KNOWN HISTORY OF ANTIOCH CHURCH OF CHRIST AT SHELLHORN

 RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY: HELION CRAFT MOTES 

 THE ANTIOCH CHURCH OF CHRIST AT SHELLHORN, PIKE COUNTY, ALABAMA WAS ORIGINALLY, THE POTTERSVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.  SOMETIME BETWEEN 1895 AND 1902, THE NAME WAS CHANGED TO ANTIOCH CHURCH OF CHRIST.  THIS PROBABLY HAPPENED AS THE COMMUNITY NAME CHANGED FROM POTTERSVILLE TO SHELLHORN.

THE GRAVEYARD WAS LOCATED ON THE LAND OF AARON R. "BUNG"REDMON, THE 11^TH CHILD BORN TO SIMON PETER & ELIZABETH DICKEY REDMON.  THIS LAND ADJOINED THE LAND OF HIS BROTHER, JEFFERSON LAIRD REDMON, THE 10^TH CHILD OF SIMON PETER & ELIZABETH DICKEY REDMON.  THE REDMON FAMILY UTILIZED THE GRAVEYARD AS A BURIAL GROUND FOR NOT ONLY THEIR FAMILY, BUT FOR THEIR DECEASED SLAVES AND OTHER FAMILIES, ALSO.

THE FIRST RECORDED BURIAL PLOTS WITH TOMBSTONES CONTAINING NAMES AND DATES ARE THE YOUNG CHILDREN OF SIMON PETER AND ELIZABETH DICKEY REDMON.  EMELINE, BORN IN 1846 AND HER LITTLE BROTHER, JOSEPH F., BORN IN 1847 BOTH DIED ON JUNE 16, 1848.

THE DEED TO THE CHURCH BUILDING PROPERTY READS: "THE 10^TH CHILD OF SIMON PETER AND ELIZABETH REDMON; JEFF L. REDMON ON AUGUST 3, 1895, ONE ACRE OF LAND LYING ON THE NORTH LINE OF JEFF L. REDMON PROPERTY RUNNING JUST EAST OF THE REDMON GRAVEYARD, FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF FIVE DOLLARS FROM THE POTTERSVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH." THIS WAS SIGNED BY JEFF L. REDMON AND MATTIE REDMON, HIS WIFE, AND WITNESSED BY W. F. NUNNELEE, CHARLIE REDMON AND J. T. NUNNELEE.

APPARENTLY, THE CHURCH CONGREGATION WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN AUGUST OF 1895 BECAUSE THE DEED READS AS SUCH.  HOWEVER, THERE IS NO KNOWN RECORDED PLACE THE CONGREGATION MET TO WORSHIP. 

THERE WAS A CONGREGATION OF THE LORD'S PEOPLE AT PROSPECT, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO MT. MORIAH.  SOME OF THE MEMBERS FROM PROSPECT BEGAN TO COME TO POTTERSVILLE AFTER THE CHURCH BUILDING WAS BUILT THERE, BECAUSE OF CONVENIENCE.

THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, BUILT IN 1895 OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WAS A WOODEN FRAME STRUCTURE WITH THE ENTRANCE FACING WEST TOWARD THE GRAVEYARD.  UPON ENTERING THE BUILDING, THE WOOD BURNING STOVE WOULD HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU.  SHORT, WOODEN SLATTED BENCHES WERE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING.  THESE FACED THE PULPIT SETTING TO THE RIGHT.  THIS AREA WAS COMMONLY CALLED THE "AMEN CORNER" AND WAS OCCUPIED BY MEN ONLY.  HOWEVER, ONLY AN OCCASIONAL AMEN SOUNDED FROM THE GROUP.  LONGER IDENTICAL, BENCHES FACED SOUTH TOWARD THE PULPIT.  THE OTHER DOOR WAS A SINGLE WOODEN SHUTTER AT THE NORTH END.  THE SCREENLESS WINDOWS WERE RAISED AND "PROPPED OPEN", IN THE SUMMERTIME, WITH VARIOUS KIND OF STICKS.  THERE WAS A BUCKET OF WATER, WITH ONE DIPPER, PLACED ON A SQUARE TABLE, FROM WHICH EVERYONE DRANK.

DURING THE OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER, TWO GLASS GOBLETS FILLED WITH WINE, MADE BY DIFFERENT MEMBERS, WERE PASSED TO EITHER SIDE OF THE CONGREGATION.  THE BREAD USED ON THE LORD'S TABLE WAS ALSO MADE BY THE LADIES OF THE CONGREGATION.  THE TABLE WAS A HOMEMADE, OBLONG, WOODEN TABLE THAT WAS COVERED WITH A SQUARE CLOTH THAT HAD BEEN STARCHED AND IRONED STIFF AND PLACED WITH A CORNER POINT HANGING FRONT CENTERED. BAPTISM OF MEMBERS WAS HELD IN THE MILL POND ABOVE THE BRIDGE AT THE GRISTMILL.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORLD WAR II, THE CONGREGATION BEGAN TO COLLECT MONIES TO BUILD A NEW BUILDING.  THE OLD BUILDINGWAS TORN DOWN AND THE PRESENT BRICK STRUCTURE SOON STOOD IN ITS PLACE.  COMPLETION WAS SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1947 AND HOMECOMING SERVICES WERE HELD IN THE "NEW" BUILDING THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY, JULY 13, 1947.

