Documenting Primitive Baptists:

Finding Your Way to and through the Sources

Laura M. Botts, Mercer University

ALABI/BHHSSioux Falls, SD, June 5, 2014

What’s in a name?

What’s in a name?

What’s out there?

What’s out there?

• Church and association records• Periodicals• Writings by and about Primitive Baptists• Originals, microfilm, digital items

Why are these sources hard to find?

Why are these sources hard to find?

• There are no Primitive Baptist seminaries to hold the records.

• Churches and associations maintain their own records. Associations often do not have official headquarters.

As time goes by, materials are lost.

There are other challenges.

• Small repositories that do acquire Primitive Baptist materials may not have everything cataloged in-house, much less have it online.

• Even larger libraries and archives may not know what all they hold.

• Mercer University has 22 records for Primitive Baptist periodicals in the library catalog but about 81 titles on our shelves.

• What happened?

Titles change. A lot.

Subject headings may be incomplete.

Split happens.

• “In the twentieth century, schism occurred within the Primitive Baptist movement, and four subgroups emerged:

• Single-Predestinarians• Double-Predestinarians• Modified Primitive Baptists• Primitive Baptist Universalists”

The Story of Baptists in the United States, Pamela R. Durso and Keith E. Durso

Wait, what?

One example…

• The Primitive Baptist Pulaski Association (I) was constituted in 1839.

One example…

• The Primitive Baptist Pulaski Association (I) was constituted in 1839.

• A division in 1892 led to the creation of another group (II) that also kept the original name AND claimed an 1839 origin.

One example…

• The Primitive Baptist Pulaski Association (I) was constituted in 1839.

• A division in 1892 led to the creation of another group (II) that also kept the original name AND claimed an 1839 origin.

• Yet another split in 1927 led to a third group (III) that kept the name and date as well!

One example, cont.

• The second group (II) was also called the Pulaski No. 2 Primitive Baptist Association. This group disbanded sometime after 1908.

One example, cont.

• The second group (II) was also called the Pulaski No. 2 Primitive Baptist Association. This group disbanded sometime after 1908.

• In 1937 the original group (I) changed its name to the Pulaski Association of Primitive Baptists.

One example, cont.

• The second group (II) was also called the Pulaski No. 2 Primitive Baptist Association. This group disbanded sometime after 1908.

• In 1937 the original group (I) changed its name to the Pulaski Association of Primitive Baptists.

• The third group (III) disbanded between 1954 and 1987.

Where should I look?

Where should I look?

• WorldCat (www.worldcat.org): keyword search for “Primitive Baptist” yields 2585 results with the ability to select books, serials, archival material (212), etc. “Primitive Baptists” has 2994 results, 156 of which are archival.

Where should I look?

• Internet Archive (archive.org): hundreds of digitized minutes, periodicals, pamphlets, etc.

Digitized hymnal from Internet Archive.

Where should I look?

• Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church (http://www.mountzionpbc.org/): digitized and retyped sermons, books, articles, and more.

Where should I look?

• Individual libraries and archives have holdings that may not be listed elsewhere.

• Contact them directly for assistance.• Don’t forget state archives and local history

collections at public libraries or historical societies.

Selected Archives by State

Selected Archives by State

• Samford University Library, Birmingham, AL: http://library.samford.edu/about/sc/aboutsc.html

• Florida Baptist Historical Society, Graceville, FL: http://floridabaptisthistory.org/

• American Baptist Historical Society, Atlanta, GA: http://abhsarchives.org/

• Mercer University Jack Tarver Library, Macon, GA: http://libraries.mercer.edu/tarver/archives

• Progressive Primitive Baptist Library & Archives: 8 S. Zetterower Ave., Statesboro, GA; 912-489-5762

• Primitive Baptist Library, Carthage, IL: http://www.carthage.lib.il.us/community/churches/primbap/pbl.html

• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary James P. Boyce Centennial Library, Louisville, KY: http://library.sbts.edu/

• Duke University David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Durham, NC: http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/

• Primitive Baptist Library: 4023 Highway 87 North, Elon, NC 27244; (336) 584-8390

• Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Library, Wake Forest, NC: http://www.sebts.edu/Library/default.aspx

• Wake Forest University Z. Smith Reynolds Library,

Winston-Salem, NC: https://zsr.wfu.edu/special/

• James B. Duke Library, Furman University, Greenville, SC: http://library.furman.edu/specialcollections/

• Special Collections, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, TN: http://www.cn.edu/undergraduate/resources/library/library-resources/special-collections/baptist-archives

• Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives, Nashville, TN: http://www.sbhla.org/coll.htm

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN: http://www.tn.gov/tsla/Collections.htm

• Texas Baptist Historical Collection, Dallas, TX: http://texasbaptists.org/partners/texas-baptist-historical-collection/

• Special Collections, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, TN: http://www.cn.edu/undergraduate/resources/library/library-resources/special-collections/baptist-archives

• Virginia Baptist Historical Society, Richmond, VA: http://www.baptistheritage.org/

Any questions?

Laura M. Botts, Mercer University

laura.botts@gmail.com

Images: Sir John Tenniel, 1820-1914