History Of Missouri Baptists
Published by the Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist General Association
R.S. Douglass
1934

Pg. 219
Laclede Association

This body was organized in 1855 as Zion Association of churches in Laclede and Camden Counties. In 1869 there were 12 churches with 225 members. It did not meet during the war period for two years, but held a session in 1865 with Prairie Hollow Church. Five churches on the list were not represented and the others showed a total membership of 197.

The eleventh annual meeting was held in 1867. At that time there were 921 members of the churches on the list. Missionaries for the association were elected in 1868. William Carter and H.H. Atchley were employed for this work and a district mission board was chosen to superintend the work. Not much interest was shown in the work of missions and in 1872 a motion to appoint a committee on mission work in the territory of the association was voted down. In 1873 the association reversed its view on missions, but went only far enough to agree that mission work should be no bar to fellowship. It was in this association in 1876 that the movement for a Southwest Missouri Convention was started.

In 1879 it was found that eight churches in the organization had become disorganized and were dropped from the  list of members. This left only 14 churches with 498 members.

In 1883 there were 20 churches, 27 ordained ministers and 867 members in the association. During that year the baptisms numbered 97. In 1893 the name was changed from ion to Laclede County. There were 20 churched and 17 pastors in Laclede County Association in 1899. In 1906 there were 18 churches with a total membership of 1,253. The year had witnessed 38 baptisms.

In 1928 Laclede County Association reported 18 churches, 137 baptisms, and 1,669 members. In that year R. B. Carnett was moderator and I.E. Lockwood, clerk.

At the meeting of the association in 1933 there were 22 churched, 27 baptisms, and 2,028 members reported. R. D. Patterson was moderator and Ernest L. Fisher was clerk. The pastors were H. L. Knight, R.D. Patterson, G. C. Davis, W. H. Zumwalt, James Moore, J. T. Nickels, J. A. Winfrey, G. T. Pettit, R. B. carnet, John Jeffries, Dale Hufft, and Virgil Manes.

Transcribed by: Carrie Tuck {cvt1977@yahoo.com}