[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 15, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE 213TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANEY FORK BAPTIST CHURCH

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                           HON. JOHN W. ROSE

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 15, 2019

  Mr. JOHN W. ROSE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize the Caney Fork Baptist Church in honor of their 213th 
anniversary.
  A longstanding pillar in the Cookeville community, the Caney Fork 
Baptist Church, originally referred to as ``Brown's Mill Church,'' is 
Putnam County's oldest Baptist Church. Joshua Bartlett and his wife, 
Winnie Williams Bartlett, founded the church after relocating to 
Tennessee from Boonesborough, Kentucky, in 1806. They constructed a 
fort, and within it was the cabin first used to host worship gatherings 
for the Caney Fork Baptist Church. The congregation relocated in 1931 
to Highway 70 East in Cookeville, which is where they remain today.
  In the early days of Tennessee's statehood, churches far outnumbered 
preachers. As was common then, the Caney Fork Baptist Church hosted 
traveling ``revival preachers'' for their services.
  Throughout its history, the congregation affiliated with the general 
tenets of the Baptist denomination. From 1865 to 1897, the congregation 
embraced the Independent Baptist Christian denominational beliefs; they 
affiliated with the Free Will Baptist congregation from 1897 to 1918; 
and in 1918, the congregation joined with the larger Baptist 
denomination. Today, the Caney Fork Baptist Church is affiliated with 
the Stone Baptist Association, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and 
the Southern Baptist Convention.
  I hope my House colleagues will join me in recognizing the Caney Fork 
Baptist Church for their longstanding service to the community, 
commitment to strengthening family values, and unwavering faith.

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