Dividing Creek Baptist Church

From the History of Cumberland County (Page 660 and 661) By Charles E. Sheppard

About the year 1749 several families from Cohansey settled in this vicinity, among whom particular mention is made of Jonadab SHEPPARD, Thomas SHEPPARD, William PAULIN, William DALLAS, Temperance SHEPHERD, Ann SHEPHERD and Patience PAULIN. The settlement of these families in this neighborhood induced the pastors of Cohansey Church (which stood near Sheppard’s Mill, the graveyard still existing), Rev. Nathaniel JENKINS, and after him, Rev. Robert KELSAY, to visit and preach among them.

In the month of July 1760, Rev. Samuel HEATON and family came from Cape May, and located in the neighborhood. An independent church was deemed necessary in this large and inviting field, and accordingly the above named brethren and sisters, having solicited and obtained dismission from Cohansey and Cape May Churches, were in connection with John TERRY, Sarah TERRY and Eve STOCKWELL, previously baptized, constituted and publicly recognized as a regular Baptist Church May 30, 1761. Their field of labor extended over a wide range of country, from Newport (known in those days as Autuxit) to Millville, Tuckahoe, West Creek, Port Elizabeth and immediate neighborhoods.

The first meeting-house was erected on a lot donated by Seth LORE in 1751. Their first house was destroyed by fire in 1770, and rebuilt in 1771. The size of the edifice was thirty by twenty-two feet. They continued to occupy this second sanctuary without interruption from 1771 to April 21, 1821, a period of fifty years, when it was accidentally destroyed by fire. The third edifice was completed and dedicated in June 1823. The size of the house was forty by thirty-four feet. In 1860, twenty more feet were added to the length of the house, the old side-galleries removed and the entire building beautified.

About the year 1850 they secured a lot in the village near the meeting-house, on which they erected the present parsonage. The Rev. Samuel HEATON, a constituent member, was chosen pastor, and held such oversight from 1761 until the time of his death, September 26, 1777, at the age of sixty-six years. The Rev. Peter Peterson VAN HORN took the pastoral oversight of the church in 1779, remained four years, when he resigned and went to Salem, where he died, September 10, 1789, in the seventy-first year of age. Rev. William LOCK commenced his labors in this capacity in the spring of 1785, but he was removed by death the following September. The Rev. John GARRISON succeeded him. He was born about 1745, and baptized by Mr. HEATON, whose daughter he married. He was regular pastor from September 8, 1787, until his death in 1790. The Rev. Garner A. HUNT was pastor from November, 1792, until the beginning of 1776. He became a Presbyterian, and took charge of a church in Upper Harmony, Warren Co., where he died February 11, 1850, at the age of eighty-four years. The Rev. John RUTTER, was pastor about two years. The Rev. David STOUT became pastor in 1804, and his settlement terminated June 1808. His successor was Rev. David BATEMAN, whose labors commenced in July 1810, and were continued about two years. Mr. BATEMAN was a native of Cohansey, where he was born in 1777. He was among the brethren who met at Nottingham Square, near Trenton, July 27, 1830, and organized the New Jersey Baptist Association. He died, September 10, 1832, aged fifty-five years. His successor at Dividing Creek was the Rev. Thomas BROOKS, who became pastor in April 1816, and was such until June 20, 1836, a period of twenty years. He died January 24, 1837, in his seventy-seventh year of his age. Rev. William BACON, M.D., was his successor. He was a native of Greenwich, and became first of the church at Pittsgrove in 1829, then in 1833 took charge of Woodstown Church until 1838, when he removed to Dividing Creek. He died 1866, aged sixty-six years. Rev. Daniel KELSEY, who was born, baptized and licensed at Cohansey, was his successor. He commenced his pastorate at Dividing Creek in 1850, and relinquished it in December 1853. The parsonage was built in 1851. The Rev. Uriah KAUFFMAN succeeded Mr. KELSEY in June 1854. After a brief pastorate of ten months, he died, April 17, 1855, at the early age of twenty-eight years. The Rev. George SLEEPER became pastor in June of the same year. In 1847 he took charge of the Medford Church, and from there he spent five years in Canton; thence in 1855 he came to Dividing Creek, and remained until 1859. The Rev. Henry W. WEBBER succeeded him in that year, and remained two years. In the autumn of 1861, Rev. Alexander H. FOLWELL succeeded him, and resigned in February 1863. Rev. Benjamin JONES became pastor in August 1863, and after a connection of less than two years resigned. In 1865, Rev. E. V. KING became pastor, but did not continue more than a year. He returned to the Methodists. Rev. Lathrop W. WHEELER was pastor from 1866 to 1868. In 1869, Rev. James H. HYATT became pastor and remained a little over a one-year. The Rev. Ellis L. STAGER became pastor January 1, 1871, and was such in 1873, when Rev. Amos B. STILL, in the same year, became pastor for a few months, and in December 1873, Rev. H. B. RAYBOLD took charge, and was there until July 3, 1877. Rev. Charles P. DE CAMP became pastor August 26, 1877, and resigned in the early part of 1879. The present pastor, Matthew M. Finch, succeeded April 1, 1879.

In March 1855, the church dismissed fifty-one members to constitute the Newport Baptist Church. Besides the latter church, this church is the mother of the church at Port Norris. The present membership of the Dividing Creek Church is one hundred and seventy-six.


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