Early Survey of the Work. The Baptists were among those who came from Europe to the western world and helped to build the counties which now comprise our Association. As early as 1823 the Primitive Baptists organized an association at Fishing River church, Clay County, which was called Fishing River Association. All through these years it has existed and done a work along side the other Associations. For more than three-fourths of a century there have been two divisions of Baptists—Regular or Primitive Baptists and United or Missionary Baptists. The Missionary Baptists organized North Liberty Association, the second Association in Northwest Missouri, April 26th, 1844. Five churches, with a membership of 234, made up the Association. The early churches of this organization had many difficulties and hard struggles to overcome. Each church had to supply the needs of a large territory while many of the fields were destitute of church services and the Gospel message.

Rev. Finis Clark, a Baptist, was the first preacher in the county during the early twenties. He held the first services at private homes in the settlement along Rush Creek of Clay county, near Liberty. In 1849, William Jewell College was located at Liberty, in the territory of North Liberty Association, and in the Minutes of that year a resolution was adopted that the Association would heartily cooperate with this institution. About 1850, the body appointed a Mission Board to look after the destitute fields and to employ missionaries for district work. This was an advanced step as there was much need for leadership among the churches during all the years. From 1904 to 1906 the churches of Caldwell and Ray counties were given letters of dismission to form the Caldwell-Ray Association.

From Minutes of 1902. On Friday, April 26th, 1844, a convention of Baptists assembled at New Hope church, Clay county, Mo., for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Association. Five churches, to wit: Liberty, Little Flock (now Lebanon), New Hope, Pleasant Ridge and Richmond, were the constituent members. A committee consisting of A. P. Williams, W. D. Hubbell, Robert James, Franklin Graves and Jabez Shotwell, drafted a Constitution and By-Laws for the organization which were reported and adopted on the following day, and the body was named "North Liberty Association of United Baptists." Thus was born this splendid organization on Saturday, April 27th, 1844.

With the exception of 1864, the Association has held annual sessions, and it has largely cooperated with all departments of mission work. In 1894, the body held its semi-centennial session at Richmond and so far as is known Bid. Franklin Graves, of Kearney, was the only one living who had assisted in the organization fifty years before. He held the office of Assistant Moderator at the time of his death in 1898.

The first officers were A. P. Williams, Moderator; Jabez Shotwell, Clerk; Elijah Stout, Treasurer. The first annual meeting was held with Little Rock Flock (Lebanon) church in 1845.

The Association began with five churches and 234 members.

The churches of our territory have been interested in Christian Education and have done many things toward the advancement of our schools. Since 1849 we have had within our boundaries the great and beloved William Jewell College which has meant so much toward the future of our young men. The following is taken from the Associational Minutes of 1849—"Resolved, That we feel highly gratified that the Baptist College of Missouri, has been located at Liberty, Mo., and that we will heartily cooperate with the originators by our councils and means." This resolve has not been forgotten by our churches as the years rolled by.

The ministerial students have found work in our Association during their college course and many of them have preached their first sermon in our churches. One church claims the distinction of having 69 students as pastors and helpers during her history. The Liberty Ladies' College which was located at Liberty, was organized in 1890 by S. F. Menefee. It stood as an interdenominational school but was owned and controlled by Baptist men with the exception of a few years. The college building burned February 23, 1913. There is a vast difference in the present time and the beginning of our activities. In the early day there was lack of opportunity and financial means to secure an education. It is not the same now, for any young man desiring an education in preparing for his life work may secure it with reasonable effort and determination.

The Sunday School organization was known in North Liberty territory before the Association was organized in 1844. The organization of the New Hope church, where the Association was born, was a result of the Sunday school work. The only living charter member of the Smith's Fork church, Mrs. Palina Hughes, (widow of Rev. James B. Hughes)' gives the following information: "There was a Sunday school, regularly held during the summer months, four or five or perhaps six years, before the erection of the church building. It was organized about 1855 or 1856."

From the Minutes of 1856—"Resolved, That we (committee), suggest to the churches composing this Association the propriety of establishing and maintaining a Sunday school in the bounds of each church." The committee in the report of 1860 recommended to the body that Sunday schools be established and that the missionaries make it a part of their labor to help in the organizations. Almost every church in the Association has had the Sunday school organization from the beginning. Many of the churches were not able to have preaching services but once a month but the school has met in its weekly sessions and has taught the Gospel message. They have become instruments of strong Christian influence and have done a great service in developing and cultivating active and efficient workers in our churches.

The records of our schools, like the old church records, have not been preserved as they should have been and it will be difficult to give the names of all Superintendents as was first planned.

The first Sunday school organized in the State was conducted by Mrs. William Murphy, wife of the Baptist preacher, during the year 1807, in St. Francois county.

The young people of our Association began to organize societies about 1890. The work of the young people has been a constructive work and has meant much to many of our churches. The two following mottoes have been adopted by the Unions: "All Baptist Young People Utilized" and "We Study That We May Serve." The B. Y. P. U. Aim is "Training in Church Membership."

The Prayer Meeting, like the Sunday school, has always held an important place in Baptist affairs. Although the reports on this phase of our work are very meager we know of the many blessings which have come from this mid-week service. Week after week men and women of God have met at their places of worship and have delighted in the prayer meeting, the reading of His Word, singing His praises and honoring his name. Great good has come to our churches from these services and it is with regret that we must report too few of these services being held in our territory in this year of 1922.

