1883-1929 History of Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church of White Co, TN

C.T. Haston became the clerk of the Union Church near the end of its affiliation with the Middle Tennessee Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Thus, the "Pioneer - Post Civil War Era" (as we have defined and named the earliest years) of the church's history ended with the church in the Sparta Presbytery of the Middle Tennessee Synod. This next era, "The C.T. Haston, Clerk" Era, began with the church in those same denominational governing sub-bodies.

In the Sparta Presbytery of the Middle TN Synod of the CPC

1883-1888

1883

September 1, 1883 - A new session minutes book was opened for the Union Church and a brief history of the church was presented in it. This does not appear to have been a reorganization of the church, since the church was reported to have been healthy at this time. Apparently, the church had been prospering for several years but the church's leaders had not kept good records since the early stages of the Civil War. Source: Church minutes.

**September 20, 1883** -- Charles T. Haston Joined the Union Church
C.T. Haston joined "Old Union" when he moved north of the Caney Fork river to Hickory Valley of White County in 1883. It appears that he immediately became the church clerk and an elder just two years later. For over 40 years he was the pillar of lay leadership in the church. In a 7:00 p.m. service on September 20, 1883, he and his daughter, Annie J. Haston, "having given satisfactory evidence of their conversion to God by his Holy Spirit, were admitted to full membership in this church." In the same service, "Sister E.S. Haston wife of C.T. Haston, formerly a member of the Baptist Church was on recommendation admitted to full membership in this church. All the above except Sister E.S. Haston, at this meeting, received the ordinance of water baptism." Apparently, C.T. Haston had recently been converted, but his wife had become a Christian and a member of a Baptist church at an earlier time. Source: Old Union Church Minutes

1885

August 4, 1885 -- C.T. Haston and Isaac C. Tallent were chosen and ordained to be ruling elders in the Union Church.

Source: Old Union Church Minutes

1887

Prohibition Debate Held at Union Church

In 1887 "Honorable John L. Nolan, a silver tongued orator of Nashville and Judge Fitzzell, leaders in the Good Templar or prohibition movement, came to White County to make three speeches. They came first to Doyle."

"The next day the debate was to be at Union Church in Hickory Valley. Snodgrass [Sparta lawyer, H.C. Snodgrass who represented the anti-prohibitionists] sent enough men from Sparta to fill the house and crowd out most of those who came from the neighborhood. Snodgrass, defeated in argument the day before, now came back will all his resources. He was out for victory at any price. He used forged history at will. His best thrust was this: Nolan had a paper with very black lines of different lengths showing the cost of different commodities, alcohol being in the center of the upright lines, and the longest. Snodgrass had a diminutive one printed in lines, very pale. He flung it up saying 'Here is Caesar's bloody mantle. Look, yesterday, when Nolan displayed it, there was a great commotion, I never saw the like. Tom Mitchell* fainted, Dr. Rascoe had a fit, and Dr. Findley swooned away.' The people outside who could not hear all that was said, thought from the cheers of those who had crowded out the natives that Snodgrass was 'cooking Nolan's goose for him.'"

*T.L. (Tom) Mitchell, Old Union elder, was "the first candidate [for state representative] on a prohibition platform." He was a "leading spirit" in the Independent Order of Good Templars lodge at Doyle, TN.

Snodgrass made unbecoming remarks about Judge Frizzell's personal appearance, the Judge said, 'I have never had such remarks made to me about my personal appearance in my life.' But he didn't know Snodgrass heretofore. The debate ended in Sparta."

"The temperance cause lost, but this debate made a deep impression on many who remembered and thought about the issues and years later the temperance cause won."

Source: Pages 30-31 of the History of White County by Monroe Seals (original copyright, 1935). Reprinted by Higginson Book Company of Salem, MA.

1888-1899

The Union Church of White County and the entire Sparta Presbytery were transferred to the Tennessee Synod in 1888 when the Middle Tennessee Synod was dissolved and the Tennessee Synod was formed.

