“…the oldest church in the South, south of Nashville, Tenn.”
The congregation of the church in Leiper’s Fork has an amazing history beginning on January 2, 1830. One hundred years later, during the church’s 100th year celebration in 1930, a publication by H. Leo Boles identifies the church in Leiper’s Fork as the oldest church south of Nashville (this publication is included below). Now approaching the 200th year anniversary (coming 2030), this building is a subtle treasure often overlooked as an active church in Leiper’s Fork. Yet, proudly, the church of Christ still congregates within the 1845 building located in the historic district of Leiper’s Fork.
Since its beginning in 1830, many baptisms, members, leaders, preachers, sister congregations, and building changes have occurred at the church in Leiper’s Fork. In the spirit of brevity, below are the records of the church, summarized by decade:
In 1830, the church of Christ in Leiper’s Fork is established by Andrew Craig and Joel Anderson.
1830-1839: During this decade, Four (4) baptisms are recorded, some records missing.
1840-1849: Six (6) baptisms recorded, some records missing.
1850-1859: Seven (7) baptisms recorded, some records missing. In 1855, the church at Leiper’s Fork was large enough to create Boston church of Christ, 4 miles south, to relieve travel burdens of the day.
1860-1869: Thirty (30) baptisms recorded, most occurring post war.
1870-1879: Forty (40) baptisms recorded. In 1876, the congregation was large enough to create Berea church of Christ, 4 miles east, to again relieve travel burdens of the day. In 1878, it is recorded there was about 190 members on the books of the congregation; 88 males, 102 females, 55 families. It is interesting that the records note the breakdown of male & female members. This is due to the unfortunate inequality of America during the 19th and 20th centuries. Social norms even perpetrated the church so much that there were two doors on the front of the building (as seen in all these pictures), one door for males, one door for females; likewise, the auditorium was divided with a wall to separate male and female.
1880-1889: One Hundred Twenty-Seven (127) baptisms recorded; During a gospel meeting on September 9, 1886, the record shows 25 souls were baptized, the next day (Sept 10th) another 6 baptisms, and the next day (Sept 11th) another 5 baptisms. This is one of the most successful meetings on record at Leiper’s Fork church of Christ. In 1886 alone, 52 baptisms are recorded. In 1888, there were 192 members, 92 males, 100 females, 45 families, 12 widows.
1890-1899: Eighty-Eight (88) baptisms recorded.
1900-1909: Eighty-Nine (89) baptisms recorded.
1910-1919: Ninety-Five (95) baptisms recorded; In 1912 alone, Sixty-Five were baptized with a note that the gospel meeting in September 1912 had the “largest crowds” there; this is arguably the most successful meeting on record.
1920-1929: One Hundred Forty-Seven (147) baptisms recorded. In 1925, the church elected is first elders and deacons.
1930-1931: Thirty-Four (34) baptisms. At this time there is a break in records, however, the following is preserved.
1934-1942: There were no qualified elders, and this caused some strife among the congregation; so in 1942, three elders were appointed to oversee the church (one of which was Morris Litton), and this began many years of harmony.
1953: Herman Sweeney (baptized at Leiper’s Fork church in 1942) writes a letter to publish the records summarized above from 1840-1953. In this letter, Sweeney includes another letter from Morris Litton in an attempt to bridge the gap of history from 1932-1953. One highlight to note from Litton, “[From 1898-1918] the church at Leiper’s Fork was one of the most outstanding congregations to be found anywhere. First, it had qualified leadership. Second, it had as good, if not the very best singing to be found anywhere. Third, it had the very best talent to preach.” Sweeney concludes his letter by writing, “…the plans of the present time is to build four new classrooms, put in a baptistry, which are badly needed, have preaching each Sun. 1954. and etc.”
Estimated 1954-1955: Though the exact date of these building additions are also unconfirmed, indeed, these additions mentioned in 1953 were made, and to this day, there are 4 classrooms, a baptistry, and preaching every Sunday. Please note: Since the baptistry was not built until 1954 or so, the 500+ baptisms reported from 1831-1954 mostly occurred in Leiper’s Creek, which has a steady pool of water running right behind the building.
