Sunday School membership   1909 -1910

1920 Church Membership

Connaritsa Baptist Church

Conaritsa Baptist History -- 1930

Conaritsa Baptist
200th Anniversary

Wake Forest Collection.
(founded 1797/98), Aulander, NC Records, 1851-1876. CRMF 673.
Connaritsa Church records burned about 1850. A very few of the records, which were not in the church still survive. They were able to get bits and peices of the Church's history prior to that fire from other Church records. The Republican Church grew out of the Connaritsa Church. Connaritsa is an active church today.

CONNARITSA BAPTIST CHURCH, Aulander, NC
The Bertie Ledger-Advance, Windsor, NC, September 28, 1972, Section D-1:
The Connaritsa Baptist Church was constituted in 1789 from part of the Sandy Run Baptist Church in Roxobel. It is located on the State Highway leading from Aulander to Windsor, at a crossroads about four miles south of Aulander. This was not the original site of the church. The first structure, a log one, was located a mile farther south up in a field.

The charter members of the church were few in number but firm was their foundation in faith. In 1851 the membership had increased to 257; 62 white male members; 140 white female members, 19 colored male members, and 36 colored female members.

In June 1852 Wiley Dunning became Connaritsa's pastor. At this time the debt for the new meeting house was all paid. The protracted meetings held at the church often lasted from 10 days to two weeks. At one meeting held in 1869 seven ministers had charge of the service.

Approximately 40 people were converted during one revival meeting. Not all the meetings were confined to the church, some were held at 'Williford's School House' or at 'Brother Cook's Old House' during the summer.

In August 1883, some of its members left Connaritsa to join the new church at Lewiston. In September 1886, 31 members were lost to the New Baptist Church in Aulander.

Connaritsa Baptist Church was 100 years old in 1889. The committee for the Centennial Celebration consisted of C.T. Jenkins, W.H. Mitchell, J.H. Evans, W.G. Burden and A.J. Dunning.

The congregation and this celebration was estimated to number between 25 and 3,000.

In November of 1899, a building committee was appointed and after a lengthy consultation it was resolved that they build a new house of worship. The building committee conferred with a carpenter from Gates County, who advised them that it would be more economical to tear down the old house and use the same timber in the construction of the new building. During the time the new house was being built, meetings were held in the church grove.

The new building was completed in April 1901 and dedicated in August 1904. In June 1905, a committee of ladies was appointed to solicit funds for purchasing an organ. A singing school was held during the last part of July and the first of August in 1906 with Russel Myers as song master. During the years 1926 to 1940 the church was rebuilt. The present church chapel has a seating capacity of 800. Another highlight of the life of the church was the service in 1936 when all mortgage notes were settled and burned at a public meeting."
Notation: Taken from the Minutes of the West Chowan Baptist Association.

Greens Cross Roads

The Bertie Ledger-Advance, (Green's Cross) Windsor, NC, September 28, 1972, Section D-1:
In the community of Greens Cross, then called Oakie Woods, people lived too far from their churches to walk and go very often. Some, whose memberships were at Cashie, Ross and Capeharts, started having community prayer meeting in the homes. Then they started Sunday Meeting in a log house near Blueridge Swamp. They built a small building at the cross roads and the Sunday meeting went on. Saturday, January 14, 1874, a church was organized with 25 members. They named it 'Greens Cross' in memory of Uncle Billie Green, who once lived there.
The next day, Joseph W. White was ordained to the ministry and was the first pastor with a salary of 40 dollars a year. He served until 1883.
Jessie R. Matthews was taking the work of pastoring at the same salary as the previous pastor. During his ministry in 1885, the second house of worship, a larger and better building, was built. The Rev. Matthews served until January, 1889.
Brother Barnes entered the work in January, 1919, and in March of the same year plans were made and work soon started to build the present church building which was completed and dedicated on November 29, 1923. The Rev. N.J. Todd preached the dedication sermon.
The fifth Sunday in December, 1922 Dancy S. Dempsey was ordained to the full ministry of the gospel. During his stay Mrs. J.H. Barnes organized the first Sunbeam Band.
The Rev. Finch came in 1924, left in 1929. The summer of 1926 the first Baptist Young People's Union was formed. H.G. Bryant came but stayed only 15 months leaving in 1929. During the time of the BYPU was brought up to standard and Riverside dropped out of the field.
Thanksgiving night, 1921, Mrs. D.L. Cobb gave the church a lot for a parsonage. December 8, 1936, the structure was built and dedicated. Mrs. Burch organized the first Girls' Auxiliary.
J.O. Walton was called and entered the work the first of July, 1934. The church bought its first piano and got rural electricity. He resigned December 31, 1938.
A tornado struck the community February 21, 1939. It damaged the parsonage. Many homes were completely gone or damaged. Three people were killed, others hurt.
June 10, 1952, the Rev. J.O. Walton, started to work. Under his ministry a deep well was drilled at the parsonage, a new floor was put in the church with new carpet and on the third Sunday in November, dedicated the new educational plant. He served one year leaving June 10, 1953.
The Rev. Maurice McLain is the present pastor at Greens Cross."

