Prosperity Church formed when families withdrew from Poplar Tent over Watts's Psalms introduction

Context

This passage from the Centennial History’s “Sketches of Congregations” section describes the origin of Prosperity Church in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The account explicitly traces the church’s founding to the introduction of Watts’s Psalms and Hymns at Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church in 1788, which caused a group of families to withdraw and organize an Associate Reformed congregation.

Extract

Prosperity, Mecklenburg Co., N. C., owes her origin, about 1788, to the introduction of Watt’s Psalms and Hymns. Adam Meek, Robt. and James, sons of Henry Hunter, James Steele and others had been in connection with Poplar Tent, but withdrew because of the aforesaid innovation. About this time a godly licentiate journeyed this way as the leaves were falling in 1788. Having ministered acceptably he was ordained and installed pastor July 1, 1789. His early and lamented death left them destitute.

Significance

This extract provides one of the clearest statements of psalmody-driven church formation in the Centennial History. The phrase “owes her origin…to the introduction of Watt’s Psalms and Hymns” makes the causal link unmistakable. The naming of specific individuals (Adam Meek, Robert and James Hunter, James Steele) who “withdrew because of the aforesaid innovation” provides concrete evidence of named persons making denominational transfers over psalmody convictions. The rapid organization—a pastor ordained within months of the withdrawal—suggests these were committed believers acting on principle, not disgruntled members looking for an excuse to leave. This case predates Rankin’s Kentucky controversy by five years (1788 vs. 1793), showing that psalmody-driven realignment was already occurring in the Carolinas before Rankin’s public fight.