On June 1st, 1796 Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state. On June 1st, 2016 Tennesseans all across the state will be celebrating 220 years of statehood.
There will be a local statehood celebration at a very appropriate venue — Tennessee’s oldest church Sinking Creek Baptist Church, which is located in Carter County.
To honor Tennessee’s 220th year, the local chapter of the Children of the American Revolution (CAR) have organized a special 18th century worship service at Sinking Creek Baptist Church, located at 2313 Elizabethton Highway, Johnson City. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Church Pavilion area.
All aspects of this patriotic event will be led by young people who are members of the CAR. Special guests will share historic facts of the area as well as historical vignettes pertaining to the early settlement of Tennessee.
The 18th century worship service will feature hymns of the early settlement era led by CAR member John Cohen Daniels and the sermon will be delivered by CAR member Ivan Daniels. A love offering will be taken, and all monies collected will be donated to the church for the restoration and preservation of the original log church building.
The service will conclude with a memorial musket firing to honor our patriot ancestors.
Both before and after the service several activities will be available. The church will be open both before and after the celebration to allow visitors to tour the oldest church in Tennessee where our local patriots worshipped. View copies of original church records and learn about the preservation efforts being made to document and archive these historic treasures. Talk with local reenactors about the history of our region and how they aided in the formation of the Great State of Tennessee.
Everyone is welcomed to attend and enjoy 220 years of statehood and celebrate one of our local historic landmarks, Sinking Creek Baptist Church. For more information please call 423-741-6539.