James Marshall’s painting of how the Spurling mill might have looked. There is no known photo of the mill.
BORN IN CHRISTIAN UNION
“And upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18b KJV).
|
Gathering at the Spurling Mill
Anticipation and excitement accompanied a sober sense of obligation as a small congregation gathered at the Spurling Mill on August 19, 1886. Most residents of the surrounding communities must have been aware of the message Richard Green Spurling (1857–1935) had been proclaiming the previous two years. Commonly known by his initials, R.G., the formerly licensed Baptist preacher desired to reform area churches and establish a Christian Movement that was less exclusive than the Missionary Baptist churches around him. History has left few details about what happened that Thursday in the mill located along Barney Creek in Monroe County, Tennessee. We have no record of how many attended nor is there a known photograph of the mill or of those who responded to Spurling’s call for action. What is unmistakable is that the desire to be God’s church is the deepest root in Church of God history. |
Charter Members
According to A.J. Tomlinson’s account, eight responded to R.G. Spurling’s invitation to sit “together as the Church of God”:
Adeline Loftis Margaret Plemons Loftis John James Plemons John Paul Plemons Melinda Plemons Mary “Polly” Plemons Barbara Spurling Richard Spurling |
The meeting opened with prayer, and then R.G. Spurling delivered “a strong discourse,” “emphasizing the need for a reformation.” Our earliest report describes the events, “The arguments were full of force and proved effective, and were endorsed by the hearers, so that when the time came for action there was free and earnest response.”
Following his discourse, Spurling made an appeal to his hearers to join together to establish a new Christian Movement: "As many Christians as are here present that are desirous to be free from all men-made creeds and traditions, and are willing to take the New Testament, or law of Christ, as your only rule of faith and practice; giving each other equal rights and privilege to read and interpret for yourselves as your conscience may dictate, and are willing to set [sic] together as the Church of God to transact business as the same, come forward." Eight responded to the young Spurling’s appeal, including his father, Elder Richard Spurling, who was an ordained Baptist minister. Although the younger R.G. Spurling had given up his ministerial credentials, the emerging congregation regarded his father Richard’s ordination as sufficient authority to organize a new church. Under the elder Spurling’s guidance, they set in order a congregation, which they called Christian Union. They then decided to receive members and to recognize ministers. With these agreements in place, the newly established church received R.G. Spurling as a member. The next month, Elder Richard Spurling ordained his son, R.G., as the first pastor of the Christian Union.
Looking back, we regard events on that August day as the founding of the Church of God whose international offices are in Cleveland, Tennessee, USA, and whose ministry now reaches more than 8 million people in 191 countries and territories of the world.
Following his discourse, Spurling made an appeal to his hearers to join together to establish a new Christian Movement: "As many Christians as are here present that are desirous to be free from all men-made creeds and traditions, and are willing to take the New Testament, or law of Christ, as your only rule of faith and practice; giving each other equal rights and privilege to read and interpret for yourselves as your conscience may dictate, and are willing to set [sic] together as the Church of God to transact business as the same, come forward." Eight responded to the young Spurling’s appeal, including his father, Elder Richard Spurling, who was an ordained Baptist minister. Although the younger R.G. Spurling had given up his ministerial credentials, the emerging congregation regarded his father Richard’s ordination as sufficient authority to organize a new church. Under the elder Spurling’s guidance, they set in order a congregation, which they called Christian Union. They then decided to receive members and to recognize ministers. With these agreements in place, the newly established church received R.G. Spurling as a member. The next month, Elder Richard Spurling ordained his son, R.G., as the first pastor of the Christian Union.
Looking back, we regard events on that August day as the founding of the Church of God whose international offices are in Cleveland, Tennessee, USA, and whose ministry now reaches more than 8 million people in 191 countries and territories of the world.
