..­ HISTORY OF BLUE RIDGE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION-50 YEARS ---1929-1979 by Millard F. Hall, Historian

Franklin Justice 1939-1949 Ralph Gouge 1961-1962 from c: Jack Guffey, Sr. 1949-1951 Clarkson McKinney 1962-1963 Rev. H Joe Datson 1951-1952 Cecil Brown 1967-1969 Fruitla Jack Guffey, Jr. 1952-1953 Buster King 1970 year, 4 Frank Hollifield 1953-1955 Cecil Brown 1970-1974 Churcl Cecil Smith 1955-1959 Howard Michaels 1974-1975 Paul Hyder 1959-1961 Cecil Brown 1975-Present

The present pastor of Stone Mountain, Cecil Brown, was born in Old Fort, N.C. and at­tended Old Fort School. He served in the Air Force in 1946. He answered the call into the ministry August 25, 1965, after having served as a Deacon at Bethlehem Baptist Church. He attended Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute. Cecil and his wife, Frances have five children. He has pastored churches in Marion, Old Fort, and Black Mountain, N.C.

SUNNY GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH ~ev. Kenneth Ray Ha1l, Pastor

[Picture Not Available) . -The Sunny Grove Baptist Church was

organized October 15, 1935. There were representatives from Bethel, Cross Mill, Chapel Hill, Greenlee, Harmony Grove, Mt. Harmony, North Cove, and West Marion. Rev. G.A. Condrey called the meeting to order and was elected Moderator with Rev. J.E. Hill chosen as Clerk. The assemply took vows to cooperate as a Missionary Baptist Church in the Association.

The following were Charter Members of Sunny Grove Church: Wilburn Queen, Laurence Queen, Mr. & Mrs. B.R. Foster, Mrs. Glen Bullock, Mr. & Mrs. Alonzo Law­ing, Mr. & Mrs. John Foster, A.B. Ruppe. Those received into the church following the organization were Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Queen, Mrs. Lona Foster, Miss Effie Walker, and Mrs. Neil Turnbull. 1The new church was dedicated October, .

be!1944. Through the years improvements and additions have been made to the church. cal

The following have served as Church Clerks at Sunny Grove: Wilburn Queen, Hattie on Queen, Glen Bullock, Edm1 Smith, Mattie Blackburn, Betty Newton, Effie Blackburn, fre Thelma Price. . ;' na

In 1944 the first delegates to the association were chosen. or, IDI

Pastors that have served at Sunny Grove are: Sf

" SE G.A. Condrey 1935-1938 Luther Bishop 1955-1962 1! W.K. Wyatt 1938-1940 David Chatham 1962-1964 J.1. Reddy 1940-1943 Kelce Hollifield 1964-1967 Robert Early 1944-1955 Denzil Adams 1967-1972 P LeRoy Smith 1955 Kenneth Ray Hall 1972

/' The pr~sent pastor, Kenneth Ray Hall was born April 19, 1929. He married Alva Maney

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PRESENT BillLDING

HISTORY OF BLUE RIDGE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

50 YEARS ---1929-1979 by Millard F. Hall, Historian

1961-1962 1962-1963 1967-1969 1970 1970-1974 1974-1975

1975-Present

N.C. and at­the call into the Baptist Church.

'ances have five ·untain, N.C.

DING

from Clay County on July 22, 1950. They have three children: Jackie, Sandra and Debra. Rev. Hall attended Eugene Cross School in Marion, N.C. and completed studies at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in 1965. He pastored the Parkers Chapel Church for 1 year, 4 months; North Marion Mission [now Grandview) for 3% years; Hankins Baptist Church for 4 V2 years; and came to Sunny Grove July 1972.

WEST COURT STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

FIRST BUILDING PRESENT BUILDING Rev. Bill Bryont. Postor

) the church.

l Queen, Hattie rfie Blackburn,

1955-1962 1962-1964 1964-1967 1967-1972 1972

Jd Alva Maney

The West Court Street Baptist Church was organized· February, 1947, however it's beginning started some years before in 1939 when Rev. Herman Martin of Spindale, N.C. came to Marion and brought a large tent and held a tent revival on a lot of the Guy Estate on West Court Street. In the later part of 1940, the tent congregation voted to buy a lot from the Guy Estate and erect a wooden building to be called the People's Gospel Taber­nacle. In 1944 'a better place of worship was erected and the congregation voted to organize into West Court Street Missionary Baptist Church in late 1946. Charter members were: Tull Hollifield, Bill Kent, Nathan Burnette, Ransom Wilson, Grayson Silvers, A.H. Mitchem, and C.C. Lawing. West Court now has a membership of 371.

The first pastor of the West Court Street Baptist Church was Rev. Julius Henline. He served as pastor from March 1947 to 1950. Rev. Ra'y Long served as pastor from August 1950 to 1962. The present pastor, Rev. Billy Bryant, has been pastor since January 1963.

The new church building at West Court Street was dedicated September 10, 1978. The following have served as Church Clerks: Clarence Black, Glenn Parker, and Travis

Proctor. Frank Ellis, Cecil McKinney, Woodrow Brown, Fred Proctor, Henry Wheeler, Tommy

Walker, Gregg Grant were the preachers sent out by the church.

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