The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-26

MES declared themselves free and
independent States in 1876, these scat
tered Baptlsts along the river organ
lied themselves into a regular Rap-
tist church. They first Worshipped
III a log house near what is now known
as the meeting house located near
Efird's Mill on Rocky river. 1t is not
known who their pastor was during
the flrst ten years. 1t is very likely
that the members held their own
meetings during the trying days Of the
revolutionary war. The Baptists
would gather regularly at the old log
school house and pray and sing and
read the Scriptures, c~ontending
earnestly for the faith. They had a
long and bloody contest with the Eng
gllsh troops. but finally in 1881. Corn
wallis, seeing that it was useless to
struggle against fate, surrendered at
Yorktown. And it was just six years
after the surrender when John Gull
pepper came IL from South Carolina,
freshly Amounted Of the Lord and
took charge Of the Rocky River
church at what was known as the
Meeting House Hole.
This church became known as Gull
peppers Meeting House, but his name
was not assumed until the year 1897.
In that year Rev. John Culpepper be-
came its pastor and continued in this
position fifty-two years, until 1889.
MI Suipeppcf was porn IN AnSOn
county in 1854, and at the age of
twenty-one he was baptized by Silas
Mercer at some point in Georgia. He
entered the ministry soon after and
returned to North Carolina, where he
preached many years with great
power. Men we're drawn to him, and
the charm Of his manner and the
sweetness of his spirit added very
much to his successfulness. During his
administration it grew to be a large
body. In 1888 it numbered 209, while
C~ulpepper was serving his county as
United States Congressman and also
serving the brethren at Rocky River
church as their pastor. During his
paStOrate the church mad two moves,
one from the Meeting House Hole to
a log house near the present Gaddy
homestead, a short distance from the
old C~ulpepper fore on Rocky river;
and later then to a frame house about
one hundred yards distance from
where the present church now stands.
In 1907 Rev. John Culpepper was
elected to Congress and served one
term and returned to his ministerial
labor. In 1913 he was elected again
and served four years. In 1919 he was
chosen for another term and again in
1928. In 1925 he retired permanently
from the political stage in life. In the
year 1882 the BAPTIST State Convention
met in it's second session at Reeves
Chapel in Chatham county. Rev. John
Culpepper went to this convention as
the leader of the delegation from this
section. John C~ulpepper, Jr, and
Joe McLendon were also in the dele
cation. These delegates to the con-
vention travelled by private conveyance
from their home in Arson county to
the meeting place Of the Baptist State
body.
In 1884 Rev. John Culpepper was
elected as corresponding secretary Of
the State Convention, and during that
year he travelled $50 days by private
conveyance, preached 233 times, help
ed to ordain three men to the ministry,
attended four pr~otracted meetings,
and in addition to his performed a
great amount Of labor, Of which there
is no record. He was a hard student
with remarkable power OF observation
and a gigantic intellect which made
him a leader mong men; he was in
truth one of the most remarkable
North Carolinians Of his DAY. He was
the leader in the organization or the
Pee Dee Association which was form
ed from Sandy Creek Association in
the year 1915. At a late period in life
he retired to the house Of his son,
John Culpepper, in Darlington county,
South Carolina, and died at the age OF
South Carolina, and died at the
age of seventy-1ye From the
history OF the churcn, II appears
that a number of Arms in Arson
and Stanly counties, and some in
Union were established during this
period; in fact the old Rocky River
church seems to have been the center
from which the eyangelizing force
went out into the surrounding coun-
ties. Brown Creek Bethlehem Meet
ing House, CrOmpton's School House,
Red Hill and Rocky Mount, in Arson
county, with Long Creek, kendalIs
Meeting House, James Hill, in Stanly
county, and Meadow Branch and
Royal Springs, in Union county, were
points at which later churches were
esta blished coming from the old Rocky
River church
During the pastorate Of Rev. Mr..
Culpepper, such men as Mr.. Samuel
Leak, first president of Wake Forest
College; DR.. Dargan, Daniel Gould and
others visited and spent one time