ANDERSON FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY, Anderson County, SC A.K.A. Anderson Baptist & Mount Tabor Baptist Version 2.3, 1-Jun-2009, A077.TXT, A077 ******************************************************************************** It's believed that the usage of any original work submittals contained within these webpages such as articles, compiling, photographs or graphics, conform to Fair Use Doctrine & Copyright Guidelines. COPYRIGHT NOTE: (1.) Works published before 1923, are considered to be public- domain. (2.) Works published 1923-1977 without a copyright notice, are considered to be public-domain. (3.) Unpublished non-copyrighted works will have Author permission for public-domain. Facts, names, dates, events, places & data can not be copyrighted. Narration, compilations and creative works can be copyrighted. Copyright law in the U.S. does not protect facts or data, just the presentation of this data. REPRODUCING NOTICE: These electronic pages may only be reproduced for personal or 501(c) Not-For-Profit Society use. Use the following names, if, you would like to give any author compiling credit. AUTHORS: Paul M. Kankula-NN8NN & Gary L. Flynn-KE8FD *********************************************************************** 05-01-15 HISTORY WRITE-UP : Dr. James R. Thomason at 1stbaptistsc@bellsouth.net CEMETERY LOCATION: ------------------ > Latitude N x Longitude W CHURCH/CEMETERY HISTORY: ------------------------ Churches come into existence when there is a need. Such was the case of Anderson First Baptist Church. Originally called Mount Tabor, it was located one and a half miles south of Anderson where the Saluda Baptist Association Office now stands on South Murray Avenue. A number of people of the Baptist faith lived in this area, and in 1817, Rev. James Burriss began his ministry here. His congregation gathered under a brush arbor. A log house of worship replaced the arbor in 1819, and the church became a mission of the Shockley Ferry Baptist Church. In July 1821, Mount Tabor was constituted as an independent church with 56 members. Sanford Vandiver was the first pastor, a position he filled until 1842 (21 years). In 1822, the church was admitted to the Saluda Baptist Association. In 1834, the congregation of 86 people moved into the Village of Anderson. A small white frame building was erected on the present site and the name was changed to the Anderson Baptist Church. From that time to the present, the church, in order to meet the growing needs of its members, built new buildings, purchased additional properties, and added new facilities. The church called its first full time pastor, the Rev. J. Scott Murray, in the Fall of 1851. The Sunday School was established in the early 1860's. The woman's Missionary Union was organized on April 20, 1875. Discipleship Training, as it is now called, was organized in 1900 as the Baptist Young People's Union. In the fall of 1892, the name of the church was changed to the First Baptist Church, and it was incorporated by the State of South Carolina on February 2, 1903. The first Vacation Bible School was held in the summer of 1920. On the grounds of the present church office building, formerly the church parsonage, stood Johnson Female Seminary. It was organized in 1848, and named for Dr. William B. Johnson, the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He came to Anderson in 1853 as the Chancellor of this institution, the forerunner of Anderson College. At his death, Dr. Johnson was buried in the church cemetery where a handsome marker was erected by the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Eighteen pastors have served First Baptist Church. Dr. James R. Thomason is the current (19th) pastor. The church's spiritual growth, evangelistic efforts, and contributions to missions and Christian education can be attributed to the labors of these men of God who have taught and led the people into a fuller life of Christian service. Under their capable leadership, the church has grown into one of the largest churches in the South Carolina Baptist Convention. From its beginning, it has contributed leadership and monetary support to all denominational causes. The Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions was named for Mrs. J.D. Chapman, the first state Women's Missionary Union President. Mrs. Chapman's husband was pastor of the church from 1900 to 1907. Both of them were active in leading the youth of the church in Christian service. One of the young men involved in their organizations was W. Marshall Craig. Dr. Craig became recognized throughout the Southern Baptist Convention as an outstanding minister and evangelist. He is one of many of First Baptist's sons and daughters that have entered Christian vocations, serving at home and abroad. First Baptist Church has a noble heritage which serves to challenge today's members to work diligently for the advancement of the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Dr. James R. Thomason, Pastor - 307 South Manning Street - Anderson, SC 29624 Phone: 864-224-1622 - Fax: 864-224-3454 - E-mail: 1stbaptistsc@bellsouth.net o----------o ----- Original Message ----- From: Janice Pate To: gcgcgenweb@bellsouth.net Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 2:44 PM Subject: RE: Griffin Family - Anderson County SC - GENEALOGY OK! By the way you can add the tombstone picture to the Anderson Baptist Church. Martha Ann Griffin was the d/o Richard Prince Esq. of Anderson Dist., who moved to MS bef. 19 June 1843. [Wilkinson, Tom C.--Early Anderson County S. C. Newspapers, Marriages & Obituaries, 1841-1882, pp. 10, 186.] She m. John C. Griffin 19 Jan. 1842 [Wilkinson, Tom C.--Early Anderson County S. C. Newspapers, Marriages & Obituaries, 1841-1882, 5.]. She d. 19 June 1843, Anderson Village, at age 19, of inflamation of the stomach, [Wilkinson, Tom C.--Early Anderson County S.C. Newspapers, Marriages & Obituaries, 1841-1882, p. 10.] leaving a husband and infant daughter. TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: ------------------------------ a. = age at death b. = date-of-birth d. = date-of-death h. = husband m. = married p. = parents w. = wife >