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Divisions in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia, over the Means Doctrine, 1882-1892

Overview of the Division caused by the Means Doctrine

Elder Lemuel Potter resumed publication of his paper, the "Church Advocate" in 1892, to oppose the "means" doctrine. The first issue of the paper in 1892 aggressively opposed those who were introducing these departures. Elder Potter stated that the "Means" party claimed that they had about 100 churches with about 5,000 members.

Divisions Over the "Means" Doctrine in Virginia

Trouble over the "Means" doctrine occurred in the Ketocton and Ebenezer Associations of Virginia, culminating in a separation, and division in several churches, in about 1890. The "Means" faction claimed the name of Ketocton Association, and their minutes which we have (1898 and 1908) show which churches they divided and which churches they led off into their error. These minutes also disclose their activity in "missions" - including a missionary sent to China - and their recognition and support by C. J. Farncombe of England (a Strict Baptist minister), in 1908. The minutes show their advocacy of Sunday Schools and other so-called "means." Further information is available in the Mt. Carmel Church Trial (see other links on this website).

Divisions Over the "Means" Doctrine in Ohio

NETTLE CREEK CHURCH, CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO

Nettle Creek Church was the largest church in the Miami Association in 1890, with 107 members. The church apparently divided over the "Means" doctrine introduced by Elder James E. Lee, and there was a court case over the church property in about 1890.

Elder William Lippincott, of Westville, Ohio, wrote the following to Zion's Advocate:

July 12, 1890. Dear Brother Wiltshire, I write this to correct a mistake that I see in the Regular Baptist Magazine of July 15, 1890, published by Elder James Bradley. He says, "We left home on the 26th of May to attend a trial as to the rights of property between a majority party, at Nettle Creek Church, near Urbana, Ohio, known as the means party of the Regular Baptists and a minority party who withdrew from the church and set up for themselves, and are known as the anti-means Baptists." The first mistake is, he says they were known as the means party of Regular Baptists; yes, a little too much means and not enough God. But it was proven at court that they were not what is known by the Baptists of Ohio and Indiana as the means Baptists, but they are known by their own testimony to be a missionary Baptist element, in favor of home and foreign missions, supported by a board of men and money to hire men to send the gospel to the heathen, for their salvation. He says, "A majority party." He did not tell how they did to get a majority, that they went to some of the members of Nettle Creek church and told them that if they did not sign his paper to be members of his party that he would have to take them to court and make them swear that he, James E. Lee, preached heresy, thus intimidating dear old sisters that were not able to go to court. But now, since the trial is over, some of the members that let Lee put their names on his book have declared for us, the regular church. The deed for the land was made to the Regular Baptist church near Nettle Creek; provided, they maintain the same doctrines that said church does at this date, April, 1824.

It was proven, beyond a doubt, that there was not a church called the means Baptist church in 1824, in America, the means question having arisen in about 1844. The charge, as he has stated it, is correct about the means Baptists being charged with being heretics, that the gospel preached and taught was one of the appointed means in God's hands in the regeneration of sinners, which we say is heresy. It is heresy to preach that God gives life to the dead sinner through the one that preaches. He says we believe that it is heresy to send the gospel to the heathen. We said no such thing. We said God's command is to preach the gospel to every creature, and we do as he has commanded us, and leave the result with God. That they were heretics because they advocated publishing Bibles, which is not true. But we do believe that their tracts (some of them teach untruths), and what they call religious books by Bible societies or publishing associations, do teach for truth that which is untrue. He says we say that they are heretics because they believe in a general dissemination of truth, which is not so, but it is for preaching and publishing untruth. He says, "they were heretics in that they believed and taught that children should be brought to the house of God and taught the Holy Scriptures, and the doctrinal truth of the bible." All this is not true. We said no such thing. It was for teaching untruths and not the Bible that we objected to. He says, that they were heretics, in that they believed in theological schools for the education of any minister whom God might call, and set apart to work. Any one advocating all or any one of the above principles was charged as being heretics. Now, sir, we do believe that anything and everything that is taught by men for God's commands, that is not found in his Book, is the worst of heresies, and is what Paul calls "damnable heresies." There is not one place in the Bible where God authorizes theological schools for the education of his ministers, for he says all shall be taught of the Lord. God condemns men for adding to his work. He further says, "The trial was a great victory for the truth," and so it was, for the truth was on our side. They (Burnham, Bradley, and Lee) make a great fuss about God's own appointed means, but did not tell what they were, only the preaching of the gospel is the means of making alive dead sinners. What bigotry it is for a man to set himself up by the side of God to help the Lord save souls. Bradley talks about such an array of ignorance, arrogance, bigotry, and intolerance was never brought on the witness stand. Do we not see all these things in the man that sets himself up by the side of God to help him, the God of all the earth, do his own work. What bigotry! When God says, I, even I, am God, and besides me there is no God.

