Yeopim Baptist Church

In 1764, there was a great snow on the ground. Joseph Creecy and his pastor stepped into icy water so that he could be baptized as the first convert of Yeopim Baptist Church.

Yeopim Baptist Church has been a light in our community for many years. In the early years members met in homes where God's holy word was read by candle light. Now 242 years later, if you pass by Yeopim Church on any given night, you can still see candles burning in the windows. These lights are there to help us find our way in the darkness. But the light that shines the brightest from Yeopim is the light of Christ himself who’s light brings us out of the darkness of sin into the light of His amazing grace.

In 1764, there was a great snow on the ground. Joseph Creecy and his pastor stepped into icy water so that he could be baptized as the first convert of Yeopim Baptist Church. This was one of the first fruits of the ministry of our church.

It began with two young ministers form the Shiloh Church, the Reverend John Burgess and Reverend Henry Abbott came preaching the gospel to the people at Yeopim. The church started with four meeting places or "arms", which the ministers took turns visiting.

The church was named Yeopim because its meeting house was located near the head waters of the Yeopim River, a small river which divides Chowan and Perquimans Counties. They met on the fourth Sunday of each month.

Church membership was not as easy to obtain as it is today. Those seeking membership had to make a statement about their spiritual experience. Many were expelled for indifference, missing worship service, or by church conference.

In 1794 the church further divided into seven arms, but later dropped one of the "stops" the traveling ministers made. In 1795, Yeopim hosted the Kehukee Baptist Association meeting.

In 1806 the church experienced division which resulted in the birth of Bethel Baptist Church. After much prayer, fasting, and deliberation, the members who chose to remain part of Yeopim moved to the site between our building here and the road. Martin Ross, the pastor and a veteran of the revolutionary war, stayed with some members to form Bethel Meeting House, while Jesse Hassel was called to serve Yeopim.

The congregation built a log church at the northwest corner of our present yard and the road. Unfortunately, fire robbed the congregation of their building a few years later. They rebuilt, and later began to build our current building.

In 1842, the church began a Sunday school. Around 1843, they moved into the new building, and turned the old one into a school house.

There were struggles during the civil war. A number of slaves were church members, but embarrassingly, the church expelled some of them for running away from their masters.

In 1842, the church elected two deacons and began working towards purchasing an organ.

The influenza epidemic took its toll on the congregation as it did the rest of the country. In 1919 services were suspended as people avoided any gathering together. After the epidemic, time passed and the church served members through wars, births, marriages, and deaths.

In 1954, after suffering slight damage from a chimney fire, the congregation had gas heat installed and removed the old wood-burning stove.

In 1959, the Sunday school addition was built.

In 2003, Hurricane Isabelle swept across the county, knocking several mature pines around and onto the church. One lay across the center of the Sunday school rooms and sanctuary. The NC Baptist Men were on site in a matter of days, and with members of the church and community, removed the trees and secured the building as best they could. After a year of meeting in the Bethel Ruritan Club while working diligently to restore the building, the church opened its doors for worship again.

The church looked so good, that the restoration efforts extended to the cemetery. The area behind the church that had been overgrown woodlands for the life of most of the members was cleared up, the tombstones repaired, and new grass grew where weeds once flourished.

Yeopim Women's Missionary Union History by Vickie Lane- President

Even though Yeopim Church is the second oldest church in the Chowan Baptist Association, having been organized in 1764, there is no record of a Women's Missionary Union before 1951. On a Sunday in September, Mrs. I.A. Ward, the Superintendent of the Chowan Associational W.M.U., came to Sunday school and after services helped organize a W.M.U.

The first meeting was held on October 16, 1951 with 18 charter members. Mrs. Florence Webb was elected president and Mrs. Emily Barrington secretary.

A Sunbeam Band was organized in January 1952 with 11 members and Mrs. Agnes Brabble as leader.

G.A. and R.A. organizations were started jointly in June 1955 with Dorothy Privott as leader.

R.A.'s started meeting separately in October 1955 with Rev. Philip Quidley as leader.

Through the years young people's organizations have been active and inactive according to ages of children and young people in the church. These organizations have been sponsored by W. M. U.

Now called Women on Missions they sponsor the Lottie Moon Christmas Offerings for foreign missions, Anne Armstrong Offering for home missions and local missions in our area and church. Currently there are 9 members on roll.