The Piedmont Historical Society
Church Records - Unity Baptist Church Minutes

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Congregation B’nai Israel, Spartanburg, SC.  PDF File   HTML File

Holly Springs Baptist Church Principles and Members  PDF File   HTML File

Unity Baptist Church Minutes  PDF File   HTML File

Holly Springs Baptist Church Principles and Members 

Contributed by Faye Berry

Spartanburgh District S. C.

Nov 7th 1834

We the undesigned Comitte having been Called on by the Holly Spring Baptist Church of Christ to frame a Constitution in liew of the original which is lost or misplaced have Accordingly framed and adapted the Constitution and Abstract of Principles which are recorded on the three next pages with the names of the members of the Holly Spring Church annexed

given under our hands this the 7th day of Nove 1834
 

Constitution adapted(sic.) By order of the Church in lieu of the Original which is lost or misplaced on the 7th of November 1834------

«Preamble»

The Baptist Church of Christ at the Holly Springs Spprings Spartanburg District S, C. Having been regularly constituted in the year of our Lord 1804 upon the ordinary principles of the regular Baptist Church of the United States of America, and having maintained the order and regulations of a Church of Christ from the date aforesaid till the present time. Find upon examination that the original Copy of her Constitution into a Body or Church is distroyed or misplaced So that it can not be found, and that we may continued to maintain the order and union of a church of Christ after the same manner that we have heretofore lived and progressed under the kind protection of Christ our living head We the members of [the] said Church do agree unanimously to adopt the following Constitution which we are certain differs not materially from the Original one-----in lieu of that which is now lost-----or misplaced
 

Article 1st This Church shall be known by the name of the Baptist Church at the Holly Springs Spartanburgh Dist. S. C.

Article 2nd We the members of said Church do agree to give ourselves to each other that we may watch over each other for good and act in unison with each other in matters which pertain to the Kingdom of Christ and to the promotion of the happiness of each member as followers of Christ-- & Strive to maintain good order harmony and fellowship, one with another and that we may have Some regular method of doing business in said Church we humbly adopt the following rules of Decorum

Rule 1st Church meeting Holly Spring Church Shall be holden on the second Sabbath in each Month and Saturdays before unless the Church shall herein after appoint some other time

Rule 2nd The Pastor in Charge shall act as Moderator and in his absence a Deacon shall act

Rule 3rd It shall be the duty of the Moderator to preside and keep good order. to see that matters of dealing shall not be taken up in the Church till the Gospel Steps have been taken, and in all Cases after sufficient discusion has been had on any subject if need require to take the vote of the Church and if tied give the Casting Vote--

Rule 4th Any member to speak on any subjecy before the Church shall rise and address the moderator & no member shall speak till the member last up shall have done

Rule 5th All questions before the Church shall be decided by a majority of the members present except in cases of Fellowship which Shall require a unaminity

Rule 6th It shall be the duty of each male member of this Church to contribute something according to what he hath to the support of the Gospel and especially to the minister in charge

Rule 7th It shall be the duty of each member as much as is them lies to attend Church meetings regular and it shall be considered a fault in a member to stay away from Church meeting without a good excuse for so doing

«Abstract of Principles»

Art. 1st We believe in our true and living God. The Father, Son & Holy Ghost three in one.

Art 2nd We believe the Scriptures of [the] Old and new Testament are the word of God and the only true Rule of faith and practice

Art 3rd We believe in the doctine of Original Sin

Art 4th We believe in Man,s(sic.) in ability to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature by his own free will and Holiness--

Art 5th We believe in the doctrine of Election through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth

Art 6th We believe that Sinners are Justified in the sight of God only by rhe Merit of Jesus Christ

Art 7th We believe the saints shall persever in Grace and not finally fall away

Art 8th We believe that Baptism And the Lords Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, And that true believers are the only proper subjects and Conscientiously do believe the True mode is immersion

Art 9th We believe in the resurrection of the dead and General Judgment

Art 10th We believe th Joys of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal----

Art 10th (sic.) We believe that no minister has a right to the administration of the ordinances Only such as have been Called of God as was Aaron and regularly Baptized and approved of by the Church and Come under the inposition of hands by a Presbytry

Art 11th We believe that none but believers have a right to the ordinances of Baptism and the Lords Supper-----