Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist
Thomas County | Organized in 1845
Located in Thomas County, this is another one of the Georgia Wiregrass Primitive Baptist churches, a very unusual, little-known, and fascinating part of early Georgia religious history. They are also known as Hardshell Baptists, and the architecture and design of these Wiregrass Primitive churches reflect their conservative approach to life and faith.
Read more...All of the churches were built on site from native materials with local labor, and though they vary slightly from one another, the basic design remained the same: no paint, no steeple, no window treatments, no distinct doors or entry points, and built low to the ground. The interiors are equally sparse and unadorned, as you can see in the images below. The Wiregrass Primitive Baptists did not allow musical instruments in their churches. There were to be no distractions such as pianos or organs, yet singing was a vital part of worship. According to John Crowley’s book, Primitive Baptists of the Wiregrass South, singing formed an important part of their services and, in the absence of a preacher, often served as the main act of devotion.
The exact founding date of Mt. Zion is not known, but evidence suggests it predates 1850, and possibly 1840. The oldest documented grave in the cemetery dates to 1851. Mt. Zion was part of the Ochlocknee Association of Wiregrass Primitive Baptists, along with Bethlehem Church in nearby Brooks County, which was organized in 1834. The only reference to Mt. Zion in Crowley’s book concerns an internal dispute over a doctrine considered heretical by more conservative members. Known as “Coonism,” it was based on ideas attributed to Isaac Smith Coon. The book records that in 1876 the Ochlocknee Association dropped Antioch, Mt. Zion, and Mt. Moriah from its rolls for advocating the “two-seed doctrine” associated with Brother Coon, Elder Daniel Parker, and other anti-missionary proponents. Mt. Zion was restored to the Association in 1879.
Records of Mt. Zion are incomplete or missing, but it is believed to be the oldest church in the community. The current building is not the original, though no documentation has been found to date it precisely. Early records were kept by church clerks in their homes and were often lost or carried away when families moved. The cemetery is also the oldest in the community, containing graves from the mid- to late-1800s, many of which are unmarked or unidentified.
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13 responses to “Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist”
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We navigated to the Old Bee Line Road. We could see the church down a private road with a gate and no trespassing signs.
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Could anyone tell me when the Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church congregation stopped meeting before any recent activity? Was it meeting in the 1910s-20s? Thank you.
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Does anyone know when the Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church congregation stopped meeting? And was there any connection with the Enon Baptist Church nearby? Any response on or offline would be appreciated.
Guy Moseley
ggm@frontier.com -
I drove out there with my father today. He is part of the Murphy community in Coolidge Georgia. When visiting now, there is a gate with a no trespassing sign. It has three phone numbers to call to ask permission to go in. It states to please respect this place. So loving some folks now protect it. One of the signs has plastic butterflies on it, makes me smile.
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Yes they are now doing some great work. See comment below from Rhonda King. She is one of the leaders of the group that is doing this incredible work.
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This Church is not abandoned anymore. New members have taken it over and restoring the church.
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That is wonderful news indeed.
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Could I post the article on Mt Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Ancestry.com under my great grandfather Elder William Allison Dekle who pastored this church during the time of the dispute when it was expelled from the association. I read the minutes of that event in the Genealogical Library in Moultrie, GA. Wm Allison Dekle drown May 1, 1879 so I am curious to research the date when the church was taken back into fellowship in 1879. He may have been the source of contention???? If I can post this article who do I credit or what source do I credit for it? Thanks for your help.
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I just saw the church for the first time last week. The Hurricane did damage and ripped the front porch and doors off the church. It needs to be repaired. Also it would be so easy to vandalize. Is there a group that could be called together to look at it, protect it?
Thank you
Janet Sheldon-
It would be great of some local group would take an interest. She is still pretty stable but needs some TLC for sure.
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The hurricane did not rip the porch off. The unruly kids in the area hooked a chain to it and pulled it off the church. We are in the process of getting new doors, the stoop on the porch put back on, the roof fixed and trying to restore this beautiful place.
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Mr. Dekle: On page 125 of John G. Crowley’s “Primitive Baptists of the Wiregrass South”, he states, “The controversy spread to the Ochlocknee Association, where
Bethlehem Church, Brooks County, dropped Elder Willis Smith, Deacon A.M.D. Simpson, and eight others as “unsound in faith and sustaining this new doctrine that has divided us,” identified in one place as the Coon principle””. At the same time, Harmony and Antioch churches entered into a controversy over Elder Allison Dekle, sometime moderator of the association and then a member at Antioch and serving as pastor at Harmony. Harmony dismissed him for “endorsing the Mathis Doctrine advocated by Elder Coon.” After a council meeting in which Dekle equivocated masterfully, Harmony continued him as their pastor; but they soon accused him of maintaining heresy. They dropped him as a pastor and expelled twelve of his followers. The 1876 Ochlocknee Association dropped Antioch along with Mt. Zion Church of Thomas County, Georgia, and Mount Moriah Church, Nancy Hagan’s old foes, “for advocating the two seed doctrine as held by one Mathis.” After equivocating for some time, Mt. Moriah, Antioch, and part of Mt. Zion returned to the Ochlocknee Association in 1879, Antioch having declared the “Coon doctrin” to be “grose heresee.” Allison Dekle disappeared from all records by 1880.” (Crowley’s book is interesting and enlightening. I enjoy reading it.)-
I would love to learn more about all of this as the “elder Coon” or as he was actually, Dr Issac Smith Coon in question was my great great grandfather on my mothers side.
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