New Hope Baptist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about New Hope Baptist Church in Franklin County. Now settle in, because this one's got some staying power. It starts in 1875, with a man named the Reverend John J.

Jones. He was a circuit rider, which means he didn't plant himself in one spot and wait for the faithful to come to him. He rode.

And somewhere out in the newly formed Franklin County, he gathered thirty souls together and organized a small Baptist congregation. They got themselves received by the Rehoboth Baptist Association, which was no small thing. But a church building?

That was a ways off yet. For now, the congregation met in members' homes and under brush arbors, and when it came time for baptismal services, they walked down to Stout's Creek. Just the creek, the water, and whatever sky was overhead.

That was the church. Then in 1886, a woman named Dora Snead, a teacher and an active church member, put in the effort to get a school erected. And in 1913, a one-room frame building went up just south of that school.

Now you'd think the hard part was over. You'd be wrong. The congregation kept growing, but the money never quite kept pace.

By 1928, things had gotten lean enough that the church made a hard decision. They decided to disband, because they simply could not afford a minister. That right there is the kind of quiet heartbreak that doesn't make headlines, but it's real.

Here's where the story turns. The Reverend John H. Hayes, who happened to be the brother of a church member, came to New Hope.

And he came to serve without benefit of a regular salary. Just came, and stayed, and kept the thing alive. In 1944 a new building went up, and they used lumber from the original building to do it.

Nothing wasted, nothing forgotten. Over time, additions were made as needed. Eventually, the installation of a heated baptistry brought the tradition of those Stout's Creek baptisms to a close.

The creek had done its work. In 1978, a new fellowship hall was built. And New Hope Baptist Church, born from a circuit rider's rounds and kept alive more than once by sheer faithfulness, continues to uphold the traditions of its founders to this day.

Some things, it turns out, are harder to disband than anyone reckoned.

What the marker says

In 1875, the Rev. John J. Jones, a circuit rider, organized a small Baptist congregation of 30 members in the newly formed Franklin County. The group was received by the Rehoboth Baptist Association. The congregation met in members' homes and under brush arbors. Baptismal services were held in nearby Stout's Creek. A school was erected in 1886 through the efforts of teacher Dora Snead, who was an active church member. In 1913 a one-room frame building was constructed just south of the school. Though the congregation continued to grow, they often suffered from a lack of funds. In 1928 the church decided to disband because they could not afford a minister. The Rev. John H. Hayes, who was the brother of a member, came to New Hope to serve without benefit of a regular salary. In 1944 a new building was constructed using lumber from the original building. Additions were made as needed, with the installation of a heated baptistry bringing the traidtion of Stout's Creek baptisms to a close. A new fellowship hall was built in 1978. New Hope Baptist Church enjoys an active relationship with other area congregations and continues to uphold the traditions of its founders. (1998)