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helped to delay the time when the churches which he
served should come to see the duty of supporting the
ministry, according to God's will.
Elder D. M. Stark was born in eastern Indiana in
1809, and was baptized by his father into the mem-
bership of the Union church in 1830. This church
called for his ordination in 1844 and he served many
of the churches during his twenty-three years of the
ministry.
Elder George Christ was born in Indiana in 1807,
was baptized into Union church by Elder S. K.
Sparks, was ordained in 1842, and spent forty years
in the ministry, part of the time in Indiana and part
in Illinois.
Elder Elias Cooprider is known to have been an
honored minister in the Association.
Elder Jacob Smock, one of the pioneer ministers
of the Association, was born in Kentucky in 1824.
His parents moved to Parke county, Indiana, in 1825;
his grandfather, William Smock, was a soldier in the
Revolutionary war. He joined a Baptist church in
1857 and was soon afterwards ordained to the min-
istry. He was efficient in the organization of two
churches, and has had the privilege of baptizing over
1,000 converts. He was twice married--first to Car-
oline Milligan, and to them were born six children;
the wife died in 1879. He was again married, in
1881, to Dinah Wilson, a member of the Friends
church. To this union one child was born--Wilma
H. Elder Smock died in 1895 full of years, and ready
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for the call. His wife survives him and is an active
member of the Franklin Baptist church.
The Rev. L. Kirtley, D. D., was probably the
strongest preacher who ever became pastor of the
First Terre Haute church. He held important pas-
torates in Michigan and Ohio also; but the very in-
tensity of his work led to nervous affection, from the
effects of which he died, while yet in the prime of life.
BROWNSTOWN ASSOCIATION--(COUNTIES OF JACKSON,
JENNINGS, CLARKE AND WASHINGTON.)
The Association was constituted in 1835; the first
record accessible is for 1836, and it gives Browns-
town as the place of meeting, Elder J. R. Tinder as
the moderator and William Crunshaw, as clerk.
There were four churches and 128 members. The
session for 1840 was held with Union, now Hayden,
church, the number of churches was nine and the
number of members 406. As the years went by the
number of churches declined, but the aggregate mem-
bership. increased--the largest being 1,921 (in 1901).
Up to 1853 Union church usually contained the larg-
est number of members; then Mount Pleasant usually
led till 1868, when Uniontown had the largest number.
In 1891 Seymour church reported 216 members and
has led in the number of members since.
The Association has favored "missionary opera-
tions" from the first. Blue River church had belonged
to the Mount Zion Association, but a division on ac-
count of the Parker doctrine occurred, and the pro-
