If you are in North West Tennessee, please feel free to visit us at Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church. We meet every Sunday, beginning at 10:30AM for congregational singing, followed by prayer and preaching at 11:00AM. All ages meet together for worship. Children in the meeting are always welcome!
Macedonia Primitive Baptist church was constituted in the home of John Terrell on June 19th, 1824. John was one of the first (if not the first) settlers of Weakley County and was at that time living on Mud Creek near Dresden Tennessee. When the church was formed, the congregation was known as the Church of Christ at Macedonia and the people were known as Regular Baptists. They were also called the Regular Baptist Church of Christ at Macedonia.
The Charter members of the church included John and Elizabeth Terrell, Perry and Unity Vincent, and Edward and Rebecca Jackson. Early on, the church was moved from the home of Bro. Terrell to a site near Dresden and in many of the early minutes and association meetings, it was simply referred to as the Dresden church. It wasn’t until about 1834 that it began to be commonly called Macedonia.
Around 1874, the church began to meet at Ralston, or Ralston Station as it was then known, and around 1900, the church voted to establish a church in Martin, TN. Elder S.F. Cayce, who was one of the current members, helped to establish the church in Martin and was the pastor there until his passing in 1913. After that Elder C.H. Cayce became pastor until around 1920 when he relocated to Arkansas. In August of 1922, the Ralston church consolidated with her daughter church in Martin TN and became Macedonia Primitive Baptist Churcn in Martin. From 1922 to 1963, the congregation met in the original building that was on the corner of McCombs and White Street. Then, in 1963 a new building was erected on West Peach Street, where we still meet today.
According to court records, Macedonia was the first church organized in Weakley County. It was originally constituted as Macedonia Baptist Church. However, as has been the sad case in man’s history, there have been many strong differences of opinion regarding religious matters. Beginning around 1828, there were some sharp disagreements over issues like mission boards and other new practices among the Baptist in the United States. In 1832, the disagreement became so sharp that it resulted in a separation of the Baptist people. Those that retained the original Church covenant and Articles of Faith were called “Primitive” Baptists and those that took the opposing view called “Missionary” Baptists.
Macedonia still has the original Church Covenant and Articles of faith from 1824 preserved in her church records. They are also recorded in the State Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. The Macedonia church still meets every Sunday morning at 10:30 AM, and worships and practices in the same manner as it did when it was first formed in 1824.
Throughout her history, Macedonia and the Martin church have been served by a host of able New Testament ministers. Without claiming exact chronological order, those ministers who have served as pastor include Elders: J. B. Slate, Reuben Ross, T. S. Dalton, J. D. Stephens, N. W. Little, S. F. Cayce, C. H. Cayce, A. B. Ross, A. H. Insco, K. M. Myatt, W. J. Jackson, W. E. Brush, George E. Brann, Harvey Smith, James Thetford, Hassell Wallis, Houston Patrick, Eddie Hicks , and David Scarbrough.
On the last weekend in June 2024, starting at 6:30 PM on Friday night the 28th, Macedonia held her 200th anniversary meeting. Elder James Isaacs, from Magazine Arkansas, was our invited speaker.
This article was originally written by Elder Houston Patrick on June 10, 1974, and has been revised by Elder David Scarbrough on May 1, 2024.