New Bethel list 1

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NEW BETHEL
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRIEF HISTORY

REGISTER OF ELDERS, DEACONS,
MEMBERS, ADULT BAPTISMS & DEATHS
1870 TO 1950
COMPILED BY NANCY WARDLOW KENNEDY

1924: 40 RESIDENT - 16 NON RESIDENT 1925: 30 RESIDENT - 27 NON RESIDENT
1942: 19 ACTIVE - 19 INACTIVE 1947: 36 ACTIVE - 47 INACTIVE
1953: 36 ACTIVE - 79 INACTIVE SEPT 1951: 43 ACTIVE MEMBERS

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New Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church

In the year of 1840 the people of the New Bethel Community in McNairy County decided they wanted a church and school, so in December 1840, New Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded. The preacher in charge was Rev A Lambert, a circuit riding preacher. On Sunday before the Battle of Shiloh, a troop of soldiers came by. They waited until church was over and got between ten and twenty men to go and fight at Shiloh. The elder and leaders of the church at that time were: Bro. McCullar, Bro. J. T. Dunaway, Bro. Kinchen and Bro. John McAlpin. Bro. Casper Kinchen is the oldest known member ever belonging to the church. He was born in 1813 and died in 1916. Although they had a building, they did not own the land and so on Nov. 21, 1881, Bro. J. T. Dunaway deeded two acres to the New Bethel Church and their successors. The church continued to grow in membership until after the First World War. One year the church received 160 members by confession of faith or letter from another church. The church began to lose in attendance by 1930. In 1934 Will H. Wolfe became acquainted with W. E. Dock Steward and he agreed to come on the first Sunday afternoon and have service. The first week in September 1935, he brought a young preacher, J. J. Douglas, to conduct a revival and on Thursday of that week, the church was reorganized with 35 members. The elders were Bros. John and A. C. Taylor, Will H. Wolfe, E. T. Sweat and Albert Hicks. The deacons were Rady Coleman and J. H. Dunaway. Johnnie Dunaway was the clerk of the session. We called several boys to be preachers. Two remembered was E. C. Cross, who died at a young age and Tommy Forster who became a missionary to Japan. In 1955 we decided to build a new church. Our membership continued to grow until after the building was built and then our membership dropped to 19 active members. In 1979, Madison Presbytery formed the New Salem, New Bethel and Ramer Parish. The three churches called Rev. Wayne Brooks, who served the three churches full time and preaching at all three churches each Sunday. This continued until 1982 when Bro. Brooks resigned. The parish called Bro. Roger Reid in 1982 and Bro. Bill Estep in 1983. In 1984 the parish was dissolved. We have had several preachers since the parish was dissolved. In May 1995, we entered into an agreement with Mt Vernon Church to use Bro. Dewayne Franklin to give full time to both churches. This agreement was dissolved in 2007. In Dec 2009, the New Bethel Church has withstood 159 years of ups and downs. Bethel means ‘God Is There,’ and for our little church this is true. Ministers of the church since 1984:

Jeff Powell 2009
Revised and updated from article in ‘ Reflections, A History of McNairy County,
Tennessee, 1823-1996,’ written by Albert Wolfe and Preston King.

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The list of elders, deacons, members, etc was transcribed by Nancy Wardlow Kennedy. There
are many errors in this book because the writing had dimmed and unreadable in many cases.
August 18, 2010.

REGISTER OF ELDERS Some of the names and dates overlap, but typed as entered. The Church may have re-organized or just started in a new book as none of these dates go before 1870

J H FERGUSON AUG 24, 1882
A J MCCULLAR NOV 22, 1885 DEAD
JOHN W TAYLOR NOV 20, 1892
JAMES T DUNAWAY OCT 1, 1873 RESTORED
JAMES T DUNAWAY AUG 28, 1896

JAMES T DUNAWAY AUG 28, 1896
W S TAYLOR AUG 8, 1910 Moved to Selmer Sept 1929
WILL WOLFE AUG 17, 1920
G S RICHARDS AUG 17, 1920 Out by letter 9-13-1929
OTSIE ? HORNER APR 9, 1922 Out by letter 9-13-1929

NEW LIST OF ELDERS
NAME WHEN ORDAINED CEASED TO ACT
J H FERGUSON AUG 24, 1882
J T DUNAWAY OCT 1893 RESTORED DIED 1926
J W TAYLOR NOV 20, 1892 1928
J E DUNAWAY AUG 28, 1896 1925
W S TAYLOR AUG 8, 1910
WILL WOLFE AUG 17, 1920
G S RICHARDS AUG 17, 1920 1927

