The Origins
In May 1829, Elder Hezichian Harmon, a devout preacher who lived six miles southeast of Pittsboro, NC called a meeting at his home near Haywood and Pittsboro Road with his wife, Brother William Drake and his wife, and Bill Hartsoe and Isaac Kisley with the intention of forming a church. Harmon had previously been pastor of New Hope Mountain Meeting House that closed down in 1822. Born on January 16, 1763, Harmon served as a solider in the Revolutionary War, fought in the battle at Cane Creek, and was the son of Zachariah Harmon, who was Sheriff for Chatham county for a number of years.
Out of the planning meetings at Harmon's home, Gum Springs Baptist Church was officially established on July 15, 1829. In the fall of 1829, with help of neighbors, logs were cut on a spot and constructed into a log house of worship. The original building was 16 by 30 feet, contained a stone fireplace, and mud and stick chimney. Harmon continued to serve as pastor until his death in 1832.
Early Growth
By the fall of 1829, when the church was admitted to the Sandy Creek Baptist Association, they had increased their membership to twenty-five. Within twenty years, records show that Gum Spring was the second largest church in the Association.
A significant event in the history of the church is the conversion of its first deacon,William Drake. Becoming paralyzed while under conviction of his own sin at the time of his wife's baptism, he spent several weeks in bed until he was converted at the preaching of Elder Hicks, pastor of New Home Mountain. Demanding to be baptized that night, he was carried down to the Haw River by friends. Following baptism, he immediately recovered and walked home - praising God!
In 1860, a new sanctuary was erected, which comprised the basic structure of the present facilities. A bellfry and vestibule were added in 1905, and a Sunday school wing was built in 1953. Additional improvements were added in 1974, when the nursery, pastor's study, Sunday school classrooms, steeple, and other improvements were added.
Churches that Originated out of Gum Springs
Four churches have originated out of Gum Springs, including Trades Hill Baptist, 1873, east of the Haw River (now called Pleasant Hill Baptist), Flat Springs, 1906, on the south side of Deep River on old US1, Moncure Baptist Church, 1913, four miles southeast of Gum Springs, and another church, originally called Gum Springs.
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