The Need for Reformation
R.G. Spurling’s passion to establish the Christian Union arose from years of frustration the 29-year-old preacher had experienced with area Missionary Baptist churches. A very narrow vision of God’s church taught by the Landmark Baptist Movement had influenced congregations in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Accentuating Proverbs 22:28, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set,” they taught that only certain Baptists were in God’s church, practiced closed Communion, and insisted
Baptist ministers refrain from associating with non-Baptists. Disagreeing with their restrictive theology and practice, Spurling believed God’s church could not be limited by their exclusiveness. He later recalled, “Having felt it my duty to read my Bible in search of the truth, I soon found myself, so to speak, trying to run a broad-gauge engine on a narrow-gauge railway. …I failed to accept all of their creed….” In Spurling’s experience, Landmark Baptist creeds and traditions had replaced the New Testament and Christian love.
The Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, where Spurling was a member and which had previously licensed him to preach, insisted he discontinue fellowship and ministry with non-Baptists. He remembered, “They demanded my license, which I readily gave up, hoping
that I could preach what I saw the Bible to teach instead of what some other man believed….” Surrendering his license was not sufficient, however; the Pleasant Hill Church wanted to silence his voice. He continued, “I preached when impressed to do so, and I was again called to account for disobeying their rules. Now I must forever quit preaching or leave my church, so I left them, choosing to obey God rather than man. …I was turned out of what I once thought was Christ’s only true church. What shall I do? What can I do? Oh, God, are the days of murdering Christians not over yet?”
After surrendering his preaching license in 1884, Spurling increased his study of the Scriptures and Christian history; and he began to pray for restoration of a church based solely on the New Testament. He preached whenever he had an opportunity, and often worshipped with a nearby Methodist Church. His 1886 sermon and invitation called his hearers to return to the New Testament as the
only means of bringing about Christian unity and restoration.
R.G. Spurling’s passion to establish the Christian Union arose from years of frustration the 29-year-old preacher had experienced with area Missionary Baptist churches. A very narrow vision of God’s church taught by the Landmark Baptist Movement had influenced congregations in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Accentuating Proverbs 22:28, “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set,” they taught that only certain Baptists were in God’s church, practiced closed Communion, and insisted
Baptist ministers refrain from associating with non-Baptists. Disagreeing with their restrictive theology and practice, Spurling believed God’s church could not be limited by their exclusiveness. He later recalled, “Having felt it my duty to read my Bible in search of the truth, I soon found myself, so to speak, trying to run a broad-gauge engine on a narrow-gauge railway. …I failed to accept all of their creed….” In Spurling’s experience, Landmark Baptist creeds and traditions had replaced the New Testament and Christian love.
The Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, where Spurling was a member and which had previously licensed him to preach, insisted he discontinue fellowship and ministry with non-Baptists. He remembered, “They demanded my license, which I readily gave up, hoping
that I could preach what I saw the Bible to teach instead of what some other man believed….” Surrendering his license was not sufficient, however; the Pleasant Hill Church wanted to silence his voice. He continued, “I preached when impressed to do so, and I was again called to account for disobeying their rules. Now I must forever quit preaching or leave my church, so I left them, choosing to obey God rather than man. …I was turned out of what I once thought was Christ’s only true church. What shall I do? What can I do? Oh, God, are the days of murdering Christians not over yet?”
After surrendering his preaching license in 1884, Spurling increased his study of the Scriptures and Christian history; and he began to pray for restoration of a church based solely on the New Testament. He preached whenever he had an opportunity, and often worshipped with a nearby Methodist Church. His 1886 sermon and invitation called his hearers to return to the New Testament as the
only means of bringing about Christian unity and restoration.
Richard Spurling
|
Richard Spurling (1810–1891) was born in North Carolina where he lived until his family moved to Tennessee in 1822. The Clear Creek Baptist Church in Morgan County, Tennessee, likely ordained him as early as 1853, and he was active in several Baptist congregations, including establishing the Holly Springs Baptist Church in Monroe County in 1859. His son Richard Green (R.G.) was born while Richard was serving as a missionary near Williamsburg, Kentucky.
