Sandy Creek Baptist Church

After leaving Bath we drove to Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Liberty, North Carolina.  It's really cool to see how events tie together here.  If you've read the previous posts, then you are familiar with George Whitefield. After he left Bath, he prayed that God would send someone to the southern colonies.  Enter a man named Shubal Stearns.  Shubal Stearns came to know Christ under Whitefield's preaching.  Cool!  Shubal Stearns was God's way of answering Whitefield's prayer.  God led Stearns to the middle of the wilderness of North Carolina.  He and 15 others began Sandy Creek Baptist Church.  The church grew to 600 then shortly dropped back down to about 16 as men felt the call of God to spread out and begin churches all over the southern colonies.  God doesn't do anything half-way!  

There were more than a couple monuments at this site.  The present day Sandy Creek Baptist Church stands right next to the graveyard where Shubal Stearns is buried.  

I tried to enlarge portions of the monuments so you could read for yourself  some of the history.  I'm not sure how well it will work on the blog, however.

This historical marker was on the side of the road.

This log house (church) was built in 1802.  It stands next door to Sandy Creek Baptist Church.  

Elizabeth, Skyeler, Lindsey, and Victoria in the upper balcony of the 1802 church.  It was around 98 degrees on Tuesday with a heat index around 120. It was so hot inside this old building that when we walked out into the 98 degree weather it felt cooler than when we went in!!

The new marker on Shubal Stearns grave

Elizabeth, Riley, Tori, Calleigh, and Lindsey looking at the new marker.

Calleigh and Dan looking at the original marker on the grave.  

It truly was amazing how the history all tied in and there is so much more that would take forever to write down here.  Seeing these places, walking where these men walked, knowing that they were filled with God's power, it was a bit overwhelming.  The pastor of Sandy Creek Baptist Church was very helpful (and we were grateful for their bathrooms!).  He was surprised that we would be bringing in a youth group, as they get very few youth in to see this history.  How sad!  If those who make up the future of our nation never learn, it might be forgotten.  I am glad Dan was burdened to teach our youth the importance of this special heritage.