In the Sparta Presbytery of the TN Synod of the CPC

1888-1899

1888

September 16, 1888 -- J.C. [John Calvin "Callie"] Wallace was "made ruling Elder."

Source: Old Union Church Minutes

Note: Contrary to this Union Church minutes entry, in about 1920 John Calvin Wallace stated in his Civil War Veterans Questionnaire:

"I have been a member of the Church for about forty years, formerly was a Cumberland Presbyterian. When the churches united, I became a U.S.A. Presbyterian. Never held any office in my life."

See the September 16, 1888 entry in the Union Church minutes.

1890

1890 -- Sixtieth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of 46 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

Clerk	Pastor	Additions	Membership	Property Value	Preaching per month	Paid Pastor	Presbytery Dues	Total Contributions
T.L. Mitchell*, Doyle, TN.	W.P. Smith	4	105	$50	1 week	$30	$1.75	$31.75

*Question: Why was T.L. Mitchell's name listed as the Session Clerk? C.T. Haston had occupied that role since 1883, according to the church minutes. Could it be that T.L. Mitchell had been the clerk prior to C.T. Haston's appointment and that the General Assembly still had his name on record as the Session Clerk for Union Church?

Monroe Seals of Doyle, TN was listed as a licentiate (licensed minister).

Source: Minutes of the Sixtieth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1890.

1891

1891 -- Sixty-First General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of 47 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

Clerk	Pastor	Additions	Membership	Property Value	Ministerial Relief	Home Missions	Presbytery Dues	Total Contributions
T.L. Mitchell*, Doyle, TN.			125	$1000	$4.20	$2.00	$1.75	$6.20

Monroe Seals of Doyle, TN was listed as a licentiate (licensed minister).

*See question in 1890 General Assembly section. T.L. Mitchell was also listed as a Sunday School Superintendent.

Source: Minutes of the Sixty-First General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1891.

1892

**1892** -- Sixty-Second General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Union was one of 49 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery. Union was on the list of churches, but no statistical data was given for it. This was true of many of the churches of the Sparta Presbytery. No names of clerks or pastors or membership numbers were given for any of the Sparta Presbytery churches. Monroe Seals of Doyle, TN was now listed as a (ordained) minister. T.L. Mitchell was listed as a Sunday School Superintendent, but this appears to be information taken from the 1891 records. Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1892.

1893

1893 -- Sixty-Third General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of 46 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

Women's Board of Foreign Missions	Total Contributions
$6.78	$6.78

The only data reported for the Union Church was its contribution to the Women's Board of Foreign Missions.

Source: Minutes of the Sixty-Third General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1893.

1894

**1894** -- Sixty-Fourth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Union was one of 46 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery. Union was on the list of churches, but no statistical data was given for it. This was true of many of the churches of the Sparta Presbytery. No names of clerks or pastors or membership numbers were given for any of the Sparta Presbytery churches. Monroe Seals and W.P. Smith previously had Doyle, TN post office addresses. Now their addresses were at River Hill, TN (less than one mile from the Union Church). Source: Minutes of the Sixty-Fourth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1894.

1895

1895 -- Sixty-Fifth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of 46 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

Clerk	Pastor	Additions	Membership	Property Value	Ministerial Relief	Foreign Missions	Home Missions	Presbytery Dues	Total Contributions
_ _ Hasten, River Hill, TN.	W.P. Smith		105	$150	$3.00	$2.57	$1.35	$1.00	$7.92

There was now a "Sparta" church in the Sparta Presbytery, which did not show up in previous General Assembly records. This Sparta church had 31 members and six members had been added during the previous year. The property of the Sparta church was valued at $500. Monroe Seales [Seals] was the pastor and T.L. Mitchell of Sparta, TN was the Session Clerk. Both of these men had roots in the Union Church. This is probably the Cumberland Presbyterian Church that was dissolved in 1901.