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NEW LIST OF ELDERS
NAME WHEN ORDAINED CEASED TO ACT
J W TAYLOR NOV 20, 1892 DIED 1937
W H WOLFE AUG 17, 1920 DIED MAY 12, 1942
J R COLEMAN SEPT 6, 1935
ALBERT HICKS SEPT 6, 1935
ARLIE TAYLOR SEPT 6, 1935
MIT SWEAT SEPT 6, 1935
SPENCER RICHARDS AUG 1947
PAUL TAYLOR 1941
ALBERT WOLFE 1949
J H DUNAWAY 1947
L C FORSYTHE SEPT 1952
JOHN ROBERT DUNAWAY
WINFRED BROWDER
HOWARD WILLIS SEPT 28, 1952 JUNE 1953
CARROLL AMMONS SEPT 28, 1952
WINFRED BROWDER

LIST OF DEACONS
NAME WHEN ORDAINED CEASED TO ACT
J R PEGG JUNE 1, 1872 APRIL 26, 1873 turned out
L W BARNES APRIL 27, 1873 AUG 24, 1882
W J MCALPIN
J H FERGUSON AUG 26, 1881 Aug 24, 1882
J T DUNAWAY AUG 24, 1882
W S TAYLOR JUNE 11, 1892
J E DUNAWAY AUG 15, 1891
W A DUNAWAY AUG 15, 1891

NEW LIST OF DEACONS
NAME WHEN ORDAINED CEASED TO ACT
J H DUNAWAY SEPT 6, 1935 also clerk of church
A P DUNAWAY SEPT 6, 1935
RADIE COLEMAN SEPT 6, 1935
JAMES NOLEN WOLFE
LLOYD DANCER
JOHNNIE B DUNAWAY

REGISTER OF COMMUNICANTS
On this first list, for those that had died, in remarks it said ‘Prospect Bright.’

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DONALDSON SWEAT BY LETTER
C A MCALPIN EXPERIENCE
J H FERGUSON EXPERIENCE
JAMES KISER EXPERIENCE Gone
A J MCCULLER EXPERIENCE
CASPER KINCHEN EXPERIENCE Gone

MIVERY A KIZER BY LETTER

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JAMES T DUNAWAY 1876 EXPERIENCE
ELIZABETH LARUE ? OCT 18, 1873 BY LETTER
L A FURGESON BY LETTER
ADALINE BATES EXPERIENCE
J J KIRK BY LETTER
L B KIRK
NANCY A SWEAT EXPERIENCE
SINTHY A SWEAT EXPERIENCE
L M MCALPIN
J M KIRK EXPERIENCE
ELIZABETH LEVUE ? EXPERIENCE

–BROWNE AUGUST
UNREADABLE
UNREADABLE
NANCY MEDFORD
ELIZABETH DUNHEM

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TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PAGE IN BOOK

NEW PAGE IN BOOK - REGISTER OF COMMUNICANTS (I think ever so often, they made a new list of all members at that time, thence several lists)

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NEW LIST: REGISTER OF COMMUNICANTS:

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METHODIST

NEW LIST OF MEMBERS - LIST STARTED ABOUT 1924 OR 1925

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THE CHURCH WAS THE NEW BETHEL CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH REORGANIZED
THE 6TH DAY OF SEPT 1935 WITH 38 MEMBERS:
NAME DATE RECEIVED HOW RECEIVED

1 WILL WOLFE
2 JULIA WOLFE
3 FANNIE WOLFE
4 MAGGIE DUNAWAY
5 W A DUNAWAY
6 JOHNNIE DUNAWAY
7 A P DUNAWAY
8 GRACE DUNAWAY
9 BESSIE CLIFTON
10 ARLIE TAYLOR
11 LILLIE TAYLOR
12 PAUL TAYLOR
13 DIXIE TAYLOR
14 JAMES TAYLOR
15 FANNIE MURRY
16 J W TAYLOR
17 LUTTIE TAYLOR
18 KENDRICK TAYLOR
19 LESSIE LEE TAYLOR
20 VERBLE RICHARDS
21 LOUISE RICHARDS
22 MAUD DEADRICK
23 VERBLE JONES
24 GRACE HICKS (MCGEE)
25 ALBERT HICKS
26 RUTH DUNAWAY
27 ROBERT COLEMAN
28 RADIE COLEMAN

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29 DONA COLEMAN
30 BERTHA LEE COLEMAN (WILLIS)
31 NICK YOUNGER
32 ETHEL YOUNGER
33 EMIT SWEAT
34 ORA SWEAT
35 ODELL SWEAT (LOCKE)
36 VADELL SWEAT
37 JOCIE MATLOCK (BROWN, BARNES)
38 ODIE MAE KINCHEON

