As I study the old Baptist church history of this area (Trousadale, Macon, Wilson and Sumner County Tennessee) I find evidence of several Missionary Baptist churches throughout this area in the past 200 years or so, who believed in proper church authority and the sovereignty of God in salvation. Consider some of the following quotes that I have came across while searching through the church history of this area:

Quote Number One: "On February 8, 1812, thirty years before Macon County was formed, the first church was established in the Gap of the Ridge Community by a small group of Calvinistic Baptists from Kentucky."

Quote Number Two: (the sovereignty of God in salvation) "In August 1822, A. D., Concord Association, while in session at West Station Camp Church, Sumner County, Tennessee, for the sake of convenience, agreed to divide. A number of churches on her eastern boundary were set apart to form a new Association. In October of the same year, these churches met in Convention with Cedar Creek Church, which, at that time, stood a short distance south of Big Spring, Wilson County, Tennessee, and constituted Salem Association. This body at the constitution consisted of twenty-seven churches, as follows: Smith's Fork, Hickman's Creek, Salt Lick, Dixon's Creek, Salem, Round Lick, Bledsoe's Creek (now Hopewell), Hogan's Creek, Spring Creek (now Linwood), Peyton's Creek, Brush Creek, Cedar Grove, Knob Spring, Second Creek, Union, East Fork, Goose Creek, Philadelphia (now Bradley's Creek), New Hope, Cedar Creek, Lebanon, Goshen, Lancaster, Enon, Saunder's Fork (now Auburn), Falling Creek, Brawley's Fork (now Marion), and Testament. Salem Association was constituted upon the fo1lowing:

Art. I. We believe in one true and living God the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.

Art. 2. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God and the only rule of faith and practice.

Art. 3. We believe in the doctrine of Election, and that God chose his people in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Art. 4. We believe in the doctrine of original sin, and in man's impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature, by his own free will and ability.

Art. 5. We sinners are justified in the sight of God, by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Art. 6. We believe in God's own appointed time, and way, by means which he has ordained, the elect shall be called, converted, regenerated, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Art. 7. We believe the saints shall persevere in grace, and never finally fall away; and that good works are the fruit of faith, and follow after justification."

Quote Number Three: (proper church authority)The following is a quote from a book entitled "History of Middle Tennessee Baptist" on pages 354-358 "On inquiry it was found that the nearest Baptist Church was located on Station Camp Creek, Sumner County, Tennessee, twenty-five miles distant. This church was know as El Bethel. They appointed a committee to visit said church and lay before them their situation. This resulted in Colonel William Martin visiting said church, and in conference they appointed a committee to visit this neighborhood and constitute these brethren into an arm of said church. In compliance with this agreement, they met at Captain Grant Allen’s and received the letters which these brethren had brought from the old States. They worshipped as an arm of said church till March 8, 1800 when they were constituted into an independent church by the following Presbytery, viz.: Elders JoshuaWhite, William Phipps and Clifton Allen."

Quote Number Four: The following is a quote from a letter signed by Clifton Allen found in a book entitled, "History of Middle Tennessee Baptist" on pages 354-358. "....holding the doctrines of original sin, eternal election, particular calling, final perseverance, baptism by immersion..."

We believe that both of these important truths are taught in scriptures. The sovereignty of God in salvation can be seen in the following scriptures and many more: Romans 8:33, Ephesians 1:4, 1Corinthians 1:18-26. The need for proper church authority can be seen in the fact that John the Baptist in particular was chosen by God and given the authority to baptize (John 1:33 and John 1:6). Out of those materials prepared by John Jesus Christ chose some and established His church during His earthly ministry (Matthew 16:18). Jesus Christ had all power and He gave His church the power and authority to carry out His business upon earth (Matthew 28:18-20). The church at Jerusalem sent out Barnabas as a missionary and by that God given authority of the church at Jerusalem the church at Antioch was established. The church at Antioch later sent out Paul and Barnabas as missionaries and they established many churches under the God given authority of the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). On down the line the history continues.

Pastor Shawn R. Berry was sent out by the Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee where the sovereignty of God is still preached and proper church authority is still practiced. The Faith Missionary Baptist church of Clarksville, Tennessee was established by the Faith Missionary Baptist Church of Paducah, Kentucky where the sovereignty of God is still preached and proper church authority is still practiced. The Faith Missionary Baptist Church of Paducah, Kentucky was established by the Zoar Missionary Baptist Church in Cunningham, Kentucky where the sovereignty of God has been preached and the practicing of proper church authority since she was established in 1875.