This collection includes a ledger book containing records (August 1882-December 1996) of the Red Banks Primitive Baptist Church located at the intersection of Fourteenth Street and Fire Tower Road in Greenville, North Carolina. The church was founded in 1758, but the present building was built in 1893. Included are minutes of the Conference meetings (1882-1996) which also mention when members join or leave or die, lists of some of the members with identifying information related to membership status, and loose papers. Also included are a treasurer's book (1964-2000) and a minutes book (1990-2000).
Red Banks Primitive Baptist Church, located at the intersection of Fourteenth Street and Fire Tower Road in Greenville, North Carolina, was founded in 1758. The building from which worship is now held was built in 1893 and is currently on the list of the National Registration of Historical Places; it was the fourth building to house the congregation.
Many Baptist churches were built throughout the eighteenth century in Pitt County, North Carolina. In 1827 a split occurred in the Baptist church between believers in predestination and those that believed that you could be saved by good deeds. The Kehukee Association, of which Red Banks church was a member, sided with the Primitive Baptists, who believed in predestination. Strict rules within the church led to a decline in church membership through the twentieth century. Red Banks church left the Association after a disagreement within the churches about allowing Brother Milton Lupton to preach. The remaining members of the church donated the land and church to the Pitt County Historical society in 1999.
Source: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for Red Banks Primitive Baptist Church http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/nr/PT0049.pdf
This collection consists of a ledger book detailing church meeting minutes (1882-1996), a treasurer's book (1964-2000), and miscellaneous loose papers.
The Red Banks Primitive Baptist Church ledger book contains church meeting minutes (1882-1996). Monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings are detailed within the ledger. The minutes detail meetings within the church and discuss meetings with sister churches in the surrounding area. Membership status, baptisms, the ordination of ministers, and deaths of members are also listed. Obituaries for members that passed away are written in the back of the ledger.
The meeting minutes from 1888-1910 detail several instances in which church members were excluded from the congregation for non-attendance, non-belief, drinking, joining secret orders, and disorder. Some members sought forgiveness and were allowed back into the congregation.
A treasurer's book (1964-2000) details the expenses of the church. Insurance and utilities bills are the primary expenses for the church; billing statements and bank statements are included. Contributions to the church are also detailed in the treasurer's book.
Miscellaneous loose papers were found inside the church ledger. These papers include a church member list, obituaries, letters, and a copy of the church covenant. One letter details withdrawal by several churches from the Contentnea Union (1981). A disagreement about allowing Brother Milton Lupton to preach led to the departure of the Red Banks and Hancock's church from the Contentnea Union (1996).
Gift of Janelle Vanhorne
Gift of William B. Kittrell
Processing of the collection was completed on 7-25-2017 by Tyler Caldwell
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.