Transcribed by Patsy Galyon Bradford
1873: Zion Hill Baptist Church established. Members from Sugar Loaf Baptist Church helped in the organization.
1873: When Zion Hill was established, the church held services once a month, on Saturday and Sunday.
1874: Petitioned by people meeting at Whittles Schoolhouse to come and help organize a church. Zion Hill responded by sending six: William & Mary Odem, Mary, Margaret & Matilda Nichols and Nancy Sexton. They helped organize Shiloh Baptist Church.
1874: Margaret Clark died, January 15, 1874. Oldest legible monument in the cemetery.
1886: Sevier Baptist Association was formed from Southern Baptist Churches in the county. William Ingle from Zion Hill was chosen to serve on the Christian education committee.
1886: Zion Hill was one of 23 churches to gather at the Sevierville Church, November 5-6, 1886, to form the Sevier Baptist Association. J. M. Thomas represented Zion Hill at this meeting.
1887: Zion Hill called Henry Gossett pastor. He was born in South Carolina, March 10, 1841, to Johnson and Sarah Gossett. He married Juda Moore, November 13, 1859. He was ordained into the Gospel ministry by Boyd’s Creek Baptist Church. He pastored Zion Hill twice and directed a building program the second time he pastored. He died February 18, 1906, and is buried at Boyd's Creek.
1887: Zion Hill sent William Brown as messenger to the first associational annual meeting at Henderson's Chapel.
1887: Jonathan Johnson was church clerk, reporting 90 members.
1887: Church was meeting the second weekend of the month.
1892: Noah H. Haggard was called to pastor. He was born in 1824 to James and Mary Atchley Haggard. His father was a Baptist preacher. Noah was married to Sarah Randolph and had eight children. He stayed one year and baptized 15 into the church family.
1892: Messengers to the association: William Brown, R. J. Ingle, and John Thomas.
1892-1896: R. J. Ingle served as Church Clerk
1894: Zion Hill began to have Sunday School or Sabbath School for the first time.
Enrollment for the first year was 80 with average attendance of 50.
1894: William Brown was called as pastor. He was born May 27, 1866, to John and Martha Brown. He had a twin brother Wilson. He married N. J. Fox in 1886. He was probably ordained by Zion Hill since he was an active member of the church. He died August 11, 1949 and is buried in Zion Hill Cemetery.
1894: Zion Hill reported 35 baptisms. William Brown was pastor.
1896: Zion Hill Baptist Church membership reached 150.
1897: Zion Hill called Henry Gossett to pastor again.
1897: Church constructed a new building.
1897: Philip Cummings was Sunday School Superintendent, reporting 75 enrolled.
1897-1907: Philip Cummings served as church clerk.
1898: J. I. Ingle was Sunday School Superintendent
1899: Zion Hill called William Brown to pastor again. He baptized 17 into the church that year.
1899: Church membership reached 156.
1899: January 27, the church joined with Gist's Creek for the Fifth Sunday meeting of the Sevier Association of Baptists.
1900: William Hurst was called as pastor. He was born in 1860 and served two pastorates at Zion Hill. The first from 1900 to 1903 then again from 1906 to 1909. In 1906, he baptized 21 and saw membership reach 170 in 1907. He died in 1923 and is buried at Walnut Grove.
1903: The church called Caleb Rule. He was born in 1840 and survived a Civil War prison camp and the explosion on the Mississippi River of the Sultana, a steamboat carrying prisoners of war to Ohio to be mustered out of service. He only stayed at Zion Hill one year. He died in 1913 and is buried at Pleasant Hill.
1900-1906: Philip Cummings served as Church Clerk.
1907-1908: Eli Baker served as Church Clerk.
1903: Zion Hill hosted the Tenth District Sunday School Convention of the Sevier Association. As announced in the May 20, 1903 edition of Montgomery's Vindicator: The program will be held May 24, 1903 at Zion Hill and begin at 2:00 P.M. with devotional exercises by P. Cummings. Three questions will be discussed: How can we get the people interested in the Sunday School work? To be discussed by J. F. Ingle and G. F. Rule. On whom does the responsibility of the Sunday School rest? To be discussed by J. R. Clabough, D. L. Parsons. And Object of the Sunday School Convention? To be discussed by C. Rule and J. R. Tarwater.
