Newfound Baptist association roots run deep in area


By Greg Brookshire Te Newfound Baptist Associa-


tion was formed when a group of seven churches withdrew from the French Broad Baptist Association. Tese churches were: Flat Creek, Turkey Creek, Newfound and Bethel in Buncombe County, and Bear Creek, Spring Creek and Little Mountain in Madison County. Tis association was organized in


1855 at Flat Creek Church. How- ever the first meeting was at New- found Baptist from which the asso- ciation got its name. Tis time period saw many other


churches withdrawing from the French Broad Association. Many of these divisions were related to the


belief that men were predestined, whereas many of the churches be- lieved that each man was his own “free moral agent” meaning that everyone’s fate laid in their own hands. Te Newfound Baptist Asso-


ciation lasted for 139 years before returning to the French Broad As- sociation in 1994. Tis association grew to as many


as 34 church by the mid-20th cen- tury but membership began to wane until only nine remained by 1994. Of those nine, only Bear Creek Church remained in the association for the entire 139 years. On Jan. 16, 1994, the remaining


churches met and voted to dissolve their association and request mem-


Continued on page 17


16 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - January 27 - February 2, 2011


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