Source: Minutes of the Sixty-Fifth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1895.

1896

March 8, 1896-- Clint Haston and Steven Wallace were elected Deacons for the Union Church.

Source: Old Union Church Minutes

1896 -- Sixty-Sixth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of the churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

Clerk	Pastor	Communicants	Preaching Sabbaths	Property Value
C.T. Hasten, River Hill, TN	W.P. Smith	105	1	$150

Education	Ministerial Relief	Foreign Missions	Home Missions	Church Extension	Women's Board of Missions	Miscellaneous
$1	$2	$1	$1	$1	$3	$3

T.L. Mitchell was still the Session Clerk of the Sparta Church and I.C. Talent was now the pastor. There were 31 communicants in the Sparta Church.

Source: Minutes of the Sixty-Sixth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1896.

1897

May 1897 -- Sixty-Seventh General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of the churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

(Only Data Given in this 1897 Report)
Clerk	Ministerial Relief
C.T. Hasten, River Hill, TN	$1

T.L. Mitchell was still the Session Clerk of the Sparta Church. Apparently, there was no pastor now for the Sparta Church and no statistical data was reported for it.

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Sixty-Seventh Meeting, May 20-27, 1897.

1898

May 1898 -- Sixty-Eighth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of the churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery.

Clerk	Pastor	Communicants	Preaching Sabbaths	Property Value
C.T. Hasten, Riverhill, TN	I. C. Talent	50	1	$200

A symbol (+) appears by the name of the Union Church in this General Assembly record, which is supposed to indicate that a church does not own a house of worship, singly or jointly. Does this symbol in the 1898 record indicate that the destruction of the original log building occurred sometime during the year prior to this report? The 1901 report to the General Assembly indicates that a large expenditure was made for "Building and Repair" in late 1900 or early 1901 (i.e. between the 1900 and 1901 reports).

This "church does not own a house of worship" symbol did not appear in the previous year's (1897) record, nor does it appear in the records of 1899 or 1900. If the building was destroyed in 1897 or 1898 and wasn't rebuilt until late 1900 or early 1901, why wouldn't this symbol appear in the 1899 and 1900 records?

Some Zion Church of the Sparta Presbytery had been dissolved. This, apparently, was not the "Old" Zion Church of White County, TN because that church was still active according to the statistical records.

Wm. P. Smith (pastor of his home church, the Union Church) of the Sparta Presbytery died on August 18, 1897 at the age of 43. His residence was at River Hill, TN.

T.L. Mitchell was still the Session Clerk of the Sparta Church and F.A. Williams was now the pastor of that church. There were 31 communicants in the Sparta Church.

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Sixty-Eight Meeting, May 19-26, 1898.

Tennessee Synod Meeting at McMinnville, TN
October 18-21, 1898 -- Union Church of White County (from the Sparta Presbytery) was not represented at this synod meeting. No ministers from the Sparta Presbytery were present and only one church (Zion) from the Sparta Presbytery was represented. There were 48 churches on the roll of the Sparta Presbytery. Source: October 18-21, 1898 Minutes of the Tennessee Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Union Church was listed on a report of the Church Extension Committee of the Tennessee Synod, but no statistics were given for this church. Source: October 18-21, Fourth Annual Report of the Church Extension Committee of the Tennessee Synod.

1899

May 1899 -- Sixty-Ninth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of 41 churches associated with the Sparta Presbytery. This was the final year of the Sparta Presbytery's existence.

Clerk	Pastor	Communicants	Preaching Sabbaths	Property Value	Paid to Pastor
C.T. Hasten, Riverhill, TN	I.C. Talent	61	1	$400	$50

T.L. Mitchell was still the Session Clerk of the Sparta Church and F.A. Williams was the pastor. There were now only 22 communicants in the Sparta Church.

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Sixty-Ninth Meeting, May 18-25, 1899.

