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HISTORY OF THE TEA CREEK BAPTIST CHRUCH
From the Centenial Booklet printed in 1972




   During the winter of 1871-72 Rev. A.J. Robbins, pastor of the Zion Baptist Church, began holding meetings in the Tea Creek School House. These meetings were held once a month, on a Friday night. The school was located just across the road from where the church building now stands. Eventually, a protracted meeting was held and 40 people were baptized into the following of the Zion Baptist Church.

   The following summer, with the help of the entire community, a good, substantial frame building was constructed on land donated by Robert Levitt. This same building, with improvements and enlargements, still serves our congregation.

   On December 23, 1872, 41 members of the Zion Baptist Church requested letters of Dismissal to be reorganized and constituted into the Tea Creek Baptist Church. A council of delegates from the local churches met with Rev. A.J. Robbins as the Moderator to conduct the ceremonies. The original members were:
William Robbins Basil Johnson John Short Joseph Vance Boyd Vance
George W. Craig Noah Johnson George Johnson James Stoddard Thomas Burtch
Mariel Hartwell Sardis Robbins William Craig Charles Walker Furgus Blakely
Julia Walker Martha Blakely Lavena Robbins Lucinda Short Susan Hartwell
Elizabeth Vance Matilda Vance Charlotte Craig Eliza Hartwell Eliza Robbins
Nellie Short Ellen Johnson Mary Vance Serina Tribitt
Alferretta Kinder Hester Stodard Betsy Earl Lora Vance Margaret Blakely
Elizabeth Graves Joseph Blakely Margaret Spencer Emily Spencer Zelpha Spencer
Eliza Layman Albert Graves


   The first new member to be added to the congregation by baptism was Sarah Kinder, baptized on August 17, 1873.

   Rev. A.J. Robbins was the first pastor and erved until 1875. In the following 100 years since the church's organization 52 ministers have served the church as pastors. Rev. A.J. Robbins served twice; Rev. J.M. Swarthout, three times, and Rev. T. Seburn, twice.

   Two ministers were ordained by the Tea Creek Baptist Church. The Rev. W.E. Wrapp was licensed to preach in Nov. 1902, and ordained on August 24, 1906. Marion Hargeshiemer was licensed to preach on March 10, 1906 but not ordained. Rev. Richard DeBell was ordained on July 26, 1953.

   Through the years the church has had a steady and substantial growth. As many as six generations of the same families have worshiped in the chruch and from the original 41 members we now have over 300 members on our church roll, of which 75 are non-resident.

   The first Sunday School was organized on January 16, 1886 under the leadership of Rev. J.H. Blankenship. Inclement weather and bad roads caused the Sunday School to meet regularly only in the summer months. The Primary Department had its beginning in the old school house, under the direction of Mrs. Rosa Hoffman and now consists of three Departments.

   A Mission Circle was organized in Novenber 1927 by Mrs. Ernest Green and Mrs. Dempster Green. This group has accomplished much and is quite active today with Miss Georgana Medlin as this years president.

   A choir was started in 1956 through the efforts of Mrs. Frank Swords. Mrs. Everett Branham became its first director and served for ten years. Mrs. Evelyn Mousa has served since that time. The choir has become an inspirational part of our worship service.

   The original meeting house, with additions thru the years, is the one in which we worship today. In 1938 the church building was raised and a basement was added to the main building. In 1951, the basement was enlarged and now contains a kitchen, Sunday School rooms for Primary and Junior Departments, a nursery and pastor's sudy. A new auditorium and Sunday School rooms were added above the enlarged basement.

   In 1960 a new modern parsonage was built a short distance from the church. These accomplishments were made possible through the faithful labor and gracious gifts of the members and community.

MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH SINCE 1872
Rev. A.J. Robbins 1872-1875 Rev. D.N. Lett 1875-1876
Rev. W.B. Lewis 1876 Rev. Alan Hill 1877-1879
Rev. Wallace Smith 1879-1882 Rev. A.J. Robbins 1882-1883
Rev. J.W. Spillman 1883 Rev. J.H. Blankenship 1884-1886
Rev. Nelson Johnson 1886-1887 Rev. G.W. Thompson 1888
Rev. W.J. Owen 1889 Rev. J.M. Swarthout 1889-1891
Rev. T.J. Murphy 1892-1893 Rev. H.W. Spear 1893-1894
Rev. S.E. Ewing 1894-1895 Rev. W.T. Seburn 1895-1897
Rev. J.M. Swarthout 1897-1901 Rev. W.T. Seburn 1901-1903
Rev. V.L. Stonnell 1903-1904 Rev. T.J. Owen 1904-1908
J.N. Pierce 1908-1909 Rev. C.B. Jones 1910-1911
Rev. C.H. Overman 1911-1912 Rev. Porter M. Bailes 1913-1916
Rev. I.M. Morgan 1916-1917 Rev. A.J. Croy 1918-1919
Rev. A.W. Matheis 1919-1920 Rev. J.M. Swarthout 1920-1922
Rev. Dewey McFadden 1922-1923 Rev. J.E. Ledbetter 1923-1924
Rev. J. Elliott 1926 Rev. Gibson 1927
Rev. R.S. Webb 1928-1929 Rev. Josef Nordenhang 1929-1930
Rev. Pleasant 1932-1934 Rev. Ison Ferris 1934-1935
Rev. Charles Black 1936-1938 Rev. Rufus Gray 1939-1940
Rev. Lucius B. Marion 1940-1942 Rev. Harold Cole 1942-1943
Rev. Paul Hall 1944-1946 Rev. James Bragan 1946-1947
Rev. G.R. Ford 1947-1948 Rev. Page Kelley 1949-1950
Rev. James Cummings 1951 Rev. Joe DuBose 1952-1954
Rev. Sam Dougherty 1955-1957 Rev. A.A. Cohn (Interim Pastor) 1957-1958
Rev. Arthur Lynn 1959 Rev. Lyle W. Lee 1960-1961
Rev. Clyde Jackson 1962-1964 Rev. Winfred Winegar 1964-1965
Rev. Alan B. Roberts 1966-1967 Rev. Dana Congdon 1968-1970
Rev. Jack Waddell 1970-1972 Rev. Cardis W. Bryan 1972


SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS


Charles Gahn Charles Ross Madison Morin L.M. Kinder John Short
W.R. Malott George Earl Rosa Hoffman Forrest Kinder Edward Garrity
Frank Swords James Ashton Richard Thomas Wayne Vance Loren Hammel
Clarence Deaton Dale Pettit Roy Morin Larry Cox Everett Branham



DISTINGUISHED MINISTERS

Rev. A. J. ROBBINS

   Andrew Jackson Robbins was born in Scott County, Indiana. His early life was spent on the farm and in the villiage where he learned the trade of a Blacksmith. He felt the call to preach and served Vienna, Kimberlin Creek, Scaffold Lick, Bethany and Tea Creek, which organized in 1872 and was its pastor for several years. Brother Robbins was a fine singer and led his congregation in music.
   He enlisted in the Union Army and fought for the preservation of the Union that all might have the blessings of Liberty.
   Brother Robbins was married three times and had fifteen children.




REV. ALLEN HILL

   Rev. Allen Hill was born January 10, 1831, at the paternal homestead on Coffee Creek, Jennings County, Indiana. He attended Hanover College at Hanover, Indiana, for a short time and on the outbreak of the Civil War was the moving spirit in raising Company H, 27th Ind. Infantry, of which he was Captain. He served under General Banks in the Shenandoah Valley and fought at Harpers Ferry and Winchester. In the spring of 1863, he moved with his family to Illinois and was elected County Superintendent of Schools for Cade County. While living in Saulsberry, Allen Hill was converted and in April, 1869, was licensed to preach by the Little Flock Illinois Baptist Church. On January 22, 1876, he was formally ordained to the ministry. He served as pastor at Tea Creek from 1877 to 1879.
   Rev. Allen Hill married Maria Elizabeth Malcomb, daughter of Samuel and Nancy Malcomb, in 1856 by whom he had five children.




REV. J. M. SWARTHOUT

   Rev. J. M. Swarthout was ordained to the Baptist ministry at the Hayden Baptist church in November 1889. He was serving as pastor of Tea Creek and this church asked for his ordination. He was pastor of Tea Creek three different itme for a total of 7 years. During his service with this church, he baptized 43 members into the church.




Picture in booklet did not scan well.

REV. W. T. SEBURN

   William Thomas Seburn was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, June 15, 1862. He taught in public schools for five years. He was born again November 23, 1883 and was baptized on a cold day, December 16, by Elder William McCoy, for many years his beloved pastor. In November, 1886, he was called of God to the gospel ministry, and was ordained March 15, 1888.



REV. T. J. OWEN

   Thomas Jay Owen was born in Scott County, Indiana, August 10, 1874. He was a student of Franklin College, graduating from the institution with honors. He began preaching when he was 18 years of age. In Scott, Jennings and Jefferson Counties, Indiana.




REV. P. M. BAILES




REV. J. E. LEDBETTER




REV. R. S. WEBB




REV. JOSEF NORDENHAUG

   Josef Nordenhaug was born in Norway, attended the University of Oslo and was a part-time teacher at the Baptist Theological Seminary, Oslo. He pastored at Tea Creek from 1929-1930, while attending the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.
   He became the president of the Baptist Seminary at Ruschlikon-Zurich, Switzerland and General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance.




