From A History of the Jones Creek Baptist Church, Liberty Co, Ga. 
Constituted by Rev. Moses Westberry and John Goldwire in 1810.


Hopkin Padgett, second pastor of Jones Creek, was born near Cloud's Creek 
in Edgefield District, now Saluda County, South Carolina, on November 12, 
1812. He came with his parents, Hopkin and Sarah Ann Padgett, to Tattnall 
County, Georgia, before 1820.
Sometime before 1837, he became a member of Beard's Creek Church and 
subsequently, was ordained to the ministry. He was to among a group of 
members who were dismissed in 1839 to constitute Watermelon Baptist Church, 
five miles west of Glennville, and served as her pastor from 1840 until 
1847. On December 23, 1843, he was one of the presbyters presiding at the 
organization of Ebenezer Baptist Church, three miles south of Glennville, 
and was her first pastor, 1851-52.
Meanwhile, he was called to the pastorate of Jones Creek church and served 
From February 23 to August 24, 1850, and from January 24 to November 27, 
1852. He assisted at the formation of Glennville's First Baptist Church 
(then called Philadelphia) on June 26, 1857, and served as her first 
pastor. He subscribed to the missionary views of the church, though at 
times found himself at odds with some traditional points of doctrine.
Rev. Padgett was an active member of the Masonic order and while he was 
pastor of Jones Creek, had an opportunity to pour oil on troubled waters 
when a question of whether the church should allow its members to connect 
themselves with the Masonic fraternity. The query was withdrawn at the next 
conference, perhaps in deference to the Rev. Padgett. He was a member of 
the Liberty Lodge No. 96 at Taylor's Creek and after the war helped to 
organize the Middleground Lodge No. 286 in Tattnall County.
He moved with his wife to Polk County, Florida, in 1872 and served several 
churches in the area before his ministry was impeded by a serious asthmatic 
condition. His death occurred on  December 28, 1883, and he was buried in 
the cemetery of old Chicora Baptist Church.

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