Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers

Sketches Of

Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers

J. M. STANSBERRY

(pages 488 - 489)

Elder J. M. Stansberry lived near Mt. Olive Church, Knox County, and was a useful minister in Knox, Blount and Jefferson counties. He was a member of the Mt. Olive Church, and a messenger (1856) of the church to the Tennessee Association. In 1859 he preached the introductory sermon before the Association from a rather difficult prophecy contained in Rev. 3: 1, 2, 3. '1 'he Association had met with the New :Market Church, a new and weak church, on whose house of worship there was a considerable debt. Brother Stansberry was appointed by the Association as agent to visit the churches and raise funds with which to pay off the debt. He started his work by securing a cash collection of $161.25 before the Association adjourned. We presume the debt was raised. But the church, for many years, had a struggle for existence. In the following year (1860) Elder Stansberry was agent for the Bible Revision Association, actively and usefully employed in distributing Bibles and doing missionary work. Elder Stansberry was pastor of Mt. Harmony and other churches, was held in high esteem by the churches and enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people generally. He was pastor and inspirer to every good work, of W. L. Cottrell; was influential in leading him into the ministry, and was a member of the council which ordained him. Cottrell was a strong preacher and fine teacher in Knox and Blount counties; he taught P. B. Mc Carroll, who became a great preacher, and whose praise is still in the many churches he served. Thus Elder Stansberry, a faithful and true minister, though dead, yet lives in W. L. Cottrell and P. B. McCarroll, and still lives in the lives of those whom McCarroll influenced for good. That is immortality of influence; "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, they rest from their labors, and their works follow."

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

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