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Murrell Askew
Murrell Askew – The Reluctant Baptist By Wayne Kilpatrick Murrell Askew is virtually unknown outside of Lauderdale County, Alabama. He is not well known, even within the families who descended from him. One might even question how much these families really know about Askew. Much misinformation still circulated about his life. In spite of all of this anonymity and being misunderstood, Askew was a major catalyst in causing the Baptists of North Alabama to restudy the Bible, and to question the creeds of the day. The purpose of this writing is to give documented information on this forgotten “soldier of the cross.” Murrell was born in Williamson County, Tennessee, not far from Franklin. He was born to Aaron and Elizabeth “Lovey” Askew on March 4, 1811. His father Aaron, was born in North Carolina in 1789. At the age of 22 he moved with his wife to Tennessee. Hosea Holcomb says that Aaron was a “wicked, profane man, but felt a keen conviction for sin . . .”[1] He further states: “In 1816, he removed to Lauderdale [County, Alabama], a profligate deist.”[2] In 1818 he was converted and “forsook some of his evil practices; such as profane swearing, Sabbath breaking, etc.” and he was baptized in the beginning of 1819. He was ordained to preach in 1826. Just how serious he was as a preacher has been questioned. Percy D. Wright kept a journal and wrote several things about the Askews. His aunt Elizabeth had married Murrell Askew on March 2, 1845.[3] Young Percy heard many tales about Aaron and Murrell Askew. He wrote: “Askew would preach and say, ‘Do as Askew says, not as Askew does.’”[4] He further stated that Askew was a “drunken preacher.”[5] Young Murrell grew up under these circumstances, whether all of these charges about his father were true or not true. We do know that young Murrell became religiously inclined early in life. He managed to get a fair education, and used the Bible as a main source of reading. In 1844, we find him subscribing to Tolbert Fanning’s Christian Review.[6] Murrell has grown up in a very volatile time, when the Baptists in Northwest Alabama were rethinking their theology, and many were becoming members of the Church of Christ. In 1830 the Muscle Shoals Baptist Association passed a “Resolution” against “Campbellites.”[7] This must have influenced his later thinking upon the Bible. Murrell tried his hand at farming, but was not very successful. In 1850, Murrell owned a hundred and sixty acres of land, but only had 20 acres as improved or tend-able land.[8] He was listed as a schoolteacher and had a wife and three young daughters.[9] Sometime between 1850 and 1854 he began to preach. Mid year, 1854, he established the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Lexington, Alabama. The church officially organized on November 30, 1854 in “a newly built house near Lexington, Lauderdale Co., Ala.”[10] Askew preached on an irregular basis until 1857 when he became their regular minister. He was their minister until 1861. This was the year the Civil War began. During the war, most rural churches completely disbanded. This may explain why Askew was not listed as their minister. A G.W. Garrett served for a few months and left. The church was nearly dormant until 1868, when they re-hired Askew as their regular minister.[11] Askew did, however, continue to preach during the Civil War on an irregular basis. The year of 1862 was an especially bad year for Murrell. His father, Aaron, died that year, and his brethren began to rumble about his theology, which they called, “Campbellism.” Askew was preaching: “that the sinner must obey all of the requirements of the gospel”. He stated, “that the sinner could not claim the promise of the pardon of sins save through obedience to the condition.”[12] He tried to get his accusers to discuss the subject with him, and they refused. Murrell continued to preach as he understood the Bible, but many Baptists searched the Scriptures to disagree with him. Many honest hearts saw the truth and aligned themselves with him. Two such men were William Comer and R.T. Lanier. Both men would subscribe to the Gospel Advocate and share their learning with their neighbors.[13] Comer explained his actions to the Advocate: “When I find a person that I think will lay down their prejudice, enough to read and investigate, I get them to read them [the Gospel Advocate and T.W. Brents’ Gospel Plan Of Salvation]. He further speaks of Askew’s reading these publication. Also he mentions that other leading Missionary Baptists were now changing their views on salvation.[14] Some of the Baptists had now aligned themselves with Churches of Christ. At least the four congregations, over which Askew had to oversight, had dropped the name “Missionary Baptist,” and simply referred to themselves as “churches of Christ,” by 1875. These changes would cause Murrell Askew much trouble. In 1874 trouble arose from some of his brethren, after some eleven years of peace. He was brought before the Indian Creek Association and charged with preaching “Campbellism” again (the same year he was rehired as regular minister for the Mt. Pleasant Baptist church near Lexington.) He asked the Association to define the doctrine of “Campbellism.” They told him that he was teaching that all sinners had to do was believe and obey the gospel in all of its requirements, and they would be saved. They told him to stop preaching this kind of doctrine. He told them he would stop for twelve months (which would have been until the next Association meeting) if the Association would agree to discuss the doctrine. They refused to do so. The Association met in September of 1875 at the Union Grove Baptist church, in the present community of North Carolina, in Lauderdale County. The Association refused to let Askew be heard on any subject. Comer said it was because “the church where he held his membership (Mt. Pleasant) sent him as a delegate, and sent her letter under the name of “church of Christ” with no “Missionary Baptist” added to it.