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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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