A foot bridge over Bennett Spring near a Baptism sitearound 1922
A Time to Remember
Baptisms at Brice Missouri
By Ronnie Powell
On a cold windswept November, Sunday afternoon in 1949 a large crowd of people gathered near the once thriving town of Brice Missouri. The site where these people were congregating was located between the ruins of an old grist mill and a limestone bluff, near water’s edge. Steam from the fifty degree water of Bennett Spring branch wafted up into the wind. The occasion, a baptism was about to take place in the crystal clear water of the branch, a ritual important to most folks then and now.
Situated apart from the rest of the people, were thirty men, women and children waiting at the water’s edge to be baptized. Joyce a young girl at the time, stood with her father near the bank shivering. “I was dressed in light clothing for the immersion and a bit apprehensive of what to expect,” she said. “When at last my turn came, I timidly stumbled out into the stream to stand next to Pastor Earl Scrivener. He immediately led me to deeper water and placed a firm hand over my mouth and nose.”
Raising his eyes skyward the Pastor said. “I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
“Seconds later the water closed over me and I thought I would drown,” said Joyce. “When Pastor Scrivener brought me up he immediately led me ashore and I was quickly taken to one of the outhouses to change into dry clothing.”
This particular baptism at Bennett Spring, (Brice) was the aftermath of a six week revival taking place at the Community building in Windyville, Missouri. Earl Scrivener a renowned Baptist minister of the area at that time, endowed with great intensity and persuasion ultimately led the converted and their families to the beautiful Bennett Spring Valley to complete the final aspect of their born again experience.
Minnie Pitts Powell recalled for me a time in the spring of 1922 when she was a small girl accompanying her parents to Bennett Spring, (Brice). The purpose of the journey was to take corn there to be ground into flour and stock feed. The trip began at Hog Eye, Missouri, by wagon heavily laden and lasted from sunup to sundown.
“The next morning after the corn was delivered to the mill the family learned there was to be a baptism later in the morning.
“We had nothing better to do and decided to attend the event,” Minnie said. “There were a large number of wagons, buggies, saddle horses and a few automobiles parked along the stream and many people were gathering at the baptism site. We were later invited to share a bountiful meal spread out on the ground and met many people including kin for the first time.”
Baptisms are still being conducted in several of the streams across the country. Dousinberry Creek and Four Mile are but two of the tributaries of the Niangua River where these events take place. The Niangua River at the Williams Ford, Moon Valley and Windyville Bridge are also among the sites where baptisms still occur.
Old traditions often fade when changes take place and perhaps baptisms in the rivers and creeks will someday cease. Many who attend church at the present practice baptism in indoor pools, but of course the outcome is the same, but lost are the gatherings of friends and families crowding close to the bank singing, “Shall we gather at the river.”
Baptisms are considered a blessed event and have transpired countless times since the man of Galilee was baptized.
Today Bennett Spring is a Missouri State park, catering to trout fishermen. For the most part Brice is no longer there, torn down and carted away many years ago. The old mill is gone, only traces of it remain. The bluff is still there at one of the baptism sites and it’s not difficult to imagine a crowd gathering on a Sunday afternoon waiting for a most remarkable event to transpire. Adios
A Time to Remember
Baptisms at Brice Missouri
By Ronnie Powell
On a cold windswept November, Sunday afternoon in 1949 a large crowd of people gathered near the once thriving town of Brice Missouri. The site where these people were congregating was located between the ruins of an old grist mill and a limestone bluff, near water’s edge. Steam from the fifty degree water of Bennett Spring branch wafted up into the wind. The occasion, a baptism was about to take place in the crystal clear water of the branch, a ritual important to most folks then and now.
Situated apart from the rest of the people, were thirty men, women and children waiting at the water’s edge to be baptized. Joyce a young girl at the time, stood with her father near the bank shivering. “I was dressed in light clothing for the immersion and a bit apprehensive of what to expect,” she said. “When at last my turn came, I timidly stumbled out into the stream to stand next to Pastor Earl Scrivener. He immediately led me to deeper water and placed a firm hand over my mouth and nose.”
Raising his eyes skyward the Pastor said. “I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
“Seconds later the water closed over me and I thought I would drown,” said Joyce. “When Pastor Scrivener brought me up he immediately led me ashore and I was quickly taken to one of the outhouses to change into dry clothing.”
This particular baptism at Bennett Spring, (Brice) was the aftermath of a six week revival taking place at the Community building in Windyville, Missouri. Earl Scrivener a renowned Baptist minister of the area at that time, endowed with great intensity and persuasion ultimately led the converted and their families to the beautiful Bennett Spring Valley to complete the final aspect of their born again experience.
Minnie Pitts Powell recalled for me a time in the spring of 1922 when she was a small girl accompanying her parents to Bennett Spring, (Brice). The purpose of the journey was to take corn there to be ground into flour and stock feed. The trip began at Hog Eye, Missouri, by wagon heavily laden and lasted from sunup to sundown.
“The next morning after the corn was delivered to the mill the family learned there was to be a baptism later in the morning.
“We had nothing better to do and decided to attend the event,” Minnie said. “There were a large number of wagons, buggies, saddle horses and a few automobiles parked along the stream and many people were gathering at the baptism site. We were later invited to share a bountiful meal spread out on the ground and met many people including kin for the first time.”
Baptisms are still being conducted in several of the streams across the country. Dousinberry Creek and Four Mile are but two of the tributaries of the Niangua River where these events take place. The Niangua River at the Williams Ford, Moon Valley and Windyville Bridge are also among the sites where baptisms still occur.
Old traditions often fade when changes take place and perhaps baptisms in the rivers and creeks will someday cease. Many who attend church at the present practice baptism in indoor pools, but of course the outcome is the same, but lost are the gatherings of friends and families crowding close to the bank singing, “Shall we gather at the river.”
Baptisms are considered a blessed event and have transpired countless times since the man of Galilee was baptized.
Today Bennett Spring is a Missouri State park, catering to trout fishermen. For the most part Brice is no longer there, torn down and carted away many years ago. The old mill is gone, only traces of it remain. The bluff is still there at one of the baptism sites and it’s not difficult to imagine a crowd gathering on a Sunday afternoon waiting for a most remarkable event to transpire. Adios
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