[15] The Association withdrew fellowship from the church, because they retained Askew as their preacher. When they refused to discuss these matters with him, he said that he would “no longer wear the gag, and that he was now at Liberty to clear his conscience by preaching the Gospel as revealed.[16] The four churches over which Askew had charge did divide and adopt the name, “Church of Christ.” The Union Grove church was one of these churches. It eventually became the North Carolina Church of Christ, which still thrives today (2007) with over two hundred members. Comer said that all four churches “obligated themselves to take the Scriptures and nothing else for their rule of faith and practice, and to ignore all confessions of faith and man made laws, and contend for the apostolic faith and practice.”[17] Askew and Comer persuaded all of the Baptist churches in the area to come together for a union meeting. This was held at Union Grove in 1876, probably in May or June. It was reported by Jesse Turner Wood of Cedar Plains, Morgan County, Alabama in the Gospel Advocate of August 10, 1876. He said that one preacher from Missouri and one from Tennessee attended this meeting. Wood said that “good feeling prevailed and much zeal was manifested on the part of many who have been heretofore called Baptists.”[18] Wood further stated: This country east and west will furnish a repetition of the Kentuckians 40 or 50 years ago. There are a number that have gone too far to retrograde, and that too, the best of talent . . . There are large numbers in this country moving out of Babylon with good and substantial leaders or teachers at their head, so that the day is at hand when doubtless many will say, ‘why am I thus?’[19] This upheaval continued among the Baptist ranks for the next four or five years, with Askew leading the way. The Baptists saw the problem so pressing that in their churches they began polarizing, and trying to prevent our brethren from using the same facilities. An example of this was at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, which now had “the Gospel Party,” as the reformers were called, and the Regular Baptists meeting in the same building. Askew was preaching for the “Gospel Party.” Eventually the reformers withdrew to the Salem Church building, about four miles away and began worshipping there. Mt. Pleasant began to be called the “Scrouge Out” church. As a footnote to this upheaval at Mt. Pleasant, the Baptists dropped Askew from their records as their minister.[20] He continued with the newly formed Church of Christ at Salem School house, about four miles south of Lexington on Mill Creek. Askew had helped to start the Salem Baptist Church at this place in 1859.[21] It is stated that 15 members of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church had been transferred to Salem to start a mission work. This was in William Comer’s neighborhood. R.T. Lanier also lived in that vicinity. These two men became the leaders at Salem, after Askew moved to Woodland Springs, a community on the bend of the Tennessee River, about ten miles west of Florence. R.W. Officer came and preached at Askew’s home, where he had recently formed a church. Officer baptized seven people.[22] From there, he went to Savannah, Tennessee and preached on the street corners, and baptized two and found another from the Baptists to be favorable in starting a New Testament Church. They raised between eight and nine hundred dollars toward building a building. They vowed to build the building, and to be a church.[23] He crossed the Tennessee-Alabama State Line and headed southward toward home. This road took him through the Shaw community where Poplar Springs Methodist Church was located. He preached seven or eight sermons in the Methodists house of worship and “all the prominent members pulled out of creedism.”[24] Askew said that “the” pastor in charge threatened heavily but shot weakly; he pledged his right arm and his blood if he did not remove all that I had done.[25] Askew said the Methodist members begged their preacher to debate him, but he refused. The preacher vowed that next Sunday he would “smash” Askew’s teachings. Murrell said that he only exposed “his own ignorance and evil spirit.”[26] The year 1880 had been a very busy year for Murrell. Undoubtedly, Officer had talked with Murrell Askew about work among the Indians, since Askew was ¼ Choctaw Indian. They had been associated since the 1870’s and had endured similar fates among the Baptists. Askew may have laid the plans to work with Officer among the Indians when Officer visited Murrell in Jun of 1880.[27] In 1881, Officer sent for Askew to join him in the work in Indian Territory. Askew was skeptical at Officer’s method of mission work, because he did not use a missionary society to aid him in the world. Askew, who had only been severed from Baptist’s Missionary Societies for about six years, still trusted, to some degree, in societies. Askew’s skepticism was revealed in an article that appeared three years after his death, in which he reported as saying: I confess I had but little confidence in its (mission work) success. Others looked upon it with some suspicion, and we all wondered why Bro. O. did not do like other missionaries over here . . .