History of Greens Cross Baptist Church >From January 17, 1874 to November 1, 1930
By Mr. G. W. Castelloe
After having prayer meeting and Sunday School in a small one-room building in the cross roads, near where the present building now stands, conducted by the late Joseph W. White and others, a conversation between brothers Miles Mizelle and Bytha Leggett, in the fall of 1873 voiced the desire that a church be built, and from these remarks the good went forth.
On January 17, 1874 twenty-five members from Cashie and Capehart and Ross Baptist Churches met for the purpose of organizing Greens Cross Roads Baptist Church. Elder Edward Pierce, B. F. Barber, and Joseph W. White composed the Presbytery, with G. W. Cobb as secretary. The sermon was preached by Rev. Edward Pierce. At this meeting the church rules and covenant were read and adopted. On the next day, Sunday, January 18, the same presbytery met to ordain Joseph W. White, to the full work of gospel ministry. The ordination sermon was preached by Elder B. F. Barber, the Bible was presented by Elder Edward Pierce, and benediction by the new candidate, Joseph W. White.
At the above meeting the church called Joseph W. White for its first pastor, at a salary of $40.00 per year which he accepted. Also at this meeting they decided to call the church Greens Cross Roads, a name chosen in honor of Mr. Billie Green, who lived near the cross roads. >From this meeting in January 1874, we have no records until March 1879, but by tradition we learn that brethren W. H. Pierce, Eli T. Mizell, Bytha Legget, Z. W. White, Alonzo Asbell were its first deacons and Z.W. White the first clerk. We find in January meeting in 1880 that there was a written permit given Bro. Bytha Legget to preach the gospel.
After nine years of pastorate of Joseph W. White, the church called Bro. Jessey R. Matthews, who was at that time a member of Connarista Baptist Church. He accepted the call and was to receive the same salary of $40.00 per year, and served until January, 1889 and resigned. Then Brother Bytha Legget served six months, and in July the same year the church called Rev. S. F. Bristoe of Lewiston, N. C., and took the work in September 1889 at a salary of $75.00, but in 1890 the salary was raised to $80.00. In December 1893, Rev. S. F. Bristoe resigned, and Brother Geo. W. White, of Chowan county was called and accepted the work in February, 1894. In October 1894 he was ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry, with D. Cale, and Joseph Tinch as presbytery. In November, 1896, Bro. S. B. Barnes was called to the pastorate and took up the work in January, 1897 and served until December, 1898 and resigned. The church then called Rev. E. S. Pierce of Gates county and he began the work in January, 1899 and served until December 1901 and resigned the work to pursue studies at Louisville Seminary. The church then called W. P. Jordan, at a salary of $125.00, and accepted the work in January, 1902, and served until December, 1905, when health failed him. In February, 1906 the church called Rev. C. E. Edwards, and he entered upon his work as pastor the following March and served until December, 1907, at which time the church called R. D. Stevenson, who entered upon his new work January 1908 and served until March, 1909 and resigned. Rev. M. A. Adams of Ahoskie, N. C. was called to succeed him, and began his work in April of the same year and served until September, 1910, at a salary of $150.00, and J. R. Pace supplied the remainder of the year. In October, Rev. T. T. Speight of Bertie Co. was called and accepted the work and entered as pastor January, 1911 and served until December, 1914. The church then called Bro. N. J. Todd, a student in high school at Winterville, N. C., and took the work in February the same year and served until September, 1918, when he resigned to enter Wake Forest College.
At the close of the ministry of Brother N. J. Todd, the church went into a field with Capehart, Riverside, and Ross, and called Rev. J. H. Barnes of Raleigh as their pastor. He served for five years for a salary of $350.00. The church then called Rev. A. Finch of Spartanburg, S. C., and he also served five years at a salary of $406.25. Rev. H. G. Bryant, of Clarksville, Va. was then called and he served for fifteen months at the same salary. Rev. G. W. Burch, of Charlotte, N. C., the present pastor was called and entered upon the work as pastor, June, 1930.
The church has had nine clerks as follows: Z. W. White, served for seven years; H. T. Cobb, served four years: J. R. Castellow served for four years; M. W. White, served for six years; W. T. Asbell, served for three years; M. W. White, second term of one year; G. A. Conner, served for two years; G. W. Castellow, second term, served for seventeen years; then the present clerk, R. L. Mizelle was elected. The church has had three houses for worship. The second building was built in 1885, under the pastorate of J. R. Matthews, and with minor repairing this building was used until 1919. At the February meeting in 1919, there was a building committee appointed, consisting of J. A. Mizelle, A. D. Cale, to draw plans and look after building and new church. The work was soon begun which resulted in the present building being dedicated to the Lord on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1923. The dedication sermon by the former pastor N. J. Todd, subject: Christ or Modernism. This being the ministry of the Rev. J. H. Barnes.
