By Greg Miller

STAR Correspondent

JOHNSON CITY ­­— Sinking Creek Baptist Church, the oldest church in Tennessee, was started in Johnson City (Carter County) in 1772.

Listed in the Tennessee Historical Registry, the church was organized in 1772-73 by the Rev. Matthew Talbot, the founding pastor. According to the website, the church was disbanded in 1776 due to an Indian uprising.

According to the website, other highlights in the church’s history include the following:

• 1777-78: Reorganized by Talbot, Mr. Maulkey and Joshua Kelly.

• 1783: Logs were used to erect new buildings.

• 1786: The church was invited to join the movement to organize the Holston Association.

• 1789: A resolution was adopted allowing only Baptists to use the church.

• 1791: Mrs. McDowel, a church member, was scalped by Indians.

• 1807: The Holston Association met with the church for the first time.

• 1826: Adherents of the Campbell Movement were excluded from the church membership.

• 1853: Adopted resolution opposing sale of intoxicating drinks.

• 1861-1865: The church closed due to Civil War period.

• 1869: The church joined a movement to reorganize the Watauga Association.

• 1884: The Watauga Association met with the church.

• 1923: The church reorganized.

•1924: The church was remodeled and enlarged.

• 1935: A Pioneer Homecoming Celebration was held.

• 1940: Sunday school rooms were built in the basement.

• 1949: The church purchased two buses.

• 1951: Homecoming, plans for new Sunday School rooms and parsonage were discussed.

• 1961: The Rev. Reece Harris was called as pastor.

• 1962: A new church was built. The log church became a tourist attraction.

• 1965: Repair was begun on the log church.

• 1968: A new parsonage was built. The new parking complex was finished.

• 1985: The Christian Family Life Center was built, including a gym, kitchen, and dining area.

• 1992: Phillip Harris was named the youth director.

•. 1996: An extended parking complex was completed. Judgment House began its first year in October.

• 1997: Stained glass windows were installed.

• 1999: A church steeple was erected. A 30-passenger bus was purchased.

• 2000: Family Life Center (FLC) was dedicated to the Rev. Reece Harris.

• 2003: A church pavilion was built.

• 2004: A new paved driveway was completed from the church to the pavilion, and a newly constructed children’s playground.

• 2005-2006: The church sanctuary was completely renovated.

• 2009: Sidewalk was poured, connecting the kitchen to the gym entrance at the Family Life Center.

• 2013: The Rev. Reece Harris resigned as the church’s pastor.

The Rev. Jayson Hoagland was called as the church’s senior pastor in 2014. From 1997-98, Hoagland served as the road manager for John Jacobs’ Power Team, then part time with the team from 1998-2002 in Dallas, Texas. From 2004-13, he was the road manager for Team Impact Ministries (part time). From 1998-2002, he served as the youth pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. From 2002-07, he was a youth and children’s pastor in Loris, S.C. From 2007-08, he was a full-time evangelist. From 2008-14, he was the senior pastor of University Baptist Church, Conway, S.C.

Hoagland says he was only a lad when he became a Christian. “At the age of nine, the Lord reached down to me where I was in my sin,” Hoagland stated. “I knew that I needed something more. I grew up in a Christian home and my parents and grandparents pointed me to the cross, but I knew that the decision to follow Jesus had to be my own. I gave my life to Christ in 1984 and have never regretted following Jesus one day. I was dragged by my parents to every church function possible as a child, and I am forever grateful to have parents who still love God and are now married nearly 60 years. At age 15, God called me to preach.”

John 3:16 is Hoagland’s favorite verse on which to preach, “because everyone who hears the gospel is a ‘whosoever.’ God gives an invitation to anyone who would believe and trust Him as Savior and Lord. I have been granted eternal life in heaven because of what He did on the cross two thousand years ago. Each of the 18 words in that verse carries some heavy weight. Literally, you could preach 18 sermons using just that one verse.”

Hoagland describes his preaching style as “expository” preaching. “It dives below the surface to bring out the meaning and application of the text at hand,” he commented.

