Methodist preacher Rev. James D. Carpenter and Baptist preacher Rev. James D. Cavanaugh served as co-pastors at Hickory Grove Church in 1884. The congregation's attraction to Rev. Carpenter's preaching reflected an overall, growing fascination with the Methodist denomination, eventually resulting in the Church formally separating from the Union Baptist Association (U.B.A.). Why so few members were present for such a significant vote, even with advanced notice, is unknown:
