By: Charles Steger

The Cass County Genealogical Society, 1974, Vol. I, No. 1. Permission granted by Cass County Genealogical Society to Dana Thomas for publishing on The Cass County, TXGenWeb Project Pages.

New Colony Baptist Church was established in 1889 by a "colony" of people who were primarily from South Carolina. The name was suggested by Mrs. J.T. Latham.

The Charter members were: Mr. & Mrs. John S. Carwile, Mr. & Mrs. Zachariah H. Carwile, Mr. & Mrs. E.W. Elgins, Mr. & Mrs. Hamp Washington, Mr. & Mrs. R.T. Crowson, and Mr. & mrs. W.W. Martin.

The Carwiles had migrated to Texas in Nov. 1887, establishing a church first at New Prospect in Marion County. Soon after the establishment of the church at New Colony, the John S. Carwiles removed to New Prospect where they lived until their deaths.

The New Colony organization met in homes until 1891 when a log school house was used as a meeting place. This building stood on the Zachariah H. Carwile farm on a hill behind the present church.

In 1904 Zachariah H. Carwile donated the land for the present church which was built in that year. In 1908 this building was destroyed by a cyclone, then rebuilt the following summer with the same materials.

It was Mr. Carwile's desire to be buried near the church. When he died in 1917 he was buried on the hill behind the church. The plot later developed into the New Colony Cemetery.

The pastors to serve the church from 1899 to 1952 are as follows:

J.G. Williams (1899-1905),

A.B. Curtins (1905-1906),

T.G. Watson (1906-1907),

M.P. Gilmore (1907-1908),

T.G. Watson (1908-1912),

G.K. Williams (1912-1913),

N.W. Gunn (1913-1915),

W.W. Morris (1915-1916),

W.H. Anderson (1916-1920),

L. McHann (1920-1921),

Brother Hogan (1921),

T.G. Watson (1921),

H.G.L. Busby (1921-1922),

G.C. Irvin (1922-1923),

J.D. Fuller (1924-1925),

C.F. Almond (1925-1928),

J.G. Williams (1928-1929),

J. N. Cornelius (1929-1937),

J.P. Olive (1937-1941),

T.B. Randolph (1941-1942),

O. Bryon Richardson (1942-1943),

M.D. Durham (1943-1945),

L.J. Stotts (1945-1947),

T. B. Randolph (1947-1950),

C.E. Barnette (1950-1952),

Harmon S. Smith (1952- and for several years.)

No records are available before 1899 but a Brother Echols had been an early pastor.

More submitted by Charles Steger:

New Colony Baptist Church: Located three miles northeast of Linden on US Highway 59. Organized in 1891 using a log school house as a meeting place and originally called "The Missionary Baptist Church of Jesus Christ." Named New Colony by Carolina Latham, an early member who had come to the area with others from South Carolina. First church built 1904 on land donated by Z. H. Carwile. This building destroyed by a cyclone in 1908 and rebuilt from the original material.

Charter members were:

John & Mary Carwile,

the E. W. Elgins,

Hamp & Sarah Washington,

the R. W. Crowsons,

W. W. & Ida Martin

and Zach & Esther Carwile.

Mrs. Esther Carwile kept the first records.

Some early pastors have been:

S. G. Echols (during the early period),

J. G. Williams 1899-1905 and 1928-1929,

A. B. Curtis 1905-1906,

T. G. Watson 1906-1907 and again 1908-1912 and in 1921,

M. P. Gilmore 1907-1908,

G. K. Williams 1912-1913,

W. H. Gunn 1913-1915,

W. W. Morris 1915-1916,

W. H. Anderson 1916-1920,

L. McHann 1920-1921,

Bro. Hogan 1921,

H. G. Busby 1921-1922,

G. C. Ivins 1922-1923,

J. D. Fuller 1924-1925,

G. F. Almond 1925-1928,

J. N. Cornelius 1929-1937,

J. P. Olive 1937-1941,

T. B. Randolph 1941-1942 and 1947-1950,

O. Bryan Richarson 1942-1943,

M. D. Durham 1943-1945,

L. J. Stotts 1945-1947,

C. E. Barnette 1950-1952,

Harmon S. Smith 1952-1959,

James Stone 1959-1961,

Dickie Golden 1961-1964,

John R. Land 1964,

Glenn Davidson 1965-1967,

W. C. Williamson 1967-1968,

O. M. Smith 1968-1971,

Tom Cowgill 1971-1978,

Jim Smith 1978-1982,

Phelan Boone 1983

and E. J. Kearney 1983.

Deacons have been:

Z. H. Carwile,

J. T. Latham,

T. E. Washington,

Lewish Stone,

Otha F. Hamilton,

J. F. Simmons,

W. Dud Melton,

Looney McDuffie,

Ed Hays,

J. E. Sullivan,

F. F. Collier,

J. W. Ferrell,

Tom Walker,

B. E. Ferrell,

C. C. Stone,

Estelle E. Jones,

Cliff Hays,

Luther Simons,

James Roberts,

Jerry Yates

and Jimmy Simmons.

Some early song leaders have been:

Jim Trimble,

James Crowson,

R. F. Hamilton,

Toy McDuffie,

Will W. Blizzard

and C. C. Stone.

Organist have been:

Cora Belle Latham,

Clara Washington,

Johnnie Stone

and Janie Latham.

[from a compilation by LaVerne Melton Duke]