Tennessee Synod Meeting at Dayton, TN

October 17-20. 1899 --

Sparta Presbytery Dissolved into the McMinnville Presbytery
McMinnville Presbytery shall embrace all the congregations formerly in the Sparta Presbytery, together with the congregations located in Smith county, and all the congregations formerly in the McMinnville Presbytery within the counties of Warren and DeKalb, as defined in Report 1. Together with all the ministers, licentiates, and candidates residing within the boundaries of the new McMinnville Presbytery. It shall meet with the Cookeville Congregation on Thursday before the fourth Sunday in March, 1900 at 11 A.M. Rev. W.L. Wheeler is appointed moderator and Rev. W.B. Holmes, stated clerk and treasurer, until their successors are elected. The presbyterial tax in this presbytery shall be the same as assessed by the former McMinnville Presbytery.

Sparta Presbytery

     The records of this presbytery are well and neatly kept, and reveal a most commendable spirit of progress and effort to conform to the law of the church.
     This is especially noticeable in the matter of the education of probationers, and in the work of the Committee on Supplies. The report of this committee is the most complete of any which have come to our attention.
     In the following respects the record or action of presbytery was irregular:
     1. The names of congregations not represented were not given.
     2. A committee is recorded as having made report and granted further time, does not show what the report is.
     3. The minutes show that the name of Rev. J.W. Copeland was dropped from the roll of ministers upon information furnished by a committee, but there is no record of what this information was. This is very irregular.
     4. Presbytery also dropped from the roll certain congregations without dissolving these churches or making any provision for their members. This action was irregular and void, and these churches--Sycamore Shade, Blue Spring, Free Union, New Hope and Oak Grove--still belong to the Sparta Presbytery.
     5. The records are upon sheets of paper. The presbytery should at once secure a book in which to record the minutes.
     6. The names of E.M. Clinton and O.M. Davis were dropped from the roll, but the record does not show whether they were ministers, licentiates or candidates, nor the reason for which they were dropped.
     7. Rev. T.W. Davidson, an ordained minister of McMinnville Presbytery, was received, but there is nothing in the record to show that he presented a letter of dismission and recommendations.

Question: Do these Sparta Presbytery minutes still exist? If so, where are they? Please contact us if you know.

Source: October 17-20, 1899 (Twelfth Annual Meeting) Minutes of the Tennessee Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Union Church was listed on a report of the Church Extension Committee of the Tennessee Synod, but no statistics were given for this church.

Source: October 17-20, Fifth Annual Report of the Church Extension Committee of the Tennessee Synod.


The Union Church of White County, as well as other White County Cumberland Presbyterian churches, was transferred to the McMinnville Presbytery in 1899 when the Sparta Presbytery was dissolved.

1899-1906

1900

May 1900 -- Seventieth General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of the churches now associated with the McMinnville Presbytery of the Tennessee Synod.

In Tennessee Synod many changes have been made in presbyterial lines, names, and organization, those which it is proper to report to the Assembly being as follows: The Presbyteries of Charlotte, Georgia, Richland, and Sparta lose their identity... (from page 10 of 1900 General Assembly minutes)

Clerk	Pastor	Communicants	Sabbath** School	Preaching Sabbaths	Property Value	Paid to Pastor
C.T. Haston, Perilla, TN	I.C. Talent	214*	40	1	$50	$40

*What was the reason for the huge increase in the reported number of communicants? There is nothing in the church's register or the church's minutes that would indicate such a dramatic growth for this year. This was probably an error, since the number drops down to a level consistent with previous reports in the next (1901) General Assembly report.

**This was the first year that a Sabbath or Sunday School was reported for the Union Church.

A symbol (*) appears in the official records by the name of the Union Church, which indicates that the church either owned a manse (parsonage) or was one of a group of churches that owned one.

T.C. (T.L.?) Mitchell was still the clerk of the Sparta Church and no pastor was mentioned for that congregation.

