Chapter Four:  A Time to Weed -- 1920-1940

Zion Hill's membership sought the Lord's guidance for leadership as the church entered its fifth decade. In almost 50 years, the church had grown to 250 members. Early in 1920, the members called Rev. Samuel Cornelius ("S. C.") Atchley to pastor. He was a well-known preacher and influential Baptist leader in the county. Born November 16, 1869, to Gideon and Nancy Atchley, Sam married Ella Thompson, August 20, 1893. They had six children, all grown by the time Sam came to Zion Hill. One of their children, Nannie, married Roy E. Ingle, of the Zion Hill community (others listed in endnotes). Rev. Atchley was a leader in the Sevier Baptist Association. Through the years, he had pastored many churches in the county and served on several association committees, including the Executive Board. He was also a trustee of Smoky Mountain Academy, the association mission high school near Gatlinburg. ¹

In 1920, Zion Hill hosted the Thirty-fifth annual session of the Sevier Association of Baptists. Atchley served as moderator. One major order of business brought before the messengers was selecting a committee to introduce a fund-raising campaign for Baptist interests throughout the Southern Baptist Convention, called the Seventy-Five Million Campaign. Over a five year period, the money collected in the campaign would be set aside for State, Home and Foreign Missions, Christian Education, Aged Ministers' Fund, Orphanages and Hospitals, basically all Southern Baptist causes. Rev. Atchley was chosen to serve on this committee which set a timetable to encourage churches to support the campaign with member pledges. The committee set months for special promotions to prepare church members for the Campaign. For instance, July was chosen as preparation month; August information month; September intercession month; October enlistment month; November stewardship month; and December 1-7 Victory Week to secure pledges from each member. Zion Hill members pledged $1,757.95 toward the campaign. Members gave $273.10 the first year and $203.75 the second year. ²

On the final day of the annual meeting, the committee on resolutions presented their report: Resolved, we return our heartfelt thanks to Zion Hill Church and people for their generous hospitality and kindness during this session. ³

Atchley left the church, and the congregation turned to Wiley Conner for pulpit supply. He filled the pulpit until the church called its first of three relatively inexperienced preachers, J. O. (John Oliver) Hood. Hood was born March 25, 1894, to William Riley and Sarah Annie Rule Hood. He was a member of Knob Creek Baptist Church and attended Harrison-Chilhowee Institute graduating in 1917. ⁴

Soon after graduation, he enlisted for World War I, September 20, 1917. Before he left for war, he was ordained into the gospel ministry. He was called to ordination by Knob Creek, but the actual ordination took place April 28, 1918, in the First Baptist Church of Greenville, South Carolina, near his military installation. Six weeks later he boarded a military transport for Europe and the war. ⁵

Hood served with honor through major battles and skirmishes in France and Belgium and was cited for meritorious service beyond the call of duty by his company commander. During the war, he was gassed and later was hospitalized in the veterans' hospital at Oteen, North Carolina, for several months. ⁶

Granted an honorable discharge April 16, 1919, Hood returned home to Sevier County. He was called to pastor Dupont, Shiloh, and Sugar Loaf the same year. In the fall of 1920, Hood was called to pastor Zion Hill. Then, on November 2, 1921, he married Dosha Cusick Rogers. ⁷

Preacher Hood served Zion Hill at a time when the church made an annual call to the pastor. According to church minutes, the church voted to set the second Sunday in September for the purpose of calling a pastor for 1921, the term to expire with the associational year. On the designated Sunday, the church called J.O. Hood and set his yearly salary at $250.00. According to old church records, he preached Saturday morning and night and Sunday morning. ⁸

Church services were somewhat different then. Each month, after the Saturday morning preaching service, the church was announced in order for business. In the 1920s, a typical business meeting began with an opportunity to receive new members. Next, the clerk would read the minutes of the previous meeting and after their approval, the moderator would call for new business, then adjourn until the next day, Sunday. Often the same procedure would take place on Sunday after the preaching service, if new matters of business were brought to the pastor's attention. There was no record of any business conducted at the Saturday night service. ⁹

