Chapter Thirty-One

Marion County Churches

by Mrs. Bernice Johnson

Baptist Churches

Antioch - No.1 - 1891

Page 484-485

The date of the organization of this church is given as 1891 in the minutes of the Association for 1892, when the church was received into the Association. J. B. Perkins, who served through 1893, was pastor; A. B. Johnson was church clerk; J. Erwin was messenger. The membership was 35. Membership in 1953 was 55.

Charter members were Mr. and Mrs. Jim Erwin, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Reynolds, Mr. and Mrs. Wily Huddleston, Mr. and Mrs. Asbury Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Williams, Mr. and Mrs. John Goff, Mr. and Mrs. John Talburt, Tom Erwin, Silas Daffron. Local leaders in the organization of the church and the first deacons were Asbury Johnson, Jim Erwin and John Talburt.

Other pastors were J. T. Hand 1889; W. D. Jennings 1896-99; J. A. Harnison 1900-1901; G. M. Taylor 1906; B. L. Bayless 1908; J. P. Lovelace 1909-1910; H. C. Lamb 1911-1912; W. H. McCuistion 1913, 1923; G. G. Parrott 1914-1915; A. M. Crane 1916; T. D. Thatch 1919-1921; S. D. Anderson 1922; Roscoe Cooper 1925; A. M. Reed 1926, Charles Gibson 1931-1932; Claude Crigler 1933-1936 and 1939-1943; P. W. Clampitt 1936-1937; H. J. Adkins 1938; Troy Melton 1944-1945; J. F. Richardson 1946-1947; W. B. Parker three months in 1948; Darrell Ball 1949-1950; A. B. Emmerson 1950-1951; Lee Herron 1952, Emmett Pipkins 1953; D. M. Kreis 1953; S. C. Swinney 1954; J Glen Hicks 1955-1956; Troy Melton 1956-1962; Charles Hacker 1963, and R V. Carroll 1965-1968.

Antioch Baptist Church closed its doors September 1968 and re-opened January 1971. Carl Huddleston, Lee Louis, Mr. Mathis, Jim Fowler, Ray Canary, Troy Melton, Glenn Hicks and David Schaffer filled the pulpit until Carl Baker was called as pastor in 1972. Al Miller was our minister 1972-1974 and R. V. Carroll is our minister to date, beginning 1974.

Carl Huddleston was ordained in 1947, and Charles Hacker was ordained in 1963 to the gospel ministry.

Pastors in early years for which no dates are available were: W. D. White, Bert Collos, C. H. Mayfield, and Bob Barnett. Among other active leaders in this church not named above are the families of H. T. Wood, F. M. Pangle, R C. Reed, V. 0. Walker, J. W. Pierce, L. C. Bunch, J. M. Goff, D. M. Lee, B. F. Denton, Calvin, Hardy and Carl Huddleston, J. H. Clark, Bert McCracken, Lucian Wood, Bill Jones, Ross Barnett, Harry Erwin, Earl Vanzandt, Leo Lundry and Hugh Parnell.

Evangelists and other ministers who have been a big help to the church are: Ben Kelly, Tom Pool, Guy Hopper, J. W. Gibbs, John Stratton, Dick Hurst, Lee Burtsworth, 0. I. Ford, S. D. Hacker, Dale Barnett, Gary Evans, Otis Denny, Fred Barnes, Roy Dunn and T. E. Funderburk.

The members of Antioch Church recognize the efficient work of Bro. Claude Crigler (past Associational Missionary) as the "biggest help and best friend our church ever had."