.sssss - Wake Forest University€¦ · n 1989 by Company , Virginia THREE FORKS BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTES, 1989 206.9756/M66thr Dedication \

ST A TE North Carolina

BAPTIST BIOGRAPHY DATA FORM

Please read carefully the Instruction Sheet and then list the appropriate information as it directs.

1. NAME -~V~an=c-=-e--------- -~C=l=a=r~e=n=c-=-e -----cO~t-'--t-'--o~------- (Last) (First) (Second)

Give full names. For a married woman please put maiden name in parentheses. !EXAMPLE: Cole, Mary Ann (Smith).J

2. BIRTH __ Pi_._n_e_o_l_a:_·~(P~l-ac~·e) .sssss: ~-(C~o-un-t-y)-- Nort~s~!folina ~r£;?/07

DEATH _

3. PARENTS Ra¥mond ..o.±±.i.i!L-1l~ce and Sal l:iz: frlreene) Vance ~. 1EX'A'MPLE:'A'fec JoeDoaks and Ltlcy 'i\tae (Brown) DoakSJ Father's occupationrrainman' & Minister Mother's occupation House wife

4. BROTHERS ( 6) .

List full names and year of birth Claude 1916(deceased) Jesse Carl, 1918; Herbert Talmadge, 1920; Harry

J 225; Raymond, .Ir. 1927. (Living or deceased) Number David, 1923; Clyde nharles,

5. SISTERS List full names and year of birth (Living or deceased) Number Winnie Mae -(v) Thompson 1905; Ethel Leennab (V) Bennett 1909; Hazel (Vance) Blanton, 1911; Margaret Elizabeth (V) Dillard 1913; Mary Magdelene 1923; Betty Jeab Vance(Deceased) 1929

6. CHILDHOOD RESIDENCE: (Please list each residence of 3 years duration or more, up to the time of the 18th birthday)

Post Office County Pineola (T) Avery Proctor (T) Swain

c D Sylva (T) Jackson ---------- ------- ------- -----

c D ------- ------ ---- c D ------- ------ ---- c D ------- ------ ----

Type of Community State Dates 1907-1913 19ID3-1924 1924-1945

Rural (R); town under 2500 pop. (T); city 2500 or more pop. (C). Check one.

N. C. N. C.

RD RD RO RD

T (ii T[iJ T[XJ TD

N. C.

7. EDUCATION: Grammar school: Graduate? Yes ( x) No ( Year graduated 192§! High school: Graduate? Yes ( x) No ( Year graduated 1926

School attended:sylva ColleMm~nstitute ~e) N. Car (State) (Whether graduate or not; if more than one was attended, show the last one.)

College: Years attended: None (X ) One ( ) 2-3 ( Whether graduated or not, list college(s) attended:

Graduate ( (EXAMPLE: 1935-'38)

(State) (Place) (Years attended) (Name) (Degree)

(Years attended) (State) (Place) (Degree) (Name) Graduate-level: List college(s), seminary(ies), etc. attended; earned degrees

(Years attended) (State) (Degree) (Name) (Place)

W'.M.U·--+-------1------lf---------j -':re8:1:ftl:fl:~l:ft--tffi'l:H'E~Maaeer- s ip, ; llll.C urc (others

DENOMINATIONAL SERVICE, UNSALARIED. (Please list positions eld in Baptist associations, conventions (state or Southern), national and world-wide organizations, such as; moderator, president, clerk, trustee, board, commission or committee members; etc.) Example: S.S. Superintendent

(Position)

8. SPECIAL AW' ARDS OR RECOGNITION RECEIVED: (Honorary degrees, such as: D.D., Howard College, 1948; citations, such as: Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, 1939; honorary positions, such as: "Man of the Year"-Pryor, Okla., 1943; etc.)

