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In 1800, a band of settlers from North Carolina and Virginia organized a Baptist congregation. In the late 1790's these Baptists had settled an area in the southwestern part of what is now Rutherford County and the northwestern part of what is now Bedford County. This area was Indian territory and a part of Williamson County. The communities influenced were Versailles, Concord, Bunker Hill in Rutherford County and Fruit Valley, Kingdom and Rover in Bedford County. They chose a spot one mile from Versailles off the old ColumbiaTrace lying at the foot of Versailles and Brady Knobs in the watershed or the Harpeth River and became know as Mt Pleasant.
For a place of worship the Baptists erected a log building with twelve corners to represent the Apostles and because the logs were short. The church had a large fireplace at one end. Sixty-seven years later the log structure was replaced by a frame building. The two buildings were located about yards east and nearer the cemetery and Haunt Hollow Road.
The pastor was Merimon (or Merriman) Landrum who served for a number of years, and was buried in the church yard in 1826.
Records of the early years of the church have been lost, therefore, the exact membership is not known. However, later membership lists give an indication of the names of families involved in the development of the Mt Pleasant Church.
With the beginning of general organizations during the early 1800's, and with the added incentive of the preaching of Luther Rice, a minister in New England, who favored missionaries to foreign lands, Baptists were aroused. The rise of the missionary spirit was most remarkable. However, about the same time, some Baptists began an aggressive campaign against missions, education and Sunday Schools. The name by which they designated themselves was Primitive or Old School Baptist. This anti-missions movement increased strongly from 1814 to 1842, when many Baptists congregations were rent asunder.
Mt Pleasant Baptist Church did not escape this schism. Because of a difference of opinion in regard to missionary work, Sabbath Schools and other minor matters, the congregation split into two groups, namely the United or Primitive Baptists and the Missionary Baptists. In 1832, while Lewis Heath was pastor, the divided congregation began to worship separately in the same building. However, evidently some members moved their membership to Enon United Baptist Church located in nearby Bedford County. In 1846, with the help of members from the Enon Church, a Primitive Baptist Church was formally organized. In most cases, when a schism occurs within a church congregation and the differences cannot be reconciled, one group will construct a new building. Apparently, this division took place with little bitterness. This amiable condition may have resulted because members of the same family were divided in their beliefs.
Both denominations worshiped in the same building until 1904, whin the present building was erected. On special occasions, members of both churches attended each other's services.
Because of this unique situation, a history of the Mt Pleasant Baptist Church would not be complete if both Baptist groups were not included.
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In 1846 six men and ten women from the Enon Baptist Church let the Mt Pleasant people of like mind in constituting a United or Primitive Baptist Church. The first church records state:
We being members of the United Baptist Church at Aenon[sic] the Mother Church we having applied for Letters of Demission for the purpose of Establishing a Church at My Pleasant we having met at the Churdh on the Saturday before the second Lord's Day in February 1846 and Brother Henry Walker and Brother Jeremiah Stephans attended boty ordained Ministers of the Gospel,. Brother Henry Walker delivered a sermon from the First Chapter of Mark and 15 verse.
1 After prayer proceeded to Business
2 Chose Brother Jeremiah Stephens as moderator
3 Appointed Brother John Crick Clerk
4 Read the Constitution of said Church to the
members presednt also the Rules of Decorum
5 Appointed the Saturday before the Lord's day in Every month for meeting
6 Opened a door for the Reception of Members
7 Received Brother Richard W Fane and Sister Elizabeth Fane his wife by Letter
8 Dismissed by Prayer
Richard W Fane (or Fain) delivered the first sermon for the new church in March and subsequontly was appointed its pastor. William S Taylor was selected as the treasurer. The chruch became a member of the Cumberland Association of United or Primitive Baptist Churches.
The members of this church are listed in the order in which they were received. The first six men and the first ten women listed were the organizers of the churcjh. There may be duplications in some of the women's names. When the church roll was revised the maiden names were dropped and the married names added. If known, married names are placed in parenthesis.
Known pastors of the church and the order of service are as follows: Richard W Fain, Jeremiah Stephens, Richard W Fain, Jeremiah Stephens, Josiah Nance, Richard W Fain, Jeremiah Stephens, Richard W Fain, J T Spain, B E Mullins, J E Frost, J K Womack, J E Frost, T J Taylor, F M White.
