Located in present day Lanier County, GA, the old Union Church lies about 10 miles east of where Levi J. Knight settled on Beaver Dam Creek (now Ray City, GA). It was the first church to serve the pioneer settlers of this region. L. J. Knight’s parents, Sarah and William Anderson Knight , were among the organizing members of the church. Built on land provided by Jesse Carter, the church was originally referred to as Carter’s Meeting House, and later designated Union Church.
The church and cemetery were on a trail used by the Creek Indians traveling between the Chattahoochee River and the Okefenokee Swamp. During the Indian Wars, 1836-1838, the church building was partially burned. The fire-damaged timbers were used in the reconstruction, and since that time Union Church has also been known as Burnt Church.
“Union Baptist Church, on the Alapaha River ….was constituted October 21, 1825, the first church in the old area of Irwin County. The original members William A. Knight; his wife, Sarah; Jonathan Knight; his wife, Elizabeth; Joshua Lee; his wife, Martha; James Patten; his wife, Elizabeth; Mary Knight; Josiah Sirmans, deacon. The Rev. Matthew Albritton served the church as its first minister.”
Union Church, Lanier County, GA
In Pines and pioneers: A history of Lowndes County, Georgia, 1825-1900, author J. T. Shelton gave the following description described a Big Meeting at Union church:
“The old church had a door on every side for easy access, a rostrum along one wall with seats facing it from three directions. The arrangement allowed the seating of slaves on one side. With feet planted firmly on the wide floor boards, the congregation sat on the pews, each a single plank. The women of the church had scrubbed down with potash and homemade soap both pews and flooring, and the wood had a soft, silvery sheen. The pulpit was seven feet long, twelve inches wide and two inches thick; three to five preachers sat on a long bench behind the pulpit until each had his turn to address the assembly. The exhorter then paced up and down the generous space provided, and he held forth for two hours before the next preacher had his chance. Listeners came and went; mothers carried out crying babies; little boys believed that they would starve to death before they could get outside to the loaded dinner tables that were as much a part of Big Meeting as the preaching.”
In 1928-30, The Clinch County News published a series of articles on the history of Union Church, portions of which are excerpted below:
HISTORY OF OLD UNION CHURCH
Established 1825
Chapter I
Union Primitive Baptist Church, the mother of all the churches of this faith in this immediate section of Georgia, was organized or constituted October 1st, 1825. The presbytery consisted of Elders Fleming Bates and Mathew Albritton.
As is well known, the church is located on the banks of the Alapaha River about 1 1/2 miles south of Lakeland formerly old Milltown. It stands to-day where it has always stood for the past 108 years (1933). The cemetery close by contains the graves of many pioneers and old citizens of east Lowndes, southeast Berrien and western Clinch counties. Baptisms have always taken place in the nearby river, it not being over one hundred yards from the church to the river. A high bluff with a sharp bend in the river’s course is the visitor’s introduction after he has passed the church. Several steady-flowing springs of fine drinking water are to be found on the banks, and eminating from the walls of the bluff. Part of the bluff slopes off to the river’s edge at the river bend thus making an ideal place for baptism purposes.
The little log-house which was the first building on the site of the present church, had come to be known as Carter’s Meeting House prior to the organization of the church. For some months prior it had been the scene of monthly meetings or services, and it was the expression of the desire of the settlers to have some kind of divine services in their midst, for there was not a church to be found of any denomination from the Altamaha River to the Florida and Alabama lines. The settlers in this immediate vicinity were more numerous than in most of the settlements, and many of them Carters. The meeting-house took its name from old man Jesse Carter and he probably gave the land and his boys had a hand in building the original log house to hold services in. The earliest settlers had only been living here four years at the time, while the most of them had not living here hardly a year. Knights, Carters, Giddens and Lees made up most of the settlers west of the river while on the east side of the river were to be found Tomlinsons, Sirmans and Fenders, Corbitts and Mathises. Further down the river could be found the Wetheringtons, Swilleys, Peters, Walkers, and Roberts.
Elder William A. Knight, at that time a layman, was one of the leading spirits in the formation of the church. As already stated it was Elders Bates and Albritton who presided at the organization of the church, but to “Old Father Knight” as many people called him in his lifetime, may be attribute more than anyone else the religious activities of the community in those days when the first settlers were moving in. He led in prayer and in song, and when the preacher failed to keep an appointment because of lurking Indians, high waters or other providential hindrances it was Bro. Knight who took charge and carried on the service. Five years after the church was organized he was licensed to preach the Gospel and two years later (1832) he was ordained to the full Gospel ministry.
