Page:History of Pike county from 1822 to 1922.djvu/25

Rh

Friendship Presbyterian Church was organized in 1835 by Rev. J. Y. Alexander and Rev. A. M. Money. At this time it was in the Flint River Presbytery which existed before the Atlanta Presbytery. The original site of the church was in the Western part of Pike County, three miles and a half northwest of Concord. To make the church more central to its membership it was moved about 1870 to its present location.

In the early days of the church annual campmeetings were held. The church has been fortunate in having many devout and consecrated men to serve it. Rev. J. W. Corbin was pastor for many years. He drove over a hundred miles through the country in a buggy to meet his appointments. W. J. Keith supplied the church for a number of years. In 1849 Rev. Andrew G. Peden became pastor and served for twenty years. He was succeeded by Rev. L. H. Wilson, who was pastor for three years. Rev. Peden then resumed the pastorate and held it until his death in 1896. Since that time the church has been supplied by Rev. W. E. Dozier, Rev. Abraham, Rev. Stacy, Rev. Hannah, Rev. Young, Rev. E. W. Russell, Rev. W. P. Hemphill, Rev. Stafford, Rev. L. D. King and others. Seminary students occasionally have supplied the church.

Rev. Tellford, of Greenville, Ga., is supplying the church at present with the following officers:

Elders—D. P. Blake, A. E. Blake and Perrin Blake.

Deacons—Jesse L. Marshall and Edgar Huckaby.

Although the church has lost many of its members, by deaths and moving away, it is at the present time growing in influence and numbers and the prospects for the future are bright—having recently organized for the community a Woman's Auxiliary and a Junior and Senior Christian Endeavor