The Association appointed a Mission Board about 1850 to look after the destitute fields within the bounds of the North Liberty territory and to employ men as District Missionaries to work in these fields. This was an action greatly needed as the field was large and the harvest truly great. It was almost impossible for ow man to meet the needs of the territory which for some years was comprised of five counties and the churches largely scattered. For several years the Board employed from one to four men for part of their time to look after this work. The pastors were also used in many instances for the missionary work and were paid for the days labored.

From year to year the Board has made reports to The Association and recommendations for future work. Great and lasting good has come from this source and the work done by the field workers will live in the history of our Association. For a number of years men have been employed to spend the whole of their time as Associational Missionaries, the churches contributing to their support, while the resident pastors have helped by holding meetings with the churches. Rev. A. F. Foster was the last Missionary of Caldwell-Ray Association. He did good work in our territory. At the present there is need for such a worker as many of the churches should have his help.

One of the strongest auxiliaries in the development and progress of our churches has been the organization and labors of the Woman's Societies of our Association. The first report to be given of this work was that of the Woman's Missionary Society of the Second Baptist Church of Liberty, August 21, 1877, when our churches were in North Liberty. The Missionary and Aid Societies have done a great work and have gathered in vast sums of money for Missions, building enterprises, paying off church debts and making needed improvements. The missionary work of these organizations has been a wonderful help to the churches in development of the missionary spirit. By talking missions and reading literature and letters from missionaries, they have gained and spread much valuable information of various fields and their needs among the members of the churches.

The religious destitution within the bounds of the North Liberty Association was very great. The people were not rich and during the early years of the work many hard struggles were overcome and many problems were solved. There were very few meeting houses over the territory and for a number of years none of the churches had full time preaching; only one or two could afford half time services. From the Associational reports and committees on "religious destitution" the following statements are taken which will show the conditions prevailing: "Within the bounds of our Association there are many places that need to be supplied with a preached gospel. Among the most important we would name that region of country, between Platte City and Liberty, extending to the Missouri River, the country lying between Smithville and Plattsburg, and the eastern part of Clinton county." We mention especially, Cameron, where there are a few Baptists; also Weston church where interest might be advanced, and some destitution on Smith Fork. "While the most of those reporting, report coldness and lukewarmness." "Your committee is profoundly impressed with the alarming destitution within the bounds of the Association. There are almost whole counties destitute of the preached Word." These statements from the reports only give an idea of the many needs. The churches would give good and encouraging reports one year and the next year probably would report the opposite but from year to year great good was done and many of the destitute fields reclaimed.

The early pastors worked under many difficulties and endured the hardships of long rides and poor salaries. One year the Mission Board was not able to pay but $20.00 per month for a Missionary and could not find a man to take the work. Another year the body lamented the fact that the churches of the entire state had contributed but $1,500 to Foreign Missions. One pastor accepted a church at $50.00 a year for the fourth time and did good work.

The personal sacrifice of our early pastors is written on every page of Baptist history. Very few of these noble men were able to give their full time to the ministry, while others left the work of farms, made long drives and preached several sermons between Saturday night and Monday morning, in order that the people might hear the Gospel message. The hardships which these men endured were not felt without reward. At Covenant meetings and Sabbath services there were many souls led to the Cross, wanderers reclaimed, churches organized and the Christian people were strengthened to fight ever onward.

Then and Now :—How the times and methods have changed in a half a century. The writer attended for the first time the sessions of North Liberty Association at the old Lebanon church six miles south of where Stewartsville is now located. It was in 1854, my father was a messenger then and entertained many of the members and visitors in his country home. It was a great meeting to me. Dr. E. S. Dulin, the great preacher and educator, preached the introductory sermon from Acts 28:32. I do not believe that I have ever seen a sermon stir the l)eople like that one. Then we had preaching twice each day and at night, now we have very little preaching. Then we met on Friday and held services over Sunday, Sunday being the great day of the feast; now we meet on Wednesday and hurry the business through in two days.

I have had the honor of presiding over the body longer than anyone else in consecutive years. J. B. Shotwell, presided one year longer than I, but only one man is living who has presided over the Association—Dr. T. P. Stafford—and besides our present efficient secretary only one is living who kept the records, that is Rev. Asa N. Bird. In this limited space I can tell but little of what I have known of the work. I have seen it grow from a small body to a large organization of Baptists. I have witnessed many of its struggles and triumphs. During these fifty years, like the mother hive, it has swarmed several times, and other Associations have been formed from churches largely of this body. Especially is this true of Caldwell-Ray and St. Joseph Associations, but the greatest blow we ever had was at Kearney in the session of 1906, when the Liberty church left us and went to Blue River Association. It was like the mother forsaking her children and leaving them helpless. The Association has never recovered from that blow.

We have had many able and efficient men as our Missionaries, the majority of them have finished their work on earth and rest from their labors here but their works follow them. We certainly appreciate the earnest efforts now being put forth to push this great work to a complete success by our present able Missionary, Rev. G. A. Puckett. May God abundantly bless his labors.