There were no regular services during the War Between the States from November 1862 until March 1864, when Richard W Fain again began to attend the church and to preach. He served for almost ten years before he gave up the pastorate. He returned after one year and remained for seven months, preaching his last sermon at Mt Pleasant in December 1875. He attended the church for the last time in January 1876, but did not preach, and died February 2, 1876. Elder Fain had served the church as pastor and supply preacher off and on for thirty years.
The church saw fit to ask A W Manire, E E Taylor and F M Carlton to draw up the following resolution to honor this faithful servant of god. The resolution is in the church records.
Elder J B Stephens and J E Frost preached the funeral of Elder Fain on July 20 1876. The postponing of the funeral services who died in the winter until a date in the spring or summer was apparently a custom of the church. Services for Elizabeth Fain were held at the same time, she having passed away very near the time of her husband. They were the parents of Richard (Dick) Fain. Late, the church voted to place a monument over their graves.
Known church clerks were: John Crick, Vincent Taylor, James C Taylor, E E Taylor, Joseph Brannon, J N Dykes, F M Carlton and W J Carlton. During the service of Vincent Taylor an interesting side note written on the fly leaf of the record book can be found:
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The church did not have services in December, January or February because of the severe cold weather.
A few deacons of the church identified in the records are: T R Haynes, N R Taylor, James C Taylor, Sam Brown, Joseph Brannon and F M Carlton.
Historically, before the War Between the States, black people attended church with white members. However, in many cases, they were not entered on the church rolls. During services in October 1851, Chana Covington (probably a free black person) united the church by experience and was baptized. She remained a member until December 8, 1877 at which time she asked for a letter of dismissal. The letter was granted.
Greenberry R Owen, church member and owner of an Eagleville tobacco factory and a large farm on Mt Vernon Road, left a sum of money ($16.65 per year)at his death to be applied to the pastor's salary. This amount was available to the church for a number of years. The Primitive Baptists continued to use the "union church," as it was called, after the Missionary Baptists constructed a new building nearby in 1904. But by this time the membership was decreasing rapidly, and by 1910 there were only two members remaining. These were Mrs Betty Taylor Carlton and Mrs Anna George Jackson.
The old union church structure was sold for $181.50 to a Mr Martin and was torn down in 1916.
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The group of worshipers who became the Missionary Baptist Church, when the split occurred in the early My Pleasant Church, were the stronger of the two groups. Therefore, they continued withe the organization structure of the early church and met for services once a month. Business conferences were held on Saturdays before the Sunday preaching services. At times they would meet twice on Sunday rather than meet on Saturday.
Records of the activities of the The Missionary Baptist Church
The group of worshipers who became the Missionary Baptist Church, when the split occurred in the early My Pleasant Church, were the stronger of the two groups. Therefore, they continued withe the organization structure of the early church and met for services once a month. Business conferences were held on Saturdays before the Sunday preaching services. At times they would meet twice on Sunday rather than meet on Saturday.
Records of the activities of the Missionary Church are sparse during the period from 1832 through 1900. At the turn of the century after one hundred years in existence, the roll book, before revision, showed more than two hundred members. This indicates that the church remained quite strong, and even more so following the Civil War.
A complete list of pastors is not available. Other than the two men already mentioned, Charley Hale is the only one known to have served in the 1900's. He was the pastor in the latter part of the 1890's. Since that time, these men, in the following order, have served as pastor of Mt Pleasant Missionary Church; J D Smith, J A Carlton, Sammie C Reid, C S Dillon, H A Russell, H A Russell, Jess Sullivan, Jim Ramsey, Wayne Tarplay, B Vchristian, J W Higgins, Leonard Arbuckle, J V Braswell, Mylers Ayers, David Lawler, Clifford Horn, Jess Williams, Wendell Knight, Gwyndol Love, E Floud Olive, Douglas O'Brien, Jess Williams, Donald Ricks, James H Carter, Darrell Whaley, Wilmur Lamm, Jess W Love and Brent Page.
Known deacons of the church are: John E Maxwell, John W Powers, Ben Heath, O T Ralston, N W Lamb, R J Garrett, Grover C Brannon, Robert R Smith, Herbert S Garrett, B W Carlton, Richard A Williams, Otho Nance, Walter Giles, James Carlton, Jarold Ralston, Edmond Wright, Gayle Hayes, Bud Nance and Eugene Ralston.