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Seventieth Meeting, May 17-24, 1900.

McMinnville Presbytery Session at the Gordonsville Church in Smith County

September 20-22, 1900 -- C.T. Haston represented the Union Church.

At that time, C.T. Haston's mailing address was Perrilla [Perilla], TN (located in northern Hickory Valley of White County). Union was one of 61 churches in this presbytery.

C.T. Haston, a "Ruling Elder," was one three men on the Missions Committee of the McMinnville Presbytery.

**Committee on Missions**
The report of the Committee on Missions was read and adopted and is as follows: First as to Foreign Missions: The interest in and contributions to this phase of Missions is about the same and we fear not materially on the increase. Foreign Missions we regard as the greatest of all Missions, as the General Commission had special references to this work. We are sorry in advance that our calling attention to, and emphasis of, Foreign Missions will meet with so little interest and sympathy on the part of our brethren. So many of us have forgotten our "marching orders." The contributions to this cause for the whole Presbytery during the year was $83.00, which is just a little less than $1.65 for each church in the Presbytery. The figures show a contribution of less than 2 cents per member. Of the 63 churches, only 12 made an offering to Foreign Missions, 51 offered nothing. "Go ye into all the world" and "If ye love me keep my commandments." Second as to Home Missions: We call special attention to the very successful tent campaign just lately closed in this Presbytery. As a result of this campaign there were 214 conversions during 165 services. We trust that this blessed work will be resumed again next summer and that this Presbytery begin now to look forward to this tent work and to plan and arrange therefor [sic]. McMinnville Church has borne the greater part of the expense of this work. We urgently recommend that many more if not all the churches within our bounds share in the burden, or rather the blessing, of all necessary expenses of next summer's campaign. Ministers present will please heed this recommendation and bring the matter before their people. Respectfully submitted, Rev. W.N. Price, Eld. C.T. Haston, Eld. J.C. Richard.

The "Sparta" church was not represented in this meeting. "A communication from Mr. J.D. Goff of Sparta, Tenn., concerning the purchase of our Church property at that place was read and referred to the Committee on Overtures." The Committee on Overtures made the following recommendation later in the meeting:

We recommend that the Church at Sparta be dissolved and the members lettered to the church of their choice. And Rev. I.C. Tallent and Elders Charlie Haston, Franklin Wilhite, and Judge W.F. Story be and they are hereby appointed as commissioners of this Presbytery to letter the members of said Sparta Church. And we further recommend that the church house and lot, seats, bell and fixtures of the Sparta Church be sold--that the church house and lot of land, except the seats, bell, windows and other fixtures thereto attached, be sold at a price not less than $150.00 and that said I.C. Tallent, Charlie T. Haston, Franklin Wilhite, and W.F. Story be and they are hereby appointed a Commission of this Presbytery to sell said church lot and house, (except the reservations above named,) for the largest price they may be able to obtain at private sale but in no case will they accept a price or bid of less than $150.00 and this Presbytery clothes said Commission with full power and authority to execute and acknowledge, and deliver to the purchaser a deed to said house and lot for this Presbytery and in its name. And that said Commission be allowed and are empowered to take not more than $100.00 of the purchase price that they may receive for said Church and lot and pay off the balance due on the purchase price of the parsonage and lot of land in Sparta, Tennessee, and take a deed to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for said parsonage and lot when the same shall have been paid for. And said Commission is empowered to sell the seats, bell, windows and other fixtures of the Church to the highest bidder for cash, and make full report of their action in the premises to the next meeting of this Presbytery, with an exhibit of the money on hand, and of their expenditures as herein indicated and also of said deed to said parsonage.

Union, Zion, Cherry Creek and Robinson's Chapel churches (all White County churches) were placed together into group number eight, for "grouping work."

Union was reported to have paid $2.00 in Presbyterial dues.

