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to White Oak. Grove still bringing joy By Mary Jo Sheridan The News of Orange County White Oak Grove Primitive Bap- tist Church is a small, brick church that sits on Can Store Road in Ce- dar Grove, only a few yards away from the old White Oak Grove School. The church was organized several years before the school. In fact, in the early days of the church, its members first gathered there without the benefit of shelter, ac- cording to Georgia McPherson, the oldest member of the church. McPherson, considered by the other members to be the mother of the church, recalls the church's be- ginnings. She said the church was organized around 1920. "Richard Corbett was a prosper- ous man," said McPherson. "He ran a store and a farm. And he gave us the land for the church. "He also sold us the land for the cemetery to promote a place for poor saints and sinners to be buried. The Corbetts had a reputation of being' the workingest people around." The exact date the church was or- ganized is uncertain. According to a 1953 edition of 'qle Primitive Newsletter," a monthly newsletter distributed to regional members of Primitive Baptists, the church was organized as part of a larger associa- tion called the Durham Primitive Baptist Association. The associa- tion was first organized on Aug. 5, 1888. Also according to the newsletter, the Eno Primitive Baptist Church, a church for whites, was organized in north Durham in about 1879. Members of that church then organ- ized the Durham Negro Primitive Baptist Church and the Mill Grove Church in approximately 1883. According to the minutes of the 78th annual session of the Durham Colored Primitive Baptist Associa- tion, which was held in 1966, the church has sixteen articles of faith. The third article stated, "We believe that God, before the formation of the world, for a pur- pose of his own glory, did elect a certain number of men and _angels to eternal life, and that this election is particular, eternal and uncondi- tional on the creature's part." McPherson noted that there is a specific scripture which suggests to believers to take nothing for the journey, because the Lord will care for them. McPherson said the preachers of the church were the elders. She re- called the first preachers being eld- ers Slade, Henderson, and Wells. "Elder Henderson lived " in Dur- ham," said McPherson. "He drove by horse and buggy to our church. We'd pay him $3 to come. Some Mary Jo SheridannTAe News of Orange County Georgia McPherson is considered the mother of the church by other members of White Oak Grove Primi- tive Baptist Church. folks, who couldn't afford to pay "Each generation gets weaker and Elder Henderson, brought fodder for wiser," said McPherson. "That's his horse so that he'd be quiet dur- what the Bible says." ing the meeting. "Sometimes the sisters would Adjacent to the church is a long, pack a lunch for Eider Henderson, narrow pavilion lined with picnic and maybe a little extra for his tables and benches. Members of wife, so he was a happy man." the church gather there for lunch McPherson noted that Elder after certain meetings like the an- Wells was one of the favorites be- nual communion day or for the cause he was a good speaker. reunion meetings, which are usu- According to McPherson, the cur- ally held in May and September. rent church members are mostly "The Lord gives religion to the tobacco farmers who come from as people, you know," said McPher- far as Greensboro. She noted that son. "We can't do that, but we can many of the members are aging and invite them to come and eat with unable to come for meetings. us."