Nehemiah and the Apostle Paul are Hoagland’s favorite characters about whom he enjoys studying. “Nehemiah because he would not quit in the face of opposition,” Hoagland reasoned. “Paul because of his desire to share the gospel with anyone God put in his path.”

If Hoagland could preach in a foreign country, he would want to minister in the Philippines. “With few Protestant churches there, it seems as though a great move of God is taking place there through missionaries I know of,” he said. “The people seem hungry as ever for the gospel.”

Hoagland preached in Jamaica in 2000, and Belize in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Hoagland says the easiest doctrine for him to preach about is “probably the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone.”

Hoagland believes the most important aspect of a local church’s ministry in today’s society is “being a church that stands for and still believes in, teaches, preaches, and lives the fully inspired, unmistakable, and infallible Word of God. In a culture that is drifting farther away from the truth of the gospel, the church has what the world so desperately needs. As today’s culture defines truth as merely relative (not absolute), the church must hold to Scripture as absolute truth. People need truth!”

Bringing change to a community is a good thing, Hoagland believes. “We must believe in the right kind of change though,” he warns. “A transformative life change that Jesus offers through faith is the only true change that will really last forever. The church works to bring that change through unity in the gospel. Ministering to the community around us by telling the story of Jesus and meeting people where they are can go a long way!”

Worship opportunities include Sunday school, 9:45-10:45 a.m.; Sunday worship, 10:50 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Wednesday’s service, 7 p.m.; Upper Room (youth), College and Career ministry, Sunday, 6-7 p.m. Wednesday’s activities include AWANA, 6:30-8 p.m.; Adult Bible study, 7-8 p.m.; and youth, 6:30-8 p.m.

Regular ministries and activities at Sinking Creek Baptist include the ladies prayer group, serving deacons, AWANA, student ministries, CareConnect food pantry, a gym and pavilion which are often rented to the community, an annual “Renew Week in February, active Bible studies and prayer meetings, and an annual clothing giveaway.

In addition to Hoagland, church staff includes Phil Harris, youth director (and his wife, Cindy); Thomas Richardson, music director; Kristia Brown, ministry assistant/secretary; Shirley McGhee, treasurer; Anthony Fine, pianist; and Robin Culler, custodian.

Hoagland’s wife, Jennifer, works as an agent/commercial specialist at The Yates Agency.

The Hoaglands know first-hand what it’s like to experience a miracle.

Hoagland says he and his wife “were told by four fertility specialists that we would never have children. After eight years we decided to adopt and have four beautiful babies.”

A miracle, however, was about to happen. Hoagland describes the unfolding events. “On Easter of 2018, Jen didn’t feel very well and we decided to take a test and it was positive,” he recalled. “On Memorial Weekend 2018, we found out that our baby was going to be a girl and we would name her Jaycie Mae Eloise Hoagland. On July 12, 2018, we found out that there were some complications with the pregnancy that put my wife in the hospital prematurely and 10 days later on July 22 Jaycie Mae was born weighing one pound, 10 ounces and 11-1/2 inches long.”

The neonatologist advised the Hoaglands that the baby “was very sick and they gave her a five percent chance to live. At 18 days old, she flew to Memphis to have a hole in her heart closed. If it had been done in Johnson City her lungs were so under-developed that she would not have made it. The surgery she had done on her heart was not FDA approved at the time and she was the first baby in the Johnson City Medical Center to have flown all the way to Memphis to have this procedure done.”

The procedure, Hoagland says, “is now FDA approved and she is in a medical journal that tells us all about it. She was also transported to Vanderbilt Hospital for three weeks for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) of her eyes. After 106 days in the NICU, we were able to take her home on her original due date Nov. 5, 2018. My wife kept everyone updated daily on her Facebook blog.”

Hoagland says he and his wife give all the praise and glory to Jesus for their miracle child. “He is faithful, and we know He has great plans ahead for Jaycie Mae!” Hoagland exclaimed.

Sinking Creek Baptist Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Tennessee Baptist Convention and the Watauga Association of Baptists. The church is located at 2313 Elizabethton Highway. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/SinkingCreek1772, e-mailsinkingcreekpastor@gmail.com.