Source: September 20-22, 1900 Minutes of McMinnville Presbytery, Fall Session.

Tennessee Synod Meeting at Jackson, TN

October 30-November 2, 1900

Rev. Monroe Seals and the Now Dissolved Sparta Presbytery
To the Synod of Tennessee: Your Judiciary Committee would report as follows: 1. We have had referred to us a communication from Rev. Monroe Seals in which he states that on September 22, 1899, he procured a letter of dismissal from Sparta Presbytery, which he presented to the Stated Clerk of Foster Presbytery one year and five days after the letter had been granted, and that he was informed that the letter would have to be "renewed" by Sparta Presbytery. That Sparta Presbytery in the meantime had been dissolved and he therefore applies to your body for another letter of dismissal and recommendation. Note: This report continues over two more pages. Resolved, That the Moderator and Stated Clerk of this Synod issue to him a certificate to the effect that he has continued in good standing as a minister of the Gospel of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church from the time of his dismissal by Sparta Presbytery down to the present time, and that he is hereby recommended to Foster Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, or any other ecclesiastical body to which he sees fit to attach himself.

Source: October 30-November 2, 1900 (Thirteenth Annual Meeting) Minutes of the Tennessee Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

1901

McMinnville Presbytery Session at the Hilham Church of Overton County

April 25-27, 1901 -- H. H. Smith represented the Union Church. At that time, C.T. Haston was listed as the Session Clerk of Union and his mailing address was still Perilla, TN* (located in northern Hickory Valley of White County). Union was one of 61 churches in this presbytery.

*The Perilla, TN post office opened on May 12, 1881 and was in operation until December 31, 1904.

"A.M. Hestand*" was a Ruling Elder (along with two other men) from the Pharris Chapel Church of Jackson County, TN. This church asked "for admittance under the care of the McMinnville Presbytery" and the request was approved. A.M. Hestand "was seated as a representative from Pharris Chapel Church." He appeared earlier in an 1880 Sparta Presbytery session at the Big Spring Church in Jackson County, TN.

"This almost certainly is Alexander Mayfield Hestand. One of Daniel Hestand's sons was Abraham M Hestand (1802-1877). Abraham M Hestand spent his life on a farm just over the KY border into Clay Co, TN just north of Moss. He was a successful farmer and a justice of the peace for many years. Alexander Mayfield Hestand (1837-1918) was one of his sons. It is known that Alexander was a Presbyterian minister and he did live and die in Jackson Co, TN." Source: Doug Moore, Hiestend family researcher

This report was given from the Commission to dissolve the Sparta Church:

     The Commission to dissolve the Sparta Church and letter its members to the church of their choice made its report and is as follows:
     To the Moderator and Brethren of McMinnville Presbytery in session at Hilham, Overton county, Tenn., your Committee appointed last September at Gordonsville, Tenn., to dissolve the church at Sparta and letter its members and to sell the church house and lot with all the fixtures belonging thereto would respectfully report, that your Commission has overlooked the fact that the dissolution of Sparta Church and lettering of its members was made a part of its duty and your Commission regrets to report that that item of business made a part of its duty has been entirely overlooked. Your Commission however found sale for Church house and lot with all the fixtures belonging thereunto. Said house and lot were sold to J.D. Goff for the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Dollars and the doors, seats, windows, and bell were sold to C.T. Haston for the sum of Twenty-five Dollars, as per the authority delegated to your Commission. One Hundred Dollars of said amount obtained for said property was used in paying balance of the purchase price of Parsonage and lot in Sparta, Tenn., to which property your Commission now presents you with a warranty deed. There now remains to the credit of your Commission and at your order in First National Bank of Sparta, Tenn., the sum of Fifty Dollars, also in the hands of C.T. Haston (one of your Commission) the sum of Twenty-five Dollars amount promised by him for said fixtures belonging to said house and lot. All of which is respectfully submitted.
                                                             I.C. Tallent, Chr.
      Presbytery retained the Commission and empowered it to letter the members to the Church of their choice and refund the money into the hands of the Presbytery.