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Union Church had been constituted under the auspices of the Piedmont Primitive Baptist Association, but by 1827 the establishment of a number of new churches prompted a desire to divide the association. According to a history thesis by Michael Otis Holt,
On August 24, 1827, a council met in Thomas County, Georgia to determine the feasibility of forming a new association in the region. The council arranged for another meeting at Mt. Gilead Church in September and requested that all interested churches send messengers with a statement of faith and the date of their constitution together with names of the ministers taking part in it. The careful attention to detail was necessary, because many churches in the area had cut corners in their organization. An example is Shiloh Church in Ware County. In 1833, the Ochlocknee Association would not accept Shiloh Church because it was constituted “illegally.” However, the association did offer instruction on how to craft a new constitution, which Shiloh did. The council decided to go ahead with the plans for a new association. In October, 1827, the Piedmont Association, “received and read a petition from seven Baptist churches situated between the Alapaha and Flint River praying ministerial aid to constitute them into a new association.” The Piedmont set Matthew Albritton and Fleming Bates to oversee the organization of the Association. Both were members of Union Church, near present day Lakeland, Georgia, which requested and received dismission from the Piedmont to join the new association.
The association held an organizational meeting at Bethel Church in what is now Brooks County, Georgia, in November, 1827. Six churches took part in the constitution of the Association. Union Church, was almost certainly the church that joined at the first session of the new association, which called itself Ochlocknee. In the first year of its existence, the Ochlocknee Association claimed 138 members among its seven churches. The initial meeting went well and Bates and Albritton reported to Union Church that, ‘much harmony and love abounded.’
The new association grew quickly. By 1833, the Ochlocknee had thirty-five churches with 1,010 members. Though migration to the region was steadily increasing during this time, it did not account for all of the increase. In 1833, 179 were baptized into the association’s churches. Fourteen new churches applied for membership during the same year. So many neophytes comprised the new churches that the association appointed William Knight to instruct them on the proper duties of churches to the association. The rapid expansion expanded the Ochlocknee’s borders to extend from the Piedmont Association to the St. John’s Association. The expansive size of the association prompted a proposal to divide at the 1833 meeting.
In 1834, Friendship, Union, and Elizabeth churches in Georgia, and Providence, New Zion, Concord, Newington, and New River in Florida, were dismissed from the Ochlocknee Association to form a new association. In a reflection of the intense territorialism of the associations of the period, the new body was given a boundary that extended up the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, and Little River. The association took the name Suwannee River and scheduled a constitutional meeting at Concord Church for December, 1834. The delegates duly arrived at the meeting, but the ministers failed to show. At a rescheduled meeting held in September, 1835, only one appointed minister showed, so the delegates coopted William A. Knight as the other member of the presbytery and proceeded to formally organize the association.
The Suwannee River Association did not experience rapid growth like the Ochlocknee. The Second Seminole War was the primary cause for the association’s slow growth and sparse representation. The 1838 session recommended that the churches increase their days of fasting and prayer, ‘that the Lord might divert the judgments which seem to hang over us.’ They also suggested they put off any general business of the association, “by reason of the unsettled affairs of our country.” The 1839 session met in the safer Georgia territory and again suggested more prayer and fasting, “so that the warwhoop of a savage foe, might not be heard any longer in our land to the great disturbance of our fellow citizens, while numbers of our women and infant children are falling victims to their relentless hands.” Nearby associations “lamented the situation of the Suwannee Association, on account of the Indian War in that vicinity.”
By the beginning of the 1840s, tensions in the region had eased and the Suwannee was experiencing growth. The 1840 minutes of the Suwannee Association speak of a revival that was strongest among its congregations in Georgia. However, this period of growth and expansion would eventually produce discord and division among the Baptists of South Georgia.
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In 1856 the Union Association was constituted with twelve churches formerly belonging to the Suwannee Association, most of whose churches were in Florida. A division was agreed to, making the State line the dividing line between the two Associations. The constituting presbytery was composed of Elders J. E. W. Smith, William A. Knight and J. B. Smith met at Union Church. Her ministers were Elders William A. Knight, Moses Westberry, Ansel Parrish, J. D. Hutto and E. J. Williams, with perhaps two licentiates. Harmony prevailed for a number of years, and the progress of the Association was upward and onward.
Clinch County News
September 20, 1929
HISTORY OF OLD UNION CHURCH
Established 1825
Chapter XIII.
As has been stated before, the minutes of the church from the beginning in 1825 to 1832 have been lost. We understand, however, that Rev. William A. Knight was the first pastor as well as the guiding hand of the church during these early years. It is certain that he was one of the charter members and the only ordained minister holding his membership with the church during that time. Assuming that he was pastor during those seven years, the list of pastors up to recently [1929], is as follows:
If the writer could properly write the life of these earnest consecrated servants of the Lord, it would be equal to writing an account of the religious life of this section in the Primitive Baptist denomination. Fearless in fighting sin and bold in preaching Christ and faithful in contending for the Faith, they have served nobly and well and unborn generations will bear witness to the fruits of their work. With few exceptions the writer has not sufficient biographical data at hand now to write of their individual lives, but we know of their godly records. We hope to write later of the lives of these great preachers.
