 1937 brother Johnny Hellums was called clerk.
Brother Lewis Horn & wife Lois and brother Gid Condley were the first
members baptized by Elder L.D. Hill.
May
18, 1941 brother C.H. Allen and J.S. Hellums were ordained as deacons.
Elders S.F. Moore, W.T. Jones, J.M. Denton J.B. Thomas, H.C. Slate. S.F.
Moore Mod. H.C. Slate clerk
Nov.
30, 1940 - Brother E. C. Brown wa liberated to preach.
Brother Browns ordination for ministry was called for June 3, 1944.
Ordination was July 16, 1944.
Brother and sister Eugene Hendrix got letters of dismissal Nov. 30,
1940. The church called for his ordination Dec. 31, 1938 as deacon.
Feb.
5, 1939 ordination services were had, for brothers, M.B. Allen, E.C.
Brown and brother Eugene Hendrix. Brother L.D. Hill was spokesman for
the church. Elder S.F. Moore Moderator, Raymond McClurg, clerk. H.C.
Slate delivered the charge and Elder J.B. Thomas delivered the
ordination prayer/ Elders were: J.B. Thomas, W.T. Jones, S.F. Moore, H.C.
Slate. Deacons: Raymond McClurg, Tommie Foster, Melvin Fowler, J.L.
Foster, L.D. Hilland G.D. Martin.
Elder
Henry Cash acting as our Moderator for first time. June 20, 1959. Called
Moderator August 20, 1960. He and Sister Maggie joined our church April
18, 1959.
Sallie McMillion was appointed to write resolutions of respect for
deceased members, Dec. 17, 1960.
Brother Melvin and Sylvia Allen joined our church Feb. 17, 1962. Brother
Allen was liberated to preach, Aug. 17, 1963. Ordained 5th Sunday in
Dec. 1963. The 29th Called as pastor Oct. 17, 1964.
Tom
and Ruby Thomas came back to our church, Feb. 7, 1965.
Elder
J.S. Griffin was ordained as minister at the age of 21 years. Was born
Feb. 2, 1864. Died Feb. 9, 1942.
M.E.
Green was ordained as deacon Nov. 5, 1947. Dec. 4, 1948, church voted to
take money from church fund to buy funeral wreaths for deceased members.
Brother Vernon Griffin was liberated to preach Nov. 21, 1971. Ordained
5th Sunday in July 30, 1972
Brother Joe Mayfield was our first treasureman. He was called Sept. 1,
1945.
Artis
Foster was called treasureman Aug. 31, 1946. Brother C. H. Alled was
called as assistant treasureman Dec. 4, 1948
I,
Velma Foster, started my book work as clerk pro tem Feb. 2, 1952. Called
clerk Sept. 6, 1952. First resolution of respect I wrote was for sister
Hill, Mar. 31, 1945. Acted as clerk pro tem for 8 conferences. Called
clerk and missed 20 conferences in 20 years.
This
information was copied from The Cass County Genealogical Society, 1975,
Vol. II, No. 2, pg. 21.
ENON
CHURCH
Enon
Primitive Baptist Church was constituted 7 June 1845, by Elders Spencer,
Edwards and Charles Jones, near Havana, in Cass County, fifteen miles
west of Line Ferry, on Sulphur River, with the following members: T.J.
Foster, Elizabeth Barcraft, Rebecca Kolbe, Malissa Henson and Bythena
Davis.
Elders Edwards and Jones preached for this church, till 1847, when Elder
Mark Allen was chosen and served until 1850, at which time Elder Michael
Burkhalter was chosen and served till 1860, when Elder Jacob Herring was
called and served till 1878, when Elder J.W. Barley was called and
served till 1882, at which time Elder J.W. Griffin was called and served
till 1893. Elders J.W. and J.S. Griffin, have served the church since
1882. |
