THE CROWN CHRISTIAN HERITAGE CENTER on the campus of The Crown College • Knoxville/Powell, Tennessee
Settlers Arrive and Bring Faith With Them he early settlers of the Knoxville area arrived in the late 1700’s. They came primarily from western Pennsylvania and were mainly Scotch Irish. Being descendants of the Covenanters in Great Britain, they
Painting of Rev. Samuel Carrick (center), early settler & first President of U.T. pictured here shearing sheep identified with the teachings of John Calvin and John Knox and had strong animosity toward Catholicism. They were avid supporters of the American War for Independence and were quick to volunteer for military service, especially because their families had been opposed by the king of England. The Scotch Irish had experienced religious persecution, and they were readily willing to settle in this new area, the “southwest frontier” of the United States, and seek to
establish their communities with a firm foundation of faith in God. In 1789, Rev. Samuel Carrick and Rev. Hezekiah Balch preached to a congregation at an Indian mound located at the fork between the French Broad and Holston Rivers. This assembly was organized as the first church in the Knoxville area and was called Lebanon-in-the-fork Church. Shortly thereafter, Col. James White, who built the fort which marked the first settlement in Knoxville, gave land for the establishment of the first church inside the city of Knoxville, the First
Moody & Sankey Draw Overflow Crowds Page 3
Presbyterian Church. The pastor was Rev. Samuel Carrick, who was both a preacher and a pioneer woodsman in his own right. Rev. Carrick also became the first president and faculty member of what was originally called Blount College, named after William Blount, Governor. Carrick, a Continued on page 2 >>
A Traveller’s Perspective
The following entry represents the deplorable moral state of Knoxville before Christianity arrived and took root. “In the infant town of Knox, the houses are irregular and interspersed. It was county court day when I came. I saw jesting, singing, swearing, women yelling from doorways...whiskey and peach brandy were cheap. The town was confused with a promiscuous throng of every denomination–blanket-clad Indians, leather-shirted woodsmen, gamblers, hard-eyed and vigilant. I stood aghast. My soul shrank back to hear the horrid oaths and dreadful indignities offered to the supreme governor of the universe. There was what I never did see before on Sunday, dancing, singing, and playing of cards. It was said by a gentleman of the neighborhood that the devil is grown so old that it renders him incapable of traveling and that he has taken up in Knoxville and there hopes to spend the remaining part of his days...as he believes he is among friends.” –Traveller, James Weir, 1798
THE CROWN CHRISTIAN HERITAGE CENTER on the campus of The Crown College • Knoxville/Powell, Tennessee
Continued from Page 1
for Methodist preachers. These “circuitriding” preachers had a profound impact Presbyterian minister who had received in East Tennessee. Historians have seminary training, taught alone in the noted that their religious meetings were first years of the college. In time, the more heartfelt than those of the austere school would become known as the Presbyterians. Though both groups University of Tennessee. did much good for the backwoods Though the Presbyterians communities, the Methodist were first on the ground, the circuit riders seemed to Methodist Episcopalians connect with the spiritual and the Baptists were not heart of the settlers, and, far behind. The famous according to the historian Methodist, Bishop Phelan, did as much Francis Asbury, who to shape the religious came with John Wesley history of Tennessee from England, visited as Catholicism did to the Knoxville area on shape Mexico. Francis Asbury several occasions. In 1788, 1745-1816 Early Baptist ministers he held a three-day meeting began their work in Knox in the Knox County region which County around 1790. The Little Flat was the first extended religious meeting Creek Church (organized 1796) was the ever conducted west of the mountains. first Baptist church established in Knox Asbury himself traveled 6,000 miles each year by horseback and carriage. He was instrumental in establishing circuits
Evangelist Leads Thousands in Protest Little Flat Creek Church in Corryton, TN (organized 1796)
J. Harold Smith (19102001) was a pioneer in the use of media to preach the gospel. He established the Radio Bible Hour broadcast in 1935, an outreach which continued for 82 years. In the mid-1940’s, his ministry was located on Gay St. in Knoxville. During those years, opposition arose from higher powers in the city.
County and is still in existence today in the Corryton area. Like the Methodist circuit riders, the Baptist preachers were limited in their education but had zeal and spiritual fervor that resonated well with their congregations. The membership of Baptist churches soon outgrew the membership of the Methodists and Presbyterians, and still continues to lead even to this day.
Smith led Knoxville citizens to take their stand in support of Bible preaching on the airwaves, and in opposition to the selling of alcohol. On one occasion, Smith called for citizens to rally in peaceful protest. Amazingly, over 50,000 marched the streets taking their stand for righteousness. At the time, it was the largest single gathering ever in the history of Knoxville.
Historian George Mellen noted that Christian influence had a profound impact upon early citizens of Knoxville. Nearly every family cabin contained a Bible. People read and interpreted the Scriptures literally. In observance of the Lord’s Day, most families did not labor or even hunt on Sundays. The freedom they had to exercise their faith was a treasure held dear.