1904: J. R. Clabough was called as pastor. He stayed 2 years. He pastored many other churches in Sevier, Blount, and Monroe counties.
1904: Pastor’s salary increased to $30.00 a year.
1904: Sunday School began meeting all 12 months of the year.
1906: Pastor’s salary increased to $60.00 per year.
1909: the church called Wiley Conner. He was born 1865 in North Carolina and had a powerful ministry in East Tennessee. In 1909, he baptized 44 into the church family. He only stayed one year, but returned to preach a revival in 1916 with 50 decisions recorded. He died 1933 and is buried at Knob Creek.
1909: Wiley Conner baptized 44 into the church and received 16 new members by letter. Membership grew to 227.
1909: S. H. Clark was Superintendent of Sunday School.
1909-1911: John Cutshaw served as Church Clerk.
1909-1911: Sunday School Superintendents for the 1900s included J. G. Ingle, Philip Cummings, J. H. Latham, John Cutshaw, and S. H. Clark.
1909-1911: Zion Hill Baptist Church held services the second Saturday and Sunday of the month.
1910: Zion Hill called Middleton McCarter as pastor. He stayed 2 years. He was born April 6, 1854, to James and Euna McCarter. He married Sarah Ruth Tyson and had 10 children. He was ordained by Rocky Grove Baptist Church, August 14, 1893. He died December 29, 1925, and is buried in Huskey Cemetery.
1912: Zion Hill called Joe Albert Atchley. He served 3-1/2 years. He was born December 22, 1872, to Westley and Rebecca Atchley. He married Delilah Connaster and had 11 children. He died April 10, 1948, and is buried at Cummings Chapel.
1916: Zion Hill called Sidney Clark as pastor. He served 2 years. He was born June 23, 1886, to Anderson and Angie Clark. He married Rachel Ingle and had 11 children. He was ordained into the gospel ministry by Zion Hill, July 5, 1913. He pastored 18 churches during his 68 year ministry. He lived to be 95 years old and preached sitting in a chair until a few months before his death. He died June 28, 1981, and is buried in Zion Hill cemetery.
1910: Pastor’s salary increased to $75.00 annually.
1910: Messengers to the Association meeting at Wear’s Valley: Maud Clark, S. H. Clark, and Scott Galyon.
1911: Messengers to the Association meeting at Beech Springs: S. H. Clark, Scott Galyon, G. W. Marine, and J. A. Rogers.
1911: Sunday School Secretaries for the decade included Alice Marine, Titia Clark, Alice Galyon, Neuricia Clark, Flora Shelly, and Carl Conner.
1911: Pastor’s Salary raised to $100.00 annually.
1913: Zion Hill gave $30.00 to the poor.
1913: Deacons of the church: Eli Baker, Ben Clark, Boyd Clark, John Cutshaw, A. S. Galyon, J. F. Ingle, Boyd Johnson, and J. C. Stoner.
1916: Reported 44 baptisms and 16 additions by letter. Church excluded 8 members for covenant breaking.
1918: Messengers to the Association meeting at Evan’s Chapel No. 1: J. A. Baker, Mr. & Mrs. Scott Galyon, J. F. Ingle, and A. J. Stoner.
1913: Sunday School enrollment listed as 120 with an average of 80. John Cutshaw was Sunday School Superintendent.
1918:  Sunday School enrollment listed as 140. Ira Clark was Sunday School Superintendent.
1919: Church membership reached 249.
1919: Congregation meeting second Saturday and Sunday of the month.
Church Clerks from 1910 to 1920
John Cutshaw
G. W. Marine
E. A. Ballard
Eli Baker
W. R. Conner
Sunday School Superintendents from 1910 to 1920
John Cutshaw
Boyd Clark
Ira Clark
Charles Galyon
Copied from Montgomery's Vindicator
May 9, 1917
1911: New church building constructed, a white woodframe building.