9. MARITAL INFORMATION: Spouse Birthdate

of Spouse Place of Marriage (Town and State)

Date of Marriage

( 1) ~...._-+i!-t,*'-~~-----J---;2,1-J...J..µM!;L.J....J..j,/_j.+-""l.l..d.JLJLYJU..,.......:l..U;l..Q~-+---'-µ.</-___,_..._ __

(2L-----------l-----+---------+-----

Number of children ( 2 ). List their full names and birthdates: (an example of a married ·daughter would be: Mrs. John Alan (Mary Lou) Ross, 3-7-1918)

Mrs0 ~Chas Darrell (Clara Sue) Wilson, 6/15/33 Mrso Luther Martin(Doris Anne) Banner 10/9/34

10. VOCATIONAL HISTORY (List all vocations, occupations, trades, or professions engaged in for two or more yea~) Flooring Mill; Railroad fireman; Paperrnaker

Associational Missionary; Pastor·

11. RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE: Conversion 1918 11 yrs Baptism 1918 Proctor

(Date) (Age) (Date) (Church)

List any church, other than Baptist, with which formerly affiliated . . ) -

Ordained as: Minister ( ) Deacon ( ) Other _

Proctor, N. c. (Location of Church)

(Church) (Date ordamed) (State) (Place)

12. LOCAL CHURCH ACTIVITY, UNSALARIED (Place the number of years service, in the space provi~ed, for each office ever held.)

Other Offices (give number of years service)

List below other offices or service, such as: Sec., Assoc. Supt., etc. D

l============of===========t===========1F=============ll ea con Trustee Usher

S.S. -J...~~H-------+---H~>----t--------11 Ch. Clerk Other Choir Direc, _

T. U. ~'-4.l:I!.sW--------1-------+--------ll Ch. Committee Chm._

V.B.S. ---l------+-----+----------11

Dept. Supt., Director, Circle Chm.

Teacher, Counselor, Sponsor, Leader

Gen. Supt., Director, President

Ch. Treas. Ch. Library _ Ch. Recreation __ Choir Mern.

13.

1942-1944 Bethel Association Kentucky (State) (Date) (Organization, board, agency, etc.)

N, C, 1939-J 9hS 1970-1972 19~6-1947 1958l~9 1963-1964

Tuelcaseigee Assoctional S.S. Supt S. Sa Superintendent NQ C. Three Forks

Three Forks Buneombe

N. C. Moderator Vice-Moderator N. C.

N. C, Moderator Three ForJ;:s

14. TO BE FILLED OUT ONLY BY THOSE WHO ARE, OR HA VE BEEN, IN SAL­ ARIED CHURCH-RELATED VOCATIONS. (Including pastors, denominational work­ ers, missionaries, ministers of education and music, church secretaries, faculty members or employees of Baptist institutions, agencies, etc.) TYPE AND LENGTH OF SERVICE: List all positions of such service with one or more years of duration; check F (full-time) or P (part-time). Examples:

(Position) (Church, agency, area, institution, place of service) (Date of service)

FD p [!] 1. pastor County Line Baptist Church, Turkey Creek, La. 1925-1929 F [R] PD 2. missionar_y Ogbomosho, Nigeria, W. Africa 1930-1952

FI] PD 1 .. Missiona;o: Tuckaseigee, N. c. 12Li5-19h7 F OCJ PO 2 .. Pastor Oak Grove & HillQwd.ale, Boone, N.C. 12W-1252 F [i] PD 3. Eastc:c, Oak GroYe church, Bggne 1252-1257 F~ PD 4. Pastor Mt. Carmel church, Asheville, N. Co 1957-1959 F IX] PD s. Pastor Lovedale church, Sylva, N. C. 1959-1961 F [] PD 60 Bast or Greenway church, S:f'IYU'X'M.Boone,_ N. c. 1961-1972

15. OTHER TYPES OF RELIGIOUS SERVICE: (In associations, assemblies, colleges, con­ ventions (state-or Southern), national or world-wide meetings, such as: speaker, music director, committee chairman, etc.)

