As I attempt to write the history of the Loneoak Landmark Baptist Church, back in 1882, neighbors decided to build themselves a church and school house combined, so the following strong men, both in body and faith, shouldered their broad axes and cross cut saws and went to the woods.

These men were: J.A. Justus, Silas Cox, J.T. Clements, W.M. Winfrey, Samuel Fooks, David Helms, Joseph Harding, James Gee, and others that I do not have their names. They built a log house 18' X 20' with two windows on each side and Leaton Helms, Elder George Helms' father, hewed the logs.

This house was built, the cracks chinked and pointed with lime and covered with clap boards, the house was finished and a school district was organized. Next, they had to have a name, several names were sent in. One was "Coon Wall" but J.A. Justus won out with Loneoak, so on July 13,1884, they the Loneoak Baptist Church of Christ, with some members coming out of Hill's Chapel. That church was over on the upper Tom Peebles farm, where at present Lowell King lives.

David Helms was employed for the sum of around fifty cents a day to dig a well. He dug the well sixty-two feet deep, eight feet square through limestone rock using black powder. He got a pretty good stream of water and had it walled up some thirty feet when he had to quit and gather his crop. When he came back to finish there was a greasy scum on the water so they decided it came from the cemetery and they filled the well up and carried water for school from four different springs, the nearest being one-half mile.

This brings us down to about 1906, the church record book was destroyed by fire when J.P. Justus' house burned. He was church clerk. (Bill Dotson has the broad axe now that hewed the logs.)

I will try to give most of the Pastors. Deacons and Clerks names from 1884 until 1967.

Elder John W. Wicker, - Elder David Helms, - Elder John M. Hill, - Elder Willie Watkins - Elder Lydell Watkins, - Elder Woodrow Wilson - Elder R.B. Belamy - Elder John White - Elder H.B. Wayland - Elder Alvis Moore - Elder S.J. Parks - Elder Earl T.Ratliff - Elder G.B. Borah - Elder H.A. Fortner - Elder W.H. Abee - Elder E.B. Powers - Elder James Hill - Elder Franklin Gregson - Elder D.M. East - Elder Hoytt Vaughn - Elder Sam Stratton - Elder Dardanell Townsly - Elder Dennis Butler - Elder John Kaffka - Elder G.W. Helms - Elder Lester Guthrie

J.A. Justus - Robert Holder - Silas Cox - Jim Brown - James Gilbert - C.D. Wade - James L. Moyers - Ernest Clements - George T. Pickett - G. W. Roark - W.M. Winfrey - Owen Bilbrey - T.C. Clements - Willie Foley James Ratliff - Berl Hill - J.P. Justus - Euen Frisbee - A. Downs

J.A. Justus - Mrs. Ellen Justus - Mrs. Geneva Willett - Geo. T. Pickett - Clyde Justus - Mrs. Christine Winfrey J.P. Justus - Mrs. Stella White - Mrs. Helen Hill

Total Membership In 1966:162.

Ordained Ministers by Loneoak Church Since 1907: EIder Charles B. Lee, - Elder G.W. Helms, - Elder S.H. Clements, - Elder Ollie Smith.

In 1911 the old log building was destroyed by fire. The old legend goes that a barrel of unslacked lime was in the corner of the building and the school children threw water on the lime and burned the house. In 1912, George Fooks took the contract to build a frame building for, I believe, $65 and George, Sam and Ray Fooks and I built the 20' X 30' framed house. Then in 1923 one cold February day, school was going on and the house with a board roof caught fire and ths children all being small could only get the seats out and let it go. In 1924, Charlie Beavers at Ravenden was given a contract to build another frame building for $275.00. In 1958, we built a concrete block house with all free donations and free labor. I have a record of every dollar and who gave it. Also, every days work and who worked. The building committee the church elected was: Willie Foley, Herbert Pickett, Berl Hill, Dot Foley, and Clifford Perkins.