1912: Hosted the 27th annual session of the Sevier Association of Baptists. Rev. J. A. Atchley served as moderator. Messengers from Zion Hill: James Bales, S. H. Clark, Mrs. Belle Galyon, Reuben Knight, and G. W. Marine. Dr. George F. Bostick, missionary from China, shared about his mission work.
1920: John O. Hood came as pastor and stayed until 1922. He was born March 25, 1894, to William and Sarah Hood. He married Dosha Rogers in 1923. He was called to ordination by Knob Creek Baptist Church, but was ordained by the First Baptist Church, Greenville, SC, April 28, 1918, before being sent to Europe into World War I. He pastored for 45 years, mostly in Blount County. While at Zion Hill, he also pastored Dupont, Shiloh, and Sugar Loaf.
1922: Charles D. Martin was called during the church’s annual call and stayed until 1924. He was ordained into the gospel ministry by Zion Hill on September 10, 1922, along with Jason Baker. Zion Hill was his first pastorate and he left to attend Carson-Newman for pastor training. He was called as the first associational missionary for the Chilhowee Association, October 1940, after successful pastorates.
1924: Rev. J. L. Helton was called at the age of 20 and stayed through most of 1926. He was ordained by Shiloh in Dec. 1923. Zion Hill was also his first pastorate. He served New Era Baptist Church the same time. His parents were Harrison & Polly Helton. He married Lela Clark two years after leaving Zion Hill.
1921 : Rev. Hood appointed A. J. Stoner, W. E. Ballard, and Oscar Shelley as committee to plan a program for decoration.
1921: Zion Hill annually called its pastor. Each September, the church elected a pastor for the next year. He was to preach 3 sermons a month, Saturday morning, Saturday night and Sunday morning.
1921: December, Zion Hill sold the oil lamps and carpets in the church for $20.00 and bought new lamps from Sam Boling.
1922:
September, revival conducted by Rev. W. A. Masterson. Church received 22 members by experience and baptism.
1922: September, church members met at 3:00 P.M. for the purpose of ordaining C. D. Martin and J. A. Baker to the ministry. The Presbytery included the following ministers: W. A. Masterson, S. H. Clark, J. O. Hood, W. R. King and deacons from other sister churches together with Zion Hill deacons. After the exam, a motion and it sustained by the church to propose with the ordination which was carried out and they stand now as ordained ministers of Christ’s gospel (from church minutes)
October 1922: Moderator appointed a committee to look after the members who are walking disorderly
.
February 1923: Withdrew fellowship from 13 members for covenant breaking.
June 1923: Moderator appointed Scott Galyon, W. B. Clark, and Anderson Rodgers as committee to have church house painted. Also, appointed a committee to get money to paint the church house. Those appointed were Neva Pitner, Lela Galyean and May Rodgers. Cost of paint and work, $125.60.
August 1923: Revival led by Rev. Albert Hall with 18 added to church, 13 by baptism.
February 24, 1924: Zion Hill had a guest speaker, Hiroji Kuriya from Japan, a student at Carson-Newman College. He talked about Japanese customs, his voyage to the United States and then shared his testimony. A collection was taken for him and received $7.50.
1925: Saturday, April 25 was set to clean off cemetery.1925: Program committee for Decoration Bruce Reed, Hubert Galyean, May Rogers, and Neva Clark.
1925: October 18, committee on covering the house was empowered to purchase the roofing and have the house covered immediately even if the material has to be purchased on credit. The committee was also instructed to employ an efficient tinner to do the work.
1925: Church met Christmas Day to take an offering for the Orphan's Home. Collection was $10.60.
1926: January, committee appointed to make out a report of the members that belong to Zion Hill. The lists would be for members that we don't know where they are, those members unfaithful to the church, and those who are walking disorderly. Another list would be for those faithful to the church. Committee - A. J. Stoner, J. H. Teague, and L. J. Moore.
1926: November, committee was appointed to get a new heating stove.