HOMECOMING WAS, AND CONTINUES TODAY, TO BE HELD ON THE 2^ND SUNDAY IN JULY.  THE WEEK BEFORE HOMECOMING SUNDAY WAS A PREPARATION TIME.  A GRAVEYARD WORKING WAS HELD AND EVERYONE CAME WITH HOES, RAKES AND VARIOUS OTHER TOOLS TO COMPLETE THE JOB IN ONE DAY.  THE CHURCH BUILDING HAD TO BE CLEANED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.  IN THE YARD, UNDER THE BIG OAK, MAKESHIFT TABLES WERE FASHIONED FROM PLANKS LAID ACROSS SAWHORSES.  NEW WASH TUBS WITH 25 LB. BLOCKS OF ICE HELD SWEET TEA WITH A DIPPER TO FILL THE GLASSES.  EACH LADY BROUGHT HER SPECIALITIES IN ABUNDANCE AND THE PLANKS OF THE HOMEMADE TABLES SWAYED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE FOOD.  THIS WAS "DINNER ON THE GROUND."

LATER, PERMANENT TABLES WERE BUILT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CHURCH BUILDING.  THERE WERE BENCHES ALONG EACH SIDE AND A TIN-ROOFED SHELTER COVERING IT ALL.  INSIDE, NEW BENCHES FOR THE AUDITORIUM AND CHAIRS FOR THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOMS WERE PUT IN PLACE ON JANUARY 1, 1949.

AFTER WATER WAS RUN FROM THE SHELLHORN SCHOOLHOUSE IN 1972, A BAPTISTRY WAS BUILT BEHIND THE PULPIT BETWEEN TWO CLASSROOMS.  THERE WAS ALSO AN ADDITION TO THE BUILDING WHICH INCLUDED THREE NEW CLASSROOMS AND TWO RESTROOMS.

 THE MASONIC LODGE, SITUATED BETWEEN SHELLHORN SCHOOL ON THE WEST AND THE CHURCH BUILDINGAND GRAVEYARD ON THE EAST, DISBANDED.  THE BUILDING WAS DONATED TO THE ANTIOCH CHURCH OF CHRIST AT SHELLHORN CONGREGATION.  THE FIRST FLOOR WAS USED AS A FELLOWSHIP HALL UNTIL A NEW ACTIVITY BUILDING WAS PURCHASED AND PLACED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CHURCH BUILDING IN 1997.  THIS IS A METAL BUILDINGWITH A KITCHEN AND A RESTROOM.  A  NEW LIGHTED CHURCH SIGN WAS INSTALLED ON NOVEMBER 4, 2010.     THE GRAVEYARD HAS BEEN ADDED TO TWICE.  FIRSTLY, ON APRIL 2, 1919 WITH A SALE FROM MRS L. O. LAW FOR SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS TO "THE CITIZENS OF ANTIOCH COMMUNITY (FOR A CEMETERY.)"  THIS IS THE SOUTH END OF THE CEMETERY.

LASTLY IN 1990, THE HEIRS OF ZERAH MOTES YOUNGBLOOD DEEDED TO THE "TRUSTEES OF THE ANTIOCH CEMETERYAT SHELLHORN TRUST" FOR USE AS A CEMETERY IN CONSIDERATION OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, A PARCEL OF LAND ADJOINING THE PRESENT CEMETERYON THE NORTHWEST AND WEST SIDES.

APPARENTLY, RECORD BOOKS WERE NOT KEPT (OR POSSIBLY LOST) UNTIL 1922. BAPTISMS AND NAMES OF PREACHERS OF THE CONGREGATION WERE THEN RECORDED.  WE KNOW OF FOURTEEN PREACHERS TO HAVE SERVED POTTERSVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (POTTERSVILLE) AND ANTIOCH CHURCH OF CHRIST (SHELLHORN).

 THE ORDER OF TIME IN WHICH THE EARLIER ONES SERVED IS UNCLEAR, BUT IS BELIEVED TO BE:

 1.)        WILL PETTIGO (DATES UNKNOWN)

 

2.)        CLAUDE RHODES (DATES UNKNOWN)

 

3.)        FRED M. LITTLE 8-26-1922 TO 7-1925

 

4.)        L.L. LITTLE 7-24-1926 TO 8-4-1927

 

5.)        FLOYD HEATON 8-10-1929 TO 8-7-1930

 

6.)        TIP GRIDER 9-1930 TO 7-1936

 

7.)        A.L. SHIVER 6-28-1936 TO 12-1937

 

8.)        L.A. KYSER 1938 TO 1952

 

9.)        JAMES A TURNER 1952 TO 1955

 

10.)      RUSSELL COWLES 1955 TO 1-1970 IN JANUARY OF 1970, RUSSELL COWLES BECAME VERY ILL AND

 

11.)      SEWELL ST. JOHN PREACHED FROM JANUARY TO MARCH.  BROTHER COWLES WAS NEVER ABLE TO RETURN TO PREACHING.

 

12.)      LEE REGISTER WAS HIRED IN MARCH OF 1970.  HE REMAINED UNTIL 10-1981.

 

13.)      JIMMY C. MATHEWS 11-15-1981 TO 11-30-2010.

 

14.)      STEVEN FOSTER 12-1-2010 TO 10-31-2015.


15.)      JEREMY MATHEWS 10-1-2015 TO 12-31-2015


16.)      JOHN M. DICKINSON  1-1-2016  TO PRESENT

 

MANY FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS HAVE COME FROM THE SHELLHORN CONGREGATION AND WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF OUR GREAT HERITAGE.