The following information was gathered from

“A Pictorial Directory of the churches of the Bladen Baptist Association, Bladen County, N.C.” at archive.org

(My note:   Three Hilburn men of Bladen County mentioned in this book were brothers… Rufus Marion Hilburn, David Henry Hilburn & Amsey Ashbell Hilburn.  They were sons of Henry Francis Hilburn, b. 1827.  At least two, R. M. Hilburn and David H. Hilburn were Baptist pastors. The man S. H. Hilburn, delegate of Mt. Pleasant church is unknown at this time.

Even though my family is likely related to these Bladen Hilburns, we’ve not met and would likely be as far removed as 6th-8th cousins or so.   It’s interesting to note that my line of Hilbuns also has several Baptist preachers, going as far back as my 3rd great-grandfather, Stephen N. Hilbun, born in 1805, in Georgia. )

Beards Chapel Church, a member of the Bladen Co., NC Baptist Association.  The following ministers have served this church: C. E. Beard, Rufus M. Hilburn, W. 8. Melvin, Henry Carter, A. J. Freeman,     Claude Home, J. K. Todd, Ara H. Dove, Joel Johnson, David Hilburn, Lloyd Johnson, R. L. Byrd, P. T. Britt, LL Todd, C. S. Smith, HB Bennett, LL Johnson, Gaston Hester, Hollan Hughes, Everitte Anderson,Thomas Hughes, A. N. Huneycutt, C. J. Ellis, Wilton M. Jones, LL Barnes, & Robert E. Hill. The present pastor is Ralph Gore.

Pastors who have served Center Road Baptist Church are Noah Mercer, G. L. King, W. L. Brisson,   D. H. Hilburn, WM. Brisson, D. L. Johnson, D. L. Hewett, R. M. Hilburn, J. L. Tyner, E. O. Johnson, C. F. Dever, K. L. Stanley, R. A. Britt, W. A. Coleman, J. M. Fleming, Paul Britt, CB Home, HB Bennett, Bob Harris, A. T. Peacock, Vance Tyson, WD. Hudson, Alton Williams, Eddie Reynolds, Howard Davis, Paul T. Forrester, James L. May, Jerry Haas, & Earl Henry.

The First Baptist Church of Bladenboro, a branch of the Galeed Baptist Church, was conceived in the minds & hearts of Baptists in Bladenboro a year or two before its organization. A Sunday School was  conducted in the old school building for quite a while before the church was organized. This old school   building was located as the present site of the pastorium. The Rev. I. P. Hedgpeth with the Rev. Snowden Hester and Amsey A. Hilburn assisted in this organization in 1911.

Two ministers have been ordained at Hickory Grove. Robert M. Sessoms was ordained in May 1856, & Charles Hester was ordained in July 1971.

Pastors who have served the church are Elias Davis, Isham Stone, Haynes Lennon, Furney Prevatte, Elias Davis Johnson, J. G. Fisher, E. W. Wooten, W. S. Ballard, R. L. Byrd, J. M. Fleming, R. M. Hilburn, AH. Porter, R. S. Lennon, R. N. Cashwell, W D. Pridgen, E. A. Paul, R. A. Stankwytch, R. L. Edwards. I.H. Lambert, J. C. Shaw, Steve Hora, Robert Carter, LeRoy Trevathan, Bruce Lanier, and Joseph Stanley.

The church was admitted to the Cape Fear Association in 1870 as Mount Pleasant. In May 1892, a vote  was taken to ascertain the feeling of the church in regard to organizing a Bladen County Association &     the result was nine for, seven against.  In Aug. 1892, the minutes state, “The business of Bladen County  Association Convention was called by the Central Union to meet Sept. 15, with Brown’s Creek Church   was taken up & Brother J. M. Register, S. H. Hilburn, were appointed delegates & S. B. Thompson, J. B. Melvin and J. P. Vause, alternates. An invitation was extended to the newly organized association to meetwith this church in case it should be decided to organize.” In Sept., 1892, the church asked the Cape Fear Association for a letter of dismission to organize a new association. On Nov. 7, 1892, delegates from the  churches of Bladen Co. met at Mount Pleasant, Lisbon, and organized the Bladen Baptist Association.    Mt Pleasant Church was dismissed from the Bladen Baptist Association in 1906, admitted to  Cape Fear-Columbus Association in 1907; readmitted to the Bladen Baptist Association in 1923.

Other pastors who have served this church are Rufus M. Hilburn; William Brunt; E. W. Wooten; H. H. Hildreth; W. S. Ballard; William Brisson; A. H. Porter; John E. King; D J Clark; O. P. Meeks; WO Biggs; W. D. Pridgen; A. D. Woodell; M. D. Beasley; R. A. Britt; Jennis McLamb; Alton Coble, who served as Associational Missionary for the Bladen Baptist Association; H. D. Harris; and Clyde Coates. The present pastor is Theodore Lawson.

Salt Marsh Baptist Church. It was dismissed from Cape Fear Association in 1892 and became a charter member of Bladen Baptist Association. The church was dismissed from Bladen Baptist Assoc. in 1904 &admitted to Wilmington Association. In 1918 the church was dismissed from the Wilmington Association to become a member of Bladen Baptist Association.

