- Troy Post Office—Troy Church.
- Clayton—Mt. Moriah.
- Burk’s—Antioch.
- Buck Horn—Mt. Olive.
- Elba—Friendship and Harmony.
- Linwood—Benevolent.
- They endorse educational enterprises.
RUSHING SPRINGS ASSOCIATION.
Organized in 1870. Revs. Henry Woods, W. H. McAlpine, and Isham Robinson were the chief founders of this body. Talladega county is their main territory, though they have churches in Coosa, St. Clair and Calhoun counties.
Rev. E. C. Rivers has been for years their efficient moderator, and Rev. A. A. Battle is clerk. They report their churches and ministers as follows:
- Jenifer Post Office—Shady Grove and Shiloh.
- Renfroe—New Salem, Antioch and Bethel.
- Talladega—Pleasant Grove, Mt. Pilgrim, Mt. Cleveland, Rocky Mount, Sycamore, Mt. Canaan, Mt. Moriah, Mt. Zion.
- Eureka—Pleasant Hill, Rushing Springs.
- Kilnulga—Mt. Carmel.
- Goodwater—Marietta.
- Kelley’s Creek—Mt. Zion.
- Sylacauga—Harper Springs, New Hope, Rising Star.
- Silver Run—Sweet Home.
- Cropwell—Cropwell.
- Regan—Macedonia.
- Sycamore—Mt. Olive, Pleasant Hill, Salem.
- Sedan—Blooming Light.
- Birney’s—African Church.
- Lincoln—Pine Grove.
- Mt. Olive—New Shiloh.
- Alpine—New Maryland, Kingston.
- Rendalia—Zion Hill.
- Oxford—Rocky Mount.
- Eastaboga—Salem.
- Anniston—Mt. Zion.
- Ironaton—Ironaton.
- Stewardsville—Union.
- Miles—Lebanon.
MINISTERS.
D. Savage, of Mumford; A. Z. Wilson, N. Jemison, B. Jackson, A. Bibb, S. Rivers, P. Jordan, C. C. Curry, R. Garrett, A. J. Vincent, A. O’Neal, A. G. Walker, James Headen, M. H. Cunningham, H. Wood, J. Chapman, A. A. Battle, S. Burt, R. B. McClellen, J. L. Looney, A. Bryant, A. Davis, S. Marbry, J. P. Barton, M. C. B. Oden.
This body is led chiefly by men who have attended Talladega College, some of whom are not only graduates and scholars, but are strong preachers of the plain old gospel story.
They number about 6,500 members. Talladega and Anniston are their chief points. Talladega is the “Old Indian battle ground,” and here the white Baptists formed a church in 1835. Sister Cain, a member of the Mount Canaan Church, Talladega, said to the writer: “There was no town here when I came. The Indians lived here and it was all nothing but wild woods.” As she was talking, the Talladega College bell loudly rang out some orders or notice upon the ears of Negro students. I mused: “How the world changes! About the years 1820-1830, negro slavery is established in Talladega county. In 1835 a white church rises up and, unknowingly, begins to prepare to give birth to a Negro church, which will give birth to a Negro Association. In 1865 the slave is free, and in 1870 the white church constitutes the Mt. Canaan Church (colored), out of which comes the Rushing Springs Association. And Negro men and Negro women are carrying diplomas from buildings erected by white Baptists for the education of white people. All this in less than fifty years.”