Greens Cross Baptist Church has ordained three ministers to the full work of the Gospel ministry as follows: Joseph W. White at its organization in 1874; George W. White was ordained on the fourth Sunday in September, 1894 by Dancy Cale, Joseph Tinch. D. Cale preaching the sermon and Joseph Tinch presenting the Bible. Dancy Spurgeon Dempsey, one of its home boys, then a student at Wake Forest College was ordained in December, 1922. S. F. Bristow, R. B. Lineberry, L. E. Daily, G. D. Legget, as presbytery. The sermon was preached by L. E. Dailey, and some remarks by Pastor J. H. Barnes.
The first W. M. S. was organized in November, 1896, with Mrs. Martha E. Castellow, president; and Miss Victoria Castellow, secretary. From this beginning there has been a great progress made, and at present there is a large, active society.
As you will notice in the outset of this paper that the Sunday School had a large part in the beginning of this church. And as the church grew the Sunday School carried its part of the load. Also we know that most all of the country Sunday Schools at that day went into winter quarters, until about 1900. Since the year 1900 we have had an evergreen Sunday School, and in 1928 it was fully graded, and in 1930 went on the standard approved list.
We are glad to note that the spirit of Missions has been in the church from its beginning.
The first report from the association was made in conference June, 1879 by Z. W. White and Wm. H. Pierce, then known as the Chowan Association. In 1882 delegates were sent to the association at Harrellsville in the favor of dividing the association, which was done.
The West Chowan Association met in its first session in the fall of 1883 at Cashie Baptist Church, and since that time Greens Cross Roads Baptist Church has been represented at every Association.
Greens Cross Roads Baptist Church is located in Bertie County, being the tenth Baptist Church organized in the county and the twenty-third in the West Chowan Association. The church is situated on the national highway leading from Windsor to Edenton, and is four miles from Windsor, the county seat of Bertie County.
On Thanksgiving night, 1931, at the close of the service our pastor stated to the church that Mrs. D. L. Cobb had offered to give a lot to the church on which to build a pastor's home. The church accepted the gift and in a few days a committee was appointed to lay plans to build a parsonage. In a few days lumber was hauled on the ground and the work began. In about sixty days Pastor Burch moved into a seven-room parsonage home. At church conference in January, 1932, the church appointed G. W. Castelloe, G. E. Lawrence and W. W. Mizelle trustees to have a deed drawn up for the lot in March, 1934. Rev G. W. Burch resigned in June, 1934. Rev J. O. Walton was called and came on the field in July, 1934. The church was painted in the fall of 1935. On the third Sunday in December, 1935, the parsonage debt was paid off and the note burned. Rev. G. W. Burch preached the sermon.
A new Bible was bought for the pulpit in September, 1936, costing $20.00. In the summer of 1937, four new classrooms were built to the church, and the church connected light with the light line from Windsor to light the church and parsonage.
Rev. J. O. Walton resigned in October, 1938.
Rev. W. O. Andrews was extended a call and accepted the call and began work January, 1939. In a few weeks after he had moved into the parsonage on February 21, 1939 at about ^ o�clock in the afternoon the community was visited with a severe tornado that destroyed about 21 homes, tearing the top up on the parsonage and wrecking the back in of the church.
The Red Cross put the top back on the parsonage. The tornado killed two of the church members, Mrs. G. R. Lawrence and Mrs. J. B. Mizelle, but the church went on in a great way.
Brother W. O. Andrews served the church in a great way for two and one-half years and resigned. Rev. M. R. Brown supplied for a few months.
The church called Rev. E. R. Stewart our present pastor. He accepted the call and came on the field to serve Greens Cross, Ross, Elm Grove and Capeharts Churches, January 1, 1942.
At this time the church installed water works in the parsonage at the cost of $350.00. In August, 1943 the church was repaired and painted inside and outside at a cost of $400.00. One hundred new song books were purchased. Five pecan trees were set out in the spring of 1943. In September the church installed a service plaque at a cost of $47.50.
The B. Y. P. W. work began in 1926, being organized by Rev. H. G. Bryant from Murfreesboro. From this small beginning the B. Y. P. W. has grown to large proportions in the church. At the coming of the Rev. E. R. Stewart a Baptist Training Union was organized with departments for Story Hour, Junior, Intermediate, Senior and the Baptist Adult Union, meeting each Sunday night.
Eleven former pastors have passed on to their reward as follow: Reverends J. W. White, Jessie R. Matthews, Bytha Leggett, S. F. Bristoe, Geo. W. White, W. P. Jordon, E. S. Pierce, T. T. Speight, S. B. Barnes, M. A. Adams, N. J. Todd. We will never forget to cherish their memory. From a small struggling band of faithful, God-fearing, consecrated men and women, the old church has been carrying on in the name of Christ, until its present membership is 339. May the torch of celestial fire handed us by this faithful band, which has been a light unto the pathway, and a lamp to the feet of many who have passed through the sacred walls, and who have bowed at her sacred shrine, never be allowed to go out.
Provided by Daisy M. White. Typed and Contributed by Neil Baker