[28] Officer had come from the same Baptist background as Askew, but he had completely rejected any kind of society work. He was convinced that unity would be promoted if individual congregations supported the work, instead of societies promoting it. Askew is further quoted as finally realizing the truth in Officer’s method. He stated: “. . . but we are now convinced that we were mistaken, for we find that it does not divide, but has a tendency to bring the churches together in mission-work.”[29] Askew set up his residence in the Chickasaw Nation; which seems odd, as he was part Choctaw, not Chickasaw. He converted many Chickasaw Indians in the short time he worked there. He began teaching at Burney Institute, an Indian School near Lebanon, Oklahoma. It would make sense that he would teach school, to support his family, as he had been a school teacher back in Alabama. During his first year at Burney, the building partially burned.[30] For the next two years he taught at Burney Institute, and continued to do mission work. He became ill in the late fall of 1883 and died on January 4, 1884. He was laid to rest on the school grounds, at the institute. This ended the life of a man, who had worked among the Baptists until he studied himself into the New Testament Church. He had worn the Baptist name, but for years, before his leaving, he did not agree with the typical doctrines of the Missionary Baptist Church. His struggles with that organization show him truly to have been a “reluctant Baptist.” His work and legacy still lives on in Lauderdale County, Alabama, and Savannah, Tennessee in the churches he established. Even T.B. Larimore’s success among some Baptist churches in that area, may partially been due to Askew having blazed the way for him. May many generations profit from this good man’s labors. End Notes [1] Hosea Holcomb, History Of The Baptist In Alabama,( Philadelphia: King and Baird, 1840), p.208. [2] Ibid [3] Marriage Book 5 (1841-1852) Lauderdale County Courthouse, Florence, Alabama. [4] P.D. Wright’s Handwritten Journal. [5] Ibid [6]Tolbert Fanning, Christian Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, p.24. [7] B.F. Riley, History of the Baptists Of Alabama, 1895, p.79. [8] 1850 Agricultural Census, Lauderdale County, Alabama, p.567. [9] General U.S. Census of 1850, Lauderdale County, Alabama, Entry Number 814. [10] “Organizational Minutes,” Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, 1854, p.1. [11] Ibid [12] Wm. Comer, Gospel Advocate, May 11, 1876, Vol. 18, No. 19, p.454. [13] Wm. Comer, Gospel Advocate, 1875, p. 1174. [14] Ibid. [15] Wm. Comer, Gospel Advocate, May 11, 1876, Vol. 18, No. 19, p.454. [16] Ibid. [17] Wm. Comer, Gospel Advocate, May 11, 1876, Vol. 18, No. 19, p.754. [18] J.T. Wood, Gospel Advocate, Aug. 10, 1876, Vol. 18, No. 31, p. 378. [19] J.T. Wood, Gospel Advocate, 1876, p.738. [20] Mt. Pleasant 150th Year Celebration, p.5. [21] Mt. Pleasant Record Book, 1859. [22] R.W. Officer, Gospel Advocate, 22 (July 1, 1880) 27:423. [23] “Askew to Wm. Comer,” Gospel Advocate, Nov. 4, 1880, p.712. [24] Ibid. [25] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [27] R.W. Officer, Gospel Advocate, 22 (July 1, 1880) 27:423. [28] “Mission Work,” Octographic Review 1 (Jan. 4, 1887) 1:3. [29] Ibid. [30] B.C. Burney, “Chickasaw Academic Leaflet,” May, 1881, Vol. 1, No. 111, p.121.
Directions The Grave Of Murrell Askew Murrell Askew is buried in the cemetery located on the grounds of the old Burney Institute. It is located about 1 1/2 miles east of Lebanon, Oklahoma. Lebanon is located in the south central region of the state, just north of the Texas border. Take I-35 south of Ardmore to the city of Marietta. Take exit 15, Hwy. 32 east through Marietta. Continue past Marietta on Hwy. 32 for 13 miles to the little town of Lebanon. Travel east of Lebanon on Hwy. 32 for about 1 1/2 miles and look of the old historical marker for the Burney Institute, just before the road makes a hard turn to the left(north). The land that the old Indian training school sits on is private property. It is owned by the Robertson family in Ardmore, Oklahoma. I personally spoke with Lila Robertson on a couple of occasions in the process of seeking the grave. The couple were very kind in their explanations of the school, and the property. The cemetery is very difficult to find if you do not know where to look, as it is overgrown, and not readily seen from the highway. However, once permission is given to go onto the property, travel down the main dirt road leading up to the old Burney Institute building. You will see a farm house beside it. When I visited in 2004, the old brick structure was still standing, but in much need for repair. The building is condemned. We were strictly warned to stay away from the old building for safety reasons. The farm house, at one time had another floor on it, and served as the administration building for the school. After the Robertson family purchased the property, the upper floor was removed, and re-roofed. The cemetery is located southeast from the farm house. I had to go through two fences just to get to it. It was overgrown. When in the cemetery look for the largest monument and travel south from it. Some of the Askew children and their families are buried very near Murrell Askew's grave. Murrell Askew's monument is leaning over. Time and the elements have taken their toll on the gravesite. The GPS location of the monument is listed below. The Robertson's are very nice people, and would welcome the interest a state recognized group that would take interest in preserving the cemetery. I first found the location information on the following site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~okmarsha/burncem.html, before visiting it in October, 2004 with my friend and Scottish brother, Graham McDonald. It has a list of all those buried in the cemetery. GPS Coordinates
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