Sion Blythe

Sion Blythe (January 1781 - 23 August 1835) was a Baptist pastor who assisted in creation of several churches in North Carolina and Alabama, United States in the early days of the Baptist movement.[1]

Blythe was born in western North Carolina in January 1781. He was baptized when aged 21 and ordained as a pastor when aged 23, preaching in Buncombe County, North Carolina and elsewhere. He was among the founders of Locust Old Field Church in western North Carolina.[1] He married Sarah T. McMinn in 1803.[2] In 1807 he was one of the founders of the French Broad Association of six churches in or near the county of Buncombe.[3]

Blythe moved to Alabama in 1816 and settled on Canoe Creek in St. Clair County. He was called the "reluctant preacher" because when he first arrived as a farmer settler in Alabama he tried to hide the fact that he was a minister, since he had some doubts about his ability. The secret could not be kept.[4] He helped organize Mount Zion Church (now First Baptist Church of Springville) and several other churches in today's St. Clair, Blount, Shelby, and Jefferson Counties, including the Mount Moriah Church.[1][5] First Baptist Church Trussville was founded on 14 July 1821 by nine men with Blythe as pastor.[6] In 1823 he was appointed moderator of the newly formed Mount Zion Association, and messenger to the Alabama Baptist State Convention.[1] Blythe was a successful revivalist, described as "tender, urgent, vehement". However, he was said to be better at winning converts than teaching doctrine, and was "somewhat of an Arminian".[7]

Blythe left Alabama in 1834 and settled in Texas in April, 1835, at that time part of Mexico.[1] He was granted a tract of land about seven miles south of the present town of Dublin.[8] On 23 August the same year he and one of his children died of a fever. He was survived by his wife and nine children.[1]