At the earnest request of Bethesda Church whom I served as their Pastor thirty two or three years, I pen this short sketch.

I was born in Lunenburg County Virginia in January 1780. My parents were good livers honest and industrious, but not rich even in those days, and raised all their children to labor. Our parents were either Presbyterians or Episcopalians from the fact of having two or three of their oldest children sprinkled, and as the children, thought to give them a name. They were strict in their profession, and always had the scriptures in their house for themselves and their children to read.

The first time I ever remember going to meeting was to a Baptist Church called Petersfield. I rode behind one of my parents. The preacher’s name was James Shelborn, spoken of by D. Benedict in his hystory of the Virginia Baptist Preachers. I suppose at this time I was about five years of age. The next distinct recollection I have of being at meeting again a Baptist meeting also, our good mother give in her experience part of which I heard. I endeavored to get to where she was, but the crowd was so close it being in a private house and I so small I began to be afraid the men would tread me to death. I scrambled out of the crowd to get to a place of safety. I remember to have been much affected. This was among the first religious impressions I have any knowledge of. I could not have been above six years old at this time. My mother I suppose was baptised now, tho I did not see the baptism. The first baptism I ever saw was a little after this.

I was sent to school early. The chance for getting even an English education in those days was very poor. No schools but ordinary ones in which were only taught speling, reading, writing and arithmetic. Books were very scarce. These were the only branches taught until I nearly grew up.

When I was about eight years old my Father, with his family moved to S. Carolina and settled in Edgefield District. There I grew up getting the best education within reach which was still poor. My parents had a few religious books and the Testament was our school book, among them I think were Doddridges Rise and Progress, Allien’s Allarm, Baxter’s Call, Russel’s Seven Sermons, Bunyans Pilgrim and my father was a great reader for his opportunity, so I grew to manhood and as I grew in years I grew in sin, but not without many compunctions of conscience. Our parents endeavored to raise us in the fear of God but how feeble are all attempts without the mighty power of the Spirit of God. We were all in the habit of going to hear preaching and my father often had sermons preached at his own house. The sermons we heard were all generally of the Baptist order.

When I left my parents to go into the world for myself, I was employed in a revenue office in the year 1798. I continued there two or three years, my employer not treating me exactly with justice as I thought, I left him and engaged in a clerkship with a merchant in 1801. With this man I lived till he died in 1804. Then was employed by his excutors to settle his business. While doing this another young man and myself began a business of our own.

For several years now I seldom heard any preaching forgetting God and growing in sinfulness. I had made a little money but my name was much stronger than my capital. We continued business till 1807. As I have said along these years I seldom went to hear the gospel giving myself up to the service of sin and the world. Still I was often afraid and thought to mend my ways. The teachings of my parents would come sometimes with weight upon my mind and as often pass away with the slightest temptation.

In June 1807 I was married. I was now in business for myself and set up in Augusta [Georgia] in October. Here I was taken sick with influenza. Many died round about us. This was a dark time. Much in debt, sick, seemingly at the point of death and a poor miserable sinner. At length my physician told me I must leave the place, go into the country or I would surely die. I left, went to the country, set up my stock of goods. The neighborhood was good on many accounts, especially for meeting houses and religious people. Here I was found in July 1809. In the latter part of this month broke out that great revival that spread throughout the District.

Saturday before the 4th Sunday in this month one of my neighbors came by, a young preacher and an excellent man and inquired if I was not going to meeting. I said no. The revival now began to spread in the neighborhood. I concluded to go on Sunday as it was my custom but not with the least idea of seeking religion. Indeed I do not remember any day in my previous life when I felt a harder heart, a more stubborn will and a stronger malicious enmity against God. A sermon was preached and a call for inquirers to come for prayer. Among these mourners was my companion. Towards the close of the prayers, the servant of God prayed one sentence of his prayer grounded on the prayer and instruction of a pious mother. (He had been many years acquainted with our family).

Instantly I seemed to see my sins as leaves on the trees by millions and large as a mountain that stood at the end of my sight which seemed to be over a large extent of country and as black as the Affrican by whom I stood. Thus began my convictions. That week was a week of agony and anxious inquiry. Meetings were held day and night throu all the region round about. Several were converted through the week. Sunday I was again at the meeting house where I was stricken the previous Sabbath. My convictions seemed passing away, I became fearfull they were gone and no good result.

The preacher went through his sermon [but] I heard little or nothing of it. About the beginning of the sermon a darkness came over my mind deeper and darker than at any time before or since, with the suggestion , you have committed the unpardonable sin. Here was the crisis, what, it was inquired, do you think makes this sin? I thought light or knowledge of spiritual things and a malicious heart against God. I was clearly satisfied of the former, but when looking for the latter there was no bad feeling towards God. Just at this moment this scripture passed through my mind, but left no impression, but it immediately returned. "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren." The darkness, oh’ that dismal darkness passed away and all was light and life and joy. But before I left the place Satan, as I thought, said, "You think you are not converted, you must give your experience to the church and a large congregation will be present, now what will you do if the church turns you off? I answered I was determined to serve my God whether in or out of the church and thank God this determination holds on still. This was the first Sunday in August 1809. The Saturday before the third Sunday in each month was the day of the meeting of the church we intended to join. Mrs. S.[cott] having been delivered soon after that agonizing week, so on the day of the church meeting we presented ourselves to Big Steven’s Creek Church at Hardy’s meeting house and were received. Sunday morning we were both baptised with nineteen others by Elder Willis Whatley, the pastor of the church. Among the preachers present on that occasion was the father of our lamented brother J.W. Teague, so long a deacon of this church.