1992: Johnny Webb, begins preaching at Leiper’s Fork church of Christ.
2012: Current elders, Tracy White and David Lampley are chosen on September 30th to serve as overseers.
2014: Rice Hargrove and Gerald Parham are chosen to serve as Deacons.
2018: Current Deacon, Trail White is chosen to serve as a Deacon. Jackson Brunger is chosen to serve as a Deacon. The church identifies the Grape Cluster as a church logo in order to show unity in Jesus Christ, and declare the church at Leiper’s Fork to be a congregation of people who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
2020: Current Deacon, Travis White is chosen to serve as a Deacon.
In 1953, Sweeney states that he wrote the letter “to inspire [the younger ones] to a greater zeal for the one Faith, that they might earnestly contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints - Jude 3. [To] encourage the present leaders to face the great task before them of keeping the church pure - Ephesians 5:22-23. That they might realize they are responsible for the souls of the present congregation - Hebrews 13:17. That they might be examples to the flock - I Peter 5:3.” We are blessed to have this letter, and this prayer from Herman Sweeney; this prayer for zeal, for purity, and for leadership, are each still relevant and desperately needed by ‘the present congregation.’
With many things different about the building itself, one thing remains true about the generations of people that have worshiped here: each individual member was nourished from the true vine – Jesus Christ. I would ask that you pause from history momentarily to view the church logo in the top left corner of this page; notice the cluster of grapes suspended together. When you consider the words Jesus spoke to his apostles, this grape cluster has deep meaning. In John 15, Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches… go and bear fruit.” The apostles followed His instruction, going into all the world baptizing men and women into the Lord’s church – effectively adding fruit to the local congregation. Since 1830, the individual members from the church in Leiper’s Fork have represented a single fruit within a cluster of grapes (the congregation); each one holding to the apostolic branch which was nourished from the true vine – Jesus Christ.
We invite you to be a part of history at this historic church in Leiper’s Fork, not to become a figure of history, but to find spiritual nourishment by joining the congregation of people who love the Lord Jesus Christ in Leiper’s Fork.
Enjoy this 1930 publication titled: “A Short History of the church of Christ at Leiper’s Fork” by H. Leo Boles, Gospel Advocate, December 11, 1930.
A Short History of the church of Christ at Leiper’s Fork
H. Leo Boles, Gospel Advocate, 12/11/1930.
The church at Leiper’s Fork
In 1815, there was a plot of land given to John Dobbins, and a house of worship build thereon, called “Union.” The house was to be used freely by all denominations. At that time, the Primitive Baptists were largely predominant in that community. Affairs moved along very amicably for some years, as there were few denominations represented in the community who cared to use the house. In 1829, Andrew Craig and Joel Anderson, Baptist preachers, were withdrawn from by neighboring congregations for preaching heresy, or “Campbellism.” These preachers had been preaching for the Baptists at Union regularly. They had preached the New Testament record of conversion and had urged people to do just what the apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, told them to do. This was branded by their fellow preachers as “Campbellism.” They had preached the same at Union. So, on January 2, 1830, these two men assisted in forming a church of disciples after the New Testament pattern from the excluded Baptists of that community and the neighboring vicinity. This congregation is considered the oldest church in the South, south of Nashville, Tenn.
These pioneer preachers in Tennessee published a declaration of their convictions and gave the names of their co-workers or fellow disciples. It is as follows:
We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, being the professed disciples of Jesus Christ in the vicinity of Leiper’s Fork, do hereby agree to live together as a congregation of the Lord, to be denominated “the church of Christ on Leiper’s Fork,” and we do hereby agree to take the Bible to be the word of God in such a sense as to hold ourselves bound to believe all it declares, do all that it requires of us as Christians, as well as to abstain from all it forbids. We do consider it the only rule of faith and practice in matters of religion. So there is no occasion for any other judge of controversies, or for creeds, confessions of faith, traditions, or acts of councils, to supply its supposed defects. We take that Book for our creed in all matters pertaining to us as a church and individuals.
