Shining the Light

By Colleen Nelson

The Bates Fork Baptist Church sits on the high ground above State Rt. 18, where Bates Fork joins with Browns Creek at Sycamore on its way to Ten Mile Creek in Waynesburg. Built in 1867, the building is well proportioned and very historic - its congregation has roots that go back to the frontier days when the Baptists of Virginia were moving west to find religious freedom - and a new life - in the wilderness.

Early historian W.L. Horn writes that James Riley “established a fur trading post” at the mouth of Hopkins Run in 1741 and by 1761 had built a cabin and “moved his family from Williamsburg Virginia to this site.” This site would someday be the village of Swarts.

Horn notes that Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Ruff whose husband Jeremiah had his own trading post at Ruff ’s Creek, were “Baptist by faith and first cousins.” Those firebrand frontier preachers David Jones and John Corbly both preached at the Riley home in the 1760s and neighbors traveled miles to attend these cabin sermons.

Records from the Old Redstone Association state that a Baptist church was organized on Bates Fork in 1804 and Mathias Luce was the first pastor. By 1808 membership was reported at 42 with a church “one mile upstream from Swarts near the mouth of Fonner’s Run” on land deeded to the church by members Charles and John Petit.

Church historians tell us that religious revivals of the early 1800s brought the Campbellites who broke away to form their own decentralized independent churches. Rural Baptists who were suspicious of the “urban East” helped “fuel the anti-missionary controversy that pretty well destroyed the (Redstone) association.” The Baptists of Swarts remained “Ironsides Baptists” but as they aged out of the congregation the remaining members reorganized to take on a new mission.

In 1842, 50 people met at Levi Griffith’s house and “gave themselves to each other by the will of God.” Eleven articles of faith were drawn up and the congregation became Mission Baptists. They continued to meet at their church on Fonner’s Run but by the next year half the congregation left to attend church in Ruff Creek. “No reason was given but judging from the names withdrawn, such as Huffman, Boyd, Meek, Mitchell, etc,, we conclude that Ruff ’s Creek was much nearer and more convenient place to worship. …Here we see the influence of Mrs. Ruff bearing fruit – the Ruff Creek Church was founded in 1843.”

What was left of the Swarts congregation continued meeting on Fonner’s Run until the church I found myself walking into on a recent Sunday morning, was built in Sycamore.

Why relocate the congregation to Sycamore?

When the Methodists arrived in Swarts and built Simpsons chapel in 1854, church historians drew this conclusion: “We feel safe in surmising that this new church gave ours some serious competition” for membership in and around Swarts. Members of the congregation were beginning to gather for “out station” Sunday services at the Taylor School House in Sycamore and families were coming to worship from further downstream, from Reeces Mill, up Gardners Run and in and around Sycamore. The vote to fix the old church or build anew was taken January 6, 1866 and new won 31-5.

The church driveway climbs to a great view of the town below, surrounded by greenery. The long winding ramp makes for an easy stroll to the side door and I find myself walking with Denise Demeo, here to lead the Sunday service. Her sister Pastor Christie Wise retired in January so sermons are being led by invitation. “I was so happy they called me! I love coming here, the people are wonderful,” she tells me and I’m soon in the midst of a happy congregation in a beautiful church with wonderful acoustics, thanks to the efforts of Rev. A. J. Meek, who raised the ceiling in 1892, added two Sunday school classrooms and an alcove and installed a new front door to replace the two that once allowed women to enter from the left and men from the right. The times they were a- changing!

Today the sanctuary is bustling with cheer and the energy of pianist Lacey Goodon’s kids, especially two-year-old Connor who wiggle worms his way through many arms and finally ends up holding hands with me when we form our circle of greeting. The music is sung in harmony and our voices rise as one around us. No need for hymn books, the verses scroll on the screen above the altar and when Denise speaks her words echo the moment we are in: blend together to become one voice, harmony is essential, find agreement in action and understanding, treat others like they’re your best friend… “I know you! Remember Wilbur Wright? He was my husband. You used to come into the shop.”

I find myself hugging JoAnn Wright, a bright eyed eighty something and remembering with her the spinning wheel and clock I’d painted on Wright Antique Shop in Waynesburg in the 1970s that are still brightening the building on Strawberry Alley.

This is the church their daughter Sandy picked to go to in 1958 and JoAnn is still a harmonious member of this congregation of neighbors who do their missions as naturally as they do dishes.

"I took some soup to a friend once who was living at a nursing home just so he could have some home cooking,” JoAnn tells me. It wasn’t long before the idea caught on and now it is a church mission to make soup once a month and give it free to all who come and deliver it to shut-ins with a cheery visit.

There is a signature quilt filled with the names of old church families, framed and on display in the alcove. It found its way home after many years and I get JoAnn to find some Wrights in the stitches so I can take her photo.

The church summer picnic will be held in the church yard on August 4, starting at 11 a.m. Friends and neighbors are invited to come share fellowship with Bates Fork Baptist Church. Bring a covered dish!