Now I know that salvation is of the Lord of sovereign and free grace. I know that election is a true doctrine. Oh, what amazing mercy it is that saves so great a sinner. Wonderful is the forbearance of God that waited so long. Wonderful amazing it still seems to be that such a sinner was not struck down by a flash of God’s vengence in the midst of my sins and sent down to the nethermost pit. Oh, I will praise him, he giving me grace to do so while time and life and being last for

Why was I made to hear his voice

And enter whilst theres room

When thousands make a wretched choice

And rather starve than come.

Being now members of the church the first thing to be done, among others, was to take up family prayers. This was done tho of course in a feeble way. From that day to this we have kept up the same duty generally, night and morning.

Not long after uniting with the church an inquiry arose in my mind whether I ought not to endeavor to benefit others. One day my pastor said he thought I would make a deacon, but thought I could not make a preacher because of my age, about thirty years. So in the course of two or three years I was chosen a deacon by the church. I never had but one difficulty in the church. This was slight and passed away without trouble because of its premature presentation. I have born many a burden thinking it to be scriptural to bear burdens as long as they can be born. "Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."

These several years passed along with me in the Deacon’s office. Impressions and a leading direction of mind continued as I thought to the ministry, but when I looked at my attainments [and] my diffidence and long rebellion against God, I would at times well nigh give up the idea of ever going farther. I was in the habit of sometimes going merely to offer prayers at the conclusion of sermons when called on or a short word of exertation, still my impressions continued. I read the scriptures and looked to the Lord by prayer for his direction and whenever I saw anything written on a call to the ministry I read it carefully, though all this time, for it was six or seven years, I carefully kept the whole matter from everyone. My thought even if I let it be know, some will say go on, others like my pastor would say it was too late in the day, and in my troubled state of mind get into more perplexity.

I was in the habit of visiting churches out of our immediate vicinity. In one of these visits I was invited by the good old Deacon to his house for an evening. In the morning the pastor of the church came over (by the by he was rather too much of a politician) and inquired of me if I would not let my name go out as a candidate for the legislature. I said on no account. "No", says the Deacon, I think he has a call to a higher office than to the legislature. Well, says the Pastor, I have no more to say and immediately left. When he was gone, says the Deacon, "I think you have impressions to preach the gospel have you not?""says he. I merely said I was afraid I had. "Well", says he, "my brother, don’t stifle those impressions, but begin to do the work and look to the Lord for aid." I was surprised at the inquiry of the Deacon, as I never had let my impressions be known.

At last I concluded to try, for I was still not satisfied and thought if I should fail or begin to do a work never designed for me to do the Lord would give me grace to take my proper place and forgive my presumption.

Soon after this I was at a school house where brethren met for prayer and sometimes a sermon. I made my first effort from this text, "Except ye Repent ye Shall all Likewise Perish." I found after this the eyes of several brethren of the church were upon me in expectation of some public gift.

I do not remember that I was ever licensed by the church though they seemed glad of my poor services. All these years I served in the Deacons office [and was] sent to associations and in the year 1821 I was ordained by Elders George Delauter and Robert Carson. [He was ordained a minister on 15th Dec. 1822. I have a copy of this certificate. J.Hatch].Had the care of no church but endeavored to preach every Sunday to some church on some out station where the people seldom had preaching and poor as my gift was the people was glad to have me come among them.

I had traveled pretty extensively in this State [Alabama] to look at the country and concluded to come to it for a home in 1818. In the winter of 1824 I sold out [in Georgia] and came to this State to look for a place to come to. I came first to Montgomery then down south to Wilcox County where most of my connections among whom I intended to settle. Got my younger brother with me, looked at the country round about, they being very anxious for me to settle among them. Then through the country to Tuscaloosa. Saw much land and many neighborhoods. Something seemed always thus far to be in the way that I could not be suited. From Tuscaloosa came off eastward into this county [Shelby] and it would seem as nigh out of the state and as near the Indians as I could get. Here I bought land and got here with my family the first of January 1825. My family were much dissatisfied and I was not so well pleased as was desirable. After being here two or three years I made two attempts to go south to get to a more congenial clime and among those some of whom I had been before acquainted. These attempts both proved a failure.

God in his Providence over rules and directs all things as is written, "Man deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps. The lot is cast into the lap, but the disposal of it is of the Lord." So I was bound to stay here.

My first sermon in this state, if my endeavors may be called so, was at Harpersville meeting (Methodist) the 4th perhaps Sunday in May 1824. The second at chapel the 1st Sunday in June also in 1824.

We arrived where we now live on the 1st day of January 1825. Had a comfortable double cabin nearly ready for occupation, but all around us was a dreary forest. The first thing to be attended to was to supply ourselves with provisions. On one of these excursions I passed by the house of Bro. J.W. Teague who left his business, took his horse and went with me rendering me all the service he could. He being a Baptist and from South Carolina whose father I had become somewhat acquainted with, which rendered his acquaintance doubly dear. Oh, I found him in after years one of the excellent of the Earth, as Baptist preaching was scarce he opened his doors for preaching once a month through this year and perhaps the next.

In the spring of 1825 I think, Big Spring was constituted by Elder Blythe, Hill and Self in the meeting house of the Methodist Brethren at Harpersville. Mrs. D. Thornton was the first member baptised into the Big Spring Church. In three or four months we were requested to provide for ourselves. In this time several had been baptised. We then built where Big Spring meeting house now stands. The next (1826) I think Bethesda was constituted by Elder Moses Crowson and myself at the house of the then Mr. I McAdams who has now for many years been a member himself, where meeting was held for sometime till they could build a house, myself as Pastor, and I continued to serve this church through all it’s various phases to the best of my ability, winter and summer, wet and dry, till January, 1859 when I gave up my Pastoral charge. [He would have been 79 at this time].

[signed) J.M. Scott, July 1860