Thank you VERY MUCH for taking time to copy and send this information. I very much appreciate your kindness. Sincerely, Ed T of PGH ---------- >From: "Patricia Kruger" <pekruger@prodigy.net> >To: GABURKE-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: Hopeful Baptist Church, Rocky Creek Baptist >Date: Wed, Apr 12, 2000, 4:53 PM > >There is some information on Hopeful Baptist Church in the book - A History >of Burke County, GA 1777- 1950 by Albert M. Hillhouse. This book is still >available. ON page 262-263: "This church grew out of the preaching in >Burke County of Rev. Edmund Byne, but was not organized until 1815, one year >after his death. "His labors were bestowed chiefly upon Rocky Creek Church, >and in preparing the material which afterwards became Hopeful Church " >(footnote 92). Minutes of the church date from November 1815. > >The congregation has always remained small. The membership in 1853 included >thirty-seven white communicants and twenty-five slaves. During the Civil >War the church was kept active largely through the efforts of Joshua Scott >Key, son of Rev. Joshua Key and Mrs. B. B. Miller. > >The church has had but one site, about eight miles from Hephzibah in the >65th district. Hopeful Branch rises in the vicinity. Two modest structures >preceded the present, small, but beautiful edifice erected in 1851 against a >background of woodlands. The church cost $5,000. Four tall columns support >the front of the church. The granite steps, extending the entire front >length of the church, were brought from Stone Mountain by the Georgia >Railroad. They were then hauled by teams to Hopeful. The rear steps of the >church are made of granite also. On the inside, the doorknobs are made of >solid silver and the pews of mahogany. A partition still divides the seats >were the slaves sat. > >The church cemetery extends into a grove behind the church. An older >graveyard was probably in use since most of the markers date from the 1850s >and later, except Sarah and Mary Tarver, who died in 1839 and 1849 >respectively. Here are the graves of Rev. J. H. T. ("Father") Kilpatrick, >Rev. Joshua Key, Joshua Scott Key and the Bynes, the Palmers and others. Of >special note is the grave of Nancy Palmer Johnson, the mother of Herschel V. >Jounson, one of Burke's most distinguished citizens (then the epitaphs of >Nancy Johnson is included in the book) > >Footnote # 92 - Minutes of the Ninety-Seventh Anniversary of the Hephzibah >Baptist Association, Oct. 20-22, 1961. > > >Looks like Rocky Creek might be a place to look for his grave - so here is >the Rocky Creek info. from the Hillhouse book, page 257 > >"This Church, located about six miles from Waynesboro on the road to Vidette >and Louisville, was originally known as the Lower Rocky Creek Church. It >was established in 1789. The charter members are not known. Among its >early pastors were Rev. Edmund Byne, William Franklin, Jordan Smith, and >Isaac Brinson. Later pastors included Joseph Polhill and William H. Davis. > >The church's greatest period was from about 1830 to the Civil War. Its >total of 276 exceeded that of any other Burke Baptist Church in 1853, >although it stood second in size if only white communicants were numbered. > >An 1875 booklet of its "Articles of Faith, Government and Rules of Order" >lists the following officers; Rev. William H. Davis, pastor; Jethro Thomas, >Silas Wyatt and Henry White, deacons; B. F. Duke, clerk; and Azekiel >Attaway, treasurer and collector. > >After the establishment of the First Baptist Church in Waynesboro, the >membership of the Rocky Creek church declined. Many of the early members of >that town church had previously come from Rock Creek, and the population >movement away from that rural area continued. By 1893 the membership had >dropped to 46 and later no active congregation existed. The church building >was later used by a Negro Baptist congregation but from some years afterward >it remained abandoned." > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Edgar Taylor <ertjr@sgi.net> >To: <GABURKE-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2000 2:32 PM >Subject: Re: Bark Camp Church- another church- Hopeful Baptist Church > > >> Does anyone have historical information for the Hopeful Baptist Church in >> Burke Co similiar to what Ms. Dolorus Thompson has kindly posted for the >> Bark Camp Church? One of the first preachers, if not THE first, was Rev. >> Edmund Byne who brought his large family from King and Queen Co VA after >the >> Rev War. >> >> Edmund Byne is my ancestor. He is presumed to be buried in the graveyard >of >> this church. >> >> Thanks for your help. Ed T of PGH >> >