Mt. Gilead Baptist Church

Mt. Gilead is a small church situated seven miles northeast of
Fort Gaines on the old "stage coach route" from Fort Gaines to
Cuthbert via Cotton Hill.
 
The early records of the church have not been kept, or can not
be found, but according to information given us by Mr. W. E. Brown
of Columbia, Ala. whose father, Mr. Joe Brown, was at one time a
wealthy land-owner of this section, and also owned two hundred
sixty two slaves we find that the church was constituted on the
third Saturday in July 1822, thus making it almost one hundred
and ten years old.  Also much older than Clay County, in which
it is located, which for many years later was still a part of
Randolph County.
 
The land was donated and deeded by J. Hugh Edge, grandfather
of our informant, Mr. W. E. Brown. The first building was of
round pine poles and served also as a school house.
 
The members who constituted the Church were J. Hugh Edge, Deacon,
Elizabeth Edge, Dr. Smith and Wife, Louis Pearce, Mary Pearce,
Major Towson and wife and also Rev. Jim Davis, who was pastor 
at the time and for many years thereafter until his health failed
because of old age.
 
Several slave members were in the constitution also.  Their names
are Jim Edge, Fannie Edge, Louis Edge and wife, Nelson Smith,
Louis Smith, Sam Pearce, Fannie Pearce.
 
The records show us that Mt. Gilead joined the Association in 1839
which Association was held in Americus that year.
 
The Pastor, Rev. Davis, lived between Cotton Hill and Georgetown
while he served the church at Mt. Gilead.

 
The delegates were Thomas Green, Thomas Towson.  In that year four
were baptized and eight were received by letter.
Total membership was nineteen.
 
Our oldest living member, Mr. S. L. Jester, also tells us that others
of the very early members were John H. Callaway, Thomas Green, Seaborn
Jones, Richard Thornton and William Davenport.  He also names the
following early pastors:  William O. Crumbley, James Bass and William
Crawford.
 
One slave member, Joe Callaway, after being "Freed" became a very
noted preacher among his race.
 
Mt. Gilead once was a very wealthy church with a large enrollment of
members most of whom were slave-owners, and in those days most of the
wealth was in slaves and land.  This church has the honor of having
licensed one preacher, Mr. S. J. Railey on November 18, 1899.
 
An interesting feature in connection with the history of the church
is that "Uncle" Billie Hammack, whose picture appears in that of the
church was first called to this church as pastor in the fall of 1886.  
At three other times he served as Pastor and at one time served nine
successive years.  At another time he served as "supply" for a number
of years.  Did not accept as Pastor but came as often and as faithfully
as his health permitted during those later years, until Rev. Eugene Eller
came, who preached for us for two years at the end of which time he
resigned to begin work in another field.  Then came our present pastor,
Rev. A. B. Hawkes of Fort Gaines, Georgia.
 
The present building together with the five acre tract of land is
valued at seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750.00).
 
The church has a total membership of seventy three members.
The active deacons are Mr. C. C. Lindsey, Mr. B. O. Shivers and
F. G. Hartley.
 
Our Sunday School has an enrollment of sixty seven, Mr. C. P. Lindsey
is Superintendent and Mr. Harvey Price, Assistant Superintendent.
 
Miss Lilla Mae Lindsey is leader of the Sunbeam Band which has eleven
members.
 
We also have a very interesting and enthusiastic W. M. S. with
Mrs. F. G. Hartley, President and a membership of eleven.  In the
W. M. S. we have two meetings each month.  One at the church and also 
one at the home of some member.  The home meeting is on the social
order but the program in "Royal Service" is also given at this time.
 
The following is a list of Pastors and Clerks of the church together
with the date they served according to the earliest available record
which began in 1874.
 
Date:  1874
Pastor:  J. S. Parker
Clerk:  W. H. Mandeville
 
Date:  1875
Pastor:  J. C. Bass
Clerk:  G. W. Goodman
 
Date:  1876
Pastor:  J. C. Bass
Clerk:  S. L. Jester
 
Date:  1877
Pastor:  J. C. Bass
Clerk:  H. M. Shaw
 
Date:  1878
Pastor:  J. C. Bass
Clerk:  B. F. Pearce
 
Date:  1879-80
Pastor:  H. R. McLendon
Clerk:  W. T. Pierson
 
Date:  1881
Pastor:  H. R. McLendon
Clerk:  D. B. Womble
 
Date:  1882
Pastor:  John Martin
Clerk:  D. B. Womble
 
Date:  1883
Pastor:  David Rogers
Clerk:  D. B. Womble
 
Date:  1884
Pastor:  J. J. King
Clerk:  D. B. Womble
 
Date:  1885
Pastor:  J. J. King
Clerk:  J. J. Johnson
 
Date:  1886
Pastor:  J. J. King
Clerk:  J. J. Johnson
 
Date:  1887
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  J. Womack
 
Date:  1888
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  R. A. Lindsey
 
Date:  1889
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  R. A. Lindsey
 
Date:  1890
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  R. A. Lindsey
 
Date:  1891
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  J. E. Lindsey
 
Date:  1892
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  J. J. Johnson
 
Date:  1893-1895
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  J. M. Chester
 
Date:  1896
Pastor:  J. H. Corley
Clerk:  J. E. Lindsey
 
Date:  1897
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  J. E. Lindsey
 
Date:  1898-1899
Pastor:  J. L. Pate
Clerk:  J. B. Goodman
 
Date:  1900
Pastor:  J. L. Pate
Clerk:  C. C. Lindsey
 
Date:  1901
Pastor:  W. A. Mabry
Clerk:  T. B. Jenkins
 
Date:  1902-1903
Pastor:  J. E. Dykes
Clerk:  R. L. Shaw
 
Date:  1904-1905
Pastor:  No record
Clerk:  No record
 
Date:  1906
Pastor:  J. E. White
Clerk:  C. C. Lindsey
 
Date:  1907-1909
Pastor:  A. C. Wellons
Clerk:  C. C. Lindsey
 
Date:  1910
Pastor:  No record
Clerk:  No record
 
Date:  1911-1912
Pastor:  Marion Greer
Clerk:  C. C. Lindsey
 
Date:  1913
Pastor:  J. C. Daniels
Clerk:  C. C. Lindsey
 
Date:  1914
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  C. C. Lindsey
 
Date:  1915-1917
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  C. C. Crozier
 
Date:  1918-1919
Pastor:  Marion Greer
Clerk:  C. C. Crozier
 
Date:  1920-1921
Pastor:  J. D. Overstreet
Clerk:  C. C. Crozier
 
Date:  1922-1925
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock
Clerk:  C. C. Crozier
 
Date:  1926-1929
Pastor:  W. D. Hammock (As supply)
Clerk:  C. C. Crozier
 
Date:  1930-1931
Pastor:  Eugene Eller
Clerk:  C. C. Crozier
 
Date:  1932
Pastor:  A. B. Hawkes
Clerk:  H. J. Price