REV. R. F. GRAY

   Rufus Franklin Gray was born in Titusville, Florida, June 3, 1915. He was ordained to the ministry June 1, 1938. On May 10, 1939 he married Miss Marian Feeler. He served Tea Creek from 1939 to 1940. In the fall of 1940 they left the United States to enter the language school in Peiping. In March, 1941, they left Peping for Shangai and from there sailed to the Philippines, where they settled at Baguio to continue their study of the Chinese language. Here they were interned by the Japanese on December 29, 1941. About one month later, Rufus died in the hands of the Japanese, after being separated from his family and friends at the interment camp.




REV. H. COLE





REV. W. P. HALL





REV. J. BRAGAN





REV. P. H. KELLEY


   Page H. Kelley, a farm boy from Southern Alabama, has distinguished himself in the Lord's service in many ways. He felt the call to the misistry as a student in high school. While still a student, he pastored a church near Geneva, Alabama.
   He attended Howard College in Birmingham, then entered the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While at the he received his B.D. degree as was sought oout as a graduate fellow. He taught Hebrew for three years, completing a TH.D. in Old Testament. Upon leaving the Seminary Dr. Kelley and his wife Vernice served as missionaries in Brazil from 1953 to 1959. He taught, in Portuguse, for six years at the Seminario Teologico Batista du Sul do Brazil in Reo de Janeiro.
   In 1959, Dr. Page Kelley returned to the Seminary in Louisville as a faculty member. He has written; "The Book of Amos" (1966), "Judgement and Redemption in Isiah" (1968), and "A Nation in the Making" (1969).


REV. J. W. CUMMINGS





REV. J. D. DuBOSE





REV. L. W. LEE





REV. C. JACKSON





REV. W. WINEGAR





REV. A. B. ROBERTS





REV. D. CONGDON





REV. J. WADDELL





OFFICERS
                                                             1872                                                                     1972
Pastor Rev. Rev. Andrew J. Robbins Rev. Cardis W. Bryan
Moderator Rev. Andrew J. Robbins Dale Pettit
Joe Binford (Asst. Mod.
Clerk John Short Sharon Galliher
Helen Poling (Asst. Clerk)
Deacon Wm. Robbins Lovell Hughes, Chairman
Michael Hughes
Earl Morin
Larry Cox
Trustees Joseph Vance Harold Malcomb
Charles Walker Harold Galliher
G. W. Craig Wayne Vance
Rosemary Morin
Lena Kinder
Registrar Agnes Morin
Treasurer Wilma Hughes
Asst. Treasurer Irene Swords
Head Usher John Wetzel
Asst. Usher Jim Green
Music Director Evelyn Mousa
Asst. Music Director Alice Branham
Pianist Ires Garrity
Asst. Pianist Helen Green
Organist Georgina Modlin
Song Leader Jan Littell
Christian Ed. Chairman Helen Green
Flower Chairman Grace Ochs
Stewardship Chairman Roe Morin
Finance Chairman Anita Vance
Social Programs Chairman Helen Littell
Gifts Chairman Carol Pettit
Mike Herman
Entertainment LaVerne Malcomb
Ministry to Service Men Grace Poling
Rep. to Laymans Exec. Board Jim Reynolds
Missionary Treasurer Jim Reynolds
Missionary Treasurer Marjorie Kehrt
Senior B.Y.F. Sponsors Phil Swords
Linda Swords
Alternates Larry Cox
JoAnn Cox
Junior B.Y.F. Sponsor Jan Litterell
Assistant Carol Pettit
Senior B.Y.F. President Karen Vance
Senior B.Y.F. Vice President Susan Vance
Senior B.Y.F. Sec. Treas. Pam Webster
Coffee Creek Currents JoAnn Cox
Church Music Committee Georgina Modlin
Sunday School Supt. Everett Branham
Asst. Supt. Ed Kehrt
Sunday School Secretary Eileen Childs
Asst. Secretary Lee Galliher
Sunday School Song Leader Edna Littrell
Asst. Song Leader Linda Green
Jr. Dept. Supt. Dot Littrell
Primary Dept. Supt. Alice Branham
Asst. Pri. Dept. Supt. Grace Morin
Cradel Roll Mildred Hughes
Sunday School Pianist Pam Webster
Asst. Pianist Evelyn Mousa




OUR OLDEST LIVING MEMBERS



   Phoebe Elizabeth Kinder Vance, our oldest living member, was born March 21, 1878 and was baptized into the Tea Creek Baptist Church December, 1899.
   She married James Edward Vance September, 1905, attended the Church and Sunday School regularly and helped in the singing until failing sight and physical disablility hindered her attendance.



   Forrest Thomas Spencer, one of our oldest members, was born June 7, 1879 in the Weston neighborhood. His parents died when he was seventeen, and from that time he worked and lived in several different states and places.
   He was baptized into the fellowship of the Tea Creek Baptist Church in May, 1905.
   April 3, 1922 he married Mrs. Minnie Morin.
   He now spends the winter with a daughter, Mrs. John A. Green in Florida, and summers with a son, Arthur Spencer, Syracuse, Indiana.



TEA CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH 2007




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