Hezekiah Harman was born on this day in 1763 in Chatham county North Carolina. His father was the county sheriff, and young Hezekiah grew up very familiar with the firearms of his day. When he was seventeen years old he picked up his long gun and joined the state militia. He was a part of the North Carolina snipers which were successful in pushing back the British at the battle of Kings Mountain.
In 1798 at the age of thirty-five Hezekiah came under the preaching of the Separate Baptists. Despite being saved by God’s grace, it was four years before he was baptized and joined the Abbotts Creek Baptist Church. Shortly after that Hezekiah began preaching Christ, and upon his acceptance by the Hope Mountain Baptist Church he was ordained to the ministry.
Hezekiah Harman was just a rural farm boy. He was not trained in any seminary, but he was well read in the Scriptures. He loved the types and symbols of God’s Word, but his basic message was repentance and faith in Christ, following by holy living for the glory of the Saviour.
It is said that Bro. Harman had a great sense of humor. And he lived in a day when church services were not as ordered as they are today. While preaching on a very hot and humid day at his church at Bear Creek, with all the windows opened to catch the breeze, there was a bit of noise outside. Harman raised his voice to its greatest intensity and bellowed “Those gentlemen out of the doors, will please not talk so loud, or they will wake up those that are asleep in the house.” The declaration accomplished its desired purpose, and those in the auditorium sat up straight and listened more intently to the rest of the message.