While Hood was pastor, the members voted to refurbish the interior of the church building. The oil lamps were taken down and the carpets pulled up The remodeling committee sold the old oil lamps and carpets for $20.00. They purchased new lamps for the church from Sam Boling for $12.30. There was no mention of buying new carpets or rugs in the minutes. ¹⁰

Zion Hill often gave their pastors a "pounding," usually around Christmas or revival time. Each family in the church was asked to bring one pound of food to be given to the preacher and his family on a chosen Sunday. The pastor would receive all kinds of home-grown produce--fruits, vegetables, eggs, chickens, or meat from the smokehouse. ¹¹

In July 1921, Preacher Hood invited Sidney Clark to come back to his home church to preach the annual revival. The meeting lasted 13 days and nights with preaching morning and night. During the revival, ten were added to the church. The church took a love offering for Clark and received $58.36. ¹²

In August 1922, Hood presented his resignation to the church. He was leaving to enroll in Carson-Newman College for more Bible training and planned to move to Jefferson City, Tennessee. Following Preacher Hood's departure, Zion Hill called a young, licensed preacher, C. D. (Charlie David) Martin. Martin was born June 22, 1898. Like Hood, he was a veteran of World War I, and after the war, attended Harrison-Chilhowee Institute. He was called to pastor Zion Hill shortly after his graduation in 1922. ¹³

As soon as Martin was called, the church set aside a date to ordain him and another man in the church, J. A. Baker, into the gospel ministry. Baker and Martin were examined by the Presbytery made up of preachers: S. H. Clark, J. O. Hood, W. R. King, and W. A. Masterson and deacons from Zion Hill and sister churches. After the examination, a motion was made to continue with the ordination which proceeded with questioning and preaching. At the conclusion of the service, both men were recognized as ordained ministers of Christ's gospel. ¹⁴

Soon after his ordination, Martin announced a revival to begin the first Sunday in September, 1922, with Rev. W. A. Masterson preaching. Masterson was pastor of Alder Branch and Gist's Creek at the time. As a result of the revival, the church received 22 members by experience and baptism, pushing church membership to 268. Martin was quite concerned about the deportment of his church membership since they were Christ's representatives in the community. In October, 1922, he appointed a committee to look into the reports of members walking disorderly. The next February, the church withdrew fellowship from 13 members for covenant breaking. By year's end, the church had withdrawn fellowship from 26 members. Some of those members came back to the church, repented, and asked church members' forgiveness. The church usually voted to restore the repentant members to full fellowship. ¹⁵

In June 1923, Martin appointed a committee of W. B. Clark, Scott Galyon, and Anderson Rodgers to have the church house painted. He appointed another committee to get money to paint the church. Interestingly, this committee was made up entirely of women, Lela Galyean, Neva Pitner, and May Rodgers. The women seem to have done their job well! The total cost of the paint and work was $125.60, and was paid in full upon completion. ¹⁶

Later in August, 1923, Martin asked Rev. Albert Hall to preach the annual revival. During the revival, 18 new Christians were added to the church, 13 by baptism. The Sabbath School (as called in church minutes) or Sunday School was slowly increasing with an average attendance in 1923 of 84. Many of the teachers had taken advantage of the opportunity to study the best teaching methods of doing wrok effectively when Zion Hill hosted an associational training school for its teachers. Joe Moore was superintendent. ¹⁷

As pastor, Martin felt the need for more Bible training, so he enrolled in Carson-Newman College in the fall of 1923. He invited a student from his ministerial class to share his testimony with the church. His name was Hiroji Kuriya, a student from Fukoka, Japan. Fukuoka is located on the island of Kyushu, north of Nagasaki.) Hiroji spoke in the Sunday morning service about his voyage to the United States then shared his testimony. A collection was taken for him and $7.50 was received. After graduation from Carson-Newman in 1925, Kuriya returned to Japan and taught in a seminary there. In 1947, he was Dean of Seinan Gakuain (Baptist Seminary), Fukuoka, Japan. ¹⁸

In July 27, 1924, the pastor announced that Rev. Herman Matthews would teach a training school in B.Y.P.U. and Sunday School work the following week. B.Y.P.U. was the acronym for Baptist Young People's Union and was the forerunner of training union or discipleship training. Matthews was trained and used by the Tennessee Baptist Convention to lead training schools for churches in the area. Even though the training was held, there are no records of a Training Union until 1949. ¹⁹