(Position) (Place of Service) (Date of Service)

Board of Ministerial Associates, Gardner Webb College 197~1972

16. AUTHORSHIP (Include books, booklets, lesson courses or curriculum material, and tracts) (Book, item, etc.) (Publisher) (Date published)

17. CLUB OR GROUP MEMBERSHIP: (Service organizations, fraternal, P.T.A., Civic, etc.) List important positions of leadership held

18. HOBBIES AND LEISURE INTERESTS: Favorite Fishing, huntj ng Others HikiDg, Camping

19. PUBLIC SERVICE: (Military, educational, political, etc. not previously listed) _

The information for items #l-19 has been filled in by-1..C.-..-1c10-.-.-1,.....1aJ.wno1<.C.--te::---------­ Mailing address Rt. 1 , Box 18 9, Banner Elk, N. C. Sources used in compiling the information are: (Example: personal knowledge; minutes, Cal­

vary Baptist Church, Wisner, La.; Court Records, Copiah County, Miss.; etc.)

20. DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERIZATION (Please read special instruction sheet care­ fully and sample biographies before proceeding.)

Name of person writing the above characterization ----------~---------''---------

P. 0. Address-----------------------------------

Return to:

Name---------------------------------,,.--------~ P. 0. Address _

1998 Minutes, Tuckaseigee Baptist Association

'Dedicated to the Memory of Rev. Clarence Otto (C.O.) Vance

C. 0. accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour at an early age and was involved in chun .. h work. · was leader of the Sunday School of Lovedale Baptist Church for a number of years. He accepted the .all of God to the ministry in 191~5 at the age of38 and continued his education at Fruitland Baptist Bible I • it ute in Fruitland, North Carolina. He and his brother Harry, who had surrendered to the call of the nu .try earlier, were ordained on March 16, 194 7, by the Lovedale Baptist Church. He was a well-known B J List minister for over 50 years, especially in the mountains of North Carolina.

C.O. served as Associational Missionary in the Tuckaseigee Baptist Association 1945-46 I as interim 1976-77. He served as pastor of Oak Grove and Willowdale Daptist Churches in Watauga C· ty, Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Asheville, Lovedale Baptist Church in Sylva, and Greenway I .ipl :,,t .Qiurch in Boone.

C.O. was married to Marie Hensley of Sylva. Marie passed away in December 1997. To th+ was born two daughters, Sue Wilson and Doris Banner. When C. 0. was 23 his father died in : related accident, and he became a father-figure for his seven younger siblings who ranged in age 1. n 6 months to 12 years. Sue and Doris are like sisters to these younger children as he loved and cared for cm as one family.

C.O. was able to accomplish all that he did because of his dedication to God, his church an<l his calling. He always tried to "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," and all the other thin ',S were added unto him.

C. 0. Vance was one of thirteen children of the Rev. R. 0. Sr. and Sally Green Vance. He was born August 10, 1907, in Pineola (Avery County), North Carolina. The other children are Winnie Rickman Thompson (deceased); Ethel Bennett (deceased), Hazel Blanton (deceased), Margaret Dillard, Claude (deceased), Carl, Herbert (deceased), Mary Bennett, Harry, Clyde, R.O. Jr., and Betty Jean (deceased).

In 1913 his father moved the family to Proctor, North Carolina, on Hazel Creek in Swain County, where he was employed by the Ritter Lumber Company. While living in Proctor, C.O. 's father surrendered to the call to the ministry. Here C. 0. attended school and later was employed by the Ritter Lumber Company. In 1924 the family moved to Sylva, North Carolina, where C. 0. 's father was employed by the Blackwood Lumber Company of East LaPorte and the pastor of churches in the Sylva area, among these was the East Sylva Baptist Church. C. 0. attended the Sylva Collegiate Insitute.

l)ll I \.-

111

This Annual is Dedicated

in Honor of

Rev. Clarence "C.O." Vance

VVhat can you say Wien you are asked to wite a dedication for such a remarkable Christian man Vvtiose ministry spans so many years?

In earlier years, he was very devoted and dedicated to Sunday School work. His first full-time ministry was as an associational missionary in his home association ofTuckaseigee for three years. He has served three churches in our association: WillcMdale, Oak Grove and Greenway, as 'Nell as Lovedale in Tuckaseigee and Mt. Carmel in Bunrombe. After serving Greenway for eleven years, he retired. Since then he as served as Interim Pastor in 21 churches over North Carolina. After retirement, he attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Portland, Oregon in 1973. While there, he 'N8S invited to go to Burlington: Washington as Interim Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in the Mt. Baker Association (northwest) Vvtiere he stayed most of the year, and preached a revival in Kalmath, California on his way home. He 'NaS the first Director of Missions for the Southern Baptist Convention in the northvvest, and has been back to the area for revival and renewal several times.

