Echoes From the Sandhills

Series 2: Sanctuary & Strength

##Early Black Churches

Echo 3: Continuing the Journey — The Growth of Presbyterianism and the Cape Fear Presbytery

As the Lillington Field of Churches continued to nurture faith and community, they—along with many others—found strength through connection. The establishment of the Cape Fear Presbytery provided a vital network of support, guidance, and fellowship for emerging African American Presbyterian congregations across the Sandhills.

Formed in the years following Emancipation, the Presbytery became much more than an administrative body—it was a spiritual lifeline. Through shared ministry, training, and encouragement, it helped equip pastors, organize new churches, and expand access to Christian education in rural communities.

Officially established in May 1886 by a commission of the Atlantic Synod, the Cape Fear Presbytery was bounded on the north by Virginia, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by South Carolina, and on the west by the North Carolina counties of Durham, Person, Chatham, Moore, and Richmond.

Dr. D.J. Sanders served as its first Moderator and Dr. J.A. Savage as its first Stated Clerk. The Presbytery was originally comprised of sixteen small but determined congregations: Bethany, Calvary, Chestnut Street, Davie Street, Ebenezer, First Fuller Memorial, Garnett Chapel, Haymount, Panthersford, St. Matthews, St. Paul, Second, Shiloh, Timberland, and Wilson Chapel (History of the Cape Fear Presbytery).

Each church reflected the deep determination of freed men and women to worship freely, to learn, and to build institutions that would strengthen both faith and community life.

A Glimpse at Some of the Founding Churches

Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church (Wilmington, NC) Established in October 1866, Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church was founded by William Cutlar, Henry Taylor, Elvin Artis, Duncan Holmes, Alfred Hargrave, Owen Burney, David Sadgwar, Edward Davis, Sandy Moore, and Mrs. Alice Price.A former pastor, Rev. D.J. Sanders, later became the first African American president of Johnson C. Smith University (then Biddle University) and also started the first Presbyterian newspaper for African Americans.

Bethany Presbyterian Church (Lumberton, NC) Formally organized as a mission church in 1876 by the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Bethany was initially served by Rev. W.E. Carr of Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church. He was succeeded by Dr. D.J. Sanders in 1878, and in 1879 Rev. S.L. Stevenson became the regular pastor of both Bethany and Panthersford Churches.

As early as 1865, missionaries were sent south to “organize churches and schools in areas with high concentrations of freedmen.” Often, the church and the school were one and the same, serving as both a spiritual and educational foundation for newly freed communities.

In our next series, we’ll explore that close relationship in Series 3: Built to Educate, Meant to Empower — Black Schools of the Sandhills.

See you in two weeks.

Echoes From The Sandhills

##Early Black Churches

Series 2: Sanctuary & Strength: The Legacy of Black Churches in the Sandhills

Echo 2 - Roots of Black Presbyterianism in Harnett County

In Echo 1 – Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church, it was mentioned that the church was originally established as a Presbyterian church. Presbyterianism was prevalent throughout Harnett County, particularly in Lillington, with Summerville Presbyterian Church, and in Barbecue Township with Barbecue Presbyterian Church. Historical records reveal that our enslaved ancestors attended church with their enslavers and sat in the balcony or in the back pews. After Emancipation, some continued to worship in those churches but soon became disenchanted when they were still treated less than equal and denied leadership roles.

According to the history of Barbecue Presbyterian Church, John Sinclair, under the Board of Domestic Missions of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (Northern), came to North Carolina shortly after Emancipation to preach to Freedmen. Records further state that he organized the church now known as Love Grove A.M.E. Zion Church. Other African American Presbyterian churches established between 1865 and 1869 were Lillington First Presbyterian, Spout Springs Memorial United Presbyterian, and Williams Chapel Presbyterian.

Spout Springs Memorial United Presbyterian Church - 1867

The roots of this congregation trace back to two devoted and courageous forefathers, Mr. Jack Redding and Mr. Ned McGregor. Feeling a profound need for a place to worship Almighty God, they united their spiritual conviction with physical determination to lay the foundation for what became Spout Springs Memorial United Presbyterian Church.