Knoxville Walks the Sawdust Trail Billy Sunday Preaches in Knoxville
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rom January 7 – February 18, 1923, at the height of his popularity, evangelist Billy Sunday held evangelistic meetings in a tabernacle constructed on North Gay Street between Magnolia and W. Fifth Avenue. Sunday was from Iowa and had grown up in an orphan’s home from the age of ten. Because of his athletic ability, he made it into major league baseball, playing from 18831890. He was a crowd favorite because of his speed and agility in the outfield and rounding the bases. One evening, while with his baseball friends in downtown Chicago, he was reached with the gospel through the Pacific Garden Mission. He believed on Christ and became an amazing trophy of God’s grace. After leaving baseball, he assisted evangelist J. Wilbur Chapman for several years, then began conducting revival meetings of his own. The tabernacle constructed in Knoxville held 7,000 and was filled over and over again. A choir loft was also constructed which seated just over 1,000. Meetings were held twice a day except on Mondays. It is recorded that some 480,000 attended over the sixweek span of the meeting, and 9,000 converts “walked the sawdust trail” to profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Billy Sunday’s tabernacle downtown on N. Gay Street
THE CROWN CHRISTIAN HERITAGE CENTER on the campus of The Crown College • Knoxville/Powell, Tennessee
D.L. Moody & Ira Sanky Draw Overflow Crowds in Knoxville Tuesday–Sunday, January 26-31, 1886, at the Church Street Methodist Episcopal Church
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he famous evangelist from New England, Dwight L. Moody, held meetings from Tuesday through Sunday, January Ira Sankey Dwight L. Moody 26-31, 1886, at the Church Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Knoxville. Moody is known as the greatest evangelist of the 19th century. He was a simple and sincere man, with little education, but with an ardent fervor for winning souls to Jesus Christ. The Jonseboro Herald and Tribune, which covered the Moody meetings, recorded that there were vast crowds who wanted to hear him. Tickets had to be handed out to manage admission, and overflow attendees were sent to the
First M. E. Church on Clinch St. Moody’s opening message was on the Word of God. He stated, “The influence of these meetings will be fruitless unless guided by the Word of God.” He taught the doctrine of assurance of salvation and exhorted, “If I could only stir up you people to read the gospel, I would feel a thousand times paid for coming to Knoxville.”
Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)
Moody was accompanied by his famous musical coworker, Ira D. Sankey. Sankey arrived ahead of Moody to prepare for the meetings, led congregational singing during the services, and also conducted the overflow meetings to accommodate over-capacity crowds.
Outspoken Evangelist Arrives in Knoxville
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vangelist Mordecai F. Ham held evangelistic meetings in Knoxville in 1939-40. Born in Allen County, Kentucky, Ham came from eight generations of preachers. He first studied law and started a business in Chicago, but after his
grandfather died, he left his business and surrendered to God’s call on his life to preach the gospel. He had a prolific ministry in the South, especially in Texas, recording over 300,000 conversions through his meetings. His most famous convert was a 16-year-old young man named Billy Graham, who professed faith in Christ at Ham’s Charlotte crusade in 1934. Ham was known for his open attacks on drinking alcohol and other social vices, and for his straightforward presentation of the gospel.
Mordecai Ham’s tabernacle constructed off Magnolia Ave. in December, 1939
THE CROWN CHRISTIAN HERITAGE CENTER on the campus of The Crown College • Knoxville/Powell, Tennessee
Graham Crusade Brings President Nixon
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n May 22 – 31, 1970, Billy Graham, the most famous evangelist of the 20th century, held a ten-day meeting in Knoxville. Graham planned the crusade after receiving a petition signed by 129,000 people requesting he come to Knoxville. Over 30,000 volunteers were organized to prepare for and conduct the crusade. Crowds averaging over 50,000 attended night after night in Neyland Stadium on the campus of the University of Tennessee. Graham was
accompanied by noted singers George Beverly Shea and Ethel Waters, who sang their trademark songs “How Great Thou Art” and “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” During one of the Sunday meetings, Johnny Cash sang and gave his testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. On Thursday night, President Richard Nixon appeared at the crusade. Over the course of the crusade, over 400,000 attended the meetings and nearly 10,000 professed faith in Jesus Christ.
Thousands of Christian Workers Trained in Knoxville
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noxville was blessed in 1991 with the establishment of The Crown College of the Bible, an institution of higher education dedicated to training men and women to advance the work of God worldwide. Founded by Dr. Clarence Sexton, pastor of the Temple Baptist Church in the Powell community, the graduates of the college have been instrumental in the establishment of over 500 churches across America and around the world. Currently, over 3,500 alumni have been trained and are leading the way in
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strengthening local churches and in missionary efforts. The School of the Bible has been established in over 70 locations abroad, as well as extension campuses in England and Nepal. Crown students have had a major impact on the Knoxville community, ministering weekly to over 2,000 urban families. Students have also conducted gospel ministry efforts in all Knox County middle and high schools, on the University of Tennessee campus, in assisted living centers and nursing homes, at local
jails and detention facilities, through educational tutoring and literacy training, and through community concerts, rallies, and special events. The college has now added a Trades and Technology School providing vocational and technical training for the American worker. All areas of training at the college are provided with the emphasis of using one’s skills to impact others for Christ.
THE CROWN COLLEGE • 2307 W. BEAVER CREEK DRIVE • POWELL, TN 37849 CLARENCE SEXTON, President • THECROWNCOLLEGE.EDU