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W.S. Bates established the Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church in Oden in 1882. Today clerk of the church holds records back to 1882. A minute book from 1915 to 1923 is missing otherwise the records are intact. Membership has always been small and in 1986 membership was 23 with the total membership of 128 in the first forty years. Elder Evervett Abernathy the present pastor. Membership Y2K 16. Today 2001 the membership is 14. Siding was added in 2000 and bathrooms. They have just added a kitchen on to the back of the building in 2001 and working on installing a ramp and plan to keep the seats that were handmade by Burford Abernathy as they are very comfortable. Primitive Baptists do not pay their preachers salaries.
This church is in the Rich Mountain Association of Primitive Baptist Churches which has its headquarters at Hurricane Grove, AR. There are only five churches in the Association today. Old Union which is north east of Hot Springs, Hot Springs, Alpine, Pleasant Hill and the Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church at Oden. The Association meets the 3rd weekend in August at its headquarters at Hurricane Grove, AR across the road from the Pleasant Hill Church with a business meeting on Thursday and church and singing throughout the weekend at the tabernacle and campground. The Associations records go back 120 years and the originals have been donated to the Arkansas Historical Commission in Little Rock and contain statistical information from each church e.g. messengers, numbers dismissed by letter, excluded, received, deceased and membership and visitors. The records will not be helpful for genealogy enquires.
Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church Members 1882 - pre 1920s Dares Abernathy dismissed by letter Susan Abernathy William Fryar Elizabeth Fryar Polyann Brewer dead Margaret Stuart dead Joseph Shirley dead Marka J. Shirley H. Ellison Matilda Ellison J.W. Shirley dismissed Jules D. Willhite dismissed D.L. Shirley excluded Elizabeth Shirley excluded R.L. Bates dismissed by letter Elizabeth Bates dismissed J.D. Goodner dead Marbey M. Hill excluded W.G. Fryar Catherine Fryar dead S. Rodgers dead Thomas Amerson dead John McClough G.A. Bagwell Mary Willhite dead received Sept. 1887 T.E. Singleton received Sept. 1887 S.C. Bates S. Williams E.C. Williams C.R.B. Smith Hettie Smith letter Margaret Jones letter M.T. Parkes dismissed by letter Elizabeth Health dismissed by letter D.J. Hilton by letter John G. Goodner excluded Thomas A. Gunian excluded Mary A. McBride excluded Bannd Begwell dismissed by letter Isaac McBride excluded Sarah A. Willhite Susan McColough G.A. Willhite Anna Willhite C.A. Abernathy dismissed by letter Paley Meredith excluded W.S. Libry dismissed by letter Elizabeth Cranford dead Goerge Gossner dead George Dorrough Coredelay Dorrough dismissed by letter and excluded J.W. Buttliff Dicy Buttliff Nancy Mullenix dead Elizabeth Fryar Bahelt Cranfield excluded William Rodgers Rosey Rogers excluded J.D. Willhite Frances Willhite S.P.S. Hughes Nancy ?Wight M.B. Ellison C. Robins dead J.W. Sanders dismissed by letter Larry Sanders dismissed by letter W.D. Kingsly Susan King Olen Dougher excluded Francis Goodner dead N.R. Doil dismissed by letter received April 1901 W.A. Scott dismissed by letter McKinney Goss dismissed by letter Sandfred Anderson dismissed by letter M.J.S. Gontt dismissed by letter Nancy E. Gills S.C. Bates dead received 1902 R.J. Bates dismissed by letter Elizabeth Bates dismissed by letter Martha Rankins received May 1906 N.R. Doil dismissed by letter Elizabeth Doil dismissed by letter Charley Willhite excluded Malikiah Lee dead M.H. Lee dead Martha Brewer Charley Fryar Mary Bates dismissed by letter, the same returned W.P. Forbs received May 8 1908 Vinny Forbs received May 8 1908 Sanda Willhite H.L. Brewer Dec 10 M.C. Brewer Martha Willhite Jun 10 1911 G.E. Adonson Jun 8 Wilson Whitehouse dead baptized 1912 d. 1922 Ellen Whitehouse baptized 1912 W.F. Fryar P.J. Fryar Joelender King J.V. P. McBride Louisa McBride Elizabeth Gossvener D.J. Grays Lizzy Johnson John T. Beam A.C. Beam Rode Scott Betty Friars Brahel M. Melton Suiza Garrett Sister Friars Sister Gilbert Vilvetia White
