Elbert-Statewide County GaArchives Church Records.....Dove's Creek Baptist Church ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Victor Oglesby http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00016.html#0003880 August 2006 Church Records Doves Creek Baptist Church The following data is taken from the Doves Creek Baptist Church Bi-Centennial booklet of 1988 and is intended to show the early history of the Church. "Doves Creek Baptist Church was founded in or about 1788 by the efforts of a 33 year old Baptist minister named Dozier Thornton. The first forty years of chuch minutes were lost in a fire of the clerk's home, so the first members of the church or the date they started meeting, how the people lived, thought and worshipped in that day is unknown. In 1838 Jesse Mercer completed the first history of the Georgia Baptist Association, and from this book we learn that an association meeting was held in October 1788. The session was held at Clark's Station. It was on Saturday 18, Sunday 19th, and Monday 20th. Among the churches represented at this meeting was Doves Creek. This is the first written evidence that Doves Creek Church existed. "There was a committee formed to learn when and who formed Doves Creek Church and on June 11, 1881 the committee reported the following: 'We examined the church record and filled the blanks therein according to our recollection and from the best information we could get. We believe the church was organized between the years 1775 and 1800. The Presbytery who organized the church was Bro. Dozier Thornton, James Mathew, and William Davis. Joseph Deadwyler and J. Lonery electd as Deacons. The first pastor was Dozier Thornton, Sr.'" "In 1828 Joseph Deadwyler sold Doves Creek Church a two acre lot for ten dollars where the first 'Meeting House' stood.... On September 16, 1838 a motion was made by Alexander Vaughn to have Commissioners appointed to arrange the plan for building the new 'Meeting House' and to look for a place to build it.....Alexander Vaughn and John N. Moore, deacons, purchased a three acre lot from Martin Deadwyler for $15. This Martin Deadwyler was the son of the Joseph Deadwyler who sold the orginal two acre lot in 1828. The deed to this three acre lot where Doves Creek now stands is on file at the county clerk's office in book 'Y', page 12......" Some of the earlier ministers who served Doves Creek Baptist Church are shown in the booklet as follows: Dozier Thornton 1788-? William Davis ?-1827 William Manning 1828-1830 George Lumpkin 1831-1832 Peter F. Butler 1832-1842 Pleasant F. Burgis 1843-1849 Ishum H. Goss 1850-1858:1873 Benjamin Thornton 1859-1862 L. Waller Stephens 1863-1870:1886-1887 Gibson M. Campbell 1871-1872:1885 Asa Chandler 1874 (Died 1st year) J. H. McMullan 1874-1881 William Coil 1882-1884 W. F. Stark 1888-1892 Robert S. Chanie 1893-1896 O. P. Harris 1897 (died 1897) A. E. Kease 1897 L. C. Branyon 1898-1899 Phil W. Davis 1900-1902 E. L. Sisk 1903 Thomas A. Thornton 1904-1906 A. W. Bussey 1907-1913 George W. Bussey 1914-1915 Tom J. Rucker 1916-1920 J. C. West 1921-1930:1931-1932 John K. Williams 1931 The Pastor in 1988, the bi-centennial year, was Marshall G. Smith. His comments on the opening page included the following: "Doves Creek name was not given by accident because Dove in Genesis and Leviticus was the approved sacrifice offering by the poor. The dove has been recognized at the baptism of Jesus, announcing the descending of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Doves Creek was founded as a place of worship where the Holy Spirit has blessed these two hundred years." [Submitted by: Chandler Eavenson] The Members Names Belongin to Dovs Creek Church August 2 1827 [sic] 1 Jos Deadwyler dead 2 Alexander Vaughn 3 Jacob W David Dismist By Letter 4 Wm Manin Dismist by leter 5 Wm Oglesby 6 Martin Deadwyler 7 Isaac Almand dist by leter 8 John Boothe 9 Fortunatus Webb Dismist by leter 10 Sherid Moris dist by leter 11 Jas M Brawner Dismist by leter 12 Haston Upshaw Dismist by leter 13 Henery Brawner 14 John B Webb Excluded 15 John F Oglesby dismist by leter 16 Jas Almand 17 M. T. Almand Dist By Letter 18 George Wyley Excluded 11-feb-1832 19 Jas M Clanahan Excluded 7th Aug 20 Wm Vaughn Dismist by leter 21 Jas Vaughn 22 Jacob Kerlin Excluded 23 Jas Kerlin Dismistt By leter 24 John Moore [25] Matthew T Black Excluded 26 Alis Deadwyler 27 Ann Almand dist by leter 28 Elisabeth Oglesby Dismist By letter 29 Elisabeth Vaughn 30 Miley Wyley dead 31 Margret David Dismist By Leter 32 Elisabeth Almand Dist by leter 33 E[l]isabeth Brawner Dist by leter 34 Sarah Bray Dist By Letter 35 Mary M Clanahan Dismist By Letter 36 Martha Moore 37 Letty Webb 38 Linnia Webb Dismist by Leter 39 Ann Johnson 40 Cherry Brawner [lined through] 41 Aderline Arnold 42 Lucy Presley dismist By leter 43 Judy Moore 44 Mary Oglesby Dead 45 Elisabeth Tucker Dismist By Leter 46 Sarah Stepheans dismist By leter 47 Elisabeth Kerlin Dismist by leter 48 Lucy Kerlin Dead Jany 25 1832 49 Perlina Wyley Dist By Letter 50 Rody Upshaw Dismist By leter 51 Prudanc Webb Dismist by leter 52 Sarah Johnson Dead 53 Mary Manin Dismist By leter 54 Miley Vaughn 55 Ann Booth 56 Elisabeth Anderson Dismist by leter 57 H P Brawner [lined through] 58 Chery Brawner 59 Aderline Arnold 60 Abner Webb Dismist by letter 61 Thos B Oglesby Dismist By letter 62 Lucinda Oglesby Dismist By letter 63 Susan Montegew dismist by leter 64 Elisabeth Arnold 65 Wm M Almand dismist By leter 66 Terresy Wilhight 67 Precilla Barnes Dismist By letter 68 Mary Barnes Dismist By letter 69 Davis Arnold 69 Henery Caveniss Dead 70 Thos Oglesby Sen Dead 71 John Alm[and] 72 Simeon [?] Almand dist by leter 73 [???] Goss Dismist by leter [74] [???] Bentley Additional Comments: [Although the document is dated 2 August 1827, there are entries made through 1832. This is a verbatim transcription of a photocopy of the original record made by David A. Oglesby prior to 1993. No doubt several of the members "dismissed by letter" were founding members of Antioch Baptist Church, also in the Dove's Creek area.--Victor Oglesby, submitter]