 | A history of Caroline county, Virginia |  |
CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH
Carmel church, situated about twelve miles southwest of
Bowling Green, "was planted by S. Harris and J. Reed" in 1773.
The first name of the church was Polecat, so called from its
proximity to Polecat Creek. This name was changed to Burruss's
church, in honor of Rev. John Burruss, the first pastor. Upon the
erection of a new house of worship in 1838, on the present site, a
new church constitution was adopted opening with these words:
"This church is called and shall be known by the name of Burruss's
Baptist Church of Christ at Mt. Carmel." The house erected in
1838 was burned in 1874. During the interval between these dates
the name Mt. Carmel gradually took precedence over Burruss's
and Mt. Carmel was finally adopted as the name. Later the "Mt."
was dropped by a formal vote and Carmel became the name of
the congregation.
Among the families represented in the church during the first
century of its existence may be named the following: Adams,
Anderson, Allen, Abrams, Atkins, Acres, Brown, Burruss, Butzner,
Boxley, Bibb, Broaddus, Butler, Blunt, Chiles, Cleere, Carter,
Coleman, Chandler, Cobb, Carneal, Cannon, Davenport, Day,
Dickenson, Dunn, DeJarnette, Estes, Enroughty, England,
Flippo, Fletcher, Fox, Flagg, Gatewood, Goland, Goulding,
Goodwin, Hewlett, Harris, Hargrave, Hackett, Holloway, Isbell,
Kelly, Knote, Long, Luck, Middlebrook, Mills, Malone, McLaughlin,
Matthews, Minor, Moncure, Montgomery, Madison,
Miller, Mitchell, Newson, News, Patterson, Price, Pemberton,
Peatross, Quarles, Reynolds, Redd, Richardson, Smith, Spearman,
Stevens, Sacra, Swann, Southworth, Temple, Tisdale, Terrell,
Woolfolk, Winston, Woodson, Waddey, Wright, Yarbrough.
These names largely represent the membership of Carmel up to
the beginning of the twentieth century. In the list are all the
names of all the deacons, trustees, clerks, treasurers of the first
125 years. Nor does this list give the names of the colored members
who out-numbered the white members three to one at times.
For instance in 1809 there were 162 white and 342 colored members.
There is no record of the slightest friction between the races.
The first pastor was John Burruss who had associated with
him John Waller. This pastorate continued twenty years and
was followed by that of Dr. Andrew Broaddus who served as
pastor for thirty years. Dr. Broaddus was followed by M. L.
Jones, Rufus Chandler and Warren Woodson, in the order named.
M. L. Jones returned in 1837 and served as pastor until 1841
and was succeeded by Samuel Harris. Samuel Harris was succeeded
by the Rev. Messrs. Andrew Broaddus, James D. Coleman
and Joseph Baker in the order named. In the sketch of Baker
which appears in Taylor's Virginia Baptist Ministers it is recorded
that he left "the upper country" (Winchester) and went down
to "the lower country and assumed the pastorate of Burruss's
Church in Caroline county." Both Baker and Jones died during
their pastorates at Carmel. The Rev. Mr. Baker was succeeded in
turn by W. D. Thomas, A. M. Poindexter, Charles H. Ryland,
J. B. T. Patterson, P. B. Rennolds, E. G. Baptist, G. W. Reggan,
E. W. Winfrey, Edmund Harrison, J. T. Betts, T. R. Carr, J. W.
McCown, Hugh Goodwin, Hugh Musselman, L. D. Craddock,
L. L. Gwaltney and W. D. Bremner, W. B. Carter and G. T.
Terrell. During Mr. Ryland's pastorate the Federal troops
riddled the church inside and turned it into a slaughter pen.
A. M. Poindexter was a great orator and G. W. Reggan was a
great scholar. L. L. Gwaltney became editor of the Alabama
Baptist. The longest pastorates were those of Burruss, Waller
and Broaddus. W. D. Bremner and M. L. Jones were pastors
on two different occasions. Mr. Bremner served from 1905 to
1913 and from 1917 to 1924, when he removed to Gloucester.
The following men have been ordained to the ministry from
the membership of Carmel: Robert Tisdale, Rufus Chandler,
John M. Waddy, Archibald Dick, William I. Chiles, Thomas
H. Fox, John W. Walsh and Henry Wise Tribble.
The minutes show that in the late sixties colored deacons
were ordained, and that in 1868, "Elmore E. Taylor was granted
a license to preach the gospel to persons of his own colour."
When the building burned in 1874 the colored members erected a
church of their own. The new house had no gallery for colored
people. Practically all country churches with galleries were built
prior to the Civil War.
Carmel once owned an adjacent building, called Temperance
Hall. It was the outgrowth of a organization known as the
Temperance Society. By an irony of fate it was removed to
Ruther Glen in the seventies and used for a saloon.
In 1923 Carmel spent $5,000.00 in improvements on the
building preparatory to the celebration of the 150th anniversary
held that year. The location on the Telegraph road and at the
fork of the Milford and Chilesburg roads is very desirable and the
church prospers. The present membership is approximately 300.
| A history of Caroline county, Virginia | |