NAME AU/.? I 'i-il.,... b. d. Ancestry b. d. Record ~"'-7 ~. Ancestry File No. (Over)
MARK MAY TUCKASEIGEE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTES, 1886 - Page 10 Elder Mark May, son of Frederick and Nellie May, was born in Yadkin county, N. C., December 7, 181?, was married to Belinda Beaman at the age of 24 years, professed faith in Christ in his 27th year, and joined the Cross Roads Baptist Church, Yadkin county; was baptized by Elder Barton Raby; he was ordained to the ministry shortly afterward. His qualifications for the ministry were very limited, but he applied himself to the study of theology, in which he made great advancement. The first 17 years of his gospel ministry he spent in Yadkin and adjoining counties in the pastorate and missionary work; at one time he traveled and labored three successive years and at the same time was pastor of four churches. In his report to the Yadkin Association in 1847 we find that he labored 320 days, traveled 2,534 miles, preached 269 sermons, baptized 185 persons, received as compensation $147.77. We also find during one other year of his labors that he baptized 300, this was in the 44th year of his age. He then emigrated to the western part of the state where he lived and labored the remaining part of his life, with the exception of two years he lived in the State of Tennessee. During his ministry in Western North Carolina he was admired as a doctrinal gospel preacher where he had but few if any equals. Visiting conventions, association and union meetings he charmed his hearers with his eloquent presentation of the truth as it is in Jesus. His name is dear and familiar to hundreds of acquaintances and he was a pattern of industry having acquired a horne and plenty for his family and surviving friends. During his labors in Western North Carolina it is thought that he baptized
- 2 - MARK MAY -- 1,500 persons. For some days previous to his death he was engaged in a revival meeting with Elder F. M. Jordan at his home church. His last sermon was preached on Thursday before his death, text Ruth 1:16; his sermon on this occasion was one of his best efforts and will be long remembered. Again, ~~~r~~, -: is on his wa:y to church, when suddenly he was taken very ill; kind friends carry him home, and for the space of eight hours talks to his friends as follows: "God be near me; my only hope is in the blood of Jesus; my preaching is done. I was born to die and perhaps as well now as at any time." And bidding all farewell at nightfall his soul took its leave for the better land. He was aged 13 years and had been a minister of the gospel 46 years. E. D. BRENDLE, Historian.
HISTORY: TENNESSEE RIVER BAPTIST ASSOCIATION NORTH by: John S. Smiley CAROLINA FROM THE YEAR 1830 TO THE YEAR 1892 'Elder mark ma~. Elder Mark May, son of Fredrick and Nollie.:vray, was born in Yae 1,on 1' coun T ty, 1I..I."" C Dec ~th I,.'] 81C) ~,.I.", IJ r, W"8... married to Belinda Reurmnn at the ng~ of twen ty-four years, Professed rait)] in Christ in his twenty-seventh year, ant! joined the Cross Roads Baptist church, Yadkin county, and was baptized by Elder Burton Rabey, and i.tdained to the ministry ShOl'fJy afterwards. His qualifica tiona fur the ministry were very limited; hut he applied himself to the study uj Thcolog,\, in which he mndo great udvancement, 'I'he first seventeen years 01' hill gospel ministry, he spent in Yadkill aud adjoining eountich ill tllp IJ:1stol'flte Ilnd mi~sjoljal'y wol'k, He traveled and lu1jon:u foj' three StlcCCHsi\'c years as mifiriolht.j'y, nnd at the ~Ilmr. time was P<lRtC;)' nf fon)' ch\jl'chef", In his l't'j)01't to the Yadkiu A~ocjlLtion, in 184.7, wc find that he labo[e(l 320 clayh; tj'll.vclf'd 25i~4 milc!>; preached 2(;U sermo l1h; baptized 1S5 pc']'r;ons; received as 11. ('ornpenftoation $>147,77, We al1;o find that during one othcr!'eal' of' his Jabol'R thfl.t. llf >apti:.:ed t.hree 11ullllrc::d persons. This was in the forty-fou rtll,"('a.r of his age, About this time he movcll to the wehtel'd part of thp Stfl.t~, where he lived and 1a.bort-'d the remainder of bis life (\xcept two Yf'flr,ol in TCnllGS!:i(,\c, Duriug hi); mil,istry in Westel'n ~ort!j Carolina, he was aclmired fl.s a docirillu.l preacher, having but few if any equals. He often visited COl1veutionfl, Afiso(,jations, and Union meetings, where he ljjany times ehul'med hi~ he:j.t'erf.lby his eloquent presentation I)f the tru