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Church HistoryEliamMeaning: God's people (1.) The father of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah (2 Sam. 11:3). In 1 Chr. 3:5 his name is Ammiel. (2.) This name also occurs as that of a Gilonite, the son of Ahithophel, and one of David's thirty warriors (2 Sam. 23:34). perhaps these two were the same person. Eliam Baptist Church was founded in 1859. The original site was at the Melrose Cemetery a short distance south of the business district on State Road 21. FRANK JAMES FOWLER Frank James Fowler (November 13, 1870-November 13, 1933) was born at Melrose, Florida, on an orange plantation. His parents were Hugh J. and Polly Baldwin Fowler. They were faithful members and leaders in the Eliam Baptist Church in Melrose. After conversion and a call to preach, Frank preached his first sermon at the Baptist church at Ochwilla. He attended Mercer University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He married Mattie Aiken of Branesville, Georgia, after his first year in the seminary. He returned to Florida and was pastor of the Waldo Baptist Church, LaCrosse, Lake Butler, and Starke churches. While at Starke, his wife died leaving a young daughter Elvie, who died later. Primary Source: Correspondence and interviews in the Florida Baptist Historical Society files. Secondary Source: Florida Baptist Witness
Historic Florida Baptist: FRANK J. FOWLER Fowler was born November 13, 1870 at Melrose, Florida, on an orange plantation. His parents were Hugh J. and Polly Baldwin Fowler who had ten children. They were faithful members and leaders in the Eliam Baptist Church in Melrose. After a spiritual conversion and a call to preach at age 16, Fowler preached his first sermon at the Baptist church at Ochwilla. He attended Mercer University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. After his first year in the seminary, Fowler married his first wife Mattie Aiken of Branesville, Georgia, December 23, 1897. The couple returned to Florida where he served as pastor of the Baptist churches at Waldo, New Hope, Orange Heights, LaCrosse, Lake Butler, and Starke. While at Starke, his wife Mattie died leaving a young daughter Elvie, who lived until 1922. In the fall of 1902 Fowler returned to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to finish his studies in that he felt called as a foreign missionary. He became pastor of Trenton Street Baptist Church in Harriman, Tennessee. While there he met and married Daisy Cate Fowler on October 26, 1903. Before completing his seminary training, Fowler was challenged to the mission opportunities that existed in Argentina, South America, which had no Southern Baptist missionaries. Following acceptance by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board the couple was appointed as missionaries to Argentina in May, 1904. In the ensuing years the Fowlers had three children: James, Margaret and Franklin, Jr. Two of the Fowler children followed in their parents footsteps as missionaries. Margaret, upon graduating from Tift College, returned to Argentina and taught in the mission school established by her father. Franklin earned a medical degree and in 1947 became Southern Baptists’ first medical missionary to South America. During the ensuing 30 years, the Fowlers served in the Argentina states of Buenos Aires (1904-05), Santa Fe (1906-10), Rosario (1911-17) and Mendoza (1917-33). In their missionary service the Fowlers shared the gospel, established churches and missions, and trained local church leaders. In Rosario and Mendoza they started Christian schools and taught local children basic reading, writing and math skills, in addition to teaching the Bible. Fowler is credited with starting 67 churches in Argentina and nine churches in the Andean Mountains border region. Because of his commitment to the Argentine people, he was called “Don Francisco, Apostle of Love.” Growing health problems and an eventual blood clot resulted in Fowler’s death on his birthday November 13, 1933. Mrs. Fowler, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, continued in missionary service until 1936, when she retired as an “Emeritus Missionary.” Having returned to the United States in 1934, Mrs. Fowler was bedridden most of her remaining years until she died in 1953. The Florida Woman’s Missionary Union undertook in 1943 the special project of raising $15,000 for the construction of a church in Mendoza, Argentina, in memory of Frank Fowler’s missionary efforts. Proposed was a brick structure to replace a small abode structure Fowler had originally built with mud and straw for the congregation he started in the Godoy Cruz neighborhood. Although over $18,483 had been raised by December, 1943, working through the bureaucracy of the Foreign Mission Board delayed the actual erection of the building for many years. Finally in 1948 the stone building located in the Godoy Cruz section of Mendoza was completed and a dedication service was held. Primary and Secondary Sources:
JOHN HENRY TOMKIES John Henry Tomkies (1839-1878) was born in Hanover County, Virginia, the son of Edmond M. and Mary Christian Tomkies. He was raised in a pious home, well off and educated. Converted and committed to preach, Tomkies entered Richmond College at age 19. He was ordained at Ashland, Virginia, under the ministry of J. William Jones and E A. Dickinson. Just before the Civil War, Tomkies moved to Madison, Florida, and preached and taught school there. He then taught at the East Florida Seminary (Gainesville) and preached in the area. Tomkies enlisted in the Florida 7th Regiment as a private and after one year was elected chaplain of the regiment. He served through the war and then served in the Gainesville area by preaching at Fort Clark, Waccahoota and Stafford s Pond Churches. He served as pastor at Fernandina (1868-1870); Elim, Eliam, Providence, Pleasant Grove (1870-1875); and First Baptist Church in Gainesville (1873-1875). Secondary Source: Georgia Compendium, pp. 533-534. Alachua Baptist Association Minutes, 1873, p. 7.
