About us

 

“About the year Anno Domini 1813, the mineral spring in Moore County, NC called the Jackson Spring was discovered. The extensive Scotch settlement lying S.E. of it was sufficiently great to form a congregation of themselves for three or four months of the year.  They introduced the Reverend John McIntyre to preach unto them occasionally in passing from Cellars to Bethesda, commencing in 1817.  A stand was erected for him soon after, in which he continued to preach about two years.”  “In 1819, the Reverend John Patterson preached here statedly, and organized Mineral Spring Church by ordaining the first elders and deacons.  On 21 March 1889, members asked Presbytery to change the name to Jackson Spring church, which was when two different mineral springs were identified coming from the big brown rock.” Thus wrote the Reverend Hugh McLauren in the first history of the church in l837.

 

 

The first church building, erected in 1820, stood very near today’s church.  The stand that had been erected for Rev. John McIntyre was near the northwest corner of the church cemetery. In 1854, a different church was built on to present site for $575.  In 1897, fifteen feet were added to the west end of that building and in 1914-16, a balcony for classrooms was built above that extension……Separate doors for men and women were removed, and one center door welcomed all, though the men continued to sit on the left side of the sanctuary and women on the right until the mid-l940s.  During the 1940s, a new wing was added to the south side of the building, a front porch was added and the twin steeples became one new steeple.

The 1854 sanctuary still serves as the sanctuary today.”

 

 

Forty-three ministers have been installed to serve Jackson Springs Church.  Two sons of this church, Rev. William M. Clark, D.Min., and Rev. Leland A. Richardson have become ministers themselves.  True to its Scottish heritage and its abiding faith, the Jackson Springs Church has weathered hard times and adversity to continue its mission to serve God and God’s people.

Rev. Elizabeth Forester became pastor at Jackson Spring Presbyterian in January 2014, and we continue seeking to be faithful in ministry in our time and place.