This was probably the Sparta church that appeared in the 1890s, with T.L. Mitchell as the Session Clerk and Monroe Seals (and others) as pastor.

Source: April 25-27, 1901 Minutes of McMinnville Presbytery, Spring Session.

May 1901 -- Seventy-First General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union was one of the churches associated with the McMinnville Presbytery of the Tennessee Synod.

Clerk	Pastor	Additions	Resident Members	Non Resident Members	Total Members	Sabbath** School	Preaching Sabbaths
C.T. Haston, Riverhill, TN	I.C. Tallent	2	40	0	40	40	1

Church Property Value	Expended for Bldg. & Repair*	Pastor Salary	Ministerial Relief
$475	$400	$40	$1

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Seventy-First Meeting, May 16-23, 1901.

*Apparently, there was some very significant building addition or repair that happened during the previous year. The church expended $400 for that purpose and that was over 84% of the value of the church property this year (1901) and 10 times what they paid the pastor for the entire year. Could this have been when the original log building burned and was replaced with the wood frame structure? A symbol by the name of the Union Church three years earlier, in the 1898 General Assembly record, indicated that the church did not own a house of worship, singly or jointly.

Joe Wallace and J.M. Passons, in conversations with Wayne Haston, have stated that they believe the fire occurred in the 1840s or 1850s. The absence of church records prior to 1858 may also suggest that the building was destroyed by fire before that time.

A symbol (*) appears in the official records by the name of the Union Church, which indicates that the church either owned a manse (parsonage) or was one of a group of churches that owned one.

There was a + sign by the Sparta church, which meant that the "church does not have a house of worship, singly or jointly."

**Indications that a New Church Building Was Constructed in this Era**
The 1898 General Assembly record indicates that the church did not own a house of worship, at that time, even though it had owned one in the years prior to that time. The 1901 General Assembly record indicates that a major expenditure of $400 had just been made for building expansion and repair. That was 84% of the total value of the property in that year. An undated bill of sale for lumber in the amount of $475.01 was found among Union Church papers in the C.T. Haston family Bible. The lumber, apparently, was shipped from a company called "Hunt, Washington, & Smith" of Nashville, Tennessee.

Tennessee Synod Meeting at Lebanon, TN

October 29-November 1, 1901 -- Union Church was one of 61 churches listed with the McMinnville Presbytery. According to the records printed in these minutes, only two (Liberty and McMinnville) of those churches had contributed financially to the Tennessee Synod.

Source: October 29-November 1, 1901 (Fourteenth Annual Meeting) Minutes of the Tennessee Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

1902

May 1902 -- Seventy-Second General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union (White Co) was one of the 29 churches associated with the McMinnville Presbytery of the Tennessee Synod.

(Only Data Given on the 1902 Report)
Home Missions	Foreign Missions
$1	$1

The Cookeville Presbytery was formed at, or in the months before, this General Assembly meeting. According to the Cumberland Presbyterian Historical Foundation the Cookeville Presbytery was formed in 1901.

A symbol (double dagger) appeared by the name of the Union Church in this record, indicating that the stated clerk had not received a report from the church's session clerk.

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Seventy-Second Meeting, May 15-22, 1902.

McMinnville Presbytery Session at the Monteagle Church in Grundy County
October 16-18, 1902 -- H.Z. [H.D.] Brogden represented the Union Church. C.T. Haston was listed as the Session Clerk of the Union (White County) Church and his address was now River Hill, TN (post office about 1/2 mile from Union Church). Only 29 churches were on the roll of churches at this time. Apparently, some of the former churches from this presbytery had been placed into another presbytery. The Committee on Pastorates and Supplies reported: "That the churches in White County--Zion, Union, Cherry Creek, Blue Springs, and Robinson's Chapel, as per request, be allowed to secure a pastor to divide time among them as they may agree." Source: October 16-18, 1902 Minutes of McMinnville Presbytery, Fall Meeting.

