A Brief History of Hopwood Memorial Christian Church
(Originally Buffalo Creek Christian Church)
The date of the founding of Buffalo Creek Christian Church ranges from 1828-1832. One bit of evidence in favor of the 1828 date is a record that John Wright joined the church on June 20, 1828 and also preched there. The "Millenial Harbinger," edited and published by Alexander Campbell, reports from Wright that the congregation had grown from about forty to one hundred members in 1833. As early as 1825, pioneers preaching principles from the "Restoration Movement," as advocated by Barton W. Stone were in the Cave Spring area.
Barton W. Stone had crossed the Blue Ridge from North Carolina and had participated in the Great Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky, leaving the influence of his preaching along the trail of Daniel Boone. The religious principles of Stone and Alexander Campbell had been adopted by such pioneer preachers of East Tennessee as the colorful frontiersman "Raccoon" John Smith, of Sullivan County.
Many of the pioneer families of the Milligan/Carter County area were active church members. An early list of members from a treasury report gives the following: Isaac Taylor, Susana Curtis, Ira Howard, Michael Hyder, Nancy Young, James I. Tipton,
James I Tipton's colored woman, Elizabeth Ellis, Adam Loudermilk, Adam McInturff, Solomen Hendrix, Samuel Wright, Dinah Peoples (colored), John McKeehen, Betsy and Alfred Blevins, Hensen Hunt, John Curtis, Rebeckah Williams, James Gourley, Hiter Hunt, Jonathan Kelly, Michael Hyder,Sr., Jabez Murray, John Wright, John Howard, John Orton, Betsty Taylor (the doctor's wife), Betsy Ellis, and Pinkney Williams.
Other area family names that consistently appear on various records over the years are: Renfro, Patton, Boyd, Kitzmiller,Millard, Price, Miller, Anderson, Bohannan, Pendleton, Payne, Bishop, Sams, Meeredith, Thompson, Price, Lewis, Shepherd, Burdette, Edens, Archer, Forbes, Greenlee, Kite, Gouge, Lumsden, Oakes, Bowers, Moore, Walker, Lovelace, Lacy, Campbell, Banks, Honeycutt, Bayless, Burleson, Garland, Holt, Howell, Hughes, Rowe, Rector, and others.
Originally, the church was a log structure located on property given by Archibald Williams in the village called Cave Spring. (In1885 the name of the village was changed to Milligan to correspond to the name of the College.) Sometime after 1866, that log structure burned and was razed.
Since the Buffalo Male and Female Institute, founded in 1866, had first met for classes in this church building, it seemed fittingthat after the church burned, the congregation would meet for a time in the Institute facility. Wilson G. Baker, pastor of the church and president of the Institute, led a drive to raise funds for a new building, and by 1885, a new frame church was built which served the congregation until it was remodeled in the 1940's.
During the ministry of Dr. Charles E. Burnes (1930-41) and with the able leadership of Mrs. Burns, the church was completely remodeled. The building was set back, a basement was dug, and the frame exterior was covered with stone. The beautiful stained glass windows from Europe, one of the last shipments before World War II, were also installed. These windows are inscribed in honor of those from the past and cast a beautiful kaleidescope of color and design throughout the sanctuary on a bright sunny day.
On April 13, 1941, this "new" house of worship of native limestone was dedicated as Hopwood Memorial Christian Church. The building was renamed in commemoration of Josephus Hopwood, Milligan College's founder and president of vision for more than thirty years.
In the 1980's, during the ministry of Dr. James Street, the church added a new education wing which includes a fellowship hall,nursery, and eight classrooms.
Presently, the list of ministers is incomplete, but we do know the following served:
* Wilson G. Barker, (1866-1872)
* Josephus Hopwood, (1867-1903)
* Henry Rufus Garrett, (1903-07)
* Charles E. Burns, (1930-41)
* Archie Gray, (1941-42)
* Floyd Marsh, (1942-47)
* Elmer C. Lewis, (1947-49)
* Arthur B. Edwards, (1949-54)
* John W. Neth, (1954-57)
* Orvel C. Crowder, (1957-1983)
* James Street, (1983-96)
* Tim Ross, (1996- ), the first full-time minister.
While many of our ministers have been employed by Milligan College as well as the church, this congregation is now and to our knowledge has always been a community church, although many have referred to it as Milligan College Christian Church. Being located geographically so close to the College, and having always worked cooperatively with the College in numerous ways, it is understandable why many assume that this is the College's church. Our desire is that it will be known as Christ's Church, meeting together in the community of Milligan College, in a building named in honor of Josephus Hopwood.
History compiled by Billie Oakes, from the following sources: Frank Merritt, LATER HISTORY OF CARTER COUNTY 1865-1980, (1986); Cynthia Cornwell, BESIDE THE WATERS OF THE BUFFALO, A HISTORY OF MILLIGAN COLLEGE TO 1941, (1989); CARTER COUNTY TENNESSEE AND ITS PEOPLE 1796-1993, (1993); and THE WATAUGA SPINNERETTE, (May, 1950) published by the North American Rayon Corporation.