51 CHRISTINE COLEMAN
52 MAGGIE DILLON
53 EVELYN TAYLOR (MCDANIEL)
54 EULAR MOORE
55 HAZEL RICHARDS (BROWN)
56 GRACIE MOORE
57 JUNIOR WILLIAMS
58 MILDRED WILLIAMS
59 ALICE MAE DUNAWAY (BROWDER)
60 LEE NELL WILLIAMS
61 WILFORD KISER
62 ZILIHUE TAYLOR
63 MABLE KISER (WASHBURN)

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96 BOBBIE WILLIAMS
97 DENNIE KISER
98 CLIFFORD MCDANIEL
99 DARLS MATLOCK
100 TOMIE JEAN MATLOCK
101 JOHNIE B DUNAWAY
102 GRADY TAYLOR
103 LOCKIE WILLIAMS
104 VESTA DANCER
105 RUBLE DUNAWAY AUG 1949
106 BETTIE JONES (RAMSEY)

NEW LIST OF ACTIVE MEMBERS SEPT 10, 1952

1 ZULAR WOLFE
2 J H DUNAWAY
3 LILLIE TAYLOR
4 PAUL TAYLOR
5 GRACE HICKS
6 ALBERT HICKS
7 BERTHA LEE COLEMAN
8 NELLIE WOLFE
9 J C FORSYTHE
10 ALICE MAE DUNAWAY BROWDER
11 – DUNAWAY
12
13
14
15
16
12 MARTHA DUNAWAY
17 HOWARD WILLIS
18 BARTHELL KING

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19 BETTIE SUE WOLFE
20 – HOUSTON
21 BARBARA DUNAWAY
22 WINFRED BROWDER
23 SPENCER RICHARDS
24 JAMES NOLEN WOLFE
25 EARLINE HINES
26 DIANNA AMMONS
27 RUTHIE TAYLOR
28 ALICE HICKS
29 CARROLL AMMONS
30 EUGENE DUNAWAY
31 JOANN CUMMINGS
32 MARY ANN HICKS
33 HELEN HUCKABEE
34 JOHN ROBERT KISER
35 MARTHA ANN JONES
36 NORMA LEE HUCKABEE (BROWDER)
37 BILLY JOE HUCKABEE
38 YVONNE MCCORMACK
39 JOE RICHARDS
40 ANN KISER
41 JOHNNIE BROWDER
42 A A HOOVER ?
43 KENDRICK TAYLOR

REGISTER OF ADULT BAPTISMS
NAME DATE BY WHOM
DOLERSON SWEAT

J A MCCULLER SEPT 12, 1871
Z CHAMBERS
E DUNAWAY
CAROLINE GOOCH JUNE 1, 1872
AMANDA KIZER
M E FERGUSON SEPT 12, 1870
H A MCCULLER JULY 16, 1871 REV R YOUNG
M J MCCULLER JULY 16, 1871 REV R YOUNG
E SMITH REV R YOUNG
E WARREN REV R YOUNG
- A HUBBERD REV R YOUNG
FRANCIS KINCHEN OCT 10, 1870 REV R YOUNG
LOUCINDA TAYLOR OCT 10, 1870 REV R YOUNG
H FERGUSON REV R YOUNG
M A FERGUSON REV R YOUNG
C P BARNES OCT 10, 1870 REV R YOUNG

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MAREY Z KISER
JAMES T DUNAWAY DEC 18, 1873

ALBERT SMITH REV H L DICKEY
J C MCCULLER – 9, 1877 REV D D BUTLER
JOHNY DUNAWAY OCT 5, 1879 REV R YOUNG
TOMMY HENDERSON OCT 5, 1879 REV R YOUNG

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REGISTER OF DEATHS
NAME DATE OF DEATH REMARKS
AMANDA KISER APRIL 22, 1871 PROSPECT BRIGHT
MARY E FERGUSON JUNE 12, 1872 PROSPECT BRIGHT
CARLINE GOOCH APRIL 1, 1873
CHARLOTTE COLEMAN JULY 21, 1883 IN THE FAITH
ELIZABETH SMITH JUNE 27, 1885
B F MCALPIN APR 23, 1883 IN THE FAITH
G J KIRK 1887
WM T MCALPIN 1881
ELIZABETH DUNAWAY MAY 15, 1884 IN THE FAITH
FANNIE BROWDER JAN 17, 1890 IN THE FAITH
JOHN T DUNAWAY OCT 12, 1896 IN THE FAITH

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