08/17/2026
A 1929 article about our first pastor, Rev. Stephen White, circa 1819.
Rev. Stephen White
"More History Of Macon Churches"
"Names of Pioneers Who Settled in Various Valleys"
(Published in The Franklin Press, 23 May 1929)
Rev Stephen White was in the first presbytery which led in the formation of the church. Little is known about him. He was a member of the Stekoa church, Rabun county, Ga. He wrote the circular letter of Tugalo association in 1820. Only men of ability, discernment and degree of literary expression were selected to write these circular letters to the churches. In this letter he deplored the destitution existing in the mountain sections. He noted the scarcity of ministers in the territory. North Georgia had only begun to be settled in 1818. Stekoa church was one of the first in the region. Stephen White was an early minister and missionary, who looked across the border into North Carolina and saw the destitution there. He urged his Georgia ministerial brethren to visit the destitute sections to the north, He also sent out notice to ministers of other associations to look over the fields at the white harvests in the mountains. One writer says of him: "He was evidently a public spirited zealous and far-seeing man." He led in the missionary development of the Little Tennessee Valley. He saw by faith in this little valley a score or more Baptist churches a century from his time. He envisioned a wealthy paradise of agricultural and pastoral beauty among the hills. He saw the site of the future county seat of Macon county. He and Rev Corn doubtless consulted and gathered a little band of believers at Franklin to form a mother church of the present thirty-two Baptist churches in Macon county. It was a wise step. This missionary vision was given him by God, and he was led in the enterprise by the Holy Ghost.
How much has come from his vision! Baptists have established churches in every valley and on many hillsides.
Stephen White led the founding of the Franklin Baptist church. Out of this church have come Sugarfork, Cowee, Coweta, Holly Springs, Cartoogechaye, Wautauga and many others. Franklin is a mother and a grandmother of churches. She led in the foundation of Dillard's church paying back Georgia for leading in the formation of the Franklin church.
Missions have no state bounds. Georgia Baptists saw a need of a church at Dillard's and established it.
The Franklin Baptist church is now one hundred seven years old. From a little band of twenty in 1822 she has sent out material to form 31 other churches, and now has over four hundred members. Do missions pay? Does it pay to have a missionary vision? Does it pay to work for Jesus.
Let us thank God that Stephen White and others loked (sic) across the state line and saw the early destitution in these parts.
