If you are a descendant of the Rev. Joe Ratliff of West Deep Creek Missionary Baptist Church then you are also a descendant of Elder Ralf Freeman because Reverend Ratliff’s wife Sallie or Sarah was a granddaughter of Elder Ralf. Elder Ralf Freeman, Baptist minister, was born a slave in Anson County in the 1780s. The names of his parents are not known at this time. He belonged to John Culpepper who was a Baptist minister and pastor of the Rocky River Baptist Church in Burnsville Township of Anson County. Most of the information concerning Elder Ralf comes from George W. Purefoy’s, “History of the Sandy Creek Baptist Association.”
Elder Freeman was probably baptized by the elders of the Rocky River Baptist Church, of which he was a member. Somewhere between the years 1801 to 1806 it was discovered that he had the ability to preach so he was licensed by the church. Soon afterward he was ordained and began to preach in the counties of Anson, Moore, Randolph and Davidson.
In 1801, John Culpepper was elected a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from Anson County. In 1806 he won election to the United States House of Representatives from the Seventh District, serving 1807 to 1809, 1813 to 1817, 1819 to 1821, 1823 to 1825 and 1827 to 1829. Whenever he rode off to Washington, he left the church and congregation of Rocky River in the hands of Elder Ralf, who then began his own years of service to the church. Elder Ralph’s style of preaching was forceful, his faith firm and he handled his flock with unusual ability, and he officiated at sacraments and burials, made pastoral visits and attended to numerous church duties. He was frequently called upon to preach at the annual meetings of the Pee Dee Baptist Association and was held in high regard by all who knew him.
Freeman served as a delegate from Rocky River to the Sandy Creek Baptist Association from 1807 to 1810. In 1809 he was listed as “Elder Ralf, a black minister.” In 1811, he was a delegate from Sandy Creek Association to the Raleigh Baptist Association and was listed as “Elder Ralph Freeman.” Before 1811 he had been listed as “Ralf” with no surname. So his church congregation evidentially purchased his freedom sometime during the year 1810 or 1811. Elder Ralf continued to represent the church as a delegate through the year 1814. He also preached the Sunday sermon at the Sandy Creek Association in 1809 and 1814. Elder Ralf was a good reader and was well educated in the scriptures which was an amazing accomplishment for a former slave during this time in United States history.
The earliest minutes of Rocky River Baptist Church are for April 5, 1828 when Ralf Freeman was in attendance and led the church in prayer. He was also listed in the black male section of the church roll for 1828. In May of 1828 he assisted with the establishment of the Brown Creek Baptist Church located on Highway 742 North outside of Wadesboro. During the September to October time period of 1828 Elder Ralf was elected as a delegate to the Pee Dee Baptist Association. In May of 1830 he helped to organize Kendall’s Baptist Church in Stanly County and in July of that year he was appointed to attend the constitution of the arm of the Fork of Little River at Suggs Creek.
Purefoy described Elder Ralf as being of common size along with a smiling countenance, especially when preaching. One writer recorded that “he would request no money for preaching, but only wanted food and clothing.” At the session of the Pee Dee Baptist Association in the year 1820, held with the church at the Elizabeth Community, a minister from Charleston, S.C. recommended that Ralf give the Sunday sermon. He had heard of Ralf and had come to hear him preach. Ralf did preach on, “The Temptation of Christ.” In the middle of the sermon, he read the passage, “All these things will I give thee”, then, smiling at the congregation, he said, “Poor devil, he didn’t have a foot of land in the world.”
Elder Ralf became a close friend of Elder Joseph Magee who was a Baptist minister. They preached and traveled together, & both agreed that the survivor would preach at the other’s funeral. Magee moved to Tennessee and died first. At his death, he bequeathed to Ralf his riding horse, overcoat, Bible and fifty dollars in cash, and he also requested that Ralf preach at his funeral. Ralf rode to Tennessee to carry out the wish of his friend and, at the conclusion of his sermon, the congregation contributed fifty dollars to his support.
The last record of Elder Ralf was in the year 1831. According to one writer, it is probable that Ralf died in the fellowship of the Primitive or Antimission Baptists, but this was more by accident than by choice. When the arm of Rocky River at Bethlehem (near Ansonville) became a regular church in March of 1831, Ralf moved his membership there. The church later became known as Primitive Baptist & soon afterwards closed its doors. Elder Ralf died about the year 1838 and was buried in the church cemetery. A small stone was placed at the head of his grave & in the year 1907, this stone was replaced by a more substantial memorial marker — http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=34298009&PIpi=15825151
Elder Ralf’s wife was probably named Genny (as listed on the 1828 church roll. Their daughter, Judy married Abraham McRae. Abraham and Judy McRae had a daughter, Sarah Jane, whose nickname was Sallie and she became the wife of Reverend Joe Ratliff who was the founder and pastor of West Deep Creek Missionary Baptist Church in the year 1866. There are literally thousands of descendants of Elder Ralph Freeman and Reverend Joe Ratliff living in Anson County and all over the United States. A very proud heritage. What a mighty God that we serve!
Steve Bailey is employed with the Anson County Historical Society and has specialized in local African-American family history for 20 years.