New Zion Baptist Church

Edited by Spessard Stone






New Zion Baptist Church, the oldest church in present-day Hardee County, Florida, was organized on September 29-30, 1866 by Elders J. M. Hayman, A. Wilson, and S. L. Cross as Maple Branch Baptist Church in a school house known as Baton Rouge, at a point on the south fork of the Alafia River, north of Fort Green. S. L. Cross was the first pastor and John W. Whidden the first clerk. In 1868, there were thirty-two members and forty-nine members in 1872.(1)

In 1873, the Rev. John W. Hendry, its pastor, moved to that area of Manatee County that is now in southwestern Hardee County, about seven miles west of (now) Ona, and there relocated the church as New Zion Baptist Church. On April 25, 1873, the members met in a school house, located near the site of the future home of Marion G. Roberts, son of Robert Roberts. A 25’x30’ wood arbor of wood posts covered with lattice and brush was built and it or a similar one served as the place of worship until 1882 when a log church was erected on the present church site, which was purchased for $80. In 1889, a new church was dedicated and served its congregation until May or June 1917 when it was destroyed in a fire.(2)

Early members included: James Albritton, Matthew Alderman, Albert Carlton, Alderman Carlton, Lewis Carlton, Wright Carlton, J. F. Chancey, John Coker, W. Coker, J. T. Durrance, Daniel Garner, J. H. Hayman, James M. Hendry, John W. Hendry, Daniel W. Hull, Ezekiel J. Hull, N. T. Jones, R. Marlow, Zachariah F. McEwen, William McLeod , H. H. Norris, W. F. Norris, W. D. Payne, I. A. Redd, W. Rich, Robert Roberts, Franklin Shuman, J. B. Stephens, J. Strickland, William Whidden.(2)

On June 13, 1908, the church gave two acres to the County School Board for a school yard. A proviso provided that the lot would revert to the church whenever it ceased to be used for school purposes. At undetermined date, the property was recovered by the church. In 1948, material from the former school building was used to erect a pastorium for the Rev. Robert Simmons.(4)

Further construction and improvements were made. The present church was constructed in 1917 or 1918 and was dedicated on October 13, 1918, with Rev. J. E. Trice, superintendent of the Children’s Home at Arcadia, preaching the dedicatory sermon. In 1940 or 1941, five Sunday School rooms were added, and the house was wired for electricity. In 1953, under Rev. Grady Herndon, a 28’x85’ educational building was erected. T. C. Hart cut and milled timber from the church property that was used. In 1961, a new ceiling was installed in the auditorium. In 1962, the front of the church was renovated by removing the two side entrances and installing a new entrance and vestibule at the south side of the church building with a porch at the entrance. In 1970, a kitchen and dining room were added to the educational building. By 1975, air conditioning, carpets in the auditorium, stained glass windows, and new pews were installed. In 1978, a recreational building was constructed. A bedroom, bath and closets were added to the pastorium. (5)

In the early years the church met for preaching and conference monthly on Saturday and Sunday. There was little business to transact except the reception and baptism of new members and disciplining of the wayward. Discipline was strict, and offending members who refused or failed to give satisfaction to the church were expelled. A vigilance committee functioned for many years, and monthly roll calls were discontinued in 1918. The church was quarter time until 1917, then half time until August 8, 1948, at which time the church under Rev. Robert Simmons, voted to become full time.(6)

Members have gone on to serve as pastors and missionaries. Valda Long (1927-1984) was a missionary to Africa. Robert V. Roberts, son of Roy and Grace Roberts, in 1973 graduated from the University of South Florida and in 1976 from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has master’s and doctorate degrees in respectively divinity and ministry. He and wife Brenda served as missionaries in Panama, but Rev. Roberts is now director of missions for the South Florida Baptist Association in Lakeland, Florida. His brother, Mike Roberts, is a minister at Avon Park, Florida. Julia Ketner is a director of Home Missions in Arkansas. (7)

A small covered pavilion next to the cemetery offers a shady place to rest and study the historic cemetery. The oldest grave is that of Sarah Youngblood Roberts, who died on December 18, 1877. A Cemetery Trust Fund has been established that will some day maintain the plots.(8)

Former pastors of New Zion Baptist Church include: S. L. Cross, John W. Hendry, Ezekiel J. Hull, Isaac A. Redd, J. L. Durrance, W. D. Payne, T. W. White, J. H. Hayman, C. Boardman Hendry, James M. Hendry (supply), A. W. Lynn, H. C. Harris, J. A. Roberts, Oscar Roberts, J. Newell Hendry, John Coker, Joe McLeod, C. Eugene Hendry, L. N. Smith, J. T. DeArmond, W. J. Bryant, Robert Whitcomb, R. C. Alderman, Dow Durrance, Robert Simmons, George W. Dunn, Grady Herndon, J. D. Robinson, Allen E. Young, D. D. Townsend, James H. Carroll, Willard Boman, Aaron Singletary, Allen Wilson, Russell Miller, Dennis Schank, John Brown.(9)

John Brown is the current pastor. The church, which has only about thirty active members, is located at 202 Sidney Roberts Road, Ona, Florida, telephone 735-0123 or 773-4365.

The great characteristic of New Zion Baptist Church is its evangelistic fervor and missionary spirit-its record of souls saved, lives reclaimed, homes founded, and loved one laid to rest.(10)



Endnotes

(1) Richard Livingston, “New Zion Baptist Church Cemetery,” South Florida Pioneers 6 (October 1975), 14, 15; Anonymous, “History of New Zion Baptist Church,” ca. 1962.
(2) Livingston, 15; Anonymous; Rev. Grady Herndon, Allen E. Young & Valerie Roberts, “New Zion Church Dates To 1866,” The Herald-Advocate, September 4, 1975, page 3-B. The first church at New Zion was about a mile north of the present-day church. Twister Albritton, according to oral tradition, accidentally burned the church.
(3) Livingston.
(4) Herndon et al; Valerie Roberts et al, “New Zion Baptist Church,” May 26, 1991. The latter has June 13, 1907 for the donation of the two acres.
(5) Herndon et al; Anonymous; Roberts et al.
(6) Ibid.
(7) Roberts et al.
(8) Lorie Russell, “New Zion flock returns to fold,” The Tampa Tribune, Heartland edition, May 26, 1991. There were about seventy-five members in 1991.
(9) Herndon et al. The church program of May 26, 2002 varies slightly in the list of pastors.
(10) Ibid; Roberts et al.




April 22, 2002