The intent of this is that the truth may be known in this trial.

Yours as ever, in gospel bonds, William Lippincott."

Elder Lippincott wrote again, in the Church Advocate:

"March 13, 1892. J. E. Lee said: "I don't know as much about election and predestination as I used to." Elder Huff said: "Souls are saved by the preaching of the gospel." 2. He said, "We believe in means and instrumentality in the saving of the human soul." 3. "That the bride of Christ was as a little girl, without father or mother, to give her to Christ; that Christ took her, and raised her up, and married her, and she became his bride." 4. He held that all churches were Christ's as they had God's children in them. Elder Lee said, after Elder Huff had preached, "I believe every word that Elder Huff has said."

When Elder Lee first came to Nettle Creek church, he said he was an Old School Baptist; and after he divided Nettle Creek Church he then said he was not an Old School Baptist. He said he was a missionary. He believed in home and foreign missions, and he was ashamed of our Baptists because they do not raise more money for the spread of the gospel. He said he was a Means Baptist; that he believed that God used means and instrumentalities in the regeneration of sinners, and sinners are saved by the preaching of the gospel. He said he wanted a Sunday School to teach the children the Baptist doctrine, so that when they were converted they would join the Baptist church. He believes in catechising the children to fit them for the church, and they have catechisms now for that purpose. He said the Anti-Means doctrine originated in hell, and the devil was the author of it. He said the preaching of Anti-Means doctrine is sending thousands of souls to hell. Elder Tom Pence said to me, "I believe that." Again, he said we want a church like our mother church in England, with its Sunday School and its home and foreign missions, and tracts for the spread of the gospel. He said the Baptists, when they divided in 1836, both sides went to an extreme. The New School on Boards and Conventions, and the Old School on Election and Predestination. We want a church between the Old School and the New School, ad the true church lies between the two. He said there can be a large church built up between the two; as we believe in home and foreign missions, and Sabbath Schools, we will get members out of the New School, and we believe in Election and Predestination, and we will get members out of the Old School. When they started their Sabbath School, then they got an organ, and laid aside our Baptist hymn books, and adopted Moody and Sankey as the "gospel hymns," so called; so that in the New Church they can sing with the spirit and with the understanding also. He said, with an organ and a Sabbath School, the church will build right up. After the Miami Association had dropped him, at our next church meeting, we made a motion to call council of brethren from Miami and our corresponding associations, to investigate his doctrine, and to let him have a chance to defend his doctrine before our church. Elder Lee being moderator, would not allow it to come before the church, and said he was not going to be tried by his enemies; and more than that, he had been tried in Missouri. He baptized his daughter into the fellowship of a church that Nettle Creek church is not in fellowship with. He said he was not sorry for so doing, and would do it again if it was necessary. All this he knew was against the laws of the Nettle Creek Church. They (the Lee and Pence party) call their association "The Means Baptist Association." The Miami Association never called itself a Means association.

Before the division in 1836, Nettle Creek Church was called "Hardshells" and "Ironsides." I have known Nettle Creek Church ever since 1835. I was at the Mad River Association when held with Nettle Creek Church that year; and I was there, and remember two of the ministers that preached on the stand on Sunday. One of them was Joseph Morris; the other was John McDaniel. They were both opposed to Home and Foreign Missions, as carried on by the New School Baptists. My recollection is that our side of the Baptists was called Old School first in 1836, after the association divided on the subject of Home and Foreign Missions, and Nettle Creek has been known by the name of Old School Baptists ever since.

William Lippincott.

MT. PLEASANT CHURCH, POASTTOWN, OHIO

The Means Controversy also divided Mt. Pleasant Church at Poasttown, Ohio. The Primitive Monitor published the following, sent in by Elder Lippincott: "The Lee part of the Baptist church in Poast-town is in trouble. They met on the fourth Sunday in January, to elect Sunday School officers, and decided none could vote only Baptist members, there being only seven there. The outsiders did object, and met the next Sabbath to organize a Sabbath-school of their own. Deacon Graves heard of it and secreted himself in the house. Soon the young army of worshipers came, broke open the house, and held their election. Deacon Graves was a silent spectator, and today came to this city (Middletown) with a list of parties' names and will have warrants for their arrest issued. Some fifty families are involved in the trouble." - Taken from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Divisions over the "Means" Doctrine in Indiana

