Submitted by
Jeffrey Martin
Antioch Baptist Church is located in Cherokee Co. SC very close to Kings Mountain
Battle Ground and not far from the North Carolina line, in the vacinity of Grover,
NC and Blacksburg, SC. It is within the section of Cherokee Co. formerly a part
of York Co. SC. This neighborhood was not originally settled by Baptists.
The venerable Abraham Hardin (1789-1881), served as deacon from its organization
until his death. This church had its origins in a revival in the Buffalo
Baptist Church (established before the Revolution, located several miles to
the west) in 1812, when some of the people on Kings Creek were converted to
the Baptist faith. These people soon invited William Martin, "a young minister
or rather a new beginner," to preach to them. His first sermon was preached
"in the woods," and his second, a month later, was delivered at Michael
Whisonant's. The people proceeded to build a "stand" of logs at a
spot on the old Cherokee road known as the Wolfpit. This has remained the site
of the church. In 1813 this congregation was organized as an arm of the
Buffalo Church, with William Martin serving as moderator and George Wilkie as
"clerk" of the first monthly conference. In 1814 Shurard Jamesm Mathew
Wilson and Abraham Hardin were elected deacons. During that or the following
year the church was formally constituted under the name. "The Baptist Church
of Christ at Antioch," with 62 members, thirty of whom had formerly been
members of Buffalo. William Martin was succeeded in 1817 (moved to TN) by George
Wilkie who served until September, 1837, when (he) and his wife Caty were granted
letters of Dismission. In 1838 James M. Thomas and T. K. Pursley appear as Elders,
and John Mullinax was ordained to the eldership. In 1841 Ransom P. Logan recently
admitted to membership by letter as a "licensed preacher," was ordained
elder. In 1843 Wade Hill was elected pastoral supply. In 1845 Thomas Dickson
was ordained elder. Joseph Whisonant donated land on which the meeting
house stood. A deed was made by him in 1816 to the deacons Shirad James, Abraham
Hardin, Mathew Wilson, Thomas Martin and Edward Bird for 5 acres on Kings Creek,
including Antioch Meeting House and a spring (York C. SC Deeds, H:182-183
The Church's Minutes of Monthly Conferences were carefully and quite literaly
maintained from 1815. The earliest clerks were Edward Bird, from 1814 until
1843, then Abraham J. Guyton until 1849, and then G. R. Whisenant until 1872.
These records have been microfilmed by the Baptist Historical Collection at
Furman University, Greenville, SC. The earliest list of members, 1838:
Cinthia Adams, Francis Adams, Elizabeth Altom, James Altom, Elizabeth
Bell, Fielding Bell, Isabella Biggers, Maryann, Biggers, Catherine Bird, Edward
Bird, Eliza E. Bird, Eliza G. Bird, James P. Bird, John P. Bird, Marcus Bird,
Wash S. Bird, Jane Blackburn, David Blalock, Nancy Blanton, Silas Bookout, Hugh
Borders, Vicy Borders, Mary Camp, Peggy Camp, Priscilla Camp, Elijah Carrol,
Elizabeth Carole, H. W. Carrol, Henry Carrol, Kisiah Carrol, Peter Carol, Rebecca
Carrol, W. H. Carol, John Collins, Nancy Collins, Thomas Dixon, Elizabeth Dover,
James Dover, John Dover, John Dover Jr., Martha Dover, Nancy Dover, Thomas Dover,
Zephaniah Dover, Balis Earles, Delilah Earles, Louisa Earles, Martin Earles,
Mary Earles, Sarah, Earles, William Earles, William Earles Jr., Albert Ellis,
Fereby Evans, James Gabby, Susannah Gordon, Abraham Guiton, Mary Elizabeth Hambright,
Sarah Hambright, Abraham Hardin, Elisha Hardin, Martin, Hardin, Rachel Hardin,
Sarah Hardin, John Hathcock, Sarah Haynes, Elizabeth Herman, Preston Herman,
Mary Howel, Elizabeth Hullender, Jacob Hullender, Catherine Inman, Hezekiah
Inman, Levi Inman, Elizabeth James, John James, Sherad James, Sherad James Sr.,
Patsey Jarrel, Joseph Kendrick, Samuel Kent, Sarah Kent, William Kent, Mary
Logan, Melinda Logan, Ransom P. Logan, William Logan, Thomas Lowry, Maria Lutz,
Eliza McAfee, Arianna McBraye, George Miller, Cinthia Moreland, Hannah Mullenax,
Joseph Mullenax, Madison Mullenax, Isaac Mullinax, John Mullinax, William Mullinax,
Edy Parker, Mary Paterson, Prudence Pierson, T. K. Pursley, Violet Ramsey, Hester
Reid, Hannah Robeson, Eliza Sapoh, Elizabeth Sapoh, Peter Sapoh, John Smith,
Elijah Spurlin, Sarah Spurlin, Susannah Spurlin, Elizabeth Sprling, Benjamin
Waterson, Mary Waterson, Mary Weir, Sarah Wells, Henry Weston, Aaron Whisonant,
David Whisonant, Davison Whisonant, Eliza Whisonant, Henderson Whisonant, Joseph
Whisonant, Michael Whisonant, Patsy Whisonant, Ross Whisonant, Unity Whisonant,
Elijah Wilson, Luvicy Wilson, Mary Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Tabitha Wilson.
Jeffrey L. Martin...........martin@fairind.com