Career of John Franklin McLendon

(A copy of this article from the The Baptist Monitor, October 1, 1978,  was provided by Paul Jauch of Sunnyvale, California, great-grandson of Rev. John Franklin McLendon and Josephine Holmes. Mr. Jauch has done extensive family research. )

Alabama Native. John Franklin McLendon was born in Barbour County, Alabama, July 28, 1839. He was the third of seven children born to Martin M. and Catherine C. McLendon. Of Scottish descent, his forebears arrived in the Colony of North Carolina about 1698. He received his education and grew up in North Carolina.

John Franklin joined the Baptist church where he lived at the age of 14 years, and reportedly resolved at that time to enter the Baptist Ministry. He was subsequently ordained to the ministry by the Antioch Baptist church on November 5, 1860. He asked the Lord to spare him to preach the gospel for fifty years, a prayer which was granted, with eight extra years over, most of which were spent pastoring  many different churches. This does not take into account five other years he was a licensed preacher, having preached his first sermon about 1855, at the age of 16. Bro. McLendon served for a time as a chaplain in the Confederate Army.

Moves to Texas. During the Civil War, December 17, 1863, Bro. McLendon was married to Josephine Holmes, Pike County, Alabama. With two brothers and two of his wife's brothers, and the families of each, an emigrant party was formed to go to Texas. The John McLendons now had a family of two little girls and a six-weeks old baby boy. They came by boat from their southern Alabama home to a landing on the Mississippi River, thence by wagon to Panola County, Texas, settling in the Antioch Community, south of Carthage, November 1888.

The McLendons lived several years in Antioch. He then moved to Clayton, in the western part of the county and purchased a farm. Except for a few years (about 1908-1910) when he moved to Rusk County, near Laneville, to be near the churches he was pastoring, Bro. McLendon spent the remainder of his life at Clayton. The farm produced cotton and most of their food. The nearest market city was Shreveport, La., sixty  miles distant one-way by wagon. The McLendons raised to adulthood ten of the twelve children born to them. Being a hard worker enabled John McLendon to give his children an above average education for the times.

Ministerial Career. Information is lacking on Bro. McLendon's earliest ministry, in Alabama. His first known pastorate was the Antioch Baptist Church in Panola County, which he pastored from 1871 to 1890. About 1874 he became pastor of the Carthage (First Baptist) Church and pastored it on three different occasions till 1885. Other pastorates in Panola County included Bellfountain (or Bellfountaine), near DeBerry; Little Hope; Bethel at Clayton, where he pastored 1876-1879 and again from 1887-1902; Six Mile, 1887-78, then again 1911-1913 (this seems to have been his last pastorate); Grand Bluff (or Mt. Zion), near Beckville; Mt. Bethel, near Gary, which he pastored on two occasions; Corinth, near Fair Play; Macedonia, west of Carthage; Mt. Carmel (Garrett Springs Community), near Dotson; Mt. Hebron, at Long Branch.

In Rusk County Bro. McLendon also had numerous successful pastorates. His first church in that county was Holly Springs, near Pine Hill, 1885-86. After this he pastored at Liberty, six years; New Prospect, near Henderson, eight years; concord, six years; Zion Hill, sixteen years; Shiloh, eight years; Smyrna, Oak Flat Community, six years; Laneville; Glenfawn; Providence, near Minden (forerunner of Maple Grove Church).

It would be presumptuous to try to emulate the ministry of J. F. McLendon; only God Almighty can fairly do that. However, it is not hard to see the wide scope of the influence over more than half a century. Bro. McLendon was active in all phases of Missionary Baptist work during these years. He was moderator of the Mt. Zion Baptist Association for 28 years, far longer than any other one in her history of 122 years. He became moderator in 1890 and steered the churches through some bitter and trying times. For a number of years he was closely associated in ministry with Bro. W. H. H. Hayes, another popular pastor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Near the close of the 19th century a schism developed among the Baptist churches of Texas., and the two men found themselves on opposing sides of the breech. Many churches felt that the mission boards and Baylor University board of trustees were usurping authority that rightfully belonged to the independent local churches alone. A majority of the churches composing the Baptist General Convention of Texas approved (tacitly, at least) the movement toward board authority. J. F. McLendon was at the head of the majority in the Mt. Zion Association which refused to go along with the board-party, so called. Bro. Hays took the minority and organized the Rusk county Baptist Association, of which he as the first moderator. Bro. McLendon continued his strong leadership at the helm of the Mt. Zion Association until 1917, a year before his death. The Mt. Zion churches left the General Convention and helped organize the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas. They also supported the organization and promotion Jacksonville Baptist College.

Later Years. Josephine McLendon died at Clayton in 1901. Shortly afterward, Bro. McLendon married Mary Catherine Wills, who assisted him in rearing his youngest children. Both these wives were of immense help to Bro. McLendon in his long ministry. He also had a daughter among the younger children, Mina, who never married, and who was of much aid and comfort to him. Miss Mina lives in the nursing home at Garrison, Texas, now in her 91st year.

Acknowledgements. I am indebted to the following sources for this feature on John F. McLendon: "The McLendon Family of Panola County," by Jesse Heath McLendon (paper written for Panola County Historical Commission; A History of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church, by Mary Franklin (Deason) Dunn; Mt. Zion Association Minutes, 1870-1917. - J. W. Griffith

Hats Off! to Paul Jauch of Sunnyvale, California for providing this information.

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03/21/2005