On February 28, 1829, Mr. and Mrs. Swan Burnett and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gasperson met in a home near Beacham's Curve and began holding religious services. In March, Peter and Naomi Stradley were baptized in the French Broad River at Smith's Ferry. On December 6th, a presbytery, consisting of Isaac Mills from New Found Creek and Moses Freeman of Bull Creek, met to constitute a church. Peter Stradley and Swan Burnett were elected deacons. The church was admitted to the French Broad Baptist Association in August, 1830. Thomas Stradley was ordained at this same association meeting and was called a pastor of Mount Pleasant. He served the church for 45 years, resigning in 1875.
This collection includes records and materials from the First Baptist Church of Asheville in Buncombe Co., North Carolina. The church was built in 1927.
Name Changes: Mount Pleasant, 1829-1851; Asheville, 1852-1886; Asheville First, 1887
Association Membership: French Broad, 1830-1838; Salem [E], 1838-1882; Buncombe, 1882-
Pastors: Thomas Stradley, 1830-1875; John Mitchell, 1876-1879; Amzi Clarence Dixon, 1880-1882; John Mitchell, 1883-1884; John Lemuel Carroll, 1885-1886; William Alexander Nelson, 1887-1891; Jacob Lee White, 1892-1895; J.S. Felix, 1895-1898; W.M. Vines, 1898-1904; William Lunsford, 1904-1909; W.M. Vines, 1910-1911; Calvin B. Waller, 1912-1916; William Francis Powell, 1917-1920; Robert Johnston Bateman, 1921-1930; William Russell Owen, 1930-1932; Erasmus Gibson Davis, 1933-1937; John W. Inzer, 1938-1943; William Perry Crouch, 1944-1964; Cecil Edwin Sherman, 1964-
Histories: Asheville First Baptist Church Celebration of Victory Program, 1951. 20p. (NCCF); Pastor's tenth anniversary and sanctuary dedication, 1954. 16p. (NCCF); N.A. First Baptist Church got its start 131 years ago. Asheville Citizen Times, July 17, 1960. (NCCF); N.A. Memorandum brief. In re: First Baptist Church - highlights of history. undated 10p. (NCCF); N.A. Pageant: "History of the First Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C.". 14p. (NCCF); Tucker, J.H. Origin of the First Baptist Church Asheville. [First chapter reprinted from THE ECHO, March 19, 1898 and appeared in the church bulletin on Nov. 8, 1942]. 1p. (NCCF); Ramsey, Gertrude "First Baptist Church to hold three-day victory celebration." History sketch with pictures of the church and former pastors. Asheville Citizen-Times, December 31, 1950. (NCCF)
This collection includes materials pertaining to Church membership and administration matters of Asheville First Baptist Church. Materials in this collection include minute books, membership lists, church records, and transcripts.
Digitized materials from this collection are available in Z. Smith Reynolds Library Digital Collections.
Asheville First Baptist Church (Asheville, N.C.) Records, (MS775), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
This collection is open for use.
The nature of the WFU Z.Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives holds a related microfilm collection, Asheville First Baptist Church (Asheville, N.C.) Records (CRMF630).
Digitized materials from this collection are available in Z. Smith Reynolds Library Digital Collections.
Collection described by Kathleen Darling, 2014. Formerly identified as CR41.
Typescript copy is a gift from the church from Dr. John E. Inzer, pastor, Feb. 1, 1943. The manuscript volume is on loan from the church. It was brought to the Collection by George Pennell, Asheville, N.C., Feb. 6, 1951; N.C. Baptist Historical Collection, ZSR Library, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C. Nov. 12, 1974; Mar. 23, 1993/JRW.