| The
North Coleman Baptist Church was organized on March 3, 1927, at the old
North Side Tabernacle on the corner of Ripley and Blanco. The 17
charter members were: Mrs. Frank Billings, Mrs. Tempest Burroughs Vaughn,
Mrs. A. S. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Hughes, Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Lykins,
Ernest Lykins, Miss Lucille Lykins, Mrs. T. L. Sparkman, Mr. and Mrs. F.
A. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Hardy Taylor, Miss Aleene Taylor and Mr. and Mrs.
W. H. Touchstone. The council as follows: The Reverends J. R. McCorkle,
Presiding Officer; J. M. Cooper, Special Clerk; J. R. Davis; J. C. Strickland
and Mr. L. F. Collins. After the church organization procedures were
completed the church doors were opened for new members. The following
came by letters: T. L. Sparkman, J. S. Jackson, Bro. and Mrs. R. M. Hickman.
On
March 6, in the evening service the first business meeting was transacted
with the following results: T. L. Sparkman, Church Clerk; Lucille Lykins,
Church Organist; J. S. Jackson, Sunday School Superintendent; R. M.
Hickman,
Assistant S. S. Superintendent; Allene Taylor, Sunday School Organist;
Mrs. T. L. Sparkman. Sunday
School
Sect, and Treasurer; W. H. Touchstone, recognized as senior Deacon; J.
R. Davis, Fourth time pastor called. Results of a two week revival,
H. O. Lee, was the first member by statement and Miss Willie Mae Pridemore,
first member by baptism. The first purchase by the church membership
was a second hand piano for $100.00 from J. C. Bourland. The purchasing
committee was: R. M. Lykins, J. S. Jackson, F. A. Smith and Hardy Taylor.
On
April 3, 1927, the following men were named to secure a lot for a church
building: R. M. Lykins, Hardy Taylor and J. S. Jackson. In August,
1927, the lots were bought. The building committee appointed were:
Bros. Jackson, Hughes, Lykins and Lee and Sisters Jackson, Vaughn and Lykins.
On August 7, 1927, North Coleman Baptist Church asked and were admitted
to the Southern Baptist Convention, as a church having adopted the articles
of faith and the church covenant as laid down in Pendletons Manuel, as
adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention in session in Houston, in 1926.
The
New Hope Baptist Church disbanded and presented their building to the North
Coleman Baptist Church, March 7, 1928, and the building to be placed over
the basement being prepared, 32 by 40 feet, and the wooden structure was
to be brick veneered. By June 1, 1931, the membership had reached
123. A revival held August 2, 1931, led by J. M. Cooper, coming by
baptism were Terrell Connelly, Irene Ray and L. B. Chapman.
Church
minutes dated October 16, 1933, named Mildred Comedy and Bessie Jackson
as card teacher and B.V.P.U. director and on July 11, 1936, Waylon Armstrong
was director, and Miss Syville Evans, secretary. The roll consisted
of 124 members; 42 men and boys and 82 women and girls on November 10,
1934. The Connelly, Ray, Jackson and Knowles families led in numbers.
The first Brotherhood was organized February 18, 1940, with S. Mask as
president.
A
new piano was purchased in December, 1943. From January through October,
1944, the steps at front of the church were repaired; 100 new song books
were bought by the members; a light was installed at front of the building;
a light and fan installed in the choir; the church and parsonage were insured;
two bedrooms, a bath, closets and porch were remodeled at the parsonage.
On February 7, 1945, the note to Mr. Horne on the building was paid in
full, burned by pastor in presence of the membership.
A
new piano was bought in July, 1954 and Sunday School improvements were
made with more classes in January 1954. On March 7, 1956, the church
entered into the Broadway Bond plan to finance a building program with
R. L. Mitchell, secretary. On January 9, 1957, the Broadway Bond
representative came and was gracious in relieving the church of much financial
strain. With Bro. Melvin Guthnie as pastor, he presented an agreement
to the church and soon our financial crisis was passed. A carport
was built on the east side of the parsonage by volunteer labor, October
5, 1960 and a baptistry painting was done by Mrs. Morton, wife of Silver
Valley pastor. Junior White and Donald McDorman bought the paint
for her. The church has always appreciated Mrs. Morton for this service.
Two terms became familiar speech in the church in Bro. J. B. Everett’s
pastorate; the Lottie Moon Christmas Tree and Christmas in August.