The minutes commence February 1882 and are in the house of the present church clerk Don Norman at Oden. Don's father was the moderator of the church for many years. In 1942 the records were in the hands of Frank Fryar the Church Clerk. The minutes contain a list of the members but does not list the date the "Brother" or "Sister" joined the church or died, or excluded but this may be found by reading the actual minutes. Some were excluded for being absent for more than three meetings. Also contains the names of delegates to the Rich Mountain Association which will hold its 120th meeting in August at the Association headquarters in Hurricane Grove. Below is a small sample from the minutes:
The Church of Christ of the Primitive order met before the first
Sunday, February 1882. W.S. Fryar Moderator. W.M. Fryar Church Clerk.
1886 H. Ellison was moderator and J.W. Shirley C.C.
1886 Nov. 13th Elder Stevan Bates.
1887 Sept. Received by expression of Grace and baptism Mary Willhite and Ellen
Singleton
1888 J.G. Goodner clerk
1901 April 11 Received Brother N.R. Doil by expression of Grace and Baptism
1902 Aug 9. On motion choose messengers to the Rich Mountain association as
follows: Elder H. Ellison, Elder
W.A. Scott, J.D. Willhite, J.W. Shirley
alternate. H.Ellison moderator, J.W. Shirley C.C.
1902 13 Sept. Received Brother S.C. Bates and Brother R.L. Bates and sister
Elizabeth Bates on confession of faith.
1903 12 Sept Bro. N.R. Doil and Sister Doil was granted a letter of Dismission
1905 Members H. Ellison, S.E. Bates, J.D. Willhite, Sarah Willhite, G.A.
Willhite, C.D. Willhite, Fancies Willhite, J.W. Shirley, C.J.
Cranford, W.A. Scott with H. Ellison and J.W. Shirley clerk.
1905 8 July Rosey Rodgers
1905 10 July Brother F.S. Grant a letter of dismisson
1906 Feb. 11 Brother J.R. Cranford elected church clerk.
1906 May 9 Received Sister Martha Rankins by letter
1907 11 Aug. Elder R.B. McGough
1908 Sept 12. Motion appointed brother H. Ellison, C.H. Fryar, W.G. Fryar and
G.G. Gossvener as alternate as delegates to the Rich Mountain Association.
1909 Received by letter brother W.P. Forbs and sister Viney Forbs his wife
1911 H. Ellison Mod. J.R. Cranford CC.
1933 J.F. Abernathy moderator
Elder Manuel NORMAN (1905 -1985) was the moderator at the church at one time and wrote an autobiography "Flowers in the Spring" in the 1960s. He had a memorial marker business in Oden from the 1930s to the early seventies. The locals would come along select a headstone and Eld. Norman would take the stone back to his workshop and complete the inscription. Lydia daughter of Jane Fryar nee Fyar and William Frank Fryar met Elder Norman (1906-1983) in church. Lydia Fryar and Manuel Norman met in Church and were married 24 Dec. 1925. They were very nice people and are both buried at Oden Cemetery. The Church is right beside the cemetery. I wonder how many met in church? Below is an excerpt from Elder Norman's book.
"Manuel A. Norman was born June 17, 1905 in a small two-room house west of Hot
Springs, Arkansas. His parents were Elijah Norman [1874-1953 Peak Cemetery] and Margaret Kinsey
Norman. They were poor people, but industrious. They labored hard for the support of their children. His father was a farmer. The country out where he
was born is very beautiful. Its pine clad hills and mountains are very picturesque. The clear crystal streams of water are a delight to behold.