Although Richard assisted R.G., by setting the Christian Union in order, his familial and ministerial connections with the Holly Springs Church make it unlikely that he intended to stay with the infant congregation. The Holly Springs Baptist Church excluded him for joining the Christian Union but dropped his case two months later. Richard remained active at Holly Springs until his death at the age of 81 in Anderson County, Tennessee. (Photo from Wade H. Phillips Collection) |
|
|
Some histories of the Church of God refer to father and son as R.G. Spurling Sr. and R.G. Spurling Jr. More recent histories by Wade H. Phillips and James M. Beaty reveal that they were not “Sr.” and “Jr.” in a formal sense. Only the son bore the middle name of “Green,” which came from his mother’s family. Thus, we now identify the father as Richard Spurling and the son as R.G. Spurling. Further, our earliest account by A.J. Tomlinson records that the licensed minster, R.G. Spurling, issued the August 19, 1886, invitation to sit together as the Church of God. His father, Richard, with the authority of an ordained minister, then assisted R.G. by formally establishing the Christian Union and ordaining R.G. as the first Christian Union pastor. |
The Lost Link of Love
Like many ministers of their time, R.G. Spurling and his father, Richard, were bi-vocational. They became millwrights and built mills throughout east Tennessee. Farmers needed neighboring grist mills to grind their grain into useable food for their families and livestock, and construction projects needed easy access to milled lumber. In 1882, Richard Spurling purchased property on Barney Creek, where the family operated grist and sawmills until Richard sold the property in 1889. It was here that the Christian Union was set in order. Family tradition also reports that the Spurling sawmill provided timber for the Hiwassee Loop—a nearby section of railroad track circling Bald Mountain so as to avoid expensive tunneling. During the long period of construction, what had begun as a narrow-gauge track was widened. After several years, the loop was completed in 1898, and it is likely from this experience that R.G. Spurling began to utilize railroad imagery to describe the church. Putting his theological ideas in writing, Spurling penned a manuscript in 1897 that he later developed into a treatise published as The Lost Link. He also preached on these themes at the General Assemblies meeting in January and November 1913. Spurling wrote that just as Israel had been taken into captivity for forsaking God’s law, the church too had been in captivity to spiritual Babylon for forsaking Christ’s new commandment, “that ye love one another, as I have loved you….” Spurling maintained, “love is the law upon which the Church was based, written by the Holy Ghost.” |
|
Spurling used the metaphor of a railroad to illustrate the beginning and development of the Christian church. In Spurling’s imagery, John the Baptist was the civil engineer “who located the route by repentance and faith.” Once the route was determined, Christ laid down golden rails, which are love of God and love of neighbor. “These are the golden rails that reach all the way to heaven and upon which every wheel must roll.” Guiding the church are the drive wheels of “the law of liberty and equality,” and the Holy Ghost provides power to run the engine.
From Christian history, Spurling concluded that Satan had tempted the church with a substitute fire rather than that of the Holy Ghost. Beginning with the first Council of Nicaea in AD 325, the church abandoned the practice of allowing individuals to read, interpret, and practice the New Testament for themselves. The Council also abandoned the golden rails of love and adopted human creeds and traditions, which Spurling likened to narrow-gauge rails of wood. Although creeds were intended to communicate accepted Christian doctrine, they are always human statements. Thus, they can never substitute for the Word of God. Spurling’s study of Christian history proved to him that too often imperfect human creeds had been used to divide Christians and persecute others in the name of Christ. Convinced that the Councils “took out the golden link of God’s law and set in the wooden rails,” Spurling lamented the continuing divisions and lack of unity among Christians. Not only had creeds substituted for God’s law, but they had “raised a spirit of malice, strife, and persecutions. Thus, the blessed record of God’s holy church was blackened by Christians persecuting each other.” He agreed the reformers had tried to bring about a restoration of God’s church, but they too adopted creeds, which further divided the church. |
R.G. Spurling holds the link of a railroad chain representing the lost link of love. Spurling penned a manuscript in 1897 that he later developed into The Lost Link. He believed creeds had replaced the lost link of love. |
For Spurling, “fellowshipping each other by the law of love is the lost link.” Describing the Christian Union’s “Basis of Union,” he wrote, “We invite to union and fellowship all persons who avow faith in Christ and love to God and His people and a willingness to live a Christian life so as not to dishonor the cause of Christ, and we exclude only for known violations of God’s Word or commands.”
