Located on Antioch Church Road (SR1002) in Taylorsville NC
Land for “The New Meeting House Baptist Church” (then in Burke Co) was donated by William Austin in 1781. “This church was built in the area to serve the people who moved westward to escape the tyranny of Governor Tryon after the battle of Alamance [May 16, 1771].”
This first church, that burned down in 1825, was called “The New Meeting House Baptist Church.” This was one of the first Baptist churches to be built in the entire state. It was located at what is now known as the Teague-Munday Cemetery on NC Highway 127.
The church was organized June 7 1797, under the leadership of elders Edward Teague, Benjamin Austin and Henry Holsclaw. Edward Teague became the first pastor and continued as such until his death in 1810. It is believed that Wm Austin served as pastor from 1810 until the church bulding burned in 1825.
The building was a log structure and served practically all of the pepole living in this section of the county at one time, as a center of worship for approxiamtely 28 years. Following is a copy of the records of its organization.
“On June 7 1797, at a meeting held at the New Meeting House in Burke County, Middle Little River, a Presbytery being called for to consititute a church and ordain officers, and found prepared the members’ name as follows: Edward Teague, Benjamin Austin and Henry Holsclaw, elders. William Sherill and Nathan Austin deacons; Charter members are as follows: George Payne, George Thompson, John Barnes, James Oxford, Sarah Teague, Mary Austin, Rebecca Ausin, Elizabeth Thompson, Nancy Payne, Rebecca Foster, Ruth Pressley, Ellender Dockery, Tabitha Spradling, Elijah Austin, Harry, a Negro, Laurana Barnes, and Mary Austin Sr. Then one year later, February 28th, on the reverse side of the document, in a different handwriting was: Richard Barnes, Elijah Austin (dismissed by letter about October 1, of the same year) and Nancy Austin.
Later, when the new Church was organized, Wm. #4’s son Nathan Austin, b. 1767, deeded five acres of his land to the trustees for use of the Church. Since then, the Church acquired through gift or purchase, approximately thirty additional acres. This newly organized church was called Antioch Baptist Church, a name brought forth from Orange County where the Austin’s had, some years earlier, helped establish a church of the same name, before moving. Consistent with his forefathers, in 1820, William G. Austin helped establish a church.
Source: “History of Antioch Baptist Church”
(July 2001 by Dewey P. Austin)