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Weekly 150

Blessed Assurance

McKenzie and Its Churches – Part I

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In any society the establishment of a house of worship is one of the most important establishments constructed. McKenzie and its surrounding territory has as deep and rich religious tradition. Numerous churches helped build the foundation to McKenzie providing an assortment of teachings for the various denominations of the protestant faith. In this edition and subsequent editions, I (with limited resources) will attempt tell the early story of the churches of McKenzie.
Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church is considered to be one of the oldest churches in West Tennessee. Records show of campground sermons as early as 1818. The church was officially organized in 1825 under a shade tree at the home of Thomas Hamilton. An ice storm in February, 1937, caused the tree to fall.
The following article of agreement bears no date but is signed by over one hundred names. Reverend John C. Smith was one of the founders of the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian congregation, and he served as the first regular pastor for five years prior to his death on February 7, 1830:
We the undersigned do agree to form ourselves into a society to be known by the name of “Shiloh Religious Society” under the care of the Hopewell Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and do submit ourselves to the government thereof. In testimony whereof we here set our names according to our respective characters.
The Shiloh Religious Society was one of the first to be established in the “Western District” as there no record kept, it is not recollected precisely in what year it was established. But it was regularly organized in July 1830 when James Dinwiddie, Thomas Hamilton, Albert H. Latimer, Isaac S. Sparks were elected ruling elders in the society.
James Dinwiddie and Thomas Hamilton having been previously ordained, the Rev. Baker (Robert) proceeded to ordain Albert H. Latimer and Isaac Sparks.
Hopewell Presbytery, which was organized in 1824, met at Thomas Hamilton’s home on October 11, 1825 but the next morning, October 12, the Presbytery met at Shiloh church. On May 18, 1830, James Dinwiddie was the first ruling elder to represent Hopewell Presbytery in the General Assembly, which was organized the year before.
The Civil War years were very hard on the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with ministers and laymen in the services which left the church with little leadership. The Reconstruction years were hard as well.
From the beginning of Shiloh, many African-Americans had been members. After the war, the “Colored Cumberland Presbyterian Church” was organized and African-American members of Shiloh desired their own church. It became Second Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
In September 1869, the session named a committee to select a church site for their new church building. The site selected was across the road on the west side of the church. In December, 1869, a committee reported that they had selected a spot for the “colored” people to build a place of worship for themselves. The spot is west of the house on a high point of land lying south of the road leading to McKenzie from Macedonia. In August, 1870, the session ordered the “Article of Agreement or Lessee” which had been made trustees of Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church to the “colored” people of said congregation to be spread upon the church record, and also the same registered upon the county record. A little over an acre of land was used for the church and school.
In the first 85 years, Shiloh was organized, built 3 houses of worship, sponsored camp meetings, survived the Civil War, Reconstruction (which included the organization of the Second Cumberland Presbyterian Church) and the problem of union with the Presbyterian Church. In 1910, during the time of experiencing the union problem, the Presbyterian Church built across the road losing thirty to forty members to it.
Shiloh has provided leadership for the establishment of at least three other churches—all named for Shiloh. The first was the Black church in 1879. The second was the Shiloh Presbyterian Church across the road in 1910. The third was in Texas, near Clarksville, in 1833. Historians think this church was the first protestant church organized in Texas.
Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church

The Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized in 1846. Located approximately 8 miles south of the McKenzie city-limits, the first building was a small frame house hear the cemetery. The land for the building and cemetery was set aside by the Baxter family.
In 1901, a frame building was erected across the road, but was replaced in 1924 by the brick building adjacent to the cemetery. The land was deeded to the church in 1924 by the heirs of J.W. King.
Queen’s Temple Cumberland Presbyterian Church
The Queen’s Temple Cumberland Presbyterian Church originated in 1904. Lead by Reverend J.H. Dinwiddie, the church was located on what was Mills Street, in what was know as Randle Town, a former neighborhood in McKenzie.
The property was sold in 1924 to Clyde Smith who turned it into a saw mill lot. The church relocated to the corner of West Jackson and Caldwell Street. In 1981, the Second Presbyterian Church congregation merged with the Queen’s Temple congregation in McKenzie to become the now defunct Shiloh Temple Church.
Pilgrim’s Rest Cumberland Presbyterian Church
In the early 1860’s, a church in a log house on the W.H. Sparks farm was forged. In 1866, Reverend Felix Johnson organized Pilgrim’s Rest Cumberland Presbyterian Church with 33 charter members near the Christmasville Community. The structure was destroyed by a tornado in April 2006, but the cemetery remains.
In next week’s edition, we will pick up with the First Cumberland Presbyterian Church along with First Presbyterian Church and the early Methodist Churches.

Jason R. Martin
B.S. • M.A.Ed • MLS
Councilman, Ward II
Executive Chairman, McKenzie 150th Celebration
E: jmartin@mckenziebanner.com  P: 731.352.3323

Jason Martin is a life-long resident of McKenzie. He graduated from McKenzie High School in 2000; earned a Bachelor of Science in History from Bethel College in 2004; a Masters in Education from Bethel University in 2009 and a Masters in History and Humanities from Fort Hays State University in 2011.

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