Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Religion is a word that almost defies any consensual definition. Most people reflect some of their own religious beliefs, or at least those of their own culture, in defining religion.

Baptist and Presbyterians both claim the first congregations in Tennessee. Dickson County played a pivotal role in the development of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Most of the early Dickson County settles were from Virginia and Pennsylvania and of Scotch-Irish heritage. They brought with them their religion, which was primarily Presbyterian. The formal practices of Presbyterian religion failed to comfort the hardships experienced by the early pioneers. On February 4, 1810, Samuel King, Finis Ewing, and Ephraim McLean met at the home of Samuel McAdow on Acorn Creek, now in Montgomery Bell State Park, to discuss their conflicts. After a night of prayer they organized the Cumberland Presbytery, the foundation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Montgomery Bell State Park now has a replica of the home of Rev. Samuel McAdow where he, together with Rev. Finis Ewing and Rev. Samuel King founded the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In 1953, the Trustees of Clarksville Presbytery, formerly Charlotte Presbytery, delivered the Warranty Deed to the 5 1/2 acres of land of the Birthplace Shrine. In 1956 the reproduction of the home of Reverend Samuel McAdow was constructed. The house was designed by Mr. Wells Awsumb. In 1957, 103 members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church met at the log house and around fires had fellowship and worship. In 1958 the general assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church authorized 25,000 dollars for a Chapel at the Birthplace Shrine in the Mid Century Advance Program. In 1961 the Board of Missions employed a chaplain to serve in the park and to conduct a worship service at the shrine. In 1965 the Board received 500 dollars to establish a fund for the shrine. Today there are three endowments that provide maintenance funds for the Birthplace Shrine: Birthplace Shrine, Grace J Beasley Birthplace Shrine, P.F. Johnson Memorial Endowment. Currently 1.62 percent of the 43.4 percent of the religious community in Dickson County are Presbyterian.

By Leslie Stamper

All information was gathered form TN Encyclopedia of History and Culture and www.cumberland.org

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This history report and the many more to come were all done by the class members of Leadership Dickson County.

Photo by stevent.andrews