MT. TABOR CHURCH TRIAL, LEBANON, INDIANA

The Danville Association of Indiana divided over the "means" doctrine. Some nine churches (less than half) of the churches went off into this error. Mt. Tabor Church, near Lebanon, Indiana, in the Danville Association, divided, with a large majority going into the false doctrine. The majority broke down the church doors with a fence rail and took possession of the property. The minority then sued for possession, and won at the lower court level before two or three judges, and then the majority won an appeal. The matter was finally taken to the Supreme Court, which ruled for the minority, but sent the case back to the lower court, where a jury trial was unable to settle the matter. A compromise was finally reached with the minority paying the majority $500 and the building and church records being granted to the minority. About fifteen years later, the minority of Mt. Tabor Church departed from the faith and went off into the Progressive movement. The Means faction was arminian in doctrine, and has no resemblance to the Primitive Baptists today.

Divisions over the "Means" Doctrine in Missouri

The autobiography of Elder Walter Cash shows that trouble was caused by the "Means party," led by Elders W. T. Pence, E. H. Burnham, Milton Sears, J. E. Lee, and James Bradley, as early as 1882 in the Fishing River Association of Missouri. A few churches were drawn off from fellowship out of the Fishing River Association, viz., Little Shoal Creek, Big Shoal Creek, Prairie Point, and First Platte. They formed the West Fishing River Association, but it soon went out of existence. The Mt. Pleasant Association of Missouri was also drawn away from the truth and destroyed by the Means doctrine movement. Elder Peter Branstetter, Elder J. E. Goodson Sr., and others stood firmly opposed to the "Means party," and the main body of the churches in Missouri withdrew from its leaders. The Salem Association of Missouri divided on the "Means" issue, in 1887, dropping correspondence with the Mt. Pleasant Association by a vote by the messengers of 15 to 14. In 1889, Elder Ira Turner moved to the area to try to reclaim some of the churches, and succeeded in reclaiming Union, Rocky Fork, and Cedar Creek. From 1892 to 1896 no sessions of the Salem Association were held due to the divided condition of Goshen Church.

GOSHEN CHURCH, WILTON, MISSOURI

The "Church Advocate" published by Elder Potter, the "Messenger of Peace," and other papers, disclose that Goshen Church, near Wilton, Missouri, divided over the "means" doctrine.

In 1892, the "Church Advocate," edited by Elder Lemuel Potter, published two accounts, from parties representing one side of the divided membership of Goshen Church. The first was dated May 18, 1892:

"To whom it may concern: We whose names are hereinafter mentioned, having been sent here by our respective churches, to wit; Isaac N. Davis, S. A. Elkins, of Elkhorn church, Cuivre Siloam Association, Mo., Jacob Cloud, of Pleasant Ridge church, Vernon Co., Mo., and J. F. Sutton, of Middlefork church, Two River Association, Mo. The above named churches having been called upon by the brethren of Goshen church, of Boone Co., Mo., to send them council to hear and determine certain difficulties that did exist, and as said Goshen church had divided, and that there were two parties of said Goshen church, and that the said council should examine into the order of said parties, and decide which, if either, party should of right be acknowledged to be the church in order. After examining the records of both parties, and hearing such other testimony as was presented, we find the following facts to exist: First, That the origin of this trouble of said Goshen church was caused by certain brethren, to wit: Albert M. Morris, S. P. Glasscock, W. R. Johnson, and others, for objecting to pastor of said church. They claimed that said pastor was in disorder, from the fact that he had affiliated with certain other churches which were in disorder. We think said brethren did have the right to offer objections, whether the charges were true or not. We are not called upon to decide as to whether said charges were true or not. But we do say that the long standing rules of the Primitive Baptist churches are, that any number of brethren, who are in good standing, may object to the service of any brother as pastor, and said pastor should stop at once, until said troubles should be settled. Therefore, we think that said brethren, Albert M. Morris, S. P. Glasscock, W. R. Johnson and others, should have been heard by the whole church, and that every member of said church, who refused to hear said brethren, did very wrong. Second, We find that the course taken by members of said Goshen church, to exclude F. E. Glasscock, S. P. Glasscock, W. R. Johnson, Albert M. Morris, and others, was in open violation of the rules of said church, and all Regular Baptist usages. We do not think that any church has any authority in the Scriptures, or from any past usages of Baptist churches for any such wholesale exclusion, or to entertain any motion to exclude any indefinite number of members. This we find to have been the course taken by the opposite party, as shown by their own records, which fact was also thoroughly proven by oral testimony. This, we think to be a very great wrong. Third, We find that in introducing and adopting a certain protest in said church, that the right to vote was denied every brother, or sister, who did not concur in said protest. We think such ruling to be oppressive, and unjust, and contrary to the laws of God, by which the churches should be governed, and therefore, were very wrong. Therefore, in this whole matter, we think that the aforementioned departures from the laws of the church of Christ and the long established rules of Goshen church, were wholly violated or utterly ignored, and that those brethren and sisters who have thus favored the aforenamed departures, have thereby forfeited their right to any just claim to be the church called Goshen, or any part thereof, and we do, in the fear of God, believe that the brethren and sisters whose names are hereunto affixed, are, of right, the church of Christ at Goshen, Boone Co., Mo., and that we do most heartily recommend said brethren and sisters to be worthy the fellowship and esteem of the Primitive Baptists everywhere. Done and signed by the order of the council.

