(Summary of Article and Notes from Various Sources)

by Kathy W. Lowery

Silas Jordan Fincher was born on 29 December 1812 in Union Co., NC. (His parents are not known.)  He was a strong, strict, and beloved clergyman in the Union Co. & Anson Co., NC and Chesterfield Co., SC area from 1850 or earlier to his death on 30 May 1880.

Silas was called Elder Fincher in early church histories.  He, like other preachers of this time, divided his time between his home church and his position as Itinerant pastor in the Brown Creek Union Baptist Association. This association included Union Co., Anson Co., Mecklenburg Co., Montgomery Co., Stanley Co., Cabarrus Co., and extended across the state line into the Chesterfield Co. and Lancaster Co., SC areas. The churches usually had quarter time preaching - once a month on Saturday afternoon or evening and on Sunday morning or they had half time preaching - twice a month. Thus it was possible for a minister to pastor from one to four churches at a time. Itinerant preachers visited areas of the association where there were settlements of people that had no Baptist Church and would hold services for them, seeking to get a church started in that locality. While serving as Itinerant, Silas Fincher helped to organize many churches, including Bethel and Olive Branch.

The 1850 Census and later censuses list Silas Jordan Fincher's son, Levi J. Fincher's birthplace as GA about 1833. It is not known whether Silas and his family were visiting or living in GA at this time. Silas' daughter, Ellen, was born on 03 October 1831, 2 years before Levi, in Union Co. NC. Silas' next son, William S. Fincher, was born about 1836 in Union Co. NC.

In the 1840 Mecklenburg Co. NC Census, S.J. Fincher is listed as a 20-30 year old male with a 20-30 year old female, five children, and one of these persons employed in manufacturing or trade so Silas was not a minister at this time.

Silas Jordan Fincher was listed in 1848 as one of the trustees in the deed to Prospect Methodist Church.

The 1850 Union Co. NC Census lists Silas Fincher as a Methodist Preacher with S.B. Fincher, his wife, and 4 daughters, and 3 sons.

According to the Union Co. NC Marriage Bonds, Silas Fincher married his second wife, Elizabeth Blount, on 04 October 1851.

On 15 February 1855, Silas Jordan Fincher married his third wife, Mary Ellen James Barnes, in Union Co., NC. Hugh and Julia McCommon raised Mary Ellen after her father died. Hugh McCommon was one of the founders of Waxhaw Baptist Church. No one knows whether Silas' marriage to Mary Ellen influenced his decision to convert to the Baptist faith but Silas joined Waxhaw church and was ordained by the elders and deacons of Mill Creek and Flint Hill churches in 1856.

The Brief History of Waxhaw Baptist Church and the Family of Godfreys (p. 29) states that Silas Fincher was ordained to the full work of the ministry in 1856.

He was the delegate from Waxhaw Church to the Brown Creek Union Baptist Association in October 1857 when he was appointed to the Itinerant Committee to study revival meetings. The committee resolutions included public collections at revivals and Itinerant pastor's salary of $1.50 per day. Silas served as Itinerant Pastor for many years in addition to his duties at his own church/churches so he was instrumental in setting his own future salary.

Silas Fincher served as Pastor of Waxhaw Church in 1858 and 1859. He was one of the organizers of Olive Branch on 30 October 1858. He presented a "Report on Sabbath Schools and Temperance" at the 1858 session of the Brown Creek Union Baptist Association at Rocky River Church in Anson County, NC. This sermon stressed that drunkenness destroys every aspect of a person's life and causes more discord than "any other evil in the whole catalogue of crimes." He also expounded on the importance of the Sabbath School and its vital role in "training up children in the way they should go." Elder Fincher reported sixty-seven days at Itinerant in 1858.

The 1859 session was held at Meadow Branch, which later became Wingate Church.  S. J. Fincher reported Itinerant service 41 days, preached 28 sermons and traveled 515 miles. He and Elder Stough filed a joint report about their itinerant services. In this session, Wadesboro church left the Brown Creek Association and joined the Pee Dee Association, and Elder Stough, a member of this church left the association too. Elder Fincher was appointed Associational Itinerant and his salary remained $1.50 per day. He was listed as one of the delegates from Waxhaw Church.