Richard Spurling ordained his son, R.G. Spurling, as a bishop on September 2, 1886, for the purpose of R.G.’s serving as pastor of the Christian Union. Thus, while Richard was the first ordained minister, R.G. became the first pastor in the Church of God. The text reads:
|
State of Tennessee, Monroe County
September the 2nd, 1886 This is to certify that R.G. Spurling is ordained to the office of a Bishop. Having labored in the ministry of the Word as Scripturally required is set forth and adjudged worthy by the rule given to Timothy by St. Paul (1 Timothy 3rd chapter 2 to the 8 ver). He is hereby legally authorized to do all the work that may devolve on him as a minister of the gospel being found sound in the faith, believing in the general atonement and resurrection of the dead by our Lord Jesus Christ. This done in Christian Union Conference at Barney Creek meeting house. Presbyter Elder R. Spurling |
|
Other Christian Union Congregations
Regrettably, few records remain from the time of the Christian Union at Barney Creek. When the Spurlings sold their Barney Creek property in 1889, the local congregation seems to have ceased to exist. Yet, the vision of Christian Union remained in the heart of R G. Spurling, and over the next decade he established other Christian Union congregations. Wade H. Phillips uncovered much of the history of these congregations, which is published in his book, Quest to Restore God’s House: A Theological History of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), Volume 1, 1886–1923.
Having purchased a farm from his wife’s family, R.G. Spurling set in order a Christian Union along Shuler Creek near the Hiwassee River about 1890. He later relocated to Turtletown, Tennessee, in 1893, and the Christian Union at Shuler Creek likely dispersed by 1898. About that time, Spurling established a Christian Union on “Paul’s Mountain,” also known as “High Top.” He ordained Andy Paul to serve as pastor of this congregation, which survived until about 1910.
Spurling established the most successful Christian Union congregation in the community of Piney Grove, Tennessee. He had been preaching there for about a decade when he organized the congregation in 1897. Many of the members of the Piney Grove Church were part of Minter Freeman’s family, and Spurling ordained Minter’s son, Andrew, as their pastor. Spurling also licensed Dorcus Freeman Bowers to preach—likely making her the first credentialed female minister in our movement. The Piney Grove Church did well with perhaps as many as 100 people attending around the turn of the century. Although Pastor Andrew Freeman attended our first General Assembly in 1906, the congregation remained independent rather than associate with the developing network of congregations under the leadership of A.J. Tomlinson. Likely due to their independent nature, Tomlinson did not include them in his telling of the Church of God story, so they do not appear in most accounts of Church of God history.
Regrettably, few records remain from the time of the Christian Union at Barney Creek. When the Spurlings sold their Barney Creek property in 1889, the local congregation seems to have ceased to exist. Yet, the vision of Christian Union remained in the heart of R G. Spurling, and over the next decade he established other Christian Union congregations. Wade H. Phillips uncovered much of the history of these congregations, which is published in his book, Quest to Restore God’s House: A Theological History of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), Volume 1, 1886–1923.
Having purchased a farm from his wife’s family, R.G. Spurling set in order a Christian Union along Shuler Creek near the Hiwassee River about 1890. He later relocated to Turtletown, Tennessee, in 1893, and the Christian Union at Shuler Creek likely dispersed by 1898. About that time, Spurling established a Christian Union on “Paul’s Mountain,” also known as “High Top.” He ordained Andy Paul to serve as pastor of this congregation, which survived until about 1910.
