Updated Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sandy Creek Association marks 250 years

By Steve Devane

BR Managing Editor

SANFORD - Sandy Creek Baptist Association marked its 250th anniversary April 28 by celebrating its founding as the nation's third oldest Baptist association and looking forward to its future.

Nearly 200 people gathered at First Baptist Church in Sanford for the association's annual spring meeting. The association will continue its anniversary observance at its fall meeting in October.

Shubal Stearns formed Sandy Creek Baptist Association in 1758.

At Sanford Greg Burris, pastor of Rocky River Baptist Church in Siler City and the association's moderator, portrayed Stearns as he challenged the association. Current associational missionary Gordon West gave a report about the association's past, present and future.

Milton A. Hollifield Jr., the Baptist State Convention's executive director-treasurer, and Ernest Davis, former associational missionary in Sandy Creek, also spoke at the meeting.

Burris, dressed as Stearns might have in the 18th century, talked about the early days of the association. Shortly after arriving in the area, Stearns founded Sandy Creek Baptist Church in 1755, preaching, "Ye must be born again."

"We preached the name of Jesus and in the name of Jesus ye must be born again," Burris said in a loud, strong voice reminiscent of a preacher addressing crowds in the 1700s without benefit of amplifiers. "Churches sprang up everywhere and in those churches we preached that message."

The association formed in 1758 and later divided into three associations, one in North Carolina, one in South Carolina and one in Virginia.

Burris asked about the current message of the association.

"Sandy Creek Association began because God had work to do in this place," he said. "Men and women in this area needed to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Are there still men and women who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are there still men and women who need to hear the message, 'Ye must be born again?'"

He asked if the association's legacy will continue. "Will Sandy Creek Association go on for 250 more years because you were willing to share that message?" he asked.

West said the association was organized "to help share the gospel throughout the South."

"It's amazing to me that for two and a half centuries the churches of this association worked together to take the gospel to a lost world," he said. "We're grateful for all God has done in 250 years and we're looking expectantly at what He's going to do tomorrow."

Hollifield said the association formed so churches could work together for mutual encouragement and Christian fellowship. Stearns articulated clear doctrine, Hollifield said.

"God has honored those founding labors of this man of God," Hollifield said.

Hollifield talked about "seven pillars for ministry" that form the foundation of ministry in the convention. The concepts are practice fervent prayer, promote evangelism and church growth, strengthen existing churches, plant new multiplication churches, increase work with the international community, escalate technology improvements and upgrade the BSC web site, and reclaim the younger generation of church leaders.

Hollifield talked about several examples of cooperation between churches across the state. He spoke about the importance of reaching internationals, because some will go back as leaders in their own countries.

"It seems God is bringing the world to us and placing it at our feet," he said.

Davis, who served the Sandy Creek Association from 1979 to 1991, said there a plenty of opportunities to witness in North Carolina.

"You don't have to go overseas anymore," he said. "You don't have to go out of your community anymore."

Davis spoke against preachers who got "hung up" on studying Greek.

"They just went around telling people what the Greek says and they don't even know what the English says," he said.