Clear Creek Baptist Church

Jonesboro

Union County Illinois Genealogy Trails

Charter Members: BENJAMIN HALL, JOEL BOGGES, DAVID SAMS,
MOSES ATHERTON, REBECCA HALL, FANNY BOGGES,
JANE THORP, JANE GRAHAM, JOHN BROWN

JAMES P. EDWARDS, PASTOR
JOHN BROWN, CLERK

The original door step to the Clear Creek Church can be found in the Jonesboro Cemetery. This cemetery is a very large one, and many members of the Church are buried there.

Church Minutes 1818-1848 have been published in the Southern Illinois Genealogical Society's SAGA. Volume XX, Number 3, Fall 1993. To order back issues, contact: The Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois c/o John A. Logan College 700 Logan College Road Carterville, IL 62918-9599

Source: Perrin's 1883 Union County, IL History.

The Clear Creek Baptist Church was *organized in 1821, founded in 1818, by Rev. James P. Edwards, Jeremiah Brown, John McIntosh and others. Worship was held at first in the dwelling houses of it's members, but soon a house of hewn logs was erected upon lands given to the church by John McIntosh, where the Jonesboro Cemetery now is.

It was a comfortable, large building, and worship was regularly held here for many years, with varied success. There would be prosperous times, when the church would receive large accessions of members, and at other times there would be trouble, and the church would be nearly depleted in numbers. But the good faith of those remaining would continue to hold meetings regularly once a month.

During the sixty-two years of it's existence, many excellent Christian men have figured in it's history, notably among them were James P. Edwards, Jeremiah Brown, Francis Brown, D. L. Philips, C. G. Flaugh, David Culp, D. S. Newsbaum and many others that cannot now be remembered. Dr. Sanders now (1883) presides over the church as pastor.

The church is a large frame building near the public square, erected and dedicated in 1848. In it's belfry was sounded, soon after it's erection, perhaps the first church bell ever heard in Southern Illinois, outside of Kaskaskia or Shawneetown. It was donated or given to the church by one of it's enterprising members, Caleb Frick. After being placed in position on Saturday, it pealed forth it's solemn notes on the following Sunday morning, calling the children to Sunday school, to the delight of all the people of the little town, and has continued to do so from that time to present (1883).

The church contains about 200 members, who hold their regular business meetings once a month, but have worship every Sabbath.

Perrin goes on to mention other religions and churches in the area:

The Methodists were numerous in this county from it's earliest settlement, but at first had no regular or settled place of worship. They preached from house to house during the year, but about once a year held what was known as "camp-meetings". At these times, great revivals would take place. Many able preachers from this and adjoining States would attend, and under their combined efforts, great good would be accomplished. Their first church house was erected in Jonesboro in 1842, south of the public square, chiefly under the direction of the Rev. Charles Adkins, circuit preacher, who was also a carpenter, and worked constantly at the building until it was completed. This building was taken down and another erected near the courthouse in 1859, and is the one now occupied by the church. It is presided over by the Rev. G. W. Waggoner, a very able and devout Christian.

There is also a German church, where regular worship is held, and also a Sabbath school, all in the German language.

There is also a church known as the Christian Church, where regular worship is held, making four churches in Jonesboro, which, with the six at Anna, or ten in all, within one mile of each other. This speaks well for the moral and religious training of the community.

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