The Beginning

The Yalobusha Baptist Association was organized by churches located in territory formerly owned by the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians. The United States Government acquired the Choctaw lands in 1830, the Chickasaw in 1834. When these lands were opened for settlement people from older states came rapidly to build homes and open farms.

The first Baptist Church in this Association territory according to Judge S. S. Fairfield in Our History was Antioch. It was organized in the fall of 1834 and located near the village Troy in what in now Grenada County. Troy was four miles northwest of Grenada on the Yalobusha river. It is believed that William Minter and his wife were the first Baptist settlers in this territory. It is known that Antioch Church was organized through their efforts. At this time Mr. Minter was not an ordained minister though he came to be later.

Elder Moses Crouson (or Crowson) from Alabama was the first Baptist minister to settle in this territory. Mr. Minter invited him to preach in his, Mr. Minter's neighborhood regularly. In the hearts of this small group of worshipers was born the desire for a church. Assisted by Elder Summers of Alabama, who was visiting in the community at the time, Elder Crouson organized Antioch.

Soon after this Elder Francis Baker, also from Alabama, moved into the vicinity of Antioch. He worked with Elder Crouson and together they organized Shiloh, Salem, Loosascoona and Lebanon churches. Remembering that this territory was not opened to white settlers until 1832, we see the diligence with which these early Baptists worked, and God's great faithfulness to them.

On the 15th of November, 1835, delegates from these five churches met at Troy to take steps to form themselves into an Association. Elder Francis Baker was elected Moderator and Lemuel Been clerk for the assembly. A Constitution for the proposed Association was drawn up at this meeting, also Articles of Faith were agreed upon for the churches. These documents were submitted through the delegates to the participating churches for approval. This approval given, the Association was organized on the 15th day of January of the following year.

The 1836 Associational Meeting was with Antioch church on January 15.

At this organizational meeting the subject of missions was brought up. It was found that some were for and some against missions. The decision was to leave the question for each church to answer and to make no mention of this work in the constitution.

Only two ministers had residence in the association territory at this time. They were Elders Francis Baker and Z. N. Mirreil. The total membership of the five churches was 114.

Association of these five small churches gave strength to the Baptist cause in an unchurched field and resulted in rapid growth. It was the only unit to promote combined Baptist effort up to the turn of the century. The State Convention, now our most important denominational agent, did not function successfully until the late eighteen hundreds.

The term Yalobusha did not refer to the County of that name in the early history of the Association, but rather to the Valley of the Yalobusha River. This territory included part of Lafayette County on the north, part of Holmes on the south, part of Calhoun on the east and part of Tallahatchie on the west.

The first extant copy of the Constitution to which this group subscribed was printed in the 1861 Minutes, the Declaration of Faith in the 1872 Minutes. These are believed to be the originals and are given below[now located to the left].