Yalobusha Baptist Association Minutes
1860s

The 1860 Associational Meeting was with Mt. Pisgah church on Friday before the 4th Sabbath in September.

No minutes of this meeting are available. The 1859 minutes gave the place and time.

The 1861 Associational Meeting was with Providence church on September 20-22.

Officers were: Elder A. C. Capterton, Moderator; J. G. Hall, clerk; Moses Granberry, treasurer.

Aletter from the Poplar Springs church asking to be admitted to the Association, was read. Examination of its Doctrines of Faith being satisfactory the church was received. Sandy Creek church asked for and received membership also.

Thle Executive Board was composed of the following: N. H. Bingham, A. J. Boon, R. H. Hardy, J. C. Stokes, J. R. Talbert, G. C. Granberry, Elder H. B. Hayward and Officers of the Association.

The Associatin had shown consistently its interest in Negroes, both free and slave, since its organization. The Negroes had attended servces with the white congregations and held membership in the churches. At this time Preston and Mt Paran had as many negro families as white.

The tension of racial conflict, however, is reflected in much of the business of this session. We read, "The committee on the spiritual condition of the colored population was excused." The congregation was segregated. Elder A. C. Caperton was appointed to preach to white members on Sunday morning of this session, and E. J. Bullock to preach to them in the afternoon. Elder J. D. McGarity was appointed to preach to Negroes in the morning, and Elder B. Butts to preach to them in the afternoon.

The following was presented and adopted: "Resolved, that in view of the present condition of our country, our churches be requested to observe one day of fasting, humiliation and prayer once every three months for our Confederacy and for the officers and soldiers now engaged in protecting our rights and defending our homes and firesides, and that they be requested to continue the same until restoration and peace."

Another resolution adopted was: "Resolved, that on the morrow at the close of the sermon on Bible Cause there be a public collection taken up to supply our soldiers with Bibles; and that our treasurer be instructed to forward the funds to the Southern Publishing House for the specific benefit of Mississippi soldiers; and that our ministers throughout the Association be requested to preach on the subject and take collections for the same purpose."

Trustees for Yalobusha Baptist Female Institute were elected.

A resolution was approved to publish the Constitution in the minutes of the Association.

Statistics: 22 churches; 1767 members. The numbers of Negro members were as follows: Concord 8; Hopewell 3; Grenada 26; Mt.Paran 135; Mt. Pisgah 15; Pleasant Prospect 2; Preston 25O; Providence 23, Pittsboro 3; Rehoboth 39; Turkey Creek 21; Poplar Springs 4. This made a total of 598. Most of them were slaves and sat in the balconies provided for them.

1862

No minutes of this meeting are available, but Rehoboth was named as the place and the first Sunday in September as the time in the 1861 minutes.

1863-1866

There are no minutes available for these years. The hardships of war probably prevented the Association from meeting.

The 1867 Associational Meeting was with Poplar Springs church on October 12-14.

Officers were: Elder H. B. Hayward, moderator; A. J. Holcombe, clerk.

Duck Hill church wax re-admitted and Elam admitted to membership. Ile following resolutions were adopted; "Memoralizing Elder J. C Martin; endorsing The Baptist published in Memphis; endorsing TheChristian Watchman, our state organ published in Jackson. Mississippi; recommending a monthly prayer period in each church for the spread of the gospel in this and foreign lands; commending the seminary at Greenville, S.C., for its training of young ministers; recommending the Ema Mercer Institute at Grenada."

Ema Mercer Institute was formely the Yalobusha Baptist Female Inatitute. It was organized by the Baptists of the Yalobusha Association in 1851, and operated by them for ten years. After the war the Baptists could not finance the operation and the school was sold to a citizen of Grenada, Mr. J. C. Stokes. Mr. Stokes leased the property to Dr. B. T. (Emma) Holcombe. While Dr. Holcombe was in charge, the name changed to Ema Mercer Institute.

No churches listed colored members at this time, though the minutes show 688 colored Baptists. Evidently they had formed their own churches.

1868

Minutes of this meeting are not available. The 1867 minutes give Water Valley as the place and Saturday before the 2nd Sunday in October as the time.

The 1869 Associational Meeting was with Sandy Creek church on October 9-11.

Officers were: Elder H. B. Hayward, moderator; J. G. Hall, clerk; W. S. Perry, treasurer.

Churches admitted to membership were Drivers Flat, Bethany. Graysport and Yockina.

Only four churches in the Association had Sunday Schools. These were Water Valley, Grenada, Graysport and Elam.

Statistics: 29 churches; 2,050 white members; 284 colored members.

A footnote on the statistical table reads as follows: '"Colored members have been organized into churches and their numbers are not reported. The number within our bounds cannot be less than 1000 or 1500." Evidently the 284 colored reported above chose to stay in the churches with their former owners.