Official records (1915-2025) of Immanuel Baptist Church, Greenville, N.C., including correspondence, minutes of Board of Deacons and Church Conferences, financial records, membership and donation records, photographs, building records for the church building on Elm Street, and several church record books.
In 1915 Immanuel Baptist Church was formed out of a group of 37 charter members. The official organization is credited to Rev. George J. Dowell of Ayden, NC. In a hall located above the Express Company, at the corner of West Eighth Street and Dickinson Avenue in Greenville, NC, the first meeting occurred. The first pastor called to the church was Rev. John E. Ayscue in 1916, serving until 1920. In 1917 a new church location was sought, and land was bought on West Eighth Street, a location where they would remain for the next fifty years. A milestone occurred in 1927 during Rev. L. R. O'Brian's tenure when women were first elected as deacons. Rev. Irby Jackson took over as pastor in 1956 and served for 21 years. Under his guidance, the church began to grow. In 1977 Dr. Gene Adams became Senior Pastor and served until 1981. The next pastor, Rev. Hugh A. Burlingdon, Jr. served from 1981-2005 making him the longest to serve as pastor at the church. In 1999 the church was involved in the formation of a Korean Mission Church which shared their fellowship hall and educational space. From 2008-2016 Dr. Scott Conner was pastor of the church and was involved in projects with Belvoir School and Building Hope Community Life Center in Greenville during his tenure. The Korean Missions Church named Rev. David Nam as pastor of that church in 2009. In addition, in 2014 Rev. David Archer began serving as the Minister of Music and Administration. The current pastor of the main church, Rev. Asher J. Panton, began his tenure in 2017.
Source:
Included in the materials is a copy of the church's amended constitution. Also present are financial records for the church, a church enrollment book and donation record books documenting members' giving history. In addition are Board of Deacons minutes. These minutes document day-to-day functions and much of the history of the church. These include major purchases, the hiring of pastors and all church staff, property decisions and construction costs, development of a nursery school, parking issues, membership of other denominations, missionary work and collaboration with East Carolina Teachers College and later East Carolina University, including their Baptist Student Union.
Also included are bulletins (1991), directories (1977, undated), 1974 church history, and a 1996/1997 Annie S. Higgs Sunday School Class Yearbook.
March 19, 2021, (addition 1), 0.35 cubic feet; Bulletins (1991), Directories (1977, undated), 1974 Church History, and 1996/1997 Annie S. Higgs Sunday School Class Yearbook formerly belonging to church member Elva Smiley. Donated by John Stevenson "Steve" Smiley, Sr.
November 10, 2023, (unprocessed addition 2), 2 items; May 11, 1952, bulletin containing Treasurer's Report for April 1952. [Formerly part of Roanoke Baptist Association Forty-Fourth Annual Session.] Transferred from North Carolina Collection.
May 27, 2025, (unprocessed addition 3), 9.8 cubic feet; This addition (1915-2015) includes the remaining official records of the Immanuel Baptist Church congregation; the church closed in 2023 and the building was sold to another church. Included are building specifications, blueprints and drawings and other papers (1952-1971) documenting the process of deciding to build a new building and the work involved in actually building the church at 1101 S. Elm Street and subsequent 1987 addition; correspondence; minutes of the Church Conference, Deacons Board, and Mission Council; photographs and photograph albums; church histories, newsletters, bulletins, clippings, and constitution and bylaws and articles of incorporation. Also included are the Perfect Church Record Book (1915-1945), Guest Book (1967-2001), Marriage Register Book (1967-1981), Book of Remembrance (1932-1969), and Treasurer's Records Book (1945-1950). Donated by Beth Winstead.
Gift of Beth Winstead
Gift of John Stevenson "Steve" Smiley, Sr.
Transferred from North Carolina Collection
Processed by Dale Sauter, January 2020.
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.