This
History is dedicated to the memory of Rev. C. A. Jenkins, D. F. King, B. F.
Ivie, Dr. T. G. Taylor, Mr. And Mrs. J. B. Taylor, Miss Lottie King (Mrs. S.
J. Beeker) and other members of the Leaksville Baptist Church who retained
their membership in the Leaksville church, but spent much time and work in
developing the Spray church.
It is likewise dedicated to the following who moved their membership
and became charter members and leaders in the new church:
L. W. Clark, J. F. Lewis, W. D. Flynn, C. J. Land, Cabell Jones, C. B.
Austin, M. A. Trent, Dr. and Mrs. John Sweaney, Mrs. D. G. Robertson, A. E.
Millner, Daniel Patterson and others.
As the sands of a half century run out, we rise up to honor all these
whose love for Christ and vision of the Baptist possibilities in the town of
Spray wrought nobly for the organization of the Spray Baptist Church on
October 25, 1903.
A
BAPTIST BEGINNING
“I
will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with
knowledge and understanding.”
Jeremiah 8:15
Under Divine leadership and in keeping with the Great Commission, the
Leaksville Baptist Church sponsored a mission then known as the Spray Mission.
We do not know on what date the mission was organized, but we do have a
record of the mission work during the years 1902-1903.
Rev. S. J. Beeker was pastor of the Leaksville church, and of the
mission at that time.
Members of the Leaksville church who took part in this new work were:
Dr. T. G.
Taylor, Superintendent of the mission, D. F. King, B. F. Ivie, Mrs. And Mrs.
J. B. Taylor, Miss Lottie King (Mrs. S. J. Beeker) and others.
On October 25, 1903, the mission was organized into a church of
sixty-three members by the Leaksville church with Rev. C. A. Jenkins, pastor
of the Leaksville church and mission at that time.
The name of the church was to be the Spray Baptist Church.
The following officers were elected:
Clerk--M. A. Trent, Trustees--John F. Lewis, Dr. John Sweaney and
Albert E. Millner, Treasurer--L. W. Clark, who served until his death in 1932,
Pastor--Rev. C. A. Jenkins.
The first building to serve the church was a one room structure seating
about two hundred people, located at Spring Street and Park Road.
CHARTER
MEMBERS
John
F. Lewis
Gordon Thompson
Miss
Lessie Lewis
Gladys Thompson
Dr.
John Sweaney
M. A. Trent
Mrs.
John Sweaney
Mattie L. King
Mason
Cox
Charles Lashley
C.
J. Land
Mrs. W. G. Roberts
Daniel
Patterson
W. W. Brady
L.
W. Clark
Kate Aaron
W.
D. Flynn
Mrs. George Aaron
Mrs.
W. D. Flynn
C. B. Austin
Cabell
Jones
William McGuire
N.
A. Wilkinson
S. M. Fuqua
Mrs.
N. A. Wilkinson
Miss S. L. Cheshire
Miss
Pearl Wilkinson
Minnie Baughn
G.
H. Riddle
Mrs. Dave Robertson
Mrs.
G. H. Riddle
Mrs. Virginia Cheshire
Mrs.
J. I. Alderson
Mary Curry
Samuel
H. Alderson
A. E. Millner
George
A. Anderson
Thomas Jones
J.
W. King
Mrs. Thomas Jones
Miss
Texas Blankenship
Mrs. Lottie Allred
Ezra
Aaron
J. A. Ward
Miss
Bessie Greer
Mrs. Jim Cooper
Mrs.
J. C. Wilson
Mrs. Laura Chambers
Forney
Hayden
Mrs. Mary Howard
Mrs.
Martha Hayden
E. A. Emery
Tony
Hill
Cora Gilley
Mrs.
Tony Hill
Daisy Roach
May
Aaron
Mrs. E. D. Walker
Lee
Jones
Mr. L. W. Clark
A
charter member of the church, who served as Treasurer and Chairman of the
Board of Deacons until his death in 1932.
He was also Sunday School Superintendent for twenty-six years.
His Christian influence was felt in many ways in Community,
Associational and State-wide work.