Spurling established the most successful Christian Union congregation in the community of Piney Grove, Tennessee. He had been preaching there for about a decade when he organized the congregation in 1897. Many of the members of the Piney Grove Church were part of Minter Freeman’s family, and Spurling ordained Minter’s son, Andrew, as their pastor. Spurling also licensed Dorcus Freeman Bowers to preach—likely making her the first credentialed female minister in our movement. The Piney Grove Church did well with perhaps as many as 100 people attending around the turn of the century. Although Pastor Andrew Freeman attended our first General Assembly in 1906, the congregation remained independent rather than associate with the developing network of congregations under the leadership of A.J. Tomlinson. Likely due to their independent nature, Tomlinson did not include them in his telling of the Church of God story, so they do not appear in most accounts of Church of God history.
A.J. Tomlinson’s The Last Great Conflict contains the first printed account of the early Church of God in a chapter titled, “Brief History of the Organization Known as the Church of God.” Tomlinson was not personally at events between 1884 and about 1900, but he undoubtedly heard about them from R.G. Spurling and others who knew Spurling well. Tomlinson’s chronicle was reprinted in the Book of Minutes (1922) and became the basic source for later histories of the Church of God. |
Characteristics of Christian Union
Although the Church of God in the twentieth century is much different than that first 1886 Christian Union, the character, commitments, and mission of those founding members remain foundational for us today. First, they were people of “the Book.” They believed that the New Testament reveals doctrine and practice necessary for God’s church in all times and places. Second, they valued every member. They recognized “equal rights and privilege” to interpret the Bible, and they fully expected Spirit-led members to have insights into the Word of God that are of value to the congregation. Third, they committed themselves to Christian community. By sitting together, they did not promote individual interpretations over the discernment of the Spirit-led church. When differences emerged, their covenant with one another to be God’s church created opportunities for love and spiritual discernment to nurture unity rather than foster division. Fourth, they desired to be the Church of God. They embraced the responsibility to search the Scriptures together for the purpose of discerning a New Testament model of being God’s church. They dedicated themselves to a continuing responsibility rather than believing they already had fully achieved such restoration. Finally, they were committed to the Great Commission. The ordination of R.G. Spurling acknowledged the “general atonement”—that is, Christ died for all humanity not just the elect. Establishing congregations at Shuler Creek, Piney Gove, and Paul’s Mountain reveal Spurling’s ongoing commitment to the gospel. Later, he encouraged W.F. Bryant and those associated with the Shearer Schoolhouse revival in North Carolina to organize a local church. |
Epilogue
Although many early characteristics of the Christian Union continue to shape us, the Church of God has grown and matured since our founding as Christian Union in 1886. Indebted to the vision of R.G. Spurling to restore God’s church, we have expanded from the mountain congregations he planted in east Tennessee to a global Christian Movement. His life experience and worldview were shaped by Appalachian Mountain culture and nurtured by Baptist theology and church polity. Subsequently, we have embraced holiness and Pentecostal experience and theology, developed a centralized government, come to value a Declaration of Faith that affirms our essential theology, and committed ourselves to finish the Great Commission.
Although many early characteristics of the Christian Union continue to shape us, the Church of God has grown and matured since our founding as Christian Union in 1886. Indebted to the vision of R.G. Spurling to restore God’s church, we have expanded from the mountain congregations he planted in east Tennessee to a global Christian Movement. His life experience and worldview were shaped by Appalachian Mountain culture and nurtured by Baptist theology and church polity. Subsequently, we have embraced holiness and Pentecostal experience and theology, developed a centralized government, come to value a Declaration of Faith that affirms our essential theology, and committed ourselves to finish the Great Commission.