1927: Rev. J. H. Blair was called and stayed the rest of the decade. This term at Zion Hill is the longest on record to date, he stayed 8 years, until 1935. This was the beginning of his pastoral ministry at Zion Hill which included service in every decade from the 20s to the 60s. In 1928, he also pastored Knob Creek. He died in 1969 and is buried at Boyd's Creek.
1928: Church meeting 3rd Saturday and Sunday of the month. Services were Saturday morning, Saturday night, Sunday morning, and Sunday night.
1928: Began taking mission offering.
1870's & 1880's Member Memorials
C. G. Baker
Thomas Boyd Baker
Margaret Clark
William Cummings
Perline Cutshaw
James S. Evans
Mary E. Evans
Anderson Galyon
James A. Huff
John Ingle
Sealie Ingle
James Pitner
Rebecca Teague
Isam Thomas
1900-1910 Member Memorials
M. J. Baker
Sarah Baker
Rebecca Ballard
John W. Clark
Elisey Cummings
Mary Cutshaw
William T. Evans
Lucenda Galyon
Andrew W. McMillan
Cordia Maples
J. C. Pitner
Delia Pitner Spangler
James P. Taylor
Mabel Teague
1910's Member Memorials
Martha E. Ballard
Victor M. Ballard
Albert Bohanan
D. A. Cummings
Charity Cutshaw
B. H. Evans
Charlie E. Galyon
G. Wesley Galyon
Ben Gillespie
B. C. Gossett
William M. Graves
Robert T. Green
Cornelius F. Headrick
Jane Ingle
William Ingle
W. C. Moore
Ellen Pitner
W. H. Pitner
Z. B. Pitner
Nancy Rogers
W. T. Shelley
W. P. Stoner
Eliza Jane Taylor
Ellen Thomas
John William Thomas
Nancy Thomas
Lizzie Thomason
Elizabeth Tipton
Charlie Wells
1920 Member Memorials
Vina Baker
James L. Bales
Jim Bales
William T. Bales
Audley E. Ballard
W. A. Ballard
Ben T. Clark
Langston Galyon
Lydia Green
John F. Ingle
Eula Johnson
Hubert Johnson
Martha A. Moore
W. J. (Bill) Rogers
Elsie Spangler
Annie Stoner
Celie Teague
1940's Member Memorials
Freda May Rakis Atchley
Bruce Baker
Sarah Ann Baker
Nellie Bales
Mrs. James Bales
W. H. Benson
Herman Bohannan
Mack Brown
Harriett Clark
Margaret Clark
Sherman Cummings
Will Galyon
Ben Galyon
A. C. Galyon
J. R. Gilbert
Sarah Graves
Clyde Helton
Beecher Johnson
Nancy Justice
Frances Ogle
Hanna Pitner
Charles Teague
Pearl Teague
Mrs. Tennessee Wells
1950's Member Memorials
Rev. Alvie Rogers
Ada Atchley
Elder Bales
W. E. Ballard
Roscoe Benson
W. R. Conner, Deacon
Nancy Ann Cummings
Mrs. Nelson Cutshaw
Mrs. Belle Galyon
Mrs. Mary Galyon
John Hugh Graves
M. M. Hatcher, Deacon
James Headrick, Deacon
Mrs. James Headrick
Mrs. Sallie McCulley
Mrs. Ellen McPherson
Mrs. Ida Palmer
James Parrott
James Pitner
Mrs. John Pitner
Mrs. Zack Rogers
Tilford Rogers
Kenneth Stoner
1960 Member Memorials
Christina Hodge Ballard
Jane Benson
Rev. J.H. Blair
Liza Carr
Ida Clark
Molly Cody
Carl Conner
Larry Cutshaw
Flora Galyon
Jemima Galyon
Oscar E.Galyon (Deacon)
Edd Green
Nannie Ingle
J.S. Johnson
Cora Manis
Ernest McMahan
Harriet Moore
John Moore
Lula Baker Moore
Sarah Ellen Moore
Georgia Norton
Artie Ogle
John Pitner
Ruie Ann Pitner
Kaye Rogers
Mrs.T.W. Rogers
Jim Shelley
Mrs. W. B. Taylor
Hattie Teague
Jim Teague
Mrs. J.T. West