Lawrence Baptist Church

Mars Hill Baptist Church - (Trap)

A number of members from Colerain Baptist Church who lived in the Trap area decided to take their letters from the Colerain Church, unite with the people who had been baptized and constitute a new Baptist Church. With the assistance of James Delk, Thomas Hoggard and Moses L. Mizelle, a church was organized on September 29, 1854.

The decision was to call the church the Mars Hill Baptist Church, having chosen the name of Mars Hill from Acts 17:22.

The letters were received by the Presbytery consisting of Elders Delk, Hoggard and Mizelle and the church was declared organized. The first business of the newly organized church was the adoption of the rules of Decorum and Covenant of Faith.

H.H. Byrum and John A. Green were elected deacons and ordained. B.B. Williams was called as pastor of the church and duly ordained to the full work of the ministry. G.N. Green was appointed clerk.

The Rev. B.B. Williams served the church as pastor until the War Between the States. During the war Williams served as chaplain in the Confederate Army. Without a pastor, the church failed to meet regularly, the reason for this being that most of the men of the community were also enlisted in the Confederate Army.

Without leadership in the church, strife, contentions and ill will crept in. Consequently, when the war ended the church was disorganized, divided and pastorless. However, on the 25th day of February, 1866, the people met to reorganize the church so that it could again work in peace, union and fellowship. B.B. Williams, Lemuel Evans and John Williamson were found to be in full fellowship and composed the basis for reorganization.

On February 16, 1903, a destructive storm swept through the community and greatly damaged the church building. A committee consisting of Joseph M. Phelps, Josiah Brown and Bennie Brown was appointed to examine the building and determine the possibilities of repairing it for purposes of worship. At the next service, held in the Perry school house, the committee recommended that the building be moved and a new one erected in its place. The church accepted their recommendation with the condition that the damaged church be repaired and used until a new one could be built.

