Date Original
1866-1958
Description
This collection consists of the session minutes and church registry of Mount Olive Cumberland Presbyterian Church from 1866-1958.
Biographical/Historical Note
The Cumberland Presbyterians broke from the Presbyterian Church in 1810. One of the reasons behind the break was the issue of ordaining ministers. The Cumberland Presbyterians wanted to have more freedom to ordain ministers in the frontier where it was impossible to find any that met the rigid qualifications set down by the Presbytery. The Cumberland Presbyterians also taught that salvation could be found by being "born again in Christ," while the main Presbytery taught salvation could only be gained by being one of God's elect. After separating from the Presbytery, the Cumberlands sent out missionaries, and in 1812 John Carnahan began preaching in Arkansas, including along the White River. Mount Olive is a community in Izard County, Arkansas on the White River. It was originally settled by Jehoiada Jeffery, who brought his family to the area in 1816. Jehoiada and his brother Daniel established Mount Olive Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1826 under the name White River Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In 1850 the name was changed to its current one. In 1916, the current church building was built by E.W. Jeffery on land donated by Ambrose Jeffery, and with materials donated by Miles Jeffery. These men were descendants of Jehoiada and Daniel, the founders. By the 1970s, the building had fallen into disrepair and was no longer used. In 1979, the building was restored and Sunday services were resumed once a month. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, and the congregation remains the oldest that is still active in Izard County.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Izard County (Ark.)
Language
English
Identifier
MG.01300
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Mount Olive Cumberland Presbyterian Church session and register books, MG.01300
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Mount Olive Cumberland Presbyterian Church session and register books, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
