“ A History of the Baptists in the Souther States East of the Mississippi” by Benjamin Franklin Riley, D. D.

Chapter One, “Early Traces”, Page 30 – 32.

While the cause was being thus nouriched in the souther portion of the province, an interest was being developed on the eastern border in the neborhood of Augusta. Rev. Daniel Marshall, who had been baptized thirty-five years before at Winchester, Virginia, and who had spent most of the intervening period in North Carolina, was prompted by apostolic zeal to folow the tide of civiliztion westward, and had settled on Kiokee Creek, about twnty miles north west of Augusta.

Previous to his settlemnet in Georgia, he had lingered for a while at Horse Creek, South Carolina, whence he had made several visits to the settlemneton the west side of the Savannah, preaching as he could, sometimes in outhouses, and at others under the great trees of the forest. On one occasion, while conducting religious service in a grove and while upon his knees offering the opening prayer; he was suddenly interrupted by a heavy hand being laid upon his shoulder with the exclamation, “You are my prisoner!” Rising from the posture of devotion, the venerable man of God, with benignant face and sno-white hair, stood front to front with a stern officer of the law. The devout preacher was informed that he was a transgressor of the law in that he had “preached in the parish of St. Paul!” In brief, Mr. Marshall had violated the enactment of 1758, which provided that worship in the colony should be “according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England.” Thereupon he was force to give security for his appearance in Augusta on the following Maonday to answer for a violation of the law. Having undergone his trial with meekness and patience he was ordered to leave the province of Georgia and to visit it no more in the capacity of a preacher. With fervor and stern courage he boldly replied, “Whether it be right to obey God or man, judge ye”; and ferlessly disregarding the exiting statute, the prisoner-preacher continued persistently to proclaim the gospel. The sequel of the scene of the arrest was that of honest indignation on the part of all present, to which sentiment Mrs. Marshall gave earnet exprssion with solemn denunciation of the law, quoting with fluency passage after passage of Scripture. The stern constable, Samuel Cartlege, was os impressed by the inspired words to which she gave utterance, that he was pricked to the heart, and was ultimately led to Christ. Five years later Mr. Marshall baptized this same constable, and afterward he so commended himself that he became a deacon of the church at Kiokee. Later still, Mr. Carlege was ordained a preacher, and for half a century zealously proclaimed the gospel.

The Kiokee Church was the first regularly organized Baptist church in the province of Georgia. Its constitution took place in 1772 under the following Act of incorportation:

An Act for incoporating the Anabaptist church on the Kioka, in the county of Richmond.

Wereas, A religious society has for many years past, been established on the Kioka, in the county of Richmond, called and known by the name of “The Anabaptist church on Kioka”

Be it Enacted, That Abraham Marshall, William Willingham, Edmund Cartlege, John Landers, James Simmes, Joseph Ray , and Lewis Gardener be and they are hereby declared to be, a body corporated, by the name and style of “The Trustees of the Anabaptist church on Kioka.”

And be it further Enacted, That the trustees (here the names already given are repeated) of the said Anabaptist church shall hold their office for the term of three years; and on the thrid Saturday of November in every third year, after the passing of this Act, the supporters of the gospel in said church shall convene at the meeting-house of said church, and there between the hours of ten and four elect from among the supporters of the gospel in said church seven discreet persons as Trustees, etc.

Seaborn Jones, Speaker.

Nathan Brownson, President Senate.

Edmund Telfari, Governor.

December 23, 1789.

Footnote #1: Watkin’s “Digest,” p. 409, and “Digest” of Marbury and Crawford, p. 143.

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First Baptist Church in Georgia

Georgia Historical Marker 36-7

Source: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMKP5YFirstBaptistChurchinGeorgiaAppling_Georgia

Kiokee Church, the first Baptist Church to be constituted in Georgia, was organized in the Spring of 1772, by the Rev. Daniel Marshall, one of the founders of the Baptist Demomination in Georgia. A meeting house was built, and the Rev. Daniel Marshall became the first pastor, ministering from his headquarters at Kiokee to an ever increasing number of Baptists in the area.

In October 1784, the preliminary meeting for the oranization of a Georgia Baptist Association was held at Kiokee Church. The Rev. Daniel Marshall died November 1, 1784, and some time later the church was moved to Appling and a new brick edifice erected.

Kiokee Baptist Church was incorporated December 23, 1789, as “The Anabaptist Church on Kiokee”, with Abram Marshall, William Willingham, Edmund Cartledge, John Landers, James Simms, Joseph Ray and Lewis Gardener as Trustees.

Samuel Cartledge