For the Body does not Consist of one Member but of Many
Black Creek Baptist Church During a time of great political and religious upheaval in Hanover County, the Black Creek Baptist Church was established in 1777 by Elder John Clay, father of statesman Henry Clay. The original meeting house was constructed on the east side of the road which extended from the New Castle Ferry to Bottom's Bridge, near the headwaters of Black Creek and the New Kent border. Today, this road is known as McClellan Road, and Black Creek Church is now located on the west side of the road. Below is a Civil War era map which shows the early location of Black Creek Church and its vicinity. Map of the Vicinity of Richmond and Part of the Peninsula courtesy Library of Congress According to the book, A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia written by Robert Baylor Semple in 1894, the first pastor of Black Creek Church was William Barnes. The earliest known extant record for William Barnes in Hanover County is the ...