Pertiaps no man has been in more demand for all types of preaching than he-weddings, funerals, pulpit supply, the list is endless. He has been a role model for other pastors.

We thank God for letting him live among us, and 'Ne must remember that throughout all these years of service, he 'Has joined by his dear, beloved wife, Marie, Vvtio stood by him through good and bad times. Now, since God has called her home, there is such an empty place in his heart and life.

Out of appreciation for all he has done for so many of us, and Vvtiat he rneens to us, let's show him how important he is to us, as we demonstrate this through our love, concern, compassion and by "keeping in touch" with him. (Address: Baptist Retirement Homes, 213 Richmond Hill Drive; Room 103-E, Asheville, NC 28806)

Submitted by: Bertha Robinson 1997 Minutes, Three Forks Baptist Association

n 1989 by Company , Virginia

THREE FORKS BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTES, 1989

206.9756/M66thr

Dedication The 1989 Annual of the Three Forks Association is dedicated to the Reverend

Clarence 0. Vance. Reverend Vance, ordained in 1947, has served as pastor of Willowdale, Oak Grove, and Greenway in this Association, and is now Pastor Emeritus at Greenway. He has served as interim pastor for churches more than twen­ ty times, including Laurel Springs, Cove Creek, Perkinsville, Bethel, Willowdale, and Oak Grove. Reverend Vance has also served the Home Mission Board and as Director of Missions for the Northwest Baptist Association in the stale of Washington. He has been very active in Sunday School work. Reverend Vance and his wife Marie continue to reach into the hearts and homes of many in our area. He is beloved in our Association as he serves our Lord.

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TIIREE FORKS BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTES, 1982

This Annual Is Dedicated

In Honor Of

Rev. C. 0. Vance Fonner railroader who at forty was ordained to the Gospel Ministry and served churches in the Three Forks Baptist Asso­ ciation for 25 years before retiring from the regular pastorate. Since retirement he has served well as Interim Pastor, Interim Associational Missionary, and conducted many mission studies and revivals here and in Washington State.

For all his ministry C. 0. Vance has been enthusiastic, witty, and has abounded with tireless energy as a spiritual leader in evangelism and missions.

and

In Memory Of

Rev. Cannon Ward Mr. Ward became a Christian at an early age and was very active in his church, serving at various times as deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, teacher of adult men and young people. But the highlight of his life came August 8, 1971 when he was or­ dained into the Gospel Ministry by Brushy Fork Baptist Church. He served Willowdale, Boone's Fork and Bethel churches for a total of 10 years and was actively serving as pastor of Bethel Church when a sudden heart attack ended his career November 9, 1981.

He served one term on the General Board of the Baptist State Convention. Also 20 years as Post Master of Sugar Grove.

,Bakersville Baptist Revival Set Bakersville Baptist Church

will hear Rev. G.C. Vance of Banner Elk, N.C. in a series of meetings emphasizing re. newal and revival as well as evangelism. Begfnning Sunday evening, April 29th at 8:00 o• clock with "all church night'' the services will continue each night of the week and close on Sunday, May 6, Mr, Vance is a native of Wes.

tern North Carouna, having been born in Avery County.At the age of six his family mov, ed to Swain and Jackson Coun­ ties where he grew up. His mother, Mrs, Sally Greene Vance, was a native of .Mit­ chel l County and was the daughter of the late William Greene of Spruce Pine. The present Mrs, Vance is the daughter of the late Charles Hensley, a native of Mitchell who was reared on Mine Creek. But like Mr. Vance, most of her life was spent in the environs of Sylva. The evangelist has served