The Woman’s Missionary Union was organized in 1952. Pastors who have ministered in this church, in    addition to J. M. Register & A. D. Carter, include David J. Ray, J. D. Elwell, O L Stringfield, John Smith, Jack Bordeaux, J. P. Lennon, D. H. Hilbum, R. M. Hilburn, W. C. Walton, E. Boney, J. H. Hildreth,    Charles H. Utiey, J. H. Dobson, A. L. Goodrich, Henry Carter, David E. Pait, C B Home, Charlie Brisson, G. D. Peterson, Hugh Cox, A. E. Herring, W. H. Coleman, Boney Kelly, Norman B. Edge, Albert Smith, Garland Bordeaux, Bill Reynolds, L.D. Smith, Maurice McLean, Earl Evers, Frank Turner, H. D. Harris, and Walter Hayes. The present pastor Is Donald Hughes.

Charter members of Richardson Baptist Church, organized in 1914, were David H. Hilburn, RK Nance, Colon Singletary, John C Davis, Oscar McLaughlin, Rad Hester, Mrs. RL Sessoms, & Mrs. Hoke Single- tary.

The first conference of the church was held Oct. 4, 1914.   The minutes of that conference follow: “First Conference held with the First Baptist Church of Richardson, NC, roll called, absences noted, spiritual condition of the church inquired into, nothing reported. Doors of the church opened, received by letter, Carrie Singletary, Sarah Ann Singletary & Bert Singletary. Moved & seconded that David Hilbourn be  called as pastor. Collection on the Sabbath was $2.30. David H. Hilbourn, moderator, RK. Nance, Church Clerk.”

Sandy Grove Baptist Church- Emmett Guyton served as Sunday School Superintendent for over 40 yrs,   perhaps the longest tenure of service in any organization. Several men from this church have received the call to preach from God. They are Clyde Adams, Richard Edwards, Jerry Kinlaw, Charles Kinlaw, Stephen Cain, Mitchell Nance, Larry Hayes, and Richard Smith.

Pastors who have served this church include A. J. Freeman, M. L. Mintz, D. L. Johnson, J. T. Tyner, E. O. Johnson, R. E. Powell, S. N. Watson, C. B. Home, R. M. Hilburn, W. A. Coieman, C. R. Hinton, Wilbur Edwards, and Gaston Hester and Eugene Gaskins.

Shady Grove Baptist Church- Bladen Co. Baptist Association-   Records show Elder James Cashwell to have been the first pastor; he also served the church in 1862. Others serving as pastors include R M. Sess-oms, E. J. Edwards, J. B. Downing, Rufus M. Hilburn, J. M. Register, John Prevatte, William Brunt,   David Hilburn, CE Beard, W. Lee Brisson, J. Tom Tyner, D. Lloyd Johnson, R. M. Hilburn, DL Johnson, D. L. Hewitt, W. A. Coleman, K. L. Stanley, C. B. Home, Cleve Herring, Paul Britt, Charlie Brissori, C. S. Smith, R M Walton, Mark Owens, Earl Hales, Wiley Rutledge, Eugene Gaskins, Sam Jewell, & Harold Bell. The present pastor is Carroll Fonvielle.

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Bladenboro Baptist Church was organized March 27, 1917. The meeting took place in the public school–house at Bladenboro Cotton Mills, about 300 yards from the present location.   The Rev. R. M. Hilburn was moderator and was called as the first pastor. W. B. Hester was the first clerk. W. B. Hester and J. D. Edwards were elected deacons.

In 1919 West Bladenboro petitioned for admission and was received into the Bladen Baptist Association.

The Hilburn Family gave land to the church for a church building in 1919 & the building was completed the same year. Brother Tommie Hewitt built and gave the first pulpit stand to the church.

Pastors who have served through the years are R. M. Hilburn, R. E. Powell, D. L. Hewitt, W. D. Pridgen, Wilbur Edwards, Will Coleman, E. N. C. Andrews, A. T. Cain, L. L. Todd, J. W. Meares, B. W. Howell, Gaston Hester, Joe Campbell, C. B. Dunn, Ernest Davis, CE. Brisson, Glenn Moree, Stacy Wells, Millard Johnson, Richard Smith, Bill Harrison, and Vernon McKeithan. The present pastor is Aaron Brooks.

It is believed that the Woman’s Missionary Union was organized in 1935 under the leadership of the wife of the Rev. AT. Cain. Later, the Girl’s Auxiliary, the Young Women’s Association, Sunbeams, & Brother-hood were organized. Some of the names have changed, but the organizations are still active.

Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1885 in a community without a place of worship. The first meetings were a Sunday Prayer Meeting that met in a sawmill shanty; later this group organized a Sunday Bible Class which met in the Cleveland Schoolhouse. Several of the early members came from  the Galeed, Hickory Grove, Abbottsburg, & Sandy Grove Churches. The church was constituted with 41 members in 1886.  The church is located two miles north of Bladenboro on NC Hwy 410. Three houses of worship have been built. The first was a one-room frame building, begun in 1886, & finished in 1904. An annex was built in 1923. …

Zion Hill was dismissed by the Cape Fear Association to become a charter member of the Bladen Baptist Association at its organizational meeting on Nov. 11, 1892.  The Sunday Bible Class that later became    Zion Hill Church, first became a Sunday School which met each Sunday. It has met continuously since the beginning.  The church has ordained three men into the ministry. They are David H. Hilburn, RonaldHester and Merle Johnson.    Pastors include Rufus M. Hilburn, George C. Calnes, J. M. Register, Joe   Fisher, William Brisson, R. L. Byrd, J. H. Hildreth, W. L. Brisson, E. O. Johnson, K. L. Stanley, Paul T. Britt, Joel S. Johnson, C. J. Ellis, George H. Wallace, E. S. Lingle, Macon J. Davis, J C Shaw, Steve Hora, Joe H. Dempsy, Clyde Coates, George W. Langley & Tim Sellers. The present pastor is Robert L Boone.