The first Baptist church

     The first Baptist church in the county was Sandy Run Baptist Church. Probably established in the 1780s, Sandy Run eventually became the founding church of the Sandy Run Baptist Association, which was responsible for starting several churches throughout the region. In 1803, Reverend Drury Dobbins (1776-1847) accepted the pastorship at Sandy Run. A native of York County, South Carolina, Dobbins helped organize many of the county' s Baptist churches, including Capernaum, Double Springs, High Shoals, Zion, Zoar, and Shelby. Dobbins also served as the moderator of the Broad River Baptist Association for twenty six sessions. Perhaps the greatest compliment to Dobbins is etched on a commemorative marker just outside Sandy Run Baptist Church that refers to him as the ~founder of Baptist cause in this country."