The 1860 session met at Waxhaw Baptist where S. J. Fincher was still listed as one of the delegates of this church. He was one of the four appointed associational missionaries. He presented the Itinerant report in which he documented that he had traveled 130 days, preached 190 sermons, visited 85 families, and traveled 1,660 miles.

Silas Fincher and 17 members organized the Bethel Church on 2 August 1861. The October 1861 session was held at Philadelphia Baptist. Silas J. Fincher, delegate from Mineral Springs Church in Anson Co., preached the introductory sermon, "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." The Association now had a magnificent high school and strongly supported education. Silas was one of three ministers who led a special hour of prayer for the soldiers and our country at war. They collected $34.25 to be used to supply Bibles to the NC soldiers.

The October 1862 session, at Deep Springs in Anson Co., had poorly printed minutes with few details. Elder Stough was absent because he served as a Confederate army chaplain. This session had poor attendance, no sermons, and no collection. S.J. Fincher was the delegate from Mineral Springs.

The 1863 session met at Mt. Olive Church with Elder Fincher preaching the introductory sermon. Foot washing was discussed but the Association decided against it. No minutes exist for the 1863 or 1864 sessions. Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist was constituted on 27 April 1833. Silas J. Fincher is listed as one of their pastors but the exact dates are not known.

The October 1864 session met at Elizabeth Baptist in Chesterfield Co., SC, and S.J. Fincher was listed as delegate from Mineral Springs and from Charlotte, NC.

The October 1866 session met at Bethel Baptist and Elder Silas was elected Moderator.

The October 1869 session met at Olive Branch Church. S.J. Fincher was one of the delegates from Mineral Springs and was reelected as Moderator. He was the pastor at Deep Creek Baptist, which reported 117 of the total 264 baptisms for the entire Association. He was appointed a missionary and worked 20 days for $2.00 per day.

The 1870 session met at Deep Creek Baptist on 7 October 1870 with S. J. Fincher listed as a delegate from Mineral Springs. He was appointed to solicit aid from the Welsh Creek Association in SC for the acquisition of the Female College at Ansonville but it is unknown whether the college was acquired. He was also appointed to a screening committee for all potential ministerial candidates.

Silas Fincher was the pastor of Monroe Baptist Church, now the First Baptist Church of Monroe, about 1869 or 1870, and in 1871 when Enoch Lowry became their pastor. (I don't know who Enoch Lowry was.)

The 1870 Chesterfield Co. SC Census lists S. J. Fincher and family living in the Old Store Township so he probably accepted the pastorate of Elizabeth Baptist Church at Mt. Croghan about this time.

The 1871 session met at Mt. Olive with S. J. Fincher giving the introductory sermon.

"The Working Christian, "Issue of August 4, 1881, page 121, Marriages & Deaths, Baptist Newspapers, SC, 1866-1887 states that Rev. S. J. Fincher baptized Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Evans into the fellowship of White Plain Church in the summer of 1874. This means that Silas J. Fincher was the pastor or itinerant pastor of White Plain Church (probably in Chesterfield Co., SC) in the summer of 1874.

The October 1875 session met at Deep Creek Baptist in Anson Co., and S. J. Fincher was one of the messengers from the Mt. Moriah Association in SC. This was the last that Silas was listed as attending the Brown Creek Union Baptist Association annual session.

According to family tradition, Silas Jordan Fincher suffered a stroke in the pulpit while preaching at Cross Roads Baptist Church in Chesterfield Co., SC about December 1879 and was paralyzed until his death 6 months later.

The minutes of the 1880 session of the Mt. Moriah Association contains an obituary of Silas J. Fincher, which states that he was a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church at the time of his death on 30 May 1880. Although Silas died in late May, he was listed in the 1880 Chesterfield Co., Mt. Croghan, SC Census that was taken 21 June 1880. He was listed as suffering from paralysis which backs up the family legend.

In an email, dated April 2001, Gene Sellers (a current member of Elizabeth Baptist Church) passes on this story.  He says:  "Silas's last request was that he be buried as close to the pulpit as possible. His wish was honored. Any closer and he would be under the church." (Elizabeth Baptist Church)