PHILADELPHIA CONGREGATION (LIMESTONE, TENNESSEE), PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, USA RECORDS (COPIES)
1906-1958

East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614

E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338

INTRODUCTION

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: In 1983 the Philadelphia Congregation, Presbyterian Church, USA, records were loaned for copying by Mr. Clyde Walters on behalf of the church.

Access: The records are open for research.

Processing Information: Marie Tedesco completed processing and the records were opened for research in September 1986.

HISTORICAL NOTE

Originally, the Philadelphia Congregation (Limestone, TN), Presbyterian Church, USA, was affiliated with the Cumberland Presbytery, which was organized in 1800 as a result of Second Great Awakening activities in Kentucky and Tennessee. The Cumberland Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church licensed and ordained men whom it thought "spiritually" qualified to become ministers. These actions caused a dispute with the Kentucky Synod concerning the authority of the Cumberland Presbytery to license and ordain ministers who had not been seminary educated. In 1810 three ministers of Cumberland Presbytery met in Dickson County, Tennessee and proclaimed the withdrawal of Cumberland Presbytery from the Kentucky Synod. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church subsequently experienced significant growth, so that in 1843 the East Tennessee Synod was founded in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Philadelphia Congregation, Cumberland Presbyterian Church was founded in 1847. In 1906 the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church voted to reunite with the Presbyterian Church, USA. Former Cumberland Presbyterians were assigned to the Holston Presbytery, Synod of Tennessee. But, in Tennessee especially, many Cumberland Presbyterians expressed dissatisfaction with this reunion. The Philadelphia Congregation experienced this factionalism: some members agreed to affiliate with Presbyterian Church, USA, while others sought to reassemble as Cumberland Presbyterians. From 1906-09 two sets of church records were kept. During these years the Presbyterian USA faction secured control of the church building. But as a result of litigation the Cumberland faction reacquired the building in December 1909. Thus the USA faction had to provide for the construction of a new church. This new building is located across from the old (Cumberland) one.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Philadelphia Congregation, Presbyterian Church, USA Records include session minutes and church registers. The minutes record church proceedings, while the registers list pastors, elders, deacons, baptisms, marriages and deaths. Also included are annual church reports and annual reports to the presbytery. The records cover the period from March 1906-October 1958. The copies were maintained in the order of the original record book. The documents are divided by type of record kept (minutes, lists of pastors, etc.) and then arranged chronologically in a single folder.

Important subjects covered in the collection include:

Churches--Tennessee--Washington County
Philadelphia Presbyterian Church (Limestone, Tenn.)

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