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FROM THE BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF PRIMITIVE OR OLD SCHOOL BAPTIST MINISTERS BY DAVID MONTGOMERY AND MARK GREEN:
ELDER CHARLES (ED) SMITH
I was born April 27, 1931 in Doogan Georgia, Murray County. I was ordained to the work of the ministry August 1, 1975. I have served these churches; Blue Ridge, Murray County; Fellowship, Fannin County; and Harmony of Gordon County. Those Elders present in my ordination were: T. C. Mooney, C. C. Weaver, Loyd Parker and Paul Mooney. I was brought up in a Primitive Baptist home. After reaching my teenage, I rebelled and refused to attend church. At the age of 19, I entered the U. S. Air Force where I was sent to a school of technology and thence as an instructor in the same school. After about 2 years I was sent to an island in the midst of the Pacific Ocean for 18 months. It was here I began to remember and long to hear the sound of the gospel as I heard as a child.
After 4 years, I returned home to North Georgia, then to Livonia MI, where I married and lived for some years. I attended Little Zion Church in the area for several years and my wife, who had never heard of Primitive Baptist, was baptized. I loved the church and enjoyed the meetings but could not bring myself to ask for membership because I well knew that I was not worthy to be associated with so lovely a people.
I was reconciled to this state for several years and thought I could be satisfied with the crumbs from the table. But sometimes the hunger became so great that I considered whether I might deceive the church into believing I was a worthy candidate and just offer myself anyway.
One evening, desiring to prove once and for all that ought to be convinced to be happy to just be allowed to look and listen and be satisfied, I went to Elder Loyd Parker and poured out all of the reasons that I should not deceive the church and enter in under false pretenses, not having any grand experience to relate, or any virtue of my own to manifest. Elder Parker listened quietly for a long while, not agreeing nor disagreeing with my rambling. At about 2:00 a. m. as my wife and I rose to go, I felt that Elder Parker fully understood my state and probably would agree that I ought to continue as I was. Elder Loyd said, "Brother Ed, I am not going to tell you what to do, but I believe if it was me, I would go to the church and ask to be baptized." Well, here I was back to square one. I pondered all week and tried to pray and when Sunday came, I walked up and told them that my only testimony was that I loved the brethren! The Blue Ridge Church at Chatsworth, Georgia, received me and the burden was lifted and I began to understand those things that I had not understood. Even before joining the church, I would have this awful fear that if I ever united with them, I must also preach for them.
This became a reality sometime in the early seventies when Elder T. C. Mooney first called me to introduce services. I remember little of most of the sermons I have attempted since that day. And I don't try but that day I read and commented briefly from Revelations 5:10. Twice our house has burned. Once our little business burned.
My wife and I are in our upper 60's and are still able to work. We have 7 children, 17 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, the church and friends who love us, and a God who watches over us. What more could we ask for?
The following update March 17, 2017, From The Atlanta News Letter:
Elder Charles Edgar ‘Ed’ Smith, 85, of Crandall, Georgia, passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2017.
He was the pastor of Blue Ridge Primitive Baptist Church in Chatsworth, GA. His church and his family were his greatest joys, and he always wanted his family to live out God’s word with compassion, honesty, and integrity.
In 2016, Brother Ed ‘Smitty’ was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was preceded in death by his son, Raymond Scott Smith; grandsons, Charles Adam Morrison and Stevie Smith; parents, Henry Luther and Sarah Melinda Smith; brothers, Tom, Hobart, Odell, Ruben, Arthur, J. D., and Don Smith; and sisters, Dean Smith and Annette Mooney. Survivors include his wife, Jean Elizabeth Smith; sons and daughters-in-law, David Allen (Marsha) Smith of Chatsworth, Brian Wayne (Linda) Smith of Crandall, Kenneth Ross (Kerry) Smith of Milton, GA, and Kelly Ryan (JoAnn) Smith of Dalton; daughters and sons-in-law, Joyce Linda (Jerry) Parton of Trion and Wanda Lee (Greg) Queen of Raleigh, NC; sisters and brother-in-law, Ruth Taylor of Crandall, Ethel (Paul) Mooney of Ellijay, and Mae Elliott of Chatsworth; sisters-in-law, Hazel Smith of Chatsworth and Alma Smith of Arab, AL; grandchildren, Cameron Thomas, Crystal Bledsoe, Jamie Person, Charlotte Weaver, Michael Morrison, Luke Morrison, Billy Smith, Amy Smith, Whitney Smith, Leah Pretulak, Jillian Pickett, Jonathan Smith, Matthew Smith, Megan Smith, Nick Smith, Sampson Smith, Hope Elliott, Laramie Smith, Brittny Mussaw, Kelsy Mussaw, Tyler Mussaw, Rory Smith, Harmony Smith, Jennifer Lowe, Matt Lowe, Max Grissby, and Selena Moore; greatgrandchildren, Kallem Lowe, Jayla Lowe, Lanaya Lowe, Kile Moore, Emily Moore, Cole Thomas, Zara Thomas, Jasimine Shropshire, Jada Shropshire, Cohen Morrison, Landon Morrison, Christopher Bledsoe, Kayden Lapham, Zach Smith, Michael Pulliam; great-great-grandchild, Jayla Shropshire; and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. Brother Bill Cambell, Elder Eddy Flick, and Elder Paul Mooney did officiate. In addition of flowers, memorial contributions to Blue Ridge Primitive Baptist Church would be greatly appreciated.
Elder Gus Harter |
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