Tennessee Synod Meeting at Union City, TN

October 28, 1902 --

Cookeville Presbytery Inherits Debts of Sparta Presbytery
It will be remembered that the greater part of the present territory of this Presbytery was once included in that of old Sparta. By the changes wrought in the boundaries of presbyteries, the Cookeville Presbytery has become the heir of all the old debts of the Sparta Presbytery, and as the latter's arrearages were of long standing and of a great amount, the new Cookeville Presbytery has a veritable millstone about it To remedy this, we suggest that this Synod memorialize the General Assembly to remit the debts of Cookeville Presbytery that have come from the old Sparta and start in with this new vigorous child again. Square the old account and give them a clean page for further business.

Union (White County) was one of nine churches from the McMinnville Presbytery reported to have contributed to the Church Extension Fund or the Atlanta (Mission) Fund. Union's contribution was $2.02 to the Church Extension Fund.

Source: October 28, 1902 Ninth Annual Report of the Church Extension Committee of the Synod of Tennessee, Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

1903

McMinnville Presbytery Session at the Zion Church in White County

April 16-19, 1903 -- No one represented the Union Church. C.T. Haston was listed on the roll of Session Clerks and his address was River Hill, TN.

A report on the status of Sunday schools within the presbytery was presented. Union Church was listed as one of the 18 churches (of a total of 29 in the presbytery) to have a Sunday school and it seems to have been using Cumberland Presbyterian Sunday school literature.

The Committee on Pastorates and Supplies made this report on business presented in the previous meeting:

We find that the group consisting of Zion, Cherry Creek, Robinson Chapel, Union and Blue Springs is at present without a pastor, and have failed in their efforts to secure one. They are still trying to secure a pastor and agree to do their best to get one to take the work, but in case they fail to supply the group they ask Presbytery to grant them leave to secure services from whatever sources they may.
We therefore recommend that Presbytery grant their request, with the distinct understanding that in so doing we do not dissolve the connection of these churches as a group.

The Union Church of White County, along with eight other churches, had not made any report to the Stated Clerk and Treasurer of the Presbytery.

Source: April 16-19, 1903 Minutes of McMinnville Presbytery, Spring Meeting.

May 1903 -- Seventy-Third General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Union (White Co) was one of 29 churches associated with the McMinnville Presbytery of the Tennessee Synod.

Clerk	Pastor	Resident Members	Total Members	Property Value	Synodical Church Extensions
C.T. Haston, Riverhill, TN		46	46	$500	$2

A symbol (double dagger) appeared by the name of the Union Church in this record, indicating that the stated clerk had not received a report from the church's session clerk.

An asterisk by the name of the Union Church indicated that it owned a manse (parsonage) or belonged to a group of churches that owned one.

Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Seventy-Third Meeting, May 21-28, 1903.

McMinnville Presbytery Session at the Hillsboro Church in Coffee County

September 17-19, 1903 -- H.D. Brogdon [Brogden] represented the Union Church of White County. C.T. Haston was listed as the Session Clerk of the Union (White County) Church and his address was at River Hill, TN (post office about 1/2 mile from Union Church).

The Stated Clerk and Treasurer of this presbytery reported that about 40 per cent of the church session clerks fail to report information touching their congregational affairs. A recommendation was made to ask such clerks to resign, if they "will not promptly fill out and forward statistical and financial reports of church and Sunday School to the Stated Clerk and Treasurer of Presbytery."

The Union Church of White County was in arrears in the amount of $5.40 for unpaid Presbyterial dues. However, $16.15 had been collected for missions from this church.

The Committee on Pastorates and Supplies these reports:

The pastorate including the White County churches is unfortunately divided at present. Two of these churches, Cherry Creek and Robinson's Chapel, have secured the