Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers

Sketches Of

Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers

JOHN FREEMAN

(pages 159 - 160)

John Freeman, son of John and Mary Freeman, was born in Greene County, Tenn., July 25, 1813. His father was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was converted in his twentieth year, and was baptized by Elder Enoch Simmons, uniting with Davis' Creek Church, Claiborne County, Tenn. He was licensed to preach by Town Creek Church, and in 1852 was ordained by Gap Creek Church. For thirty‑five years he lived among the "anti‑missionaries," affiliating with them and preaching for them to the best of his ability, but he was too liberal to suit some of his "very hard" brethren. In 1869 he and Gap Creek Church, of which he was pastor, came over to the missionaries. He was pastor of Town Creek, Gap Creek, Providence, Cave Spring, Pleasant Point, Cedar Spring, Mossy Spring, Carr's Branch, Nave Hill, and Blair's Creek churches, some of which he was instrumental in founding. He baptized into the fellowship of some of the above churches a hundred or more members. He helped ordain, or otherwise encouraged and "put forward," some twenty‑five young preachers, most of whom are doing effective work among the churches.
January 9, 1834, he was married to Miss Anna Sharp, a daughter of Win. Sharp, Sen., of Claiborne County. This union was crowned with a family of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. Brother Freeman is still living (1898), nearly 86 years old, well preserved in mind and body, and enjoying life. His home is near New Tazewell, Claiborne County, Tenn.

Burnett, J .J. Sketches of Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers. Nashville, Tenn.: Press of Marshall & Bruce Company, 1919.

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