History

A Brief History of the Sandy Run Baptist Association

Nineteen churches met together to form The Sandy Run Baptist Association at a meeting held at Bethel Church, Ellenboro, NC, November 27th and 28th, 1890. The association was organized on the first day of the meeting, which was November 27, 1890.

The original Charter Member churches were as follows: Bethel, Big Springs, Concord, Forest City First Baptist, Fairview, Floyd’s Creek, First Broad, High Shoal, Henrietta First Baptist, Holly Springs, Mt. Olivet, Mt. Lebanon, Mt. Pleasant (Cleveland), Mt. Pleasant (Rutherford), Mt. Zion, Mt. Harmony, Sandy Run, Union and Walls. Each of these churches presented letters of dismissal from their previous associations of Kings Mountain and Green River, along with letters of intent to form this new association.

It was suggested in the first order of business that the new Association should be named, whereupon, after quite a number of names had been offered as appropriate, it was decided by a rising vote that the new association would be called The Sandy Run Baptist Association after the oldest church that took part in the formation of this association, which was the Sandy Run Church of Mooresboro, NC. During the second order of business, on motion, the Constitution, Order of Business and Rules of Decorum, adopted by the last session of the Kings Mountain Association were temporarily adopted by this body with some amendments, all of which appeared in the minutes of 1890.

Records in 1895: The first record found of The Association consisted of twenty three Baptist churches in 1895, namely: Bethel, Big Springs, Bethany, Concord, Cane Creek, Camp Creek, Forest City, Fairview, Floyds Creek, First Broad, High Shoal, Henrietta, Holly Springs, Mt. Olive, Mt. Pleasant [Cleveland], Mt. Pleasant [Rutherford], Mt. Zion, Mt. Harmony, Sandy Run, Shiloh, Union, and Walls Baptist churches. Each church listed had their pastor. The minutes of the meeting were printed in Shelby, N.C., by Mr. C. P. Roberts.

The following record of the association was found in 1950 Association report: The Sandy Run Baptist Association reported fifty-six churches, five hundred twenty-six baptisms, sixteen thousand five hundred forty-five members, and twelve thousand five hundred and seven in Sunday school.

At the present date of preparation of this information, September 27, 2010 there are sixty churches in the Association.

Note: The work of the association was carried out in the home of the Director of Missions until 1965 when the Florence Baptist Church offered office space for the Director of Missions. In February of 1968 the office was moved from Florence Church to two rented rooms in the Union Trust Bank Building of Forest City. In the executive board meeting on January 13, 1975 a recommendation was made to move the office back to the parsonage of the Director of Missions on 600 E. Main Street, Forest City, which had been bought for the Director of Missions on January 1, 1959.

In the early ministry of Rev. Otis J. Wheelhouse as Director of Missions, property was purchased in 1977 in Sandy Mush for the future building site for the association office. In 1980 the present location of 43.5 acres along with a small house was purchased for the price of $90,000 and the property in Sandy Mush was sold. The associational office was relocated sometime later to the small house on the newly purchased property upon completion of the present building. The office was moved to the new building on January 2, 2002.

Mr. Herman Haynes, Chairman of the Properties Committee, reported that a major milestone in the life of the Association in the one hundred and first annual session in 1990, that the debt on the property had been paid. The association was debt free. The churches were challenged to develop the land, and use it for the needs of the association. Plans were needed to plot out the phases of development. As these plans develop, they will be shared with all the churches for their input, revision, and approval. The churches were challenged to continue financing the association on a level that will allow for this development, and to work together to accomplish these needs.

An open air meeting of the Executive Board was held on Sunday afternoon, March 2, 1997, on the grand where the new office building was proposed to be built. The service opened with those present singing “Higher Ground”, led by Rev. David A. Jones, Co-Pastor of the Peoples Baptist Missions, Forest City. Everyone was welcomed to the ground breaking service by the Association’s Moderator, Rev. Caris Owens, Pastor of Gantt’s Grove Baptist Church. Prayer was offered by Rev. Philip Bailey, Vice Moderator.

An impressive message was given by the following Association officers entitled “Sharing The Dream:”

Rev. Michael Sepaugh……………Steering Committee Chairman, Shiloh Church

Rev. Lawrence Toney…………….Past Moderator, Goode’s Grove Church

Dr. Robert F. Toney……………….Historian, Interim, Mt. Lebanon Church

Rev. Otis Wheelhouse……………Director of Missions

Among those present in the addition to the “Sharers of the Dream” were:

Association Trustees Chairman, Mr. Herman Haynes, Smith Grove; Mr. Paul Luckadoo, Race Path; Mr. Charles Campbell, Alexander; Pastors: Dr. Wayne Blackwood, Bethel; Rev. Tim Hendrick, Sandy Run; Rev. Frank Hoyle, First Baptist, Bostic; Rev. Chris Masters, Concord; Rev. Charles Battle, First Borad; Rev. James C. Diehl, Floyds Creek; Rev. Cecil Lovelace, Goode’s Creek; Dr. Thomas Gossett, Prospect; Rev. Johnny Crotts, Mt. Pleasant [Rutherford}; Rev. Marvin Green, Bethany; Rev. Jeff Springer, Smith Grove; Rev. Kevin Rohm, Crestview; Rev. Lee Causby Jr., Victory.

Dr. Wayne Blackwood, Bethel Church, gave the Benediction Prayer after which the ground breaking ceremony was concluded.

Rev. Malone Thomason was elected to do the architectural drawing for the building at the meeting of the Executive Board on May 29, 1997 at the Concord Baptist church. At this same meeting gratitude was extended to the steering committee for their time and effort in getting things underway for this much needed project in our Association and to our churches and Pastors and individuals for their cooperation.

Up until 1947, as far as record show, the Association meetings were under the supervision of the Moderator. Following is a list of the Director of Missions from September 30, 1947 to the present:

Rev. Guy Walker………………………………………September 30, 1947 – October 14, 1948

Rev. Wilford W. Reese……………………………..1948 – December 9, 1949

Rev. J. Boyd Horton…………………………………March 21, 1950 – January 16, 1957

Rev. W.V. Carroll……………………………………..August 19, 1957 – 1975

Rev. Archie Hughes, Part-time Interim…….February 1, 1975 – 1976

Rev. Otis J. Wheelhouse…………………………..August 1, 1976 – December 31, 1998

Dr. James C. Diehl……………………………………March 1, 1999 – March 28, 2008

Dr. Charles F. Cobb, Part-time Interim……..September 9, 2008 – October 31, 2009

Rev. Marvin Green…………………………………..November 1, 2009 – January 31, 2015

Dr. Lon Chenowith…………………………………..April 1, 2015 – Present

The first Ministry Assistant to be paid was hired by the Sandy Run Association and Florence Baptist Church.

Miss Martha Jean McFarland……………………..April 6, 1959 – May 5, 1975

Mrs. C.D. (Alma) Richardson………………………October 13, 1975 – 1979

Mrs. Allene K. Wheelhouse………………………..December 1979 – March 31, 1999

Mrs. Loretta S. Winters………………………………March 22, 1999 – March 31, 2016

Mrs. Karen Hutchins………………………………….May 2nd, 2016 – March 31, 2018

Miss. Evelyn Lane..................................................April 1, 2018 - Present

Respectfully submitted by Dr. Robert F. Toney

Historian, Sandy Run Baptist Association