“I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into
the house of the Lord.”
Psalms 122:1
Rev.
J. M. Stanford -- First Full Time Pastor
“Thy
will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”
Luke 11:2
On
April 7, 1904, a committee was appointed to find a full time pastor.
The committee consisted of Dr. John Sweaney, L. W. Clark and John F.
Lewis. On
April 28, 1904, the church was called into conference, L. W. Clark presiding,
for the report of the pulpit committee.
Dr. Sweaney made a motion that Rev. J. M. Stanford of Stoneville, North
Carolina, be called as full time pastor at a salary of six hundred dollars per
year. 
This motion was carried unanimously.
Mr. Stanford served the church nearly eleven months, and endeared
himself, individually and collectively, to all the church and community,
impressing upon all that he was a faithful and diligent worker in the
Master’s vineyard.
It was his desire to see built in the immediate future a new house of
worship, suited to the needs of the growing church, so that a strong and
useful church work could bless the community; but Mr. Stanford did not live to
carry out his plans.
After an illness of about seven weeks, he died on Wednesday, Aug 2,
1905. The
church mourned the loss of a dearly beloved pastor, and all the community felt
bereft of a great Christian leader.
His ministry was short but very active and fruitful.
He baptized into the church during his pastorate fifty-seven converts.
Those who knew him said of him, “He showed us how to live, and he
showed us how to die.”
Rev.
J. E. M Davenport --Second Pastor
“God
is our refuge and strength.”
Psalm 46:1
Mr.
Davenport came from Graham, North Carolina, to the church in the Autumn of
1905.
Upon
arrival he found L. W. Clark, W. D. Flynn and others of the church family very
much interested in building a new church house.
He, too, was interested in the erection of a new church, and made a
contribution of twenty-five dollars for the building
He did not stay long with the church and consequently, did not do
anything in the building program.
His ministry lasted only about one year.
He resigned the work here in the spring of 1907.
Mr.
C. B. Austin -- Supply Pastor
“Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven.”
Matt 5:16
During
the interim between the closing of the pastorate of Rev. J. E. M. Davenport
and the coming of Rev. S. J. Beeker, the church asked Charlie Austin, one of
our own young men, a ministerial student at that time, to supply the pulpit,
which he did very acceptably.
Charlie endeared himself to all the church and the whole community that
his ministry still lives with us.
Rev.
S. J. Beeker --Third Pastor
“The
God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and
build.” Nehemiah
2:20
Rev.
S. J. Beeker was pastor of the Leaksville Baptist during the years 1902-1903,
and was pastor of the Spray Mission at the same time.
He moved to Leaksville from Pitcairn, Pennsylvania.
In
September 1907, the Spray Baptist Church extended a call to Mr. Beeker, who
accepted, and on November 1, he returned to the pastorate on the church.
The
church had been planning to remodel the church building and had hoped to have
it well on the way when Mr. Beeker arrived, but a delay in the shipment of the
lumber blocked the work, and when the materials came the country was in the
grip of a financial panic, and those who were at the head of business affairs
saw that it would be all they could do to pay for the lumber at that time.
Mr. Beeker was a young man, and having been on the field before, he
rapidly got things in hand.
He wanted to go forward with the building, since the church was being
filled to its utmost at all times.
However seeing the condition of financial affairs, he very wisely
refrained from urging the burdening of the church with a debt at that time.
The spiritual condition of the church was good.
During the year there were ninety-two additions.
The prayer meetings were well attended by the young people.
Mr. L. W. Clark, Superintendent of Sunday School, and his teachers,
were doing a fine work.
The pastor refused to let the pulpit be vacant at any time, and
everybody knew that the church would be open for every service.
Mr. Beeker’s ministry was during a hard time, financially.
Many people were moving away to other places, because the mills were
running short time, and people were making very little money, but the much
desired remodeling of the church building was accomplished before his
pastorate ended.
Mr. Beeker was an excellent preacher and pastor, and did a great work
in the church and community.
He resigned the work on February 5, 1911, and became President of the
Leaksville-Spray Institute.
