Travels in Baptist History 6 Deacon John McCoy (Silver Creek Baptist Church) – by Jim Curran
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Travels in Baptist History 6 Deacon John McCoy (Silver Creek Baptist Church) (2) Facebook
The elder brother of Isaac McCoy missionary to the Indians. John McCoy served as a deacon in the Silver Creek Baptist Church for many years. He outlived the other members of the family. In his life he would do much to support his brothers that were in the ministry especially advancing the cause of missions. In Silver Creek when Campbellism was ravaging churches he would lead the few that did not give in to the heresy to separating. 16 out of 80 had the sense to know that the teachings of Alexander Campbell were wrong. They lost the building and all the treasury to the heretics. For a while the church met in a sinkhole that formed a natural amphitheater. The Campbellites derogatorily referred to them as “The Sinkhole Elect” and they actually took that as a name so for a few years it was known as “The Sinkhole Elect Baptist Church.” Eventually the church building was given to them if they moved it- which they did. John would also be one of the founders of Franklin College intended for the training of Baptist preachers in Indiana. His life story was written out in a book “John M’coy His Life And Diaries” by Elizabeth Hayward in 1948. This little book is exceedingly rare and no copy has came up for sale in recent history. I was able to read through a copy in a library in Indiana. (The spelling of the family name is different in this book as he changed it for a while during the height of the Hatfield McCoy feud so it was not associated with it) It gives many insights into Isaac as well as life on the frontier. One thing I found particularly moving were his notes of how he felt when there was no preaching in the area- most churches at the time were “quarter time” churches where pastors were in more than one church and would meet every forth week when a preacher was there. John is buried in the Silver Creek Baptist Church cemetery beside his wife Jane (Jincy.) The two share one monument. Sadly this is in three pieces- it was sitting on the ground the last time I was there about seven years ago- find a grave shows that someone leaned the stone up. It would be good to see this repaired- perhaps some folks in Indiana might take an interest?
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