About
South Blue Hill Baptist Church
Service Times
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Sunday School – 9:30am
Sunday Morning Service – 10:30am
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Wednesday – 6:00pm
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Tuesday – 9:30am
What We Believe
GOD
We believe there is only one living and true God, who exists in three persons — Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit — eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory, and have the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4, II Corinthians 13:14).
God is omniscient and all-powerful– the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Sovereign Ruler of the universe and all that is within it (Deut. 6:4; John 1:1; John 1:14; Col. 3:17).
JESUS CHRIST
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He came to reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe that he accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice and that sacrifice was sufficient to atone for man’s sin. Our salvation is guaranteed and assured to us by His physical resurrection from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion (John 1:1, 14, 18; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-26; 4:25).
SALVATION
We believe that all men by nature are sinners, but “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is dependent on God alone for provision and assurance. Salvation is a gift of His grace, it cannot be earned by human merit or effort and is received by man through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins (Eph. 1:7, 2:8-9; John 1:12). We are then saved from God’s judgment of sin and are secure in Christ forever.
THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, was verbally (every word) and plenarily (all parts) inspired by God in its original manuscripts and is therefore free from error in all matters of which it speaks. It is the final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and life. (2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21).
Our Story
This is a brief history of one small work of the Baptist faith which began, and still exists, on the ‘Neck’ in South Blue Hill, Maine. Our forefathers found it difficult to journey to Blue Hill and Sedgwick to worship, especially in the winter months. In the early 1800’s there was quite a settlement on Long Island. Apparently they were more firmly organized than the community on the Neck at that time. It was on Long Island that an organization called “The Freewill Baptist Society of Blue Hill” was formed. The first entry in its records was:
State of Maine Hancock County.
“To Oliver Eaton of Blue Hill in the said county, greetings,
Whereas Laski S. Grant and seven other persons associated to form an
incorporated religious society in the town of Blue Hill, by the name of the
“Freewill Baptist Society”, having applied to me, J. O. Sargent one of the
Justices of the Peace within and for the county of Hancock, requesting me to
issue a warrant, directed to one of said applicants, directing him to call a
meeting of said persons according to law, to act upon the following objects, to
wit–
1. To choose a moderator
2. To choose a clerk
3. To choose all other necessary officers
4. To transact all other necessary business that may
come before said meeting.
You are hereby directed to notify a meeting of said persons according to law,
to be held in the dwelling house of Shadrack Herrick in Blue Hill on the 17 th
day of February, at 1 o’clock in the afternoon for the purpose aforesaid.
Given under my hand and seal at Blue Hill this ninth day of February, A.D.
1855”
This is followed by:
Hancock, February 17, 1855
Pusuant to the warrant to me directed, I have posted up copies at the school
house and at the dwelling house of Shadrack Herrick in the town of Blue Hill.
The record shows that the meeting was held. R. H. Candage became the first moderator, Joseph Carter was the clerk, Luther Day was elected treasurer, and Samuel Candage was voted collector.
The first order of business was to raise money by subscription for the preaching of the Gospel. Each person living on the ‘Neck’ and on Long Island was assessed a certain sum each year for this purpose.
On March 26, 1857, the first minister, R. O. Grose, was called. April 9, 1859, notes indicate that they were meeting in the schoolhouse on the Neck. On June 19, 1858, a church was organized on Long Island, and the record seems to indicate that while both the Neck and Long Islanders worshipped together, they had separate churches until they again united to become the Blue Hill Neck and Long Island Freewill Baptist Church. This happy state of affairs lasted until Aug. 10, 1870, when the two communities, “strove” and went their separate ways.
As the years passed, the church waxed and waned. The congregation did not ‘meet’, but rather ‘came together in conference’ once a week. When they had no minister, which appears to be often, the deacons held the service. Committees were appointed to see if any in the congregation walked disorderly.
Members were called before the council and dismissed for the slightest infraction of what was considered to be the Christian walk. It is interesting to note that those dismissed often reappeared on the rolls at a later date.
As a rule, pastors were hired and then dismissed after a short stay. For a time, the pastor in Blue Hill preached at South Blue Hill. In 1916, an alliance was formed with the churches in North Sedgwick and South Penobscot to share the minister. South Blue Hill’s share of the pastor’s salary was $5.00 per week, and sometimes they were unable to pay him. Records show that they owed the minister $1.05 or $2.16 on his salary. The minister preached at North Sedgwick in the morning, South Penobscot in the afternoon, and South Blue Hill in the evening. When he was unable to preach because of illness, accidents, or storms he was not paid. This alliance of churches continued until South Penobscot shared a minister with Blue Hill, and was dissolved when South Blue Hill called its own minister in December of 1990.
Records cannot be found as to the date that the present building was erected or how money was raised to pay for it. It is believed to have been built in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. It never had a parsonage. It is not known where the minister was housed, until in 1916 when the shared minister lived in the North Sedgwick parsonage.
The early church had a sanctuary, with a vestibule and two Sunday School rooms– one on each side of the vestibule at the back of the church. For many years heat was provided by a wood stove. In the early years it is recorded that one pastor complained about the leaking roof. The following year it is noted that a new pastor also complained about the roof. His name does not appear in the records after that.
In March, 1936, the town of Blue Hill donated the old steamboat freight house to the church. It was disassembled, and the lumber was used to build the present vestry. The Ladies’ Aid Society requested that a door be cut from the vestry into the church. This request was denied until March, 1941, when the records state that the Ladies Aid Society had the door installed and paid the cost. They also bought a new oil stove in 1947, and tiled the vestry floor in 1950. Eulas Carter lined the center and Ree Gray and Peggy Hodgdon laid the tiles.
Prior to 1970, chairs were used in the church sanctuary, then settees and deacons benches. In 1970, pews and some furnishings were purchased from the South Penobscot Methodist Church, and during the renovation, the ceiling was lowered and new lights were installed.
During the early 1990’s, missionary giving markedly increased, as did the financial stability of the church. The two go hand in hand. The church began, and still continues, to support missionaries to whom it sends direct contributions. The church is a giving, tithing church and has prospered as a result. Over the years, membership rarely exceeded 40. At this writing, there are 24 active members and 15 additional members.
Recent improvements to the church property include a well, hot and cold running water; a septic system with an indoor restroom; vinyl siding on two sides of the church; insulation in the sanctuary ceiling. This church awaits the Lord’s direction for the years ahead. The work continues in harmony and love, for which we thank the Lord.
Addendum, October, 2015
1998- New pews were installed in the church sanctuary
2012- Dual propane furnaces were installed
2015- Extensive renovations were made to the vestry, including:
replacement of sills, insulation in all the walls and ceiling, new windows, suspended ceiling, florescent lighting, remodeled restroom, and updated kitchen.
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