Louisiana AHGP

Part of the American History and Genealogy Project

Starling C. Lee

S. C. Lee was pastor of Homer Baptist Church from 1883 to 1886. He was born in Wilcox County, Alabama on September 2, 1826. Brother Lee was reared as an Anti-missionary Baptist and was converted and joined Cedar Creek church at the age of thirteen. In 1846, he and his father moved to Union parish, Louisiana and continued to hold membership in Anti-missionary churches. In 1850, he dissented from the anti-mission stand of his church and was tried and convicted of heresy, then excluded from the church. He joined no church for over two years, spending the time instead in study and prayer. In 1853 he concluded his beliefs most closely identified with the Missionary Baptists (same kind as Homer Baptist) and united with a church in Spearsville. Soon after, he was ordained a deacon. He later said he had been impressed with the call to preach since childhood, but refused to listen.

 Dissatisfied with his life, he became an alcoholic and a politician (records do not indicate which was the cause and which the effect) and in his own words, led a "disorderly" life. He was twice elected to the Louisiana Legislature and served in several important parish offices. In the autumn of 1861, he became very ill and was expected to die. On what he supposed to be his deathbed, he promised God that if he were spared, the rest of his life would be spent in his service. While still bedridden, the Farmerville Baptist Church licensed him to preach. As soon as he was able to stand to deliver a sermon, he actively began to preach. The next year, Liberty Church, being without a pastor, requested his ordination so that he could serve in that capacity. He was ordained by Farmerville Baptist Church and served once a month at Liberty Church for the next sixteen years. He was then called to Concord Church and Farmerville and served as a supply preacher at Shiloh, Zion Hill, Liberty Hill and Union Baptist churches in Louisiana and Spring Hill, Arkansas.

In 1869 he began service as a missionary in north Louisiana and served as both moderator and clerk for the Red River Association. He began an associational school named "Concord Institute" at Shiloh and was able to raise $10,000 from various sources for its support.

Brother Lee began the publication of the Baptist Messenger at Farmerville and saw the circulation grow to twelve hundred as a weekly paper. This paper later became the Baptist Record when it merged with a Mississippi paper.

S. C. Lee married Elizabeth Catherine Taylor in 1849 and together they reared a large family. The sons moved to Texas, but two daughters, Lizzie C. and Sue stayed in Union parish and descendants still live there. Brother Lee was a great favorite with young people and never tried to hide his past. Instead, he spoke freely about his redemption and encouraged others to overcome their particular weaknesses.

He died while serving as pastor of Homer Baptist Church. 20

Biographical Sketches| Claiborne Parish | AHGP

Source: Author's Notice: I hereby give permission for the free dissemination of any and all material included within the book and permit any non profit use of that material. Should any agency wish to use the material in a profit context, permission must be secured from the church body of First Baptist Church, Homer, LA 71040.  By Barbara Smith, Homer, Louisiana.