Many fine springs of water flow from these beautiful mountains. Manuel had two brothers and two sisters older than him.
About the year 1909 the family moved to less than one mile north of his old birthplace. It was near the home of his maternal grandparents, Elder and Mrs
J.S. Kinsey [1845-1925 Peak Cemetery]. Grandfather a man highly esteemed by those who knew him. His
word was as good as his bond. In this community he preached most of the
funerals and married the loving.
Just a bit over one-fourth of a mile east of our new home stood a little one-room schoolhouse. Between our home and this building runs a most
beautiful clear stream. Here beside the crystal clear waters of this steam I
received what schooling I had. We would sometimes have less than three months of school in a year. I did not learn much but I am grateful for what
learning I did receive. I had a little start in grammar. In the year of 1911 a boy little boy was born in our family. He lived less than one week.
This was the first death in our home. In the year of 1912 a little sister was born in our
family. In the year of 1916 another little sister was born in our family. When she was about eighteen months old my elder brother was
called to the defence of his country. Without murmur or complaint, he answered the call of the "silver trumpet". While he was in France, Mother
died. For months we had no tidings from him.
Elder W.M. Alley from Mt. Ida came to the Meyers Creek Community. He came preaching the doctrine of free and sovereign grace. My dear old Father and
others soon went into the constitution of the church there in the old school
house. Sister Ola Powell [nee Norman 1893-1969], a cousin of mine, is the only church member who has not fallen before the scythe of the grim reaper.
Soon after the organization of this church people began joining. Among those
were my faithful grandparents. Among those who joined were the Elder J.T. Hallmark and Elder Martin Forshee.
My dear aged grandfather, Elder J.S. Kinsey [1848-1926 Peak Cemetery CSA], had moved out of the community about twelve miles toward Hot Springs to a
little place called Royal. Friends were Elder Hallmark, his wife sister
Pearl and Brother Elmer Milholen [1904-1961 Peak Cemetery wife Nancy Olive Norman 1907-1968, married June 5 1925]. We had services on Sunday at Old
Peak schoolhouse.
Elder W.A. Alley took me to Oden one Saturday in the winter of 1925. I spent the night with Brother and Sister Chris Fountain. The next day we had a
heart warming meeting. In the spring of the year I again visited Oden
Church. Sunday afternoon I stopped by a sawmill and got a job cutting saw logs. One cloudy day, cold day, December 24th Miss Lydia Fryar and I were
untied in holy matrimony. We were married in the home of the bride. We spent a day or so around Oden. We spent one night in the home of Elder [1890-1962
Oden Cemetery] and Mrs J.F. Abernathy. He was now a brother-in-law of mine. He has been gone several years now. Sunday afternoon we drove to Dad's farm
on Meyers Creek. Our first home was a two room apartment in Father's house. The year just past Dad gave me a cotton
patch. The proceeds from the bale of cotton was sufficient to buy a small housekeeping outfit. Four children have
been born into our family. I rented land from Dad. I found my wife to be one of the best housekeepers she could
beat me using the cotton hoe. She was conservative, a good manager of the home.
She could make some of the best lye soap. She was a real good cook and
among the best when it came to canning vegetables for winter use. Were had little money during the depression days, but her hustling and canning good
things to eat caused us to fare well as far as food was concerned. On Saturday April 1926 I was ordained by W.A. Alley, [1872-1949
Stanley-Standridge Cemetery] J.T. Hallmark [John Thomas Hallmark 1876-1946 Howerton Cemetery], A.A. Freemason and H.T. Faught were the ministers
participating.
During the summer of 1926 my wife and I made a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas. We went over there in a Model T. truck. Back tires were solid.
Riding was rough but we were young and did not mind...."