History of Third Creek Baptist Church

On February 8, 1833 Beaver Ridge Church met to establish a church known as United Baptist Church of Christ at Third Creek. Hickory Creek, Zion, and Little Flat Creek Churches assisted in their ministerial help in establishing Third Creek Church. There were 98 Charter members. Reverend Samuel Lowe was the first pastor.

April 11, 1834 The church members met and agreed to build their first meeting house. The church was 50 feet long and 30 feet wide and was framed with hard chestnut and weatherboard.

July 1, 1844 The church met and agreed to help build the 1st Baptist Church in Knoxville.

November 11, 1876 Established a mission at Middlebrook.

March 11, 1888 Sunday School was established.

November 3, 1988 The church appointed a delegation from Third Creek to assist in organizing a Baptist Church in Piney Grove Community.

January 6, 1894 Church met to solicit money for purchasing a bell for the church. The bell weighed 300 lbs. and is the same bell in Third Creek Church today.

March 31, 1906 Appointed a delegate to organize a church in Lonsdale.

December 17, 1916 Appointed a committee to set in council in the organization of Grassy Creek Baptist Church.

August 5, 1951 Built on to church (6 new Sunday School Rooms).

1955 Rebuilt church and built new parsonage in West Haven.

August 2, 1963 Installed baptistery and speaker system.

1965 Church approved new educational building and bricked rest of church.

1970 Paved driveways, air conditioned church and remodeled auditorium.

1975 Built new parsonage on Sullivan Road, both parsonage and church are debt free.

Pastors and Dates of Pastorate
Rev. Samuel Love – February 8, 1833 – November 5, 1841
Rev. James Kennan – December 1, 1841 – December 1, 1844
Rev. Homer Sears – February 1, 1845 – February 1, 1846
Rev. Robert Kimbro – February 8, 1846 – July 1, 1846
Rev. Gordon Mynatt – January 1, 1847 – June 1, 1854
Rev. Charles Lones – August 12, 1854 – August 6, 1855
Rev. Radford Demarcus – September 1855 – November 2, 1865
Rev. B. Demarcus – February 1866 – November 1875
Rev. William D. McPetridge – February 1, 1878 – December 1980
Rev. W. R. Webster – January 8, 1881 – January 12, 1884
Rev. Amos Demarcus – March 1, 1884 – May 1, 1893
Rev. W. L. Cate – July 1, 1893 – April 6, 1895
Rev. J. T. Hickman – October 6, 1895 – February 8, 1898
Rev. J. F. Hale – February 15, 1898 – September 23, 1900
Rev. J. L. Dance – December 22, 1900 – August 2, 1903
Rev. A. F. McMahan – March 5, 1911 – July 14, 1912
Rev. J. H. Delaney – November 3, 1912 – December 28, 1913
Rev. C. F. Jones – February 1, 1914 – November 14, 1915
Rev. S. C. Atchley – December 12, 1915 – March 11, 1917
Rev. George Reeves – May 13, 1917 – January 1, 1920
Rev. M. E. Parker – June 1, 1920 – December 4, 1921
Rev. W. E. Conner – January 15, 1922 – January 29, 1928
Rev. Robert E. King – March 4, 1928 – September 1, 1935
Rev. C. W. Warren – November 17, 1935 – December 25, 1938
Rev. W. T. Roberts – February 5, 1939 – April 18, 1948
Rev. Roy Arwood – July 4, 1948 – September 4, 1955
Rev. Elmer Hurst – September 25, 1955 – June 3, 1959
Rev. Walter Henderlight – June 24, 1959 – November 9, 1960
Rev. Earl Taylor – January 1, 1961 – January 13, 1963
Rev. Fernde Robinson – May 19, 1963 – April 23, 1967
Rev. Elmer Hurst – June 4, 1967 – September 27, 1971
Rev. James A. Clark – November 14, 1971 – October 8, 1972
Rev. William C. Clark – October 15, 1972
Rev. Jim Stroud – 1975 to October 5, 2008
Rev. David Houser - March 8, 2009 to present

Third Creek has Ordained or licensed the following preachers:
Charles Long – October 4, 1851
William Duncan – January 4, 1890
Will Masterson – October 2, 1910
G. X. Hinton – October 22, 1919
William Lowe – October 2, 1932
Sam T. Smith – June 27, 1937
W. T. Roberts – April 26, 1936
Roscoe May – November 11, 1936
Curtis May – February 15, 1948
Orville Valentine – April 10, 1949
Wayne McMillian – May 31, 1950
Freeman Fox – September 16, 1951
Sherman Smith – October 3, 1954
Eugene Dutton – January 16, 1952
Ray Lindsey – October 3, 1954
J. B. Ridge – December 26, 1954
Alan Smith – 1982
Lynn Stroud – 1982