Martin found it arduous to pastor a church far from his studies so he left the church in 1924. This was before interstate highways when Martin either had to take the train to Knoxville then to Jefferson City, or cross the French Broad River by ferry and meander country roads to get to the college. Martin continued his college work and graduated Carson-Newman College in 1925. He then enrolled in the University of Tennessee before going to Louisville, Kentucky, and enrolling in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he earned his Th.M., Master of Theology degree. ²⁰

When Martin left, the church called another young preacher, Jepp L. Helton. Helton was born July 30, 1904, to Harrison & Polly Keeble Helton. When he was thirteen years old, he was saved at Shiloh Baptist Church, October 1917. At his baptism, when Helton was brought up out of the water, the preacher commented the Lord will use this young man to preach. The preacher making this prediction was Wiley Conner. He was pastor at Shiloh when Helton was saved and Sidney Clark was pastor there when Helton was ordained, December 23, 1923. ²¹

Helton was called by Zion Hill in 1924, the first of many churches he would pastor during his ministry. He was a young, single fellow, twenty years old. Despite his youthfulness, his reputation as a sound Bible preacher spread. Men in the association saw great promise in this young preacher and asked him to serve on the Seventy-Five Million Campaign in 1924. He was one of thirteen men who tried to encourage church members in the Sevier Association to give to this fund raising effort. They were able to get church members to pledge $48,601.32. When this campaign ended in 1925, the Cooperative Program was put into action and has continued to serve as the financial plan of the Southern Baptist Convention to this day. ²²

Helton's influence continued to spread. At the 1925 annual meeting, he was one of two men selected to represent the association at the Southern Baptist Convention. He attended the convention as it met in Houston, Texas. What a thrill it must have been for this young man to be in a meeting with 4,268 other messengers and hear outstanding preachers from across the South. ²³

In 1924, the church voted to change its worship meeting time from the second week-end to the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. Preacher Helton asked Rev. R. H. Lambright, a faculty member at Harrison-Chilhowee, to conduct the annual revival. He preached the planned week of revival but the services continued, so Helton himself preached the services the second week. There were 19 additions to the church as a result of the revival. ²⁴

On Sunday, September 20, 1925, the church elected officers and teachers for the new church year. Those chosen were: J. F. Ingle, Sunday School Superintendent, Bruce Reed, assistant; Roy Ingle, Choir leader, Edd Rogers, assistant; James Teague, Secretary, L. J. Moore assistant, May Rogers, Treasurer. Teachers: Class #1 Senia Cutshaw, Class #2 (no one listed), Class #3 Annie Reed; Class #4 Edd Rogers, Class #5 Stella Baker, Class #6 J.F. Ingle, Class #7 Elijah Turner, Class #8 Dora Knight, Class #10 Scott Galyean. Church officers elected were L. J. Moore, Clerk, Oscar Shelley assistant; Bruce Reed, Treasurer, Jim Teague, assistant. ²⁵

On October 18, 1925, the church elected a committee to repair the church roof and the belfry. The committee was empowered to purchase roofing and have the house covered immediately even if the material had to be purchased on credit. The committee was instructed to employ an efficient tinner to do the work. Helton also appointed a committee to get a new heating stove as the cold days of winter approached. ²⁶

Later in 1925, the church family came together on Christmas Day to worship and celebrate the birthday of Jesus. While there, they took an offering for the Orphan's Home, collecting $10.60. (It's quite interesting that in our present day, Christmas has become a time to get. Years ago, it seems members were more concerned with what they could give to help those less fortunate.) ²⁷

In the new year, the leadership of the church began an effort to locate all church members. Preacher Helton appointed a committee of L. J. Moore, A. J. Stoner, and J. H. Teague to make a report of the members that belong to Zion Hill Baptist Church. One report would be for members no one could locate. Another report would be for those who were walking disorderly or who were unfaithful to the church. A final report would list those faithful to the church. The names of the people they couldn't locate seem to have been erased from the membership roll as membership dropped from 267 in 1926 to 182 in 1927. Sunday School enrollment, however, increased to 150; Elijah Turner was superintendent. ²⁸

