Tip of the Sword: A History of the Pioneers, Patriots, and Preachers of Sinking Creek Baptist Church

The religious and faithful aspect of our Christian forefathers' fight for freedom is a fascinating struggle, especially when studied from the proper perspective. The facts demonstrate God's hand and influence upon the colonies and our nation's founders. It is a history that should be diligently studied and understood. How can we as a nation ever determine where we are going if we do not understand our past? How do we grasp and hold onto our nation's fundamental beliefs, values, and principles if we do not understand what they are or how they came to be? Do not our beliefs, values, and principles make us this great nation that has been blessed by Almighty God? All Americans should know their forefathers pursued liberty and fought for reasons far beyond economic freedom and political power. American secular historians who simply list "a desire for religious freedom" as one of many causes of the revolution fail us at every level of understanding the persecution that colonists endured.

Consider the majesty and faith of the words of the founding fathers in the profound commitment of the signatories at the end of the Declaration of Independence: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." There is no question upon whom they relied and no doubt about their faith or commitment to one another.

The early American statesman Daniel Webster clearly and concisely stated his beliefs when he said, "History is God's providence in human affairs." Webster could never have conceived that anyone would write a history excluding God from the story. If it is truthful, history must acknowledge God's role in it.

That is the driving theme in this history of the pioneers, patriots, and preachers of Sinking Creek Baptist Church and the Watauga Settlement. It is my hope that every reader will recognize and embrace the influence of God in the lives and circumstances of our founding fathers.