Horace Bailey Chronister
Maiden first claims recognition for the work of the Rev. Horance Baily Chronister because he was most active in Maiden work and no doubt was impressed to preach while working in the Maiden Church. It is not known where he was licensed to preach, but it is very certain that he was ordained by the Long Shoals Church of South Fork Association and it is possible that he was ordained to take the pastorate of Long Shoals Church.
Chronister was born near Alexis, N.C. May 4, 1879, and died Feb 20, 1930. He attended the South Fork Institute at Maiden and among other subjects, he is said to have appreciated most his study of Greek, which was a great help to him in this ministry. However before he became a minister and perhaps a few years after, he was a school teacher and taught at Abernathy School, Pine Knot and Piney Grove.
In 1907 he married Ruth Sigmon, daughter of David M. and Jane Sigmon who were charter members of Maiden First Church and of course lived in Maiden. There was one child Betty Lee Chronister who married Walt Williams and lives at Hickory, N.C.
The date of Chronisters ordination is uncertain, but we can be sure of some of the churches he pastored. Among them in the South Fork , at that time, were Long Shoals, Salem, Bethel, Corinth, Warlick Chapel then, and Thessalonika ( now extinct). Beside these, he pastored Mount Zion at Saw Mills, Connelly Springs, Icard, a church near Morganton and Rhodhiss. He is remembered for his interest in Baptist Conventions, Scripture study and forceful preaching. His wife Ruth Sigmon was the sister to my grandmother Laura Elizabeth Sigmon Williams who also attended the First Baptist Church along with my mother Trilby Williams Rink.
Currently existent Baptist churches in this area (South Fork and Theron Rankin Associations) and the dates of their organization until 1900 are:
1816 Mount Ruhama
1833 Olivet
1835 Macedonia
1840 Corinth
1854 Warlicks
1859 Lincolnton, First
1859 Mountain View
1869 Mount Zion
1870 Hickory, First
1871 Poole's Chapel
1875 Catawba
1878 Providence Near Hickory
1881 Mountain Grove
1882 Newton, First
1883 Leonards Fork
1884 Sharon
1888 Hildebran
1888 Penelope
1888 Reepsville
1890 Hulls Grove
1891 Maiden First
1895 Bethel
1897 River View
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