In the 1920's, Zion Hill and Sevier County were not isolated from events taking place across the state. One of the hottest topics of discussion at the time was the Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee. In 1925, the Tennessee legislature made it illegal to teach any theory contrary to creation as recorded in the Bible in Genesis. When the American Civil Liberties Union offered counsel to any Tennessee teacher who would test the law, John T. Scopes, a high school biology teacher, volunteered. He lectured from Charles Darwin's evolution theory in his classroom, was arrested, and brought to trial. The "monkey trial" as it was called, caused a great stir throughout the United States. Scopes was convicted for violating the law, but the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the decision, and the law's constitutionality was left untested. The law remained on the books until 1967. ²⁹

To address this issue, a resolution was passed at the associational meeting in 1926: "Be it resolved by the Sevier Association, that we will not aid any College, University or Seminary with our money or patronage that is not free from the taint of Evolution." Such was the feeling of Zion Hill's membership. ³⁰

Church members also favored the Prohibition Amendment to the Constitution. They believed liquor by the drink was morally wrong, and now a law made it illegal to "manufacture, sale or transport ... intoxicating liquors ... for beverage purposes." Prohibition did not stop the sale of liquor completely, but it did make it harder for people to purchase. Prohibition was repealed in 1933 and the church has continued to fight battles over local liquor sales. This issue has surfaced many times through the years. ³¹

In the 1920's, four men in the church with remarkabe singing voices came together to form a quartet. They were Edd Ballard, Ernest Conner, Roy Ingle and Oscar Shelley. They called themselves the Smoky Mountain Quartet. Their beautiful harmonies blessed those who heard them, be it at Zion Hill or at singing conventions held once a month in area churches. They also sang for numerous funerals and other special occasions all around the area, including performances on WNOX, a popular radio station in Knoxville. ³²

In 1927, Preacher Helton graduated from Harrison-Chilhowee. He left the church a couple of months later. At its annual call in 1927, the membership selected Rev. J. H. (James Hubert) Blair. This was the first of four pastorates he served at Zion Hill. Preacher Blair was born August 26, 1889, to Mack and Martha Blair. He was ordained into the Gospel ministry July 20, 1918. He was married to Nancy Jane Reed and had eight children (see endnotes for children). ³³

While he was pastor at Zion Hill, the church continued to meet the third Saturday and Sunday of the month, with services morning and night. During his time at the churchl, Blair led the church to take missions offerings on a regular basis to be given to the Cooperative Program. In June 1931, he encouraged the membership to join with other churches in the association to take a special offering for Mountain Schools on Educational Day. The gifts were divided among Chilhowee Institute, Smoky Mountain Academy, and Cosby Academy. ³⁴

Preacher Blair was at Zion Hill at a time when preachers were often called by more than one church. Blair preached almost every Sunday in 1931, being called by four churches. He preached at Gist's Creek on the first Sunday of the month, at Shiloh on the second, at Zion Hill on the third, and at Knob Creek on the fourth. In 1933, Preacher Blair baptized 23 at Zion Hill. Membership continued to swell to 265 in 1935, the year he left the church. (It appears that many of the names which had been taken off the church role were now back in the books.) His salary in 1933 at Zion Hill was $200.00 a year. ³⁵

After Preacher Blair, the members called Floyd Langston to pastor Zion Hill. On preaching week-ends, he came from his home in Knoxville to the Zion Hill community with his wife Della and their six children (see endnotes for children). He would spend the night with a family in the church, often staying with the Otis Baker, Bruce Reed, or other church family. Church leaders he worked with were: Sunday School Superintendent, Roy Galyon, assistant, Winfred Norton; Sunday School Secretary, Esta Galyon, assistant, Alice Conner; Treasurer, Winfred McCarter. Sunday School Teachers: Card Class, Mrs. Nelson Cutshaw; Primary, Mrs. Matt Rogers; Juniors, Mrs. Winfred McCarter; Intermediates, Mr. Winfred McCarter; Young Women's Class, Mrs. Roy Galyon; Young Men, Mayford Galyon; Adult Women, Mrs. Winfred Norton, Adult Men, W. R. Conner. The Church Clerk was W. R. Conner and the Chorister, Roy Ingle. ³⁶

