By Chris Hilliard
You and I are not the first ones to live on this planet. Billions have come and gone before us. That truth highlights an unbroken human chain that connects us. I was again reminded of this during a personal retreat last year.
My wife and I had the unique opportunity to stay at the original family home of the late Reverend Billy Graham. The two-story home located in Montreat is filled with pictures and mementos of their time living there.
As a clergyman myself, I walked through the rooms with a reverent sense of history and faith connection. I lingered in his old study pondering the messages he may have crafted there. I humorously contemplated if studying there might help mine.
I am also struck by this connection to the past whenever I see old church buildings. These visible reminders are an antiquarian testament to the faithful. They are holy architectures where former generations worshipped and passed the baton of faith. Seeing these churches reminds me that I am connected to something bigger than myself.
North Carolina, including Johnston County, is blessed with many of these historic structures. Some are even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As you travel the state, keep your eyes open for them.
For example, in Benson there is Hannah’s Creek Primitive Baptist Church which was founded in 1817. Its modest building has stood there either since 1834 or 1866 — records aren’t quite clear. I can only imagine the scores, or even hundreds, of worshippers that have graced its doors and warmed its pews.
Another listed is Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church in Brogdon. This African American congregation was founded in 1878. The existing building was constructed in 1920, according to the NC Department of Cultural and Natural Resources. It is a testament to a faithful people in a difficult time that were held together by the hope of the gospel.
The title of “the oldest church in Johnston County” is claimed by Liberty Meeting House which was founded in 1811. Its current building was constructed in 1920 and now goes by the name First Baptist Church of Clayton.
Then again, Mount Zion which claims to be the “oldest Methodist church in Johnston County” might debate that title. It not only claims to be the oldest Methodist church in Johnston County but was founded in 1809. That’s two years before the Baptist church.
But the discussion does not end there. Mill Creek Christian Church is “thought to be the oldest church of any faith in the county,” according to its website. It is located in Four Oaks near Bentonville Battlefield and was founded in 1793. “A History of Mill Creek Church,” written by Barbara G. Shaw in 1977 even documents that the first minister of the church was Lewis Caudle who served from 1794 to 1811.
I will leave the debate of who is the oldest for the historians to decide. But whether these claims refer to the date the church was established, or when the original sanctuary was built, or to its rank in their denomination, the principle is still the same. They each have a deep legacy of faith.
As you travel this county and see these old church buildings, take a moment to imagine the windows opened. Hear the chorus of voices singing. Feel the thundering messages being preached each Sunday. Visualize the fellowship meals held on the grounds on picnic blankets. Let their historical witness give you a smile and then carry on the same spirit they had.
There is an old hymn written in 1782, and was surely often sung in these churches, that says:
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
This “great cloud of witnesses,” as the Scriptures refer to it, can be seen and felt by those who take a moment to admire the meeting places they have built. Makes me wonder what the charter members of these historic churches would think to see them still standing in 2025.
When my wife and I locked the doors and left The Billy Graham house to head to our home in Clayton, I took with me a deeper sense of connection. And I felt the burden and privilege to carry on what others have passed on. As we traveled on the backroads and then the interstate, we saw the Bible belt unfold before us. Yes, the congregants and ministers over time may have changed. But the unbroken chain of the faithful remains.
