Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-06-16
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). SOUTH UNION BAPTIST 3,
8 CHURCH. q,
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by Pastor i. l.. McDavid.

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Editor Keowee Courier: South
Union Baptist church is known to
many of the residents of Oconee
county, and the name is familiar to
many who have never seen the
church or attended one of her SER
ices. South Union is both Il church
and "a community. A school house
studs hard by the church, and the
community is thickly settled, so this
fori = an important part of Center
township and Oconee county.
There is an interesting bit of his
tory connected with this church, and
feeling that it might interest some
of your readers venture to give you
a few facts. The church is "a years
old, having been organized in March,
1855. On the day of the organiza-
tion two ministers were present, who
took the lead and proceeded to or
ganize the new church. They. were
Revs. II. M. Barton and ]. A. Davis.
Balus HiX was the first deacon. The
new church was made up of what we
will call the "original 49," Among
this number were S. S. McJunkin
and wife and Mrs. Susie Shelor. S.
S. McJunkin donated the lot for the
church, school house and cemetery.
This brother was the last of the
original thirteen to pass to the great
beyond, he having died January Is,
1907. S. NJ. Crawford is the oldest
living member of South Union
church, he having joined the church
July %, 1866.
Since 1856 South Union has had
nineteen pastors, or an average of
one in every three years. The pas
tors have been Revs. H. NJ. Barton,
A. w. McGuffln, Thomas Crimes, J.
II. Sullivan, Jesse Brown, J. Il. w.
Vernon, Fl. NJ. Allen, H. M. Single
ton, Geo. T. Gresham, e. l.. Sisk, w.
w. Leathers, H. T. Smith, r. w.
Seymour, J. NJ. Mcclure, G. Ward
law, j. r. Earle, P. J. Vermillion,
S. A. Mcdaniel and the present pas
| Il
men Of God have passed to their re-
ward; others are still in active SER
vice.
| No write-up of South Uniou church
would be complete without mention
ing the church clerk. This brother
has record doubtless without a
parallel. j. l.. Reeder was elected
clerk October %, 1887, and for
nearly % years has filed this chair.
A remarkable thing about this long
service is the clerks remarkable
faithfulness. Only seven times in
the % years has he been absent
from church conference. Does any
one know of a similar record? Clerk
Reeder is punctual, painstaking and
withal an efficient officer.
Since its organization, in 1855,
612 members have joined the South
Union Baptist church at various in
tervals. The present membership is
165. South Union has one Of the
best Sunday schools in the county.
The average attendance Is about 12O.
The Baraca class numbers about 80,
and there is also live Philathea
class. j. B. Harris Is the efficient
superintendent With such a man
as the energetic superintendent at
the helm the Sunday school will
doubtless grow in numbers until IL
reaches the two hundred mark. God
grant that it may. The present dea-
cons are: S. NJ. Crawford, J. L.
Burris, Thos. Wyly, j. B. Harris, ]
B. McJunkin, w. II. Crawford, Henry
Cole, ]. l.. Reeder, S. NJ. Vandiver
r. l.. Hall. One young man is a
candidate for the ministry and Is
looking forward to service in the
foreign field. Doubtless there are
others who will hear the Masters
call and say, "Here am +, Lord; send
me-" The church has a great oppor-
tunity to assist in fastening the com.
ing Of Gods kingdom. In this may
she do her whole duty.
itching piles provoke profanity
but profanity won't cure them