On October 17, 1936, Langston appointed a committee to explore the need for additional Sunday School rooms. The committee consisted of Otis Baker, W. R. Conner, and Winfred Norton. Even though the extra space may have been needed, no construction was begun. The building committee was released at the December business meeting. ³⁷

On November 29, 1936, the Church ordained Roy Galyon and W.R. Conner to be deacons of Zion Hill Baptist Church. Roy's brother, Holmes Galyon, brought the ordination message. Later, the church ordained four more men they deemed worthy to be deacons: Otis Baker, Oscar Galyon, Winfred Norton, and Bruce Reed. ³⁸

In 1937, Langston appointed a committee to inquire about purchasing a piano for the church. At the time, the congregation sang with the accompaniment of a pump organ played by Mrs. Roy Ingle. Children at the time can remember being fascinated by her constant movement pumping the organ pedals with both feet. That was necessary to keep air flowing to make the sounds from the stops she would pull. Even though no records have been found about the purchase of a piano, on April 30, 1939, the treasurer reported paying $3.00 to get the piano tuned; and, when the church burned, members saved a piano. ³⁹

After Langston's resignation, Rev. J. H. Blair was called to pastor once again at the August business meeting. His salary was set at $300.00 preaching half-time. Church officers elected to serve with him were: Roy Galyon, Sunday School Superintendent; Winfred Norton, Assistant; Winfred McCarter, Treasurer. Preacher Blair stayed one year and during that time the Sunday School enrollment reached 182, an increase of 100 in a ten-year period. The Sunday School was meeting every Sunday, even though preaching services were only held twice a month. ⁴⁰

On April 10, 1938, the church held a special business session for the purpose of calling a pastor. The pulpit committee, consisting of the deacons, recommended Rev. Will Weaver and he was elected for half time, 2nd and 4th Sundays. The vote was unanimous. He was to serve until August, 1939, when the annual call would be made again. The church set his salary at $300.00 a year. He and his wife made the trip from their home in Newport to minister to the church family twice a month. ⁴¹

Wherever Weaver pastored, the churches experienced periods of incredible growth. In 1912, he preached a revival at New Salem Baptist Church and had 60 make professions of faith. Because of this revival, New Salem had to build a new church building to accommodate all of the new members. Ten years later, Weaver was called by Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Newport. He baptized 49 into the church in 1924. He was a powerful and influential preacher. Instead of Weaver bringing in an outsider to hold the annual revival in 1938, he preached the church's annual revival in September himself. There were 18 additions to the church; membership spiraled to 300. Later, he invited Rev. Freeman Baker to hold a revival at Zion Hill and many were saved. ⁴²

Weaver came to Zion Hill with a strong commitment to Christian education. He had been a trustee of the Cosby Academy, one of the mountain schools supported for many years by Sevier County Baptists. The school's curriculum was made up of a 12-year course of study with one year's work counting toward college requirements. Weaver was proud of the fact that at least 90% of the student body was saved and became church members before leaving the school. Every student graduated with a rudimentary knowledge of the Bible. Unfortunately, the school was closed in 1936, a casualty of the Depression. The Association could no longer afford to finance the school. ⁴³

On February 11, 1939, Weaver led the church to begin taking an offering on the second Sunday of the month specifically for missions. Members of the church also started giving an offering in honor of their birthday which was given to support the Tennessee Baptist Orphan's Home. ⁴⁴

At its November 26, 1939, business meeting, the membership voted to put a furnace under the church. The cost of the furnace with all the equipment and a 20-year guarantee was $83.00. A committee of Otis Baker, W. R. Conner, Mrs. Matt Rogers, Winfred Norton, and W. H. Pitner was appointed to look into financing the furnace. Interestingly, in April 1940, a member seemed a little uneasy about the furnace and asked about increasing insurance on the church. On May 12, 1940, it was reported that an insurance policy worth $2,000.00 had been taken out by the trustees: Otis Baker, Boyd Clark, Nelson Cutshaw, and Winfred Norton. ⁴⁵

Weaver left Zion Hill on strong spiritual footing. During the past twenty years, members had faced the possibility of church discipline if walking with the world. They had lived through the Great Depression of the 1930's, not suffering as many in the country since they lived on farms and were self-sufficient. Now their attention was being drawn toward world changing events. Throughout this time, members may have felt as the Psalmist when he wrote, "And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:24). The membership would depend on the Lord for leadership during the trying years ahead.

