History Prosperity ARP Church 

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History of Prosperity ARP Church 1828-1901

Taft, Tennessee

 The first settlement of Associate Reformed Presbyterians in Lincoln County, Tennessee was in 1826.  They came from Abbeville, Chester and Fairfield Counties in South Carolina.  Amount the early settlers were Drennans, Moores, McCallas, McMillens, Raymonds, McFerrins, Gleghorns, Parkinsons, Pinkertons, Sheffields, Sloans, Stewarts and Wileys; some of whose descendants are with us still.  Some of these families settled ten miles south of Fayetteville and formed the organization for the Prosperity Associate reformed Presbyterian Church.  Others settled six miles west of Fayetteville and formed Bethel Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

 In 1826 Rev. Henry Bryson (←Click for his travel journal), who was reared in Laurens County, South Carolina, traveled alone on horseback to middle Tennessee to preach to the Associate Reformed Presbyterians who had moved to Lincoln, Marshall and Maury Counties.  He rode back to South Carolina in the fall of 1827 and in the spring of 1828 he returned to Lincoln County, Tennessee.  On Sabbath, May 17, 1828, he and Rev. John Renwick organized Prosperity Church. The land where Prosperity has been 175 years was donated by Hugh Parkinson.  Rev. Bryson, later Dr. Bryson, was installed as pastor of this church on the day of its organization.  There is no record of either the names or the number of charter members of the church.  However, the name of James Jennant is recorded as having united with the church “by examination” on the day of the organization, and the name of an infant, Lewis Bryson, son of Alexander Wiley, is recorded as having been baptized on the same day.

 Prosperity was apparently the first Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church organized in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Shortly thereafter, Bethel, about three miles west of Harms, and Head Springs in Marshall County were organized and Dr. Bryson served as pastor of these three churches.  He demitted Head Springs in 1838, but continued as pastor of Bethel and Prosperity until 1847 when ill health forced him to resign.

No original records of Prosperity have been preserved.

Among the elders of the church have been the following:

Samuel de Haven, M. B. Parkinson, B. M. McCalla, R. Moore, W. P.Watson, R. A. McFerrin, G. W Crawford, J. L. Bishop, H. S. McCalla, J. P. Fife, J. A. Good, A. R. Byers, J. G. Stewart, M. C. Moore, H. P. Moore, O. L. Kidd, C. J. Jones and T. Moyers.

Among the deacons have been the following:

Hugh Parkinson, S. M. Parkinson, H. T. Sloan, J. T. Phagan, J. B Stewart, W. G. Moore, W. S. McFerrin, W. P. Watson, Robert Bailey, Joe Caughran, T. G. Moore, A. R. Byers, E. Fife, W. R. Jones, H. H. Burton, H. Sandlin,   R. H. Drennan, H. O. Moore, J. H. Spray, E. R. Franklin and M. C. Forbes.   

 Prosperity Church Flourished under Dr. Bryson’s care.  During his pastorate two church buildings were erected.  The first was of hewn logs and was built in 1828 and used for some time with only the dirt floor.  The land was obtained from Hugh Parkinson.  During a protracted meeting one summer this log house was too small for the accommodation of the congregation and they went to a grove in the graveyard. 

While they were preaching in the graveyard some young people got together and danced in the log church without the floor.  When they got through dancing the boys decided to have some fun at Dr. Bryson’s expense, and sent for him to come into the church to talk with a young man (pretending to be) under conviction of sin and seeking the light.  Dr. Bryson came and found the young man crying and feigning deep penitence.  At once divining the situation, he ordered the boys all to their knees and to prayer.  Having done this, Dr. Bryson began the prayer by asking God to convert the young man if his penitence was sincere, but if not sincere to strike him dead at once.   The young man jumped up in great fright and got away.  A few days later he came to Dr. Bryson, saying in earnest he was converted and joined the church.

 During 1841 and 1842 a substantial frame building, 52 feet by 52 feet, was erected.  This building was used until 1881 when it was burned by an incendiary that had enough respect for the pulpit Bible to take it some distance from the church and leave it on a fence.  Dr. Bryson died at his home in Viney Grove in 1878 and was buried in the Prosperity Cemetery.

In 1847, Rev. A. S. Sloan was installed as pastor and continued in this capacity for 27 years until 1874, thus being distinguished as serving the Prosperity Church longer than any other pastor.  Under Rev. Sloan’s ministrations the field enlarged and a building was erected five miles north of Prosperity. This new church was named New Hope.  Rev. Sloan preached at both churches and one bench of elders served both organizations for several years.   New Hope later became a separate organization and, with Bethel formed a separate pastorate.

 The Civil War caused a division of the church and one part of the congregation formed the United Presbyterian Church.  Several Confederate soldiers are buried in the Prosperity Cemetery.  The names of three slaves appear on the church roll prior to the Civil War.

 In 1870 another church was organized by members of Prosperity.  This church was known as Pleasant Plains.  A church building was erected at Blanche, the Methodists and the Associate Reformed Presbyterians each having a half interest in it and each having preaching on alternate Sabbaths.  Rev. Sloan served as pastor.  This organization was never strong.  In 1885 it reported 35 members; in 1907 the membership was still 35, and $100 was paid to the pastor’s salary.

 Rev. J. B. Muse was installed as pastor of Prosperity and Blanche in November 1874 and continued in this capacity until his resignation in 1882.  It was during Rev. Muse’s pastorate that the present church building was erected.  After Rev. Muse’s resignation, the church was without a pastor for six years and was somewhat irregularly supplied until Rev. O. Y. Bonner began his labors in 1888.  Rev. J. A. Myers supplied the pulpit for some time.  Rev. H. B. Balkely preached here during the summers of 1886 and 1887. 

Rev. O. Y. Bonner was formally installed as pastor in May 1889.  He organized the church’s first Sabbath School on the third Sabbath of December, 1888.  He was the first superintendent of the Sabbath School which met only twice a month on days of preaching.  The earliest available statistics of the Sabbath School are from 1893 and indicate that there were four teachers and 50 pupils.  The Ladies’ Missionary Society was organized in 1888 and a separate account of this organization’s history is given elsewhere in this history.  Rev. Bonner resigned his pastorate in June 1891.

 During the next few years Prosperity Church was without a regular pastor.  Various men came as supply pastors; among them were Rev. J. M. Garrison, W. S. Castles, W. B. Logan and others. In 1894 a Dr. W. W. Orr held a meeting at the church which resulted in 67 additions to the rolls.

In June, 1895 Rev. A. J. Ranson came as supply and he was installed as pastor of Prosperity and Blanche on November 10, 1895.  It was during his pastorate that a young people’s organization was established.  In 1901 this organization reported 60 members and contributions of $35.  Dr. Ranson and his bride were the first to occupy the new manse.  The manse was built on five acres of land given by Mr. Thomas McFerrin to the Women’s Society to be used for the purpose of constructing a manse.  Rev. Ranson resigned November 17, 1901, and later became a missionary to India.

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Elders 2009

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 Completion of this history is a work in progress.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to acknowledge the following sources for this history:  Associate Reformed Presbyterian Centennial and Sesquicentennial histories, Session records and Women’s Society records at Prosperity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and the Young Peoples Christian Union history of 1956.

Our appreciation is expressed to Mrs. William Bolton, Mrs. Charles Edgar, Mrs. Wayne Towry, Mrs. Ronald Derksen, Mrs. Debbie Motlow and Mrs. Brenda Coble for compiling the information and all others who had any part in the writing of this history.

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Revised: 02/11/10