Nace la Unión CrIstiana
Después de dos años de estudio y oración, el exministro bautista Richard Green Spurling vio la necesidad de reformar las iglesias bautistas misioneras influenciadas por el movimiento bautista Landmark. Dado que este movimiento enseñaba que solo los bautistas de Landmark eran los únicos que pertenecían a la iglesia de Dios y que no debían asociarse con no bautistas.
Sin embargo, Spurling en desacuerdo con tal teología y práctica restrictiva, sostenía que la iglesia de Dios era más amplia que aquella visión limitada. Spurling creía que a partir del Concilio de Nicea en el año 325 d. C., la iglesia había sustituido la ley del amor de Dios por credos, a la que llamó “El eslabón perdido”.
El 19 de agosto de 1886, R. G. Spurling reunió a una pequeña congregación en el molino de Spurling, junto al Barney Creek, en el condado de Monroe, Tennessee. Spurling expuso “un poderoso discurso” en el que hizo hincapié en la necesidad de una reforma. Luego, hizo un llamado para establecer un nuevo movimiento cristiano al que llamaron la Unión Cristiana y tomar el Nuevo Testamento como la única regla de fe y práctica. Entre los ocho que respondieron, estuvo su padre, Richard, un anciano ministro ordenado en la Iglesia Bautista. La ordenación de Richard Spurling le dio autoridad para poner en marcha la Unión Cristiana y ordenar a su hijo R. G. Spurling como el primer pastor. R. G. Spurling plantó otras tres congregaciones de la Unión
Cristiana, la cual hoy en día, continúa influyendo en la Iglesia de Dios.
Sin embargo, Spurling en desacuerdo con tal teología y práctica restrictiva, sostenía que la iglesia de Dios era más amplia que aquella visión limitada. Spurling creía que a partir del Concilio de Nicea en el año 325 d. C., la iglesia había sustituido la ley del amor de Dios por credos, a la que llamó “El eslabón perdido”.
El 19 de agosto de 1886, R. G. Spurling reunió a una pequeña congregación en el molino de Spurling, junto al Barney Creek, en el condado de Monroe, Tennessee. Spurling expuso “un poderoso discurso” en el que hizo hincapié en la necesidad de una reforma. Luego, hizo un llamado para establecer un nuevo movimiento cristiano al que llamaron la Unión Cristiana y tomar el Nuevo Testamento como la única regla de fe y práctica. Entre los ocho que respondieron, estuvo su padre, Richard, un anciano ministro ordenado en la Iglesia Bautista. La ordenación de Richard Spurling le dio autoridad para poner en marcha la Unión Cristiana y ordenar a su hijo R. G. Spurling como el primer pastor. R. G. Spurling plantó otras tres congregaciones de la Unión
Cristiana, la cual hoy en día, continúa influyendo en la Iglesia de Dios.
Heritage Resources
|
Inspiring generations to love our Church of God heritage, Charles W. Conn published Like a Mighty Army in 1955. The Executive
Council designated him as the first official Church Historian with publication of the second edition in 1977. Recognizing the need for resources to better understand our history, Conn established the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center on the campus of Lee University in 1971. With the continuing increase of holdings at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, along with accessibility of digital documents, more information about our heritage is available today than was possible in 1955. Thanks to the work of Historian Conn, this additional information continues to inform how we tell the Church of God story. More about the early history of the Church of God can be found in these important resources: • Beaty, James M. R. G. Spurling and the Early History of the Church of God. Cleveland, TN: Derek Press, 2012. • Conn, Charles W. Like a Mighty Army: A History of the Church of God, 1886–1996 (Tribute Edition). Cleveland, TN: Pathway Press, 2008. • Phillips, Wade H. Quest to Restore God’s House. Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2014. • Tomlinson, A. J. The Last Great Conflict. Reprinted, Cleveland, TN: White Wing Publishing House, 2011. |
David G. Roebuck, Ph.D. is director at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, assistant professor of the history of Christianity at Lee University, and church historian for the Church of God (Cleveland, TN).