Elder S. A. Elkin, Moderator. Elder Jacob Cloud, Clerk. Elder J. F. Sutton, Isaac N. Davis.

Names: F. E. Glasscock, F. G. Sitton, C. Bennett, J. Hazel, Jacob Griffin, M. T. Reim, F. T. Ham, W. R. Johnson, O. Allison, A. M. Morris, H. T. Rippeto, R. Hazel, G. Crump, J. S. Moon, J. Taylor, Pal. Taylor, M. D. Glasscock, R. Griffin, S. P. Glasscock, F. Ramsdal, B. F. Shull, Sallie Glasscock, America Shull, Luly Taylor, Patsy Rip, E. C. Allison, Emma Sapp, Julia Williams, Eliza Griffin, Jane Sapp, Maggie Glasscock, Elizabeth Griffin, Eliza J. Thomas, Martha Bledsoe, Lucinda McCarty, Susan Taylor, Marie Johnson, Elvia C. Martin, Mary F. Rippeto, Lucy Glasscock, Mille A. Bennett, Zilphia Johnson, Margaret Nichols, Josa Clark, E. M. Crunk, Sarah J. Rippeto, A. C. Bishop (deceased), Melvina Harman, E. Hazel.

The second article appeared in the December 1892 issue of the same paper, the "Church Advocate," as follows:

Resolution.

WHEREAS, a trouble arising in Goshen church, Boone Co., Mo., over the disorderly conduct of their pastor, Elder Ira Turner, in taking the pastoral care of Union church, Boone Co., Mo., who held in her body a disorderly minister, Elder Franklin Jenkins, who was affiliating with the Means Baptists and also acting as Moderator of that body, And,

WHEREAS, said Ira Turner refused to commune with said Elder Jenkins, and did advise Union church to grant Elder Jenkins a letter in full fellowship with his name to said letter as Moderator. Whereupon Brethren S. P. Glasscock, W. R. Johnson, Albert Morris and F. E. Glasscock, did complain of their pastor, and for such complaint their pastor, Elder Ira Turner, prepared charges against said brethren, which led to an unhappy division of said Goshen Church, And,

WHEREAS, each party claimed to be the Goshen church in order, a council of brethren was called to sit at Goshen the 17th day of May, 1892, to examine the proceedings of said church, and said council did hear oral testimony and examine the records of both parties, and after hearing the testimony, did decide that the party represented by S. P. Glasscock, W. R. Johnson, Albert Morris and F. E. Glasscock, was the church in order, And,

WHEREAS, the opposite party, led by Ira Turner, did get up an instrument of writing in opposition to said council declaring non-fellowship for all that would not subscribe to said article, which has led to an unhappy division in our Association,

RESOLVED, That we, the following named churches, viz., Concord, Oak Grove, Middle River and Goshen, desiring to maintain good order, do claim to be Salem Association; and we stand ready at any time to sustain by oral and written testimony, such claims.

David Utt
W. B. Martin
Elder S. A. Elkin
J. R. Deardorff
Elder J. F. Sutton
Committee.

In September 1893, an ordination of Elder W. R. Johnson to the ministry is published in the "Church Advocate," but at the bottom, Elder Lemuel Potter wrote a note under the heading "Remarks," viz., There was notice given of Brother Johnson's ordination, some time ago, but owing to some disorder that those brethren saw they were in, they thought best to not consider said ordination void. We are, indeed, sorry to know of the unhappy state of affairs in Boone county, Mo. We see good brethren on both sides, and we cannot judge the case. - Ed. ADVOCATE.