th o.s it ill in J CAllR, r-til5 how!' for m.n,ny yoarh W[JR in ;\{ae()1\ county, whel'e he war :1 pattern of industry as a winister and citizen, and his name is Ju m iiinr and dear to hundreds of.icquuiutauces and brethren and )<istl'l'r; It if) '~~Lirnuted that he baptized fifteen hu nrlrcd person» d\1rjll~ his ljjillistry in Western l\ort.h Carolina, He was the first Clerk of Ow Friendship Baptist Associntion, now Tennessee River, as 111'was a member of that body ji,l' a r,,\\' years, In connection with Elder F, M, Morgan, he wus engagcd ill :l protractr-d meeting with his horno church (l3riar 'I'o w n.) ~-li~!nst "C1'- mou WItS preached on Thtm,day before his death; text H,I.1t.!l 1:1{;, This sermon was one of his best efforts. On Satu,J'(tny, on hi" wlty t') church, he was taken very ill, when kind friends took him homo. For eight houl's be suffered and talked, "God be neal' mr-," Ill' said, ".\{y only hope ir in the blood of Jesus." ".\[y pl'l':whing is done, I was 1,0),11 to die, arid perhaps ac: well now II" any time,' anr! after bidding all farewe 1. he died, aged 73 years, and in til(' ministry 46 years.
CLIPPING SERVICE 1115 HILLSBORO RALEIGH. NC 21603 (!;/ TEL. (919) 833-2019,paIlS.AANtWNt Nt C. b\()- \'"1 o-vt (Y)c't' I'IIAY 1 2 99 ---- Pr~cher reportedly baptized 1,500 MarkMay was one of the early Baptist preachers of Macon County. He was the son of Frederick and Nellie May, born in Yadkin County on Deb. 7, 1812. At the age of 24, he married Belinda Rearman. According to a brief biography in the records of the Burningtown Church, May first joined the Cross Roads Ba tist Church in Yadkin County, and was ordained shortly afterwards. "His qualifications at the time were very limited; but he applied himself to the study of Theology, in which he made great advancement." He spent 17 years working in Yadkin, then three as a missionary. When he was 44 years old, he moved to the western part of the state and lived for many years in Macon County. His home church was Briertown, but he served many others, including Burningtown. He was the first clerk of the Friendship (later Tennessee River) Baptist Association. May, it was claimed, baptized some 1,500 persons during his time in Western North Carolina. He was most admired as a doctrinal preacher, "having but few equals." On the evening' before his death, at age 73, he preached his last sermon to a meeting at the Briertown Church. Another of the pioneer Know your county... By Barbara McRae Baptist preachers was Amos A. Justice. As was the case with so many early ministers, he rose above his early lack of schooling to enter the profession to which he felt called. His biographer, John C. Smiley, wrote, "he was given schooling, in the old time log school house, sufficiently to read, write and calculate in the rule of three in arithmetic." Justice was born in Henderson County, the son of James D. and Anthrite (or Anthroit) Thomas Justice. When he was very young his mother died, praying on her deathbed that her children would prepare to meet her in heaven. The children were farmed out to relatives and friends, but their father brought them home again after he remarried. When Amos later learned of his mother's dying request, it made a profound impression on him. At the age of 14 or 15, he experienced a conversion, and joined the Ebenezer Church in Hendersonville. He began at this time to feel what Smiley referred to as "impressions to preach," but timidity held him back. In November 1847, Justice married Margaret B. Shope, daughter of Jacob and Ina Bell Shope of Burningtown. He worked for a time as a book seller for the American Bible and Tract Society. He quit in 1866, after his wife's death left him with three children to care for. Later he married again, to Mary Simonds, and had five more children. Justice began to preach in 1862, and was ordained by Samuel Gibson, and Allen Ammons. He worked as "under shepherd" (Smiley's description, though, he seems to have been the pastor) at Cold Springs, Brush Creek, Stecoah, Cartoogechaye, Cowee and other churches. He was still active, at the age of 68, when John Smiley wrote his brief biography in 1892. Justice died in 1896 and was buried in the Tellico cemetery. The new "Macon County Heritage, Vol. II" has two articles on Amos and the Justice family. They note that Justice served twice as moderator of the Tennessee River Association and once as Association Missionary.