Perminter or Permenter Morgan Pioneer Preacher

Some think that Perminter/Permenter was named after the stepmother of his father James. (Patience Perminter Morgan),
of the marker for Permenter Morgan and his wife Gracie Jones Morgan's Marker

Bethel Baptist Church today,(Permenter was the founding Preacher)

Bethel Baptist Church as it appeared in Permenter's Day..circa 1800's

This photo is me at the marker that was erected by some of his descendants, in Rutherford County North Carolina.. Permenter was a famous Baptist Preacher in North Carolina in the 17 and 1800's. Many of the Morgans of Western North Carolina are descended from Permenter and or his brother James.

Footstone at the marker

His Church at Sugar Hill: Perminter Morgan was the first pastor of Bethel Baptist Church. Migrated to NC from VA before Revolution. he settled within about one mile of what is now known as Piney Knob Church, Rutherford Co. He moved later to Sugar Hill, McDowell Co. where he spent the remainder of his life.
He was interested in the material as well as the spiritual development of his country. He enjoyed the sight of thrifty stock and growing crops. He often prayed for "bread for the eater and seed for the sower."
He was an active man, a little inclined top corpulency, weighing about 175 pounds, with deep blue eyes.
At his death, he replied, "I have no fears; my future si as bright as the noonday sun." After a few days illness, he passed quietly and serenely.
His renumerations did not exceed $10.00 per year. His was a calling not a profession. He was a strong disciplinarian and in matters of decorum was often called upon to give his opinion as to the right procedure. The soundness of the Baptist Denomination in this section is largely due to his Faith and Practice.His opinions were always respected and accepted.

The Reverend Perminter MORGAN lived from 1755 to 1824. In 1773 he signed a
petition that was sent to the Colonial Council for the purpose of keeping the
Deep River open for fish to ascend the river so as to furnish food for the poor
people. He was probably under the influence of the Sandy Creek Church and the
Shubael Stearnes movement which began in 1755. In 1775 he settled within a mile
of Piney Knob Church, in Rutherford County. It is believed that he was the
organizer of the Mountain Creek Baptist Church near Green Hill as he was the
first pastor there. He was also pastor of Bill's Creek Baptist Church, Bethel
Baptist Church in McDowell County, as well as serving other churches in that
area. He was ordained to the ministry in 1791 at Mountain Creek Church. He and
Gracie soon moved from Rutherford County to Sugar Hill, which is now in McDowell
County, where they spent the remainder of their lives. He was pastor of Bethel
Baptist Church till his death. A stone marker was erected by the grateful
congregation to mark his and Gracie's final resting place.

Perminter early became a minister and was a Whig in politics. On one occasion
just after leaving one of his appointments, his wife accompanying him, he was
accosted by a mounted squad of Tories (loyalists to mother England), who halted
him and inquired where he had been and what he had been doing. He replied that
he had been to church and had been trying to preach. After some consultation the
leader of the squad told MORGAN that he believed he was a good man and they
would not molest him, "but," continued the Captain, "where is your brother,
James?" To this MORGAN made no reply. James was returning from worship also, but
seeing the Tories, he had jumped aside and concealed himself under some laurel
where he was listening to all that was said.

The Reverend Perminter MORGAN was a man of great piety and of unusual force as a
speaker in his day. As mentioned in an earlier paragraph, he was the first
pastor of Mountain Creek Baptist Church in Rutherford County, constituted in the
year 1778. He also served Bill's Creek, which was constituted in 1755. Elders
Perminter MORGAN and Ambrose Carlton led in the constitution of Bethel Baptist
Church in the year 1801. MORGAN was the first pastor of Bethel and served until
his death in 1824. He was a messenger to the Charleston and Tyger River
Associations prior to the year 1800. He helped organize the Broad River
Association in 1800. He preached the introductory sermon in 1802 and 1806. He
served as Moderator in the years 1803, 1804, 1806 and 1809.
The History of Old Tryon and Rutherford Counties, North
Carolina ***1730-1936, by Clarence W. Griffin (published 1937). In 1789, a band
of men headed by Perminter MORGAN seized Bishop Daniel Asbury, a Methodist
circuit rider, and hurried him to trial before Jonathan Hampton, a justice of
the peace and a gentleman of intelligence, at Gilbertown. "What crime has been
committed by Mr. Asbury?" asked the magistrate, "that you have thus arrested him
and brought him in the presence of an officer of the law?" "He is going about
everywhere through the county preaching and he has no authority to do so. We
believe he is nothing but an impostor and we have brought him before you that
you may do something with him and forbid him to preach any more in the future."
responded one of the band. "Why, does he make the people who go to hear him
preach any worse than they were before?" further questioned the magistrate. "We
don't know what he does, " answered one, "but he ought not to preach." "Well,"
replied Mr. Hampton, "if he makes people no worse, the probability is he makes
them better; so I will release him and let him try it again."