au over the state in pastoral, denominational and associa, tiona l missionary mini- . str Ie s, Among the churches he has served are .Lovedale in Sylva, Mt. Carmel in Ash­ eville, and Willowdale and Oak Grove churches in Watauga County, Until his retirement last October he was pastor of the Greenway Baptist Church of Boone for eleven years. WhileatGceenwayMr. Vance

e stablisbed a very impressive record in membership, fin­ ances, and church owned pro. perty, Since retirement the evange­

list has been in great demand as interim pastor, and for evangelistic campaigns and supply work. Stating bis atti­ tude on retirement Mr, Vance said: "It is my desire and prayer, sfnce retiring from the active pastorate, that I can still be used of the Lord in interim, pulpit supply, evan; gelism and other work among the churches with my breth, eren.'' Music during the series will

be led by Dennis Phillips, Di­ rector of Youth and Music of the church. Emphasis will be given on Friday and Saturday nights to youth, Groups from Mars Hill College will assist the local choir With special music and testimonies •

..... ~·· ..... - .......... ·• ~ Spring Hope Enterprise Spruce Pine:Tri-CountV News­ Sf. Pauls Review Sylva Herald Tabor City Tribune Taylorsville Times Trenton: Jones Journal Troy: Montgomery Herald Valdese News Wadesboro: Anson Record Wadesboro: Messenger &

Intelligencer

.cf~ r/?~

First Baptists To Hear V. Rev. Vance, Clayton Jefford In the vacation absence of the.

Rev. James Sides, pastor of the First Baptist Church, the pulpit supply on July 20 will consist of the the Rev. C. 0. Vance •on Sunday morning and Clayton Jefford on Sunday night. Mr. Vance is a native of

Sylvia. Most of his ministry has been in the western part of this state as he has served as pastor and superintendent of missions. He retired from the active pastorate in October, 1972, after 11 years at the Greenway Baptist Church in Boone. Since that time, he has been bery busy serving in interim and supply work in several churches. Most of the past two years have been spent in the Pacific Northwest as interim pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Burlington, Washington, and as Interirr associational missionary of the Mount Baker Baptist Association of the Northwest Baptist Convention. These Northwest areas are considered pioneer mission endeavors of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Mr. Vance and his wife are

now living in their retirement home at Banner E~ One of their daughters, Mrs. Darrell Wilson, is a member of the First Baptist Church and a teacher at Mooresville Junior High School. On Sunday night, during the

service which begins at 7:30, Jefford, a member of the local church, will preach. He is a rising junior at Furman University, Greenville, S. C. He is a Mooresville product

and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Jefford, live at 446 Fieldstone Road. While in

School he

served as a Youth Week pastor and preached one Sunday night last December at Student Night. Jefford has expressed his in­ tention to enter vocational Christian service and is a member of the Church Relations Vocations group and is also acitvely involved in the Baptist Student Union at Furman. He is an honor student consistently achieving the Dean's List. As a member of a Youth Ministry Team recently formed by the First Baptist Church, he preached last Sunday night at Immanuel Baptist Chapel in Winston­ Salem. The First Baptist Church

invites the public to attend these services and all the other services of the church. MocksVilre: Davie l..u.

Enterprise-Record Monroe: Enquirer-Journal ~ Mooresville Tribune ~ Morehead City: Carters~ Co.- '-c)

News-Times d Mount Airy News -:::;::... Mount Airy Times -::;. Mount Holly News Mount Olive Tribune ~ Murfreesboro: Roanoke-Chowan <)

News-Herald Murphy: Cherokee Scout Y) Nashville Graphic Newland: Avery Journal Newton: Observer-News-Enterprise North ~il~r,boro: Journal-Patriot Oxfor~er1 ,., 1(:t-v r-

Tuckasege Baptists Name Missions Chief

SYLVA - The Rev. Clarence 0. Vance is the new interim director of missions for the Tuckasegee Baptist Association.

A former pastdf in Jackson County. Vance was the first director of missions for the association here in 1936. His pastorates have included Lovedale Church here, Mt. Car me 1 in Asheville, and churches in Boone, Vilas, Lenoir, Sugar Grove and in Burlington, Wash. He is a graduate of Fruitland Bible Institute. He comes here from the

Three Forks Association as intermim director of missions. Since his retirement in 1972, he and his wife have traveled extensively. The Rev. Walter Middleton,

, previous director here, became minister for the Tuckasegee Baptist Church during the summer.

