GOSHEN BAPTIST CHURCH     4         LINCOLN CO., GA.

the minutes often stated that he was "excommunicated." Often the minutes
would state: "The church took a voice touching fellowship which resulted
in its loss" Then would follow the statement that on motion the brother or
sister was excluded from the church. Often there is a record of a brother
who had been excluded, coming forward and asking satisfactory
acknowledgments to the church, and of his being restored to the
 fellowship of the church.

Throughout these records, there runs a beautiful simplicity and
sincerity coupled with an evident loyalty to God, to church, to Principles
and to character which are not only beautiful but are inspiring. Goshen
church has from the first been missionary and benevolent not only m name
but also in practice. This is shown by the minutes of one meeting which took
place February 1825, when a committee was appointed to disburse the fund
that might be raised by the church for assisting itinerant ministers who
might visit the church in the year 1825, and for missionary and other
purposes A list of the subscribers shown by the minutes of that meeting
might be interesting, and for that reason they have been listed in this paper
and are as follows

Robert Harper         $ 3.00
Sterne Simmons         1.00
Richard Prather          6.00
Wylie G. Tatom         4.00
Solomon Zellars         3.00
William Turner           1.00
William Hill                1.00
Nathan Right             2.00
Thomas W. Murray   5.00
Jimcey Statham         1.00
                             $27.00

So far as the minutes available disclose there have been eighteen pastors
ten clerks, and twenty deacons of Goshen church. There were others of
course but without the records we could not get the definite number. The
longest pastorate was that of James Matthews who was pastor 31 years.
From Reason's HISTORY OF THE GEORGIA ASSOCIATION we
learn that this minister was born in Virginia, Oct. 15,1755 in an Episcopal
home His parents came to South Carolina and then to Georgia. The boy
became a preacher and evidently served long, and was a power in the
various churches. At Buckhead he baptized 50 as a result of his labors. The
next longest was that of H.M. Adams who was pastor for 24 years. Other
long pastorates were W. H. Stokes, ten years; J. H. Poster twelve years; J. A
Shank, nine years; Dr. W.A. Hogan, nine years; and that of the present

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