In personal appearance, MORGAN was a fine specimen of physical manhood - erect,
active and of medium height. His weight was about 175 pounds, possessing
penetrating deep blue eyes and a man of endless endurance, untiring industry and
energy. He was interested in the material as well as the spiritual development
of his country. He enjoyed the sight of thrifty growing cattle and productive
crops. On one occasion while pastor of Mountain Creek Church, he spent the night
with Thomas Edwards. During the evening, he walked with Edwards over the fields
viewing his crops and on returning to the home, the path led through a piece of
woodland which when they had entered into some distance, MORGAN proposed to stop
for prayer and offered thanks to God for the material blessings.

Here he fell upon his knees and in the absence of an inquisitive and gainsaying
world, poured out his soul's thanksgiving to God for the abundant prospect of
"bread for the eater and seed for the sower," and invoked heaven's richest
blessings upon his solitary listener. Edwards, for years clerk and deacon in
Mountain Creek Church, and long since gone to his reward, said that the
earnestness of his prayer and the peculiar circumstances under which he was
placed had a wonderful effect upon him and that he shed tears freely.

He preached the introductory sermon before the Broad River Association in 1802
at Buck Creek Church, some twelve miles northeast of Spartanburg and located
near the Pacolet River and under the appointment of that body he prepared the
Circular Letter for 1803 on the Doctrine of Grace, a brief but comprehensive
letter, breathing strong anti-Arminian sentiments. Again in the session of 1806,
at Cedar Springs Church, he prepared the Circular Letter for that year on The
Constitution of a Gospel Church and the Door of Admission Therein. The French
Broad Association was formed in 1807 and Rev. Perminter MORGAN ceased crossing
the mountains to attend the Broad River Association. He was still in the French
Broad Association as late as the year 1812, as pastor of the Bethel Church,
which had a membership of 42 communicants, says David Benedict in his History of
the Baptists, Vol. ii, page 528.

The following copy of his farewell address to his eight sons and two daughters,
who were all alive at the time of his death, was furnished by Brother Walter Roy
Chambers of Marion,NC, who married Miss Fay MORGAN, a great -great-granddaughter
of the Reverend Perminter MORGAN:
"I know my time here is not long. I would fain drop a few words as farewell.
Death is
certain, then wisdom is desirable. Then the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom
and when we set out on any business critical we would like to have a fried.
Christ is a
friend that sticketh closer than a brother. If God be for us, who can be
against us?
God did not create us for the devil.

Christ bore His image (the Father's Image?) and although we are fallen in
Adam, our
Federal Head; yet in the Second Adam we can come without money, or price.
All is
yours if you will come to Christ and if you do not come when the offer is
made, "Woe
to the Gospel slighter," sin will sink him where Mercy cannot be vented.

Who of you will meet me on the right hand of Jesus? Will Stephen, will
Martha, will
James and Elijah, will John, will Polly, will my namesake Perminter (Jr.),
where is
Jesse, that if he is lost, it will be with his eyes open. Oh! Abner and
Jonathan, is not
heaven and Eternal Life worth seeking for?"
This plea expresses a father's compassionate love poured out for the salvation
of his ten children.

Reverend Perminter MORGAN was overtaken with a malignant disease and among his
last words were: "I have no fears, my future is as bright as the noonday sun."
He breathed his last on 28 Apr 1824, and his body with that of his beloved
companion, Gracie JONES MORGAN (b. 27 Mar 1755 - d 14 Dec 1834), rests in the
cemetery of Bethel Baptist Church in lower McDowell Co., NC, awaiting the
blessed resurrection morning when Christ "will so change the outward appearance
of our lowly bodies that they will be like His glorious body..." (Phil 3:21).