Sandy Creek Association

American Baptist organization

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July 13, 2026

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The Sandy Creek Association was a group of churches formed in 1758 in North Carolina. It emerged from a revival movement led by Shubael Stearns, a Separate Baptist, who settled in Sandy Creek in 1755. These churches were doctrinally similar to older "regular" Baptist churches but were characterized by more emotional worship and ecclesiastical practices, which caused tension with the established groups. By 1787, a reconciliation between the Sandy Creek churches and the older Baptist churches had been achieved.1

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Baptist
Colonial period
…in 1758 to form the Sandy Creek Association. Doctrinally these churches did not differ from the older “regular” Baptist churches, but what the older churches saw as their emotional excesses and ecclesiastical irregularities created considerable tension between the two groups. By 1787, however, a reconciliation had been effected.
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…in 1758 to form the Sandy Creek Association. Doctrinally these churches did not differ from the older “regular” Baptist churches, but what the older churches saw as their emotional excesses and ecclesiastical irregularities created considerable tension between the two groups. By 1787, however, a reconciliation had been effected.
Read More