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:Asheville Citizen Asheville Times ~sheville: Citizen-Times Burlington: Times-News Chapel Hill Newspaper Charlotte News Charlotte Observer Concord Tribune Dunn Record Durham Herald Durham Sun Elizabeth City Advance F ayettevllle Observer Fayetteville Times ~ Gastonia Gazette I) Goldsboro: News-Argus 1') Greensboro Daily News

OV 7 1976

- :)_ l Vance has been spreading the gospel for more than 40 years By EDWIN POWEll Democrat Staff Writer

The Rev. C.O. Vance was recent­ ly honored by the congregation at Greenway Baptist Church and by the Three Forks Baptist Association for more than 40 years of ministry in Watauga County.

"I've gotten a lot of honors, but none of them has meant more than this one," he said of the simple pla­ que he received Sunday, July 1.

A native of Avery County, Mr. Vance grew up in Sylva, where his father worked for the Ritter Lumber Compay's railroad. He was a bivocational minister who worked during the week and preached wherever he could on weekends.

Mr. Vance said he began feeling a call to the ministry as a young man, but his father was killed in a train accident in 1930 and as the oldest son in a brood of more than 10 children, he felt his first respon­ sibility was to his family.

"I didn't (go into the ministry) as a young man. I didn't get the educa­ tion I needed. My father had a large family, I was the second of 13 children, I got a good job and had to work to help them," he said.

He worked for 11 years at Mead Paper Company in Sylva, and during World War II he took a job with the Atomic Works Commission in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Although he did not realize it at the time, the top secret work he was doing there contributed to the construction of the first atomic bombs.

After the end of the war, activity at Oak Ridge began to taper off somewhat and Mr. Vance was hospitalized complaining of chest pains, but doctors could find noth­ ing wrong with him.

"I knew it was the burden," he said.

The discomfort ceased when he left Oak Ridge and returned to Sylva where he became director of mis­ sions for the Tuckasegee Baptist As­ sociation in Jackson County.

After accepting that position, the association sent him to a six-week ministerial workshop at First Baptist Church in Boone. The workshop took place in the dead of winter and he said he was happy to return to the somewhat warmer climes of Sylva.

"I told (my wife) Marie, 'I hope the Lord doesn't call us to Boone,' " he recalled.

But in 1947, he came to Watauga County to accept a call to pastor Oak Grove and Willowdale Baptist churches. Neither church was large enough to support a full-time pas­ tor, but Willowdale had a par­ sonage; and the two churches shared Mr. Vance's services.

He alternated preaching at one

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The Rev. C.O. Vance was recently honored by Greenway Baptist Church for his years of ministry in Watauga County. church on Sunday morning and the other on Sunday evening, reversing it the following week. He held mid­ week services at Oak Grove on Wednesday evenings and at Wil­ lowdale on Thursday evenings. As the churches grew, he became a full-time pastor at Oak Grove.

He pastored Oak Grove ex­ clusively for five years, took a brief call in Asheville and returned to be­ come the pastor of Greenway Bap­ tist Church, where tie stayed until he retired in 1972.

Unlike other professions, retired ministers never truly leave their work. In the past 18 years, Mr. Vance has served as interim pastor

. of 21 different churches in Macon, Mitchell, Caldwell, Jackson and Wilkes counties.

"For two years, we went to the state of Washington," he said.

Now, at 83, Mr. Vance is slowing down a little, taking time for some of the other passions in his life, fish­ ing and railroads. Because his father once worked on the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Ra~ad,_Mr. Vance is con-

sidered a "Tweetsie old-timer." "I love to go and hear that steam.

Diesels are powerful and fast, but to me, railroading is nothing but a steam engine," he said.

On Labor Day, Mr. and Mrs. Vance will celebrate their 59th wed­ ding anniversary.

"I got married on Labor Day, and I've been laboring ever since," Mrs. Vance said with a wry smile:_//