1. We, the undersigned members of the Baptist Church of Christ, met in connection on Sunday, July the thirteenth, A.D.,1884, and after being called to order by Elder R.B. Belamy, proceeded to organize a Baptist Church by electing R.B. Belamy Chairman and Elder D.E. Hunt, Secretary.

2. After which the Confession of Faith as laid down in Pendleton's Church Manual was mad and approved.

3. The Church Covenant as found in the same book was read and approved.

4. The Church then called prayer and was led by elder R.J. Penn.

5. The Church pmceeded to elect Brother J.A. Justus, Church Clerk for the balance of this year.

6. Motion and second that we be called the Loneoak Baptist Church of Christ.

7. On motion, proceeded to elect a Pastor which resulted in the choice of Elder R.B. Belamy.

8. A committee was then appointed to draft Rules of Decorum to be 14 Lawrence County Historical Society
read at next meeting.

9. After the adoption of the minutes. the church adjourned until Saturday before the second Sunday in August

10. The above committee was Elder R.B. Belamy, David Helms, J.A. Justus and T.J. Clements.

No names of the members were given but these were collected, most of whom had letters from Hill's Chapel Church: T.J. Clements and Lucy Clements, Silas Cox and Catherine Cox, David Helms and Nancy Helms, Samuel Fooks, James H. Gee, Levina Gee, Mrs. Elizabeth Helms, S. Josiah Hardin, J.A. Justus.

The church was organized July 13, 1884· lt was their rule to elect a Pastor, Clerk and Messengers to Spring River Baptist Association every year in August or September. Elder R.B. Belamy was her first Pastor. Elder J.W. Wicker was Pastor from September 1884 to September 1886. He held a good meeting in September 1885. He baptized fourteen and received by letter twelve. They Paid him $10.00 each year.Elder R.B. Belamy was part time Pastor 1886 to 1889. He received about $10.00 each year each year. Elder H. Brasier Wayland was Pastor from January 1889 to January 1893· There were two good meetings in August and October 1889. There were thirty-five baptized and twenty received otherwise. He received about $25.00 each year. Elder R.B. Belamy was Pastor from October 1893 to January 1905. He had good meetngs in 1894, 1896, 1897. There was a good meeting in September 1898 without any preacher. Four were baptized by Deacon J.A. Justus. The Pastor was absent much of the time on account of sickness in his family. He was paid about $25.00 each year. Services were monthly with Conferences on Saturday morning. J.C.Diceton was called for Pastor in 1905. J.L. Hill was called in March 1906.

J.A. Justus was Clerk from 1884 to September 1897. George T. Pickett was Clerk from September 1897 to September Spring 1988-1898.
J.A. Justus was Clerk from September 1898.
Deacon James Gilbert came to the church by letter in 1885, lettered out 1887. Silas Cox and David Helms ordained Deacons in March 1885. They were lettered out. J.L. Moyers was ordained in June 1889, lettered out in 1899. J.A. Justus was ordained Deacon in May 1890.

George T. Pickett and Wm. Winfrey were ordained Deacons in July 1899. S.H. Clements and Chas. B. Lee were ordained to the Ministry by Elder M. D. East and the Deacons of the church in May 1900. There were no mentions of Sunday Schools in the Church Book but there were good ones preceding the good meetings. David Helms was the first Superintendent. J.A. Justus was Superintendent most of the time. J.L. Moyers was Superintendent about two years 1895-1898.

During 1906 Elder James Hill was Pastor. Some time in the spring a family named Oliver, four of them joined Loneoak on a promised letter which was never received. That caused trouble. The protracted meeting was also not held because of the old trouble.