The members of the Mars Hill Church assembled on September 29, 1904, to dedicate their new building. The old building which had been renovated was moved on other church lots and the house and lots were deeded to the Bertie County School Board to be used as long as the county needed them for educational purposes.

Tragedy struck the church again on June 26, 1940, when the building was completely destroyed by fire. The church, accustomed to overcoming difficulties, began immediately to erect a modern brick building at a cost of $18.000. The building was designed by men of the church and much of the materials and labor were donated."
Notation: Originally taken from the Minutes of the West Chowan Baptist Association.

Aulander

1885-1995 Aulander's Centennial, History of Aulander, NC Compiled by the Historical Committee for the Centennial Celebration of the Town of Aulander - Mrs. Edward Blanchard, Co-Chairman, Mrs. Sarah Mitchell, Co-Chairman - (and list 27 other people who contributed to the publication) - Centennial Committee Mrs. Elizabeth Nelson, Co-Chairman, Mrs. Artie Tayloe, Co-Chairman and (13 other names of people who contributed effort to this publication)

October 1972 issue - Town Of Aulander, N.C., History Of Aulander Compiled by the Aulander Historical Committee for the celebration of the 250 Anniversary of Bertie County.

AULANDER BAPTIST CHURCH, BERTIE COUNTY, NC

This first church was located on what is now the Ahoskie-Powellsville road. The cost of construction was, according to the records, $1,300. The church could seat 500 persons.

Among the pioneer builders of the industrial life of the town are found many of the same names of those constituting the first Aulander Baptist Church.

The Rev. C.W. Scarboro was the first pastor. The Rev. L.M. Curtis, from Sampson County, served the longest.

As the town grew, the church was moved into the incorporated limits and many of the members moved their membership back to the old Dudley Grove Church, which is now known as Oak Grove Church on the Ahoskie highway.

In 1925 a large, new church building was erected at a cost of $55,000 and a commodious parsonage, at an approximate cost of $7,000 was built. A large debt was on the property for a number of years, but during the pastorates of the Rev. Lonnie Sasser, the Rev. W.P. Milne and the Rev. Joseph Folds, it was liquidated and the notes were burned at a public ceremony in 1946.

During the pastorate of the Rev. James O. Shurling the church was completely renovated. Again in 1972, under the direction of the Rev. Van Modlin, repairs were made to the church basement."

The following from Aulander Historical Booklet
The first location of this church was on the corner of Pine Drive and East Main Street (now Powellsville Road). According to records the cost of construction of this church, with a seating capacity of 500, was $1,300. The first pastor was the Rev. C.W. Scarboro. The Rev. L.M. Curtis of Sampson County served longest. When the church was moved inside the corporate limits to the corner of Harmon and Canal Streets, a few members returned to the Dudley's Grove Church. The present church was erected on the same location in 1926 at a cost of $55,000 and a parsonage at a const of $7,000. It wasn't until 1946 that this debt was liquidated and the notes burned at a public ceremony.

The First Baptist Church, organized in 1893, was located on Rogerson Avenue with the Rev. W.D. Early as pastor. In 1919 land was bought from R.J. Dunning and the church was moved to its present site on South Commerce Street. This church was damaged by fire in 1960 and since then it has been remodeled and brick veneered. In 1909 a lot next to the Joe Burden residence was given by Mrs. Ella Harmon Burden to the Rev. Hersey Parker on which was built the Parker Meeting House. After the death of Rev. Parker in 1916, the fellowship services of this church were discontinued. A few years later Raymond S. Burden acquired this lot and built his home.

Sunday School Report
Superintendent			--	D. P. Holder
Officers and Teachers		--		8
Average Attendance		--		5
Scholars			--	           32
Average Attendance		--	           21
Conversions			--		0
Contributions			--		$3.44


Church Statistics

Sabbaths of Preaching		2
Received by Baptism		2
Received by Letter		6
Restored		           12
White Males		           10
White Females			8
Total Whites                            18      

Pastor    --    B. Leggett
Clerk     --    Charles Bond