Thompson Creek Baptist Church
Thompson Creek Baptist Church Sign
Thompson Creek Baptist Church Cemetery
Church History 1889 - 1989 (Copied)
After colonial times the people living in the Wexford area attended Deep Creek Baptist Church which was organized in 1778. Deep Creek Baptist Church was situated near Deep Creek just off the stage coach road from Camden, South Carolina to Cheraw Hill about three miles west of the Chesterfield Court House. The location today would be across the road from Ebenezer Methodist Church in a southeasterly direction.
The majority of the membership of Deep Creek Baptist Church was from Anson County. In 1823 Deep Creek Baptist Church was literally moved to Anson County, North Carolina.
Mr. Tristian Thomas “Trust” Burch organized a Sunday School that met at the “Racket Fork” school house. According to legend, the schoolmaster re-named the school after his hometown of Wexford in Ireland.
During the 1860’s, the Sunday School began having visiting ministers preach from time-to-time. One of the visiting ministers was Daniel B. Smith. He held a mortgage on some farm land in the Wexford community. Daniel B. Smith offered to get some land for a church if the community would build one.
Thompson Creek Baptist Church was established as a mission of Deep Creek Baptist Church in 1889. The first church building was located close to the Mayesville Road. The building was made of wood and its dimensions were 20’ by 30’. The present pump house is in the approximate location of the right rear corner of that building. A deed was given to Thompson Creek Baptist Church by H. H. Lowery for one acre of land in consideration of the sum of $5.00. This instrument is co-signed by D. B. Smith and witnessed by C. C. Jenkins.
In 1891 Thompson Creek Baptist Church was one of nine churches to leave the Moriah Association to form the Chesterfield Baptist Association. Thompson Creek’s membership in 1891 was 35 people; 18 males and 17 females. Mr. Jack Eddins was the first minister and Mr. C. H. Johnson was the first church clerk. Mr. George Davidson, Mr. M. C. Coker and Mr. John Jordan were the first Board of Deacons. Worship services were held on the third Sunday.
The deed given to Thompson Creek Baptist Church by H. H. Lowery could not be recorded because Mr. Lowery defaulted on the mortgage to Daniel B. Smith. Daniel B. Smith foreclosed on the mortgage and took possession of the farm.
Daniel B. Smith preached his last sermon on Sunday, October 28, 1900 in the capacity of supply pastor at Thompson Creek. He became ill on his way to Ruby, where he lived and died on Wednesday, October 31, 1900.
Mr. Smith did not have a will nor did he give a deed to Thompson Creek Baptist Church for the land it was built upon. In the settlement of the Daniel Buie Smith estate his wife, Susan Horn Boan Smith, and their daughter, Mable drew the Lowery farm as their part of the estate.
The second church building was constructed in 1908. It was built by Walter Carpenter and his brother from Stanley County, North Carolina. The church building was dedicated in 1909. The land for the second church was bought from C. C. Jenkins for $50.00. The parcel consisted of one acre. The title is dated September 19, 1908. The first church building was sold to Wexford School District on September 19, 1908 for $50.00 by the Board of Deacons of Thompson Creek Baptist Church. According to that title signed by E. B. Smith, G. L. Moore, H. A. Sellers and witnessed by D. H. Coker and J. C. Rivers. “It is hereby consented that it is a consideration of this conveyance that the church at Thompson Creek shall have equal right as to the use of the well for church purposes for obtaining water for the use of the congregation attending anything at the Thompson Creek Baptist Church on this plot of land.”
As a school the first church building was divided into two rooms and was heated with a wood stove. Students carried in wood and stoked the fire. Murray C. Smith was a student at the Wexford School in October, 1916. According to Mr. Smith, the teacher told Press Burch to stoke the fire. Press got an armload of fat kindling wood and put it in the stove. Then he collected his brother and told him it was time to go home. The stove jumped up and down with the roar of the fire. The building ignited and burned to the ground. No one was seriously injured.
A title was give to the trustees of Thompson Creek Baptist Church from the trustees of Wexford School District in April 1917 for the land of the first building. The church paid $25.00 for the land.
In the Chesterfield Baptist Association Meeting minutes for 1959 in the value of Church Property table a pastor’s home is shown. The parsonage is valued at $10,000. The plan for the parsonage was one popularly used in the late 50’s and early 60’s. The building was supervised by Mr. Henry Allen.
The building fund for the third church building was initiated by the Young People’s Training Union Class. The first dollar for this fund was given by Mrs. Loretta Mauldin Parker. The plans were drawn by Harold M. Rumfelt, pastor. Much assistance was given by Mr. Clyde R. Burch. Groundbreaking took place in 1960 when Kermit Deese was pastor. The third church building, our present building, was located east of the second building. Mr. Johnnie F. Blackburn supervised the construction. The third church building construction used as much of the materials from the second church as possible.
In 1965 the building was completed at a cost of approximately $25,000. Randy White was pastor when the mortgage was burned on October 8, 1967.
Land was acquired by Thompson Creek Baptist Church at different times. Some of these purchases are from H. H. Lowery, C. C. Jenkins, J. S. and Frank McGregor, Mabel S. Smith, John and John F. McLeod, Jr. Today the church is situated on 8.17 acres of land brought under one plot when Ronnie Vaughn was pastor. A quit-claim deed cleared up the eastern boundary of the church. In consideration of $5.00 this deed was given by Murray C. Smith and Gerald Smith, grandsons of Daniel B. Smith. This quit-claim deed was filed June 14, 1982.
Services at the church were not full-time until 1961. The pastor was Frank Hendley. Before this time Thompson Creek had services on the third Sunday morning. Later the church held worship services on the first and third Sunday morning and the second and fourth Sunday afternoon.
As of 1988 Thompson Creek Baptist Church reported 264 members. Church property has an estimated worth of $469,000. The amount of money given to the church in 1988 was $43,107.36.
Roll of Pastors:
A. J. Eddins
B. F. Hargett
C. D. Joplin
A. B. Smith
J. H. Hartsell
J. D. Purvis
J. A. Langley
Luther Knight
J. B. Little
Eugene Knight
Sandy Graham
James W. Wilder
Maynard Allen
H. L. Rumfelt
Kermit Deese
Frank Hendley
Randy White
Ray Cassidy
Bobby Lee Smith
James E. Quick
Bill Harrison
Ronnie Vaughn
Rom Shumate
David Johnson
List of Ordained:
Lumus Honeycutt
William Rivers
Joel Rayfield