Elder Asa D. Shortt, son of Joseph N. and Mary Thomas
Shortt, was born in
His opportunities for a school education were meager, but
being favored with a good degree “Mother wit" he was a good observer and a
clear thinker and was regarded as a man of a fair degree of common sense.
At about the time of his majority he entered the army in the
Civil War and proved to be a brave and faithful soldier. He was made a prisoners at the battle
of Missionary Ridge, Nov. 1803, and was held in prison at
January 9th, 18666 he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah
C. Graham, to which union were born ten children, six of whom survive him with
their mother.
He received a hope in Christ, Jan. 8th, 1868, and joined the
church at Pine Creek and was baptized by Elder Thomas L. Robertson, Saturday
before the 1st Sunday in April, 1868; and at the next meeting, in May, he made
his first effort to speak in public. With permission to speak in the bounds of
the church he continued to exercise until February 4th, 1871, when he was given
liberty to make appointments and to take up and speak from a specific text or
portion of scripture, and in September 1873, he was ordained to exercise in
tile full function of the gospel ministry, by Elders Daniel Conner, G. L Tuggle and W. H. Dodd. In the constitution of the church at
Elder Shortt was regarded as sound and clear in principles
of gospel discipline, both as to the membership composing the Sister churches and
of those composing the Association. He was invariably selected to serve in the
counsels of the brethren, and also served a term as moderator of the Association.
Elder Shortt was a man of excellent character as a citizen
and a minister of the gospel. His life was a constant reflection of exemplary
traits off faithfulness, zeal and holy boldness. He was a man of marked
integrity, of sound speech, of pure, plain, simple gospel fashion. He was not
self standardized in doctrine, but was ready to grant that some principles of doctrine
as held by Borne of his brethren, whom he esteemed as gospel preachers, might
not. be prominently embraced in his pecular line of thought.
While there are opposing principles of doctrine, advocated
somewhat by some brethren in this section, the one being extreme to the other,
neither of which were held by Elder Shortt., he was so sufficiently extended in
his belief and advocacy of the general principals of the doctrine as to constitute
his ministry, in my judgment, a conservative exposition of the doctrine as
believed and advocated by the Primitive Baptists throughout this mountain
region and its correspondence.
Some time after (his state of health well suggested the
propriety of so doing) he gave up the care of the churches he was serving, and
calmly and patiently submitted to whatever time he must abide, even all his appointed
time did he wait till his change came.
Several years ago he personally requested Elder H. V. Cole
and myself to preach in his memory, should we survive
him, and we were favored of the Lord to do so to a large and interested gathering
of his brethren and friends.
P. G. Lester