There were two active circles of W. M. U. at one time.
On
April 29, 1964, the church voted to buy property just east of the church
for a new parsonage from the Charley Grays. The stucco building on
the property was moved near the church and redone into a recreation room
and named Crosby Hall. The parsonage floors were sanded and covered,
a closet built and a partition moved in the kitchen in 1965. During
J. C. Tankensley’s pastorate he managed to obtain new pews for our auditorium
and the first carpet. Bro. Archie Phillips was called back for a
second time as pastor in September 1968. He and his family were at
the church 9 years this time. He pastored the church near 12 years,
kept us out of financial trouble and was always ready to roll out the barrel
and raise money for missions, revival on back debts. Our offerings
were deposited in this barrel and it worked. Bro. Billy L. Roberts
was called to North Coleman Baptist Church in August 1977 and he is still
our pastor. He has promoted much remodeling in the halls, bathrooms
and the nursery where some new furniture has just been installed.
There has been fencing and other improvements around the outside.
Several of his members from the White Chapel ministry are now his members
in North Coleman Baptist Church.
Longtime
members on the church roll are: Mrs. Lois McWhirter, appearing on July
14, 1934; L. B. Chapman since August 2, 1931 - 52 years on the roll but
only 41 consecutuve years as he lettered out about five years into White
Chapel. He and his wife returned on December 13, 1942; and Mrs. Maggie
Wood, appearing July 7, 1944. If she cannot get a daughter or grandaughter
to play the piano, she does it herself, and well. These four people
have a total of 176 years in the church.
Pastors
who have served are: J. R. Davis, March 6, 1927-Sept. 7, 1930; C. A. Farnis,
Sept. 21, 1930-Jan. 17, 1932; Brother Fuller, April 17, 1932; I. K. Holmes,
April 9, 1933-Dec. 6, 1936; J. A. Loudermilk, Jan. 24, 1937-July 4, 1937;
M. O. Row, Sept. 5, 1937-Aug. 27, 1939; Taylor Henley, Nov. 26, 1939-Dec.
12, 1941; H. C. Bnistow, Feb. 22, 1941-Aug. 18, 1943; C. J. Coffman, Sept.
15, 1943-June 1, 1945; W. W. Nowlin, July 8, 1945-Sept. 5, 1945; J. O.
McCaleb, Nov. 21, 1945-Nov 1, 1950; J. C. Shipman, Dec. 20, 1950-March
12, 1952; L. L. Hatfield, March 7, 1952-Nov. 1, 1955; Joe Dillard, Dec.
1955-Jan.
13,
1957; M. L. Cuthrie, March 3, 1957-Jan. 24, 1960; J. B. Everett, March
6, 1960-June 3, 1962; Archie Phillips, Aug. 12, 1962-June 20, 1965; W.
B. Cartwright, July 18, 1965-April 3,1966; J. C. Tankersley, June 26, 1966-Aug.
25, 1968; Archie Phillips, Sept, 22, 1968-April 1,1977 and Billy L. Roberts,
Aug. 7, 1977-the present.
Some
ordained or licensed to preach while members (incomplete) were: Hardy Taylor,
1927; Leon Myers; Bradley Cross, 1936; Waylon Armstrong, 1938; L. D. Waldrip,
1938; Alvin Jones, 1945; Eugene Traylor, 1952; Dan Hamby, 1953; and L.
Bob Anderson, 1954.
Some
of the Deacons of the North Coleman Baptist Church: W. H. Touchstone, Elmer
Hughes, R. M. Lykins, J. S. Jackson, Loyd Maples, O. V. Rutherford, Sam
Mask, Holhert Minor, A. J. Walton, T. C. Jackson, J. W. Jackson, F. M.
Moore, Neal Smith, Albert Jones, Clifford Crenshaw, Wilbur Lancaster, L.
B. Chapman, L. A. McClellan, Oscar Yates, Ivy Barker, Edd Crenshaw, Fred
Sparks, Wade Harkey, T. H. Crosby, A. C. Goodwin, Edd Haynes, Waylon Armstrong,
Gordon Pearce, Harold Phillips, J. D. Bodine, Delbert Snow, Tommy Albertson,
Dewey Cason, Donald McDorinan, Floyd Donica, Lee Jones, Lee Traylor, George
Riley, Derald Burns, Jesse Griffin, Clifford Powe, W. C. Jameson and J.
P. Richardson.
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