The Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church was established in June 1827. In those days, the church met in people’s homes. In 1832, their first building was built at the location where the present building stands. The 1832 structure was built with logs; it had a dirt floor, the pews had no backs, there was no glass in the windows, and the fire was built on the dirt floor.
In 1887, the present structure was built. The wood stove was placed in the center of the main aisle about 15 feet in front of the pulpit. Pews were in four sections. There were pews on both sides of the main aisle facing the pulpit (backs to the church door). On the left side, women visiting the church sat with their children, and on the right, men sat. Then, at the end of the church, where the pulpit is on the left, there are pews facing west. This is where ladies who belonged to the church sat with their children. Across from them, on the other side of the church, were pews facing east, occupied by the men who belonged to the church. When a boy turned 12, he got to move over and sit with the men. 
When the building was built, it was built with green lumber. If you go into the church and look up at the ceiling, you should be able to see the fingerprints of those who built the building.
Ceiling
Can you imagine what it would be like for a young man and woman who were in love to be unable to sit together?
Services were once a month, on the fourth Saturday and the fourth Sunday. The services lasted three to four hours. They usually had three or four preachers (they called them elders) who would usually preach at each service. The church did not want its elders educated (no seminary), and their messages were not to be prepared ahead of time. The elders were not paid (had to farm like everyone else).
The church used the King James Bible as its source of instruction and direction. The church said the Bible is the revealed truth for this time and for every other time forever and ever. Any matter that the Bible did not authorize, they said, was temporary, man-made, in error, and would not stand up to the test of time.
When the Civil War started, the church said the United States government was standing on solid ground and that the Confederacy was in the wrong. Because of this, the rebels came over the top of the mountains from North Carolina and took food, clothing, horses, shoes, teenage boys, and adult men. The rebels said the people in Cades Cove were traitors and had no right to their property. Because of the raids, all three churches closed their doors from 1862 until 1865. Some of the older men in the church organized a resistance. Their leader was a 69-year-old man named Russell Gregory. Today, if a person walks down the first aisle of the cemetery about 75% of the way back on the left, they can see a tombstone which says “Russell Gregory killed by North Carolina rebels”.
The church was very caring. If a lady became a widow, the church would step in and assist her and her children with their needs. If a man broke his ankle and could not do his plowing and chores, the church would see that these tasks were taken care of if he had no family members available to do so. If the lightning hit a farmer’s barn and it burned down, the church would assist him in rebuilding the barn.
Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church believed in holding people accountable for unacceptable behavior.
For example, if a man was not providing for his family as he should, the church elder would meet with him and point out his shortcomings. If the man did not improve, he would be prohibited from attending church services or taking communion. Dismissal would be forthcoming if the man did not get straightened out. Eventually, a wayward man would be shunned if he did not get in line. This could quickly catch a person’s attention because few people had money. If a person needed something and could not make it or grow it, he would have to trade for it. If one were being shunned, no one would talk to them or trade with them.
The Primitive Baptist did not believe in musical instruments. They sang sacred harp and shape note music. In shape note music, the notes are sung before the words are sung. The Primitive Baptists have four notes: FA, SO, LA, and MI. Each person is assigned a note to sing. The notes differ from those in traditional Christian songbooks today.
Baptisms took place in Abrams Creek, and if you can believe it, they were done 12 months out of the year.
It was said that the Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church was so influential in the community that it was often referred to as the invisible government of Cades Cove.
Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on his hikes and mountain stories from the Smokies.
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