WILLIAM JOHNSON William Johnson (January 9, 1803-1884) was born in the Barnwell District of South Carolina. His father was William Johnson, brother of Col. Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky who killed Tecumseh. His mother was the daughter of James Johnson. The father of William died before his birth and his mother died when he was 17. Johnson was made an apprentice in Augusta, Georgia. He received a few months of schooling. Johnson married Permelia Hamilton on February 26, 1824, and they had twelve children. He built a nice estate in South Carolina, and moved to Florida in 1858. His first wife died, and he married Susan Edmonds who lived only a short time. He then married Georgiana Tyson who survived him. Johnson was converted in 1829, and was baptized by Rev. Prescott Bush, and joined the Darien Church in South Carolina. Upon moving to Florida in 1858, he was very active in the Santa Fe River and Alachua Associations. He was pastor at Pleasant Grove, Wa-ca-hoota, Micanopy, Eliam, Paran, Providence, and Ochwilla. At the time of his death he was living at Banana, Florida. Secondary Source: Florida Baptist Convention Annual, 1884, p. 34. MALACHI N. STRICKLAND Malachi N. Strickland (May 19, 1809-March 4, 1884) was born in Marlborough County, South Carolina. He was ordained by order of the Bennettsville Church in South Carolina on November 28, 1837. Strickland studied at Furman University. He preached primarily in South and North Carolina. Strickland acted as missionary of the Welch Neck Association. He moved to Florida in 1851. In Florida, Strickland served as pastor of Paran Church, Pleasant Grove, Eliam, Peniel, and Wacahoota. Secondary Source: Florida Baptist Convention Annual, 1884,
WARREN J. NUBERN Warren J. Nuburn (1929-1992) was a native of Zolfo Springs, and was a World War II Navy veteran. He was ordained by the Ozona Baptist Church, and served as pastor in Odessa, LaCrosse, Eliam Baptist Church in Melrose, Calvary Baptist Church in Gainesville, Sunset Point Baptist Church in Clearwater, First Baptist Church in Greenacres, El Bethel Baptist Church in Tampa, Lakeview Baptist Church in Delray Beach, and New Hope in Wauchula. He and his wife, Charlene, had one son, Roger. Secondary Source: Florida Baptist Witness, August 14, 1980, p. 6; October 1, 1992, p. 11.
HAROLD H. LINK Harold H. Link died December 12, 1976, in Orlando, Florida. He was a graduate of the University of Florida, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to retirement, Link served as pastor of the following Baptist churches in Florida. Groveland in Groveland, Eliam in Melrose, Philadelphia in McAlpin, Oviedo, Williston, Key West, and Carrabelle. His last three years of ministry were spent as a missionary in the Cayman Islands. He and his wife, Smithie, had two sons and one daughter. Secondary Source: Florida Baptist Witness, January 22, 1976, p. 6. JERRY MILTON Served as pastor of Eliam Baptist Church ???-1975
LESLIE J. HARRIS Leslie J. Harris (1920-1983) died of a heart attack while serving as pastor of Eliam Baptist Church in Melrose (1979-1983). He had previously served as pastor in Tennessee, Virginia, and at Forest Park in Gainesville. He and his wife, Shirley, had four daughters; Ruth, Debbie, Donna, Dana, and three sons; John, Dwayne, and Dale. |
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