The first structure was built in McGregor Town, a small community about three miles north of the present location. Seeking a more central site better suited to their means of travel, the congregation moved and, in 1869, erected a second building on the current grounds. This house of worship faithfully served as a place for Sabbath School, prayer, and eventually the preaching of the Gospel under the leadership of their first minister, Rev. Rattleford, who served with great zeal and dedication. Through years of repair and devotion, this sanctuary stood strong for 95 years.

Williams Chapel Presbyterian Church - 1869

Williams Chapel Presbyterian Church was established in 1869 by Phillip Williams, Elijah Clark, and Richard Chalmers, who were the first elders elected to the new church. Additional names found on the church’s cornerstone include A.B. Harrington and Albert McDougald. Phillip Williams donated two acres of land for the construction of the original church, giving the congregation its name. The first minister to serve the church was Rev. Alexander McNeil.

Lillington First Presbyterian Church

Lillington First Presbyterian Church was also organized during this period of spiritual formation and community building among Freedmen in Harnett County. Like Spout Springs and Williams Chapel, its members sought to create a place where they could worship freely, lead their own congregations, and shape their spiritual future after Emancipation.

A Shared Legacy

Unfortunately, because our ancestors were denied the right to learn to read and write, much of this history was not formally recorded. We must piece it together from oral stories passed down through generations and the scattered historical records that remain. Today, the three historic congregations—Lillington First, Spout Springs, and Williams Chapel—are yoked together and are known collectively as the Lillington Field of Churches, carrying forward a legacy of faith, perseverance, and community.

Be sure to click on the links (underlined) for supplemental information.

Stay tuned — our next Echo will be posted in two weeks, on our regular every-other-Thursday schedule.

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on "Echoes From The Sandhills"

Echoes From The Sandhills

##Early Black Churches

Series 2: Sanctuary & Strength: The Legacy of Black Churches in the Sandhills

Echo 1 – Bethel A.M.E. Zion – Manchester

Imagine being forbidden to read, forbidden to write, forbidden even to gather in worship. This was the reality of our ancestors under slavery. Much of their history, our history, survived only through stories passed from one person to another. And if you’ve ever played the “Telephone” game, you know how stories can change in the retelling. Thankfully, early newspapers, like those highlighted in Series 1 Power of the Early Black Press, offer us glimpses into the real lives behind the stories.

One such story is the founding of Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church in Manchester (Spring Lake), NC. Established in 1873, the church began humbly. Services were held under a “Brush Arbor”—a simple shelter made of branches, a temporary sanctuary where faith could take root until a permanent building could be constructed. Uncle Jack Murchison played a key role in bringing the church to life. Oral history passed down from generation-to-generation relays that a Presbyterian minister who was establishing churches throughout the country came along and preached at the Brush Arbor and established it as a Presbyterian church.  Later, during his two years absence, a Methodist minister came from Fayetteville and sold the Methodist faith to the group, and the rest is history.

Even in early newspapers, the church’s presence is clear. In the March 13, 1875 issue of The Educator, Presiding Elder A.M. Barrett writes about two congregations, Beaver Creek and Manchester, whose members dreamed of building proper churches. By April, a letter to the editor confirmed that the Manchester congregation had secured land for construction.

Oral histories add even more depth. As you can see in the article, Laura Stinson, for example, played a pivotal role in persuading the McDiarmids to sell the property. Alongside her, Frederick Jackson, George Elliott, Lemuel Stinson, Thomas Lucas, Catharine Monroe, Jane Lucas, and Isabella Brinkley are lauded as the driving forces behind raising the funds and turning that dream into reality.

By August 1875, Bethel had grown enough to host the District Conference of the A.M.E. Zion Church. The leadership of Pastor and Presiding Elder A.M. Barrett will be highlighted in later Echoes as we explore the individuals who shaped this community.

Just a few years removed from enslavement—denied education, denied opportunity, denied the freedom to worship—our ancestors carved out a sanctuary through sheer perseverance and faith. They built more than a church; they built a legacy.

What lessons will you carry from their grit and determination into your own life today?

From here, we will begin highlighting other churches in the area that took root during this same period.  Stay tuned.

See you in two weeks.