[Signed] Jacob Carl, Nancy Brown, Mary Huggins, Frances Potter, Polly Meador, Elizabeth Allen, Merritt Brown, William Sparkman, Bird Dodson, Judas Dodson, Polly Walker, Elizabeth Hunter, and Margaret Dodson.
It will be noted that there were five men and eight women who constituted the first church at Leiper’s Fork. Some of the descendants of these charter members still live in that community and worship at the Hillsboro church.
In March, 1831, Elder Seth Sparkman and wife were baptized by Andrew Craig. These were the first to be baptized for the remission of sins south of Nashville, Tenn. Seth Sparkman became a very strong preacher of the gospel in his generation. He did much to build up the congregation there. The cause grew rapidly in that community through his influence and teaching. It was not many years until the congregation was considered a powerful influence for the Restoration Movement in the South. The church endured persecution by the sects around them and in the midst of fiery trials continued to grow steadily and increase in favor with God and men. In 1855, the congregation was decided to form another congregation at Boston, about four miles south of Leiper’s Fork. This suited the convenience of a number of the members. One thing is to be noticed in establishing the congregation at Boston: the brethren and sisters took into consideration the spread of Christianity and the convenience of each other, and agreed, without any hard feeling or alienation, to separate and build another congregation. These early disciples in Tennessee set an example which the congregations throughout the country should follow. Seldom do we find congregations separating and some changing the place of worship to establish another congregation without bitter feeling arising and strife being engendered. We commend most earnestly the example of the brethren and sisters at Leiper’s Fork in establishing the congregation at Boston. There are now splendid congregations at Hillsboro (old Leiper’s Fork) and Boston.
Twenty-one years after the church at Boston was established, or in 1876, quite a number of disciples from the Leiper’s Fork congregation helped to form a congregation at Berea, four miles east of Hillsboro. This separation also was done in peace, and all rejoiced that the cause of Christ was spreading so rapidly. There is today a splendid congregation at Berea. The Leiper’s Fork congregation (now Hillsboro) is the mother of the church at Boston and at Berea. There is a Christian fellowship between these three congregations today, and, so far as the history of all these congregations shows, there has never been any strife between any of them. Their example can be followed with much profit by all congregations today. It would be well for many large congregations to separate into smaller ones.
There is a bit of interesting history connected with the building of their church house. It will be remembered that the first house, built in 1815, at Leiper’s Fork, was called “Union,” and all denominations had free use of it. In 1845, this old house was pulled down and another one built upon an adjoining lot, which was also still called “Union.” It was deeded to “Baptists, Methodists, Cumberland Presbyterians, and Christians.” Each one of these was to have a Lord’s day and week in the month. In 1877, this last house was very much in need of repair. At that date, the Baptists, Methodists, and Cumberland Presbyterians all numbered so few that they proposed to sell their interest in the house to the “Christians.” The “Christians” had proposed to sell their interest or buy the interest of others. The disciples bought the others out and the house was put in good repair. It will be remembered that from 1830 to 1877 - forty seven years - the “Christians” had no house of their own, but they continued to grow and increase in number so that they established congregations at Boston and at Berea. Though they had no house which they could call their own and had possession of the Union house only one Sunday in the month, yet they met regularly on the first day of the week to break bread. On the Sunday that belonged to one of the denominations, they would meet in the evening or afternoon, but on their day, they would meet in the morning. Sometimes they would meet from house to house on the days when the house was occupied by the denominations, and sometimes they would meet in the schoolhouse. They were severely persecuted; but persecution has never hurt the churches of Christ, but the Lord has blessed them through persecution. In 1880, the church at Leiper’s Fork numbered more than two hundred.
E. G. Sewell, F. H. Davis, James Litton, and E. B. Cayce did much to instruct and encourage the church there while it was struggling through the fires of persecution. The memory of these good men still lingers in the minds of a few of the present congregation. May the churches at Hillsboro and Boston and Berea be encouraged by this bit of history of their congregations and continue steadfast in the service of the Lord, ever abounding more and more in love for each other and in the work of the Lord.
H. Leo Boles, Gospel Advocate, 12/11/1930