HIS STORY
IN OUR LIVES
The History of Poplar Springs Baptist Church
Poplar Springs Baptist Church is the oldest church within the North Georgia Baptist Association and was organized by early settlers prior to the Trail of Tears. In 1836, the group constituted Poplar Springs Baptist Church, and so began the mission and ministry to the North Georgia area. The church was located at the Poplar Spring on Crow Creek near the foot of the hill where the church now stands. The name comes from a grove of yellow poplars trees which stood around the spring. Thomas Crow, a charter member and layman, was instrumental in organizing the church and is said to have suggested the name. He also donated the land on which the church was built. A monument was placed at his grave by vote of the church in May 1906. The monument is enclosed by an iron fence in the old section of the Poplar Springs Cemetery. It states that Thomas Crow was born January 29,1800 and died on January 21, 1884, which made him 36 years old when he helped to organize the church.
The original church building stood until the War Between the States. During that time, it was used as a Confederate hospital but was burned by Union troops in 1864. After the church was burned, members of the church began to rebuild by cutting timber and hauling it from the old Ault Mill, also called Haig Mill, by a team of oxen belonging to Mr. Johnie Jones. Another church was built at the top of the hill northwest of the original location and just in front of the current building. The original portion the building was constructed with mortised joints and wooden dowels instead of nails. The building has continued to be remodeled and changed over the years.
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The North Georgia Baptist Association separated from the Murray County Association and was constituted at Poplar Springs Church around 1862. It was thought that Poplar Springs Church held membership in either the Middle Cherokee or Coosa Associations, but there is no mention in the few existing records. In 1906, a committee composed of J.B. Chitwood, Shut Dyer, J.C.Kittles, and Andrew Meers was appointed to try and recover damages from the Federal Government for the fire that destroyed the original church building, but there is no report.
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The building, which now stands, was constructed from 1955 to 1957 by free labor and was paid for on completion. In 1967, an addition of classrooms, a pastor's study, and a baptistery as well as a paved parking lot, picnic shelter, and other improvements were completed. In 1972, Poplar Springs called its first full-time pastors, and in 1973, the construction of a parsonage began. Church membership topped 400 with 60 new members by baptism and 19 by letter during that year, which lead to the expansion of the old sanctuary and the addition of classrooms in 1975. In 1983, a 50x100' fellowship hall was built, and later in 2006, a 2400sq ft. addition provided a baby and toddler nursery, an elevator, and a classrooms as well as a 7000 sq. ft. Family Life Center. The church continues to carry on the vision of those who first established her by reaching people and sharing the Gospel all to the glory of God!
Known Pastors from 1836 to the Present:
1870......................JM Gambrell
1871......................JJ Gilbert
1872-1873............Posey Maddox
1876-1877............HD Gilbert
1879.....................ML Clontz
1880-1881...........JM Stansberry
1882.....................AS Tatum
1887.....................AH Mitchell
1889.....................JM Wilcox
1893.....................H Head
1895.....................AB Nuckolls
1896-1900...........JT Nichols
1901-1902...........LM Medlin
1903-1904...........CC Maples
1910.....................WR Breeden
1912-1913...........JT Nichols
1914-1915...........TA Burgess
?............................JF Fincher
1916................SW Bennett
1918................SM Hair
1919-1920......JA Reed
1921-1922......WD Davenport
1926-1927......JW Phillips
1928-1932......JN Padgett
1933-1942......Charles Hambright
1943-1946......Ernest Pell
1947-1948......Clarence Harris
1949-1951......Charles Hambright
1951-1953......JW Cummings
1954-1956......Luther Williams
1957................WL Williams
1958................HG England
1959................Carl King
1961................Milas Winkler
1963................Carl King
1966................Erwin Crider
1970................Robert Burnette
1971................Charles Moulton
1972-1982......Walter Hare
1982-1986......Bob R Sampley
1987-1988......Gordon Rowe
1988-1997......David Hammonds
1997-2001......William Roberts
2002-2010......Bill Gardner
2010-2012......Ray Cochran
2013-Present.....Neil Hasty
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