Endnotes Chapter Four

1. Atchley Family, p. 53; [S.C. Atchley died at the age of 84 in May 23, 1954. Atchley's children were: Claude, Nannie, Ida, Ruby, Mary and Gene.]
2. 1920 and 1924 Associational Minutes. Carr, Isaac Newton, History of Carson-Newman College, 1959 p. 317.
3. Ibid.
4. Hood, John O. History of the Chilhowee Baptist Association (hereafter Chilhowee Baptist Association), 1970, p. vii. 1920 Association Minutes. Minutes of Zion Hill Baptist Church (hereafter Minutes), Eli Baker, church clerk; William F. Hall, Sr., A Venture of Faith, History of Harrison-Chilhowee Baptist Academy, 1980, p. 317.
5. Ibid. Chilhowee Baptist Association, p. vii.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid. 1920 Associational Minutes. Minutes, Eli Baker, church clerk.
8. Ibid. Gentle Winds, p. 153.
9. Minutes.
10. Ibid.
11. Gentle Winds, p. 153.
12. Minutes.
13. Minutes. Chilhowee Baptist Association, p. 118. [Hood pastored for over 35 years, mostly in the Chilhowee Association. He died March 25, 1976, and was buried at Grandview Cemetery. (Information from Olene Cagle). Conversation with Mildred Davis, October 14, 1998.
14. Minutes, Eli Baker, Church clerk.
15. Oct., 1922, Minutes, W. B. Clark, Church clerk. Feb., 1923, Minutes, W. B. Clark, Church clerk.
16. June, 1923, Minutes, W. B. Clark, Church clerk.
17. Aug., 1923, Minutes, W. B. Clark, Church clerk. 1923 Associational Minutes.
18. Feb., 1924, Minutes, Oscar Shelley, Church Clerk. Letter from Susan Hawk, Director of Records, Carson-Newman College, May 5, 1998.
19. July, 1924, Minutes, Oscar Shelley, Church clerk.
20. Aug., 1924, Minutes, Oscar Shelley, Church clerk. Blount County, Tennessee, and Its Heritage, pp. 21, 35. [C.D. Martin was selected as the first associational missionary of the Chilhowee Baptist Association. He was instrumental in establishing churches in the association including Broadway Baptist and Springview Baptist.] History of Shiloh, p. 6.
21. Minutes, Oscar Shelley, Church clerk. 1924 & 1925 Associational minutes.
22. Annual of the Southern Baptist Convention, John L. Yeats, Recording Secretary, 1999, p. 569.
23. Oct., 1924, Minutes, Oscar Shelley, Church clerk.
24. Sept., 1925, Minutes, L. J. Moore, Church clerk.
25. Oct., 1925, Minutes, L. J. Moore, Church clerk.
26. Dec., 1925, Minutes, L. J. Moore, Church clerk.
27. Jan., 1926, Minutes, L. J. Moore, Church clerk.
28. Tennessee Blue Book, p. 396.
29. Associational Minutes.
30. Tennessee Blue Book, 395.
31. Conversation with [blank].
32. Sept. 1927 Minutes, W.R. Conner, Church clerk. [Blair's children: Theodore, Goerge, Luther, James, Frank, Buford, Mrs. Jim Galyon, Mrs. Bradford (Elizabeth) Carroll. Blair died Feb. 11, 1969, and was buried at Boyd's Creek Cemetery.]
33. 1931 Associational Minutes.
34. Ibid. 1933 Associational Minutes.
35. Zion Hill Records. 1936 Associational Minutes. Minutes, W. R. Conner, Church clerk.
36. Minutes.
37. Minutes.
38. Minutes.
39. Ibid. Associational minutes.
40. Minutes.
41. Cocke County Heritage.
42. Ibid.
43. Minutes.
44. Minutes.