Church Clerks
The clerks of the church likewise contain a list of fine men, known throughout their communities and counties for their good, upright lives, and their staunch Christian characters. We do not know who the first clerk was.
Elected
- Owen Smith September 7, 1832
- Joshua Sykes January 12, 1839
- Isaac D. Hutto April 13, 1845
- William Patten May 10, 1851
- William Lastinger July 8, 1854
- John Studstill Jan 9, 1858
- William Giddens May 7, 1863
- E. R. Rhoden October 8, 1891
- W. R. Rhoden November 10, 1894
- J. L. Robertson February 12, 1898
- Wm. J. Knight May 12, 1900
- J. A. Weaver August 10, 1901
- G. L. Robinson September 12, 1924
- J. A. Weaver September 12, 1925
- J. S. Shaw October 8, 1926
A good portion of the minutes is in the handwriting of assistant clerks. These assistant clerks were generally elected by the church, but of late years there have been no assistants. The list of assistant clerks is as follows:
- William A. Knight 1834-1837
- Levi Drawdy 1837-1848
- James Walker 1853-1854
- Richard H. Burkhalter 1861-1862
- John P. Tomlinson 1887-1900
- John T. Watson 1900-1902
Deacons
The church has had but few deacons during its 105 years [as of 1929] of existence. There were apparently never over two at the time, and when elected they served for life unless sooner dismissed by letter or otherwise. The list given below is full of as fine men as ever lived in this section. We do not in the list make any attempt to show how long they served except in those cases where they died members of the church. We do not know who the first deacons of the church were. List follows:
Bro. Edmund Mathis, one of the deacons, having removed his membership, Bro. Joshua Lee was elected in his place March 10, 1833, and ordained April 13, 1833 by Elders Peacock, Friar and Knight.
September 6, 1839, Bro. Edmund Mathis was received back into the membership by letter from Concord church, Hamilton County, Fla., and acted as a deacon until dismissed again by letter April 10, 1841.
On June 13, 1841, brethren Jacob Hughes and John Lee were ordained deacons. Members of the presbytery not shown by minutes.
March 13, 1852, brethren Richard H. Burkhalter and J. D. Peters were elected deacons. They were ordained June 12, 1852 but the minutes do not show who constituted the presbytery. Bro. Burkhalter died in 1862 and Bro. Peters also died a member but we do not know when.
The minutes do not show any further ordination of deacons until 1891 when Bro. John P. Tomlinson was elected on May 9th. On June 13, 1891 he was ordained by Elders J. A. O’steen and T. W. Stallings.
On December 9, 1899, Bro. James L. Robinson was elected a deacon but was never ordained.
On November 10, 1906 Bro. Israel G. Carter was elected a deacon and ordained January 12, 1907 by Elders B.P. Lovett from Salem Church, I. A. Wetherington from Unity church, A. A. Knight , the pastor.
On October 9, 1909, Bro. J. A. Weaver was elected deacon, and ordained February 12, 1910 by Elders Wetherington, Chitty and A. A. Knight .
Treasurers
The minutes do not disclose that the church ever had any treasurer until 1909 whem on October 9th, Bro. J. A. Weaver was elected as such.
Historic Marker – Union Church, organized 1825. Sarah and William A. Knight were founding members.
Some other members of Union Church:
- George Harris – received August 7, 1841, dismissed by letter March 12, 1842; joined Providence Primitive Baptist Church near their home soon after that church was constituted in 1844
- Julia Ann Westberry Harris – received August 7, 1841, dismissed by letter March 12, 1842; joined Providence Primitive Baptist Church near their home soon after that church was constituted in 1844
- William Hughes – joined by letter, December 8, 1838
- William Wesley Johnson – baptized August 10, 1839
- Amelia Sherley Johnson – baptized June 13, 1840
- John Lee – joined by letter, June 8, 1839
- Elender Wetherington Lee – joined by letter, June 8, 1838
- Joshua Lee – constituting member, October 1, 1825
- Martha Ford Lee – constituting member, October 1, 1825
- Moses C. Lee – baptized September 11, 1841
- Jincey Register Lee – baptized September 10, 1854
- Thomas Mathis – united 1839, dismissed by letter December 12, 1840
- Eady Mathis – united 1839, dismissed by letter December 12, 1840
- Tyre Mathis – joined by letter April 12, 1828, dismissed by letter December 11, 1847
- Nancy Lee Mathis – joined by letter April 12, 1828, dismissed by letter December 11, 1847
- Mehala Rice Monk – joined by letter 1838
- Elizabeth Skinner Register – received by letter into Union Church, September 13, 1828, from Fellowship Baptist Church, Appling County, and dismissed by letter April 10, 1841 from Union to participate in constituting Wayfare Church
- William Patten – baptized September 9, 1848, dismissed by letter March 11, 1854 to organize Empire Church
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