At a meeting at Mt. Olive in October 1907, F.M. Lee, Sarah A. Lee, Elder Charles B. Lee, Mary E. Lee and Artie Gray, all members of Loneoak, joined in organizing Mt. Olive Church without asking for letters from Loneoak. After much talk and threats the following were passed upon motion of G.T. Pickett, Loneoak Baptist Church, September 19,1908:

To whom these presents may come, know that the following named brothers and sisters who have some time ago associated themselves with a like church of same faith and gospel order, Brother Elder Chas, B. Lee, Mary E. Lee, Sarah A. Lee, F.M. Lee and Artie Gray are hereby recommended to the Grace of God in the new organization and to the good will and fellowship of the Baptist Brotherhood, on the above date.

Charles B. Lee, Mod, Proteme
Wm. H. Helms, Church Clerk

Be it remembered that at a stated conference of the Baptist Church of Christ at Loneoak, Lawrence County, State of Arkansas, begun and held at the church house on Sunday, the fourteenth of October,1900. The church having called Elder M.D. East and Deacons J.A. Justus and G.T. Pickett and Wm. Winfrey as Presbyters did present before them our beloved brother, Charles B. Lee for ordination to the full work of the gospel ministry. And said Presbyters having made diligent inquiry of the said church as to tha scriptural qualifications of the said brother did in the presence of the church examine him, touching his knowledge of the faith and practice of the gospel, which examination was satisfactory to the church and Presbytery, and said Presbyter did then and there by prayer and the laying of of the hands of the Presbytery set apart and ordain him the said Charles B. Lee, an Elder in said church. And as such we recommend him to the Grace of God and the confidences of the churches. (S.H. Clements) Moderator, J.A. Justus, clerk. Presbytery: Elder M.D. East, J.A. Justus, G.T. Pickett and Wm. Winfrey. These credentials were recorded at Powhatan, Arkansas, March 22,1910 in book D, page 404.

As the records were burned from about 1910, on until now it is known that sometime in late summer a good revival was held by such ministers as Elders G.W. Helms, J.H. Manin, Dennis Buder, Alvis Moore, Woodrow Wilson, Jewel L. McCrackin, Rowland Ratliff, Luther McCrackin, Ramond Henson, Hoytt Vaughn and Kenneth Bobo. These Preachers were called as evangelists and of course the Pastor would assist in the revival, and from 1910 until now many people were saved and baptized into the church.

The largest baptizing I can recall was July 11,1948 when Jewel L. McCrackin and Woodrow Wilson baptized 30 and received three by letter. Another baptizing was over on Osburn Creek when Elder G.W. Helms baptized me and 14 others. That was in 1915. Then another over on the same creek Bro. G.W. Helms baptized 14 including my wife that was in 1923, and back about 1912 they cut a road to the creek so people could drive their wagons down there and they made the road over a yellow jackets nest and ladies riding by almost caused a few horses to run away. One of the women was Mary Foley. Sometimes people would go the the creek for 11 o'clock services and have dinner on the ground and baptizing in the aftemoon.

Those were the good old days, people would drive from Strawberry River and other places as far, in wagons and get there by sundown. Back in those days when preachers got on the pulpit and got in the spirit and their foot began to pat, they were fighting sin with both fists. I can remember when the goose pimples began to pop out on me and go to scratch my head and the hide on my head would feel like it was half an inch thick. Yes, times have changed. In those days a revival lasted from 10 days to two weeks and it always takes the first week to get the church members in working order. Most of them are like the preacher started a revival and he called on Deacon Jones to lead a prayer, and then they had a song and he called on Deacon Jones to pray, and then another song and he called on Deacon Jones to pray again. So the Deacon had about run out of anything to pray about and the preacher said now "Jones I believe you are about caught up with your praying, so get to work and don't get so far behind any more."
 

This article was taken from the Spring Edition of the Lawrence County Historical Society Quarterly, Spring 1988, Volume 11, Number 2.
The information on this page may be used for historical and genealogical purposes and not for financial gain. Any use must be accompanied by written permission of the page owner and this copyright must appear with the article.
Jeri Helm Fultz