The following have served as clerks of the church: S Monroe Crick, J Ed Reid, Horace Reid, Clarence Puckett, Richard J Garrett, Harry Puckett, Vashti Manier Jakes (the first woman clerk), W Eris Read, Walter Giles, Gayle Hayes, Nancy Ralston, Gayle Hayes and Edmond Wright. The present clerk is Ruth Ann Manning Burris.
In July 1900, the Missionary Church held a four day meeting of the Duck River Association. Since this was a manor undertaking during those days, the Primitive Baptists and others in the community opened their homes to the many visitors who had to stay over night because of transportation difficulties. The church building was overflowing with people each day. Charley Hale was the pastor at this time.
On March 19,1904, the church met in business conference. David heath brought up the question of ascertaining whether the Primitive Church would buy or sell interest in the church house. A committee, composed of J E Reid, T W Garrett and J N Nance, was appointed to contact the Primitive brethren regarding this. Response from the Primitive church must have been negative on both counts, for on April 16, in conference, the Missionary Church members discussed the building of a new church house. To this end, J E Reid, John Maxwell, David heath, W J Maxwell, J N Puckett and S M Crick were chosen as a building committee and were asked to raise the necessary funds. Three hundred and fifty dollars were subscribed at once.
Later, in June, the Primitive Baptist offered $50 for the Missionary Baptists' half interest in the union church. The offer was rejected.
The new church was finished and dedicated on the Fifth Sunday in October, 1904. A Brother Golden (possibly a former pastor) preached the dedicatory sermon. After the sermon sufficient funds were raised to pay the valance due on the new structure.
During this period of time and the following year, approximately fifty new members were added to the church. Some Primitive Baptists moved their membership to the Missionary Church. Sammie Reid was the pastor during this period.
A two-day associational meeting was held in August, 1910. In order to accommodate the huge crowds, services were held in both church buildings.
The service flag, during World War I, contained five blue stars. Those in service for their country were Horace Brannon, Alfred Carlton, Thomas Lamb, Ivie Powers and Vernon White.
During the period 1910-1918. The church removed from its roll several members who had become affiliated with a new religious group that had developed in the Concord-Rockvale area. This group later became know as the Church of God and is now an active church near Concord. Also, letters were granted to several members so that they could join a new Missionary Baptist Church which had been established at Longview in Bedford County.
The church was still exercising severe disciplinary action on its members in the early 1900's. A "Corresponding Committee" and a "Visiting Committee" to investigate members accused of certain conduct were appointed . Non-attendance, non-support of the church financially, denying the faith, swearing, dancing, lying, drinking, and card playing are examples of this action. Some members were reprimanded or "brought before the church," but remained in good standing after "repenting of their sins" and agreeing to try to do better. Other members were excluded and taken from the roll of the church. As late as July 1916. Two members were excluded for immoral conduct.
Sometime between 1926 and 1935, the Mt Pleasant church left the Duck River Association of Baptist Churches and became a member of the Concord Association. The Concord Association met at Mt Pleasant in 1945 and 1969.
Under the leadership of Pastor Wayne Tarpley, the church moved into a half time pastorate on April 1941. A full time pastorate was instituted in the mid-1940's.
The men of the church who served in the armed forces during World War II were: M B Carlton, J B Cothran, Thomas Garrett, Robert Kelton, Irvin Lamb, Rutledge Looney, Robert Kenneth Smith and Allen Williams. One gold star were place on the service flag for Robert Kenneth Smith who died in an airplane crash over England.
Pastor Leonard Arbuckle was holding a revival in 1944 and for the first time in the history of the church one of its young men was ordained to the gospel ministry. This young man was William Carlton who has held several pastorates in the Concord Association. Ralph Brannon, also under the pastorate of Leonard Arbuckle, surrendered to the ministry in 1948. Michael Giles, now a minister in Chesterfield, South Carolina, was ordained into a Christian service as a preacher in July 1973. Darrell Whaley was the pastor.
Originally, the present church building was just one large room with large windows on each side and three front entrances, including a set of double doors. The only heat source was a large wood burning stove near the center of the room. The building has been renovated several times in recent years, Sunday School rooms have been added