USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 30
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Mr. Morris' preaching gift was very moderate, but he was a fair exhorter, and his social powers were excellent. He was simple and affectionate in his manners, and he kept his garments unspotted from the world. His third marriage was an incon- genial one, and this marred his peace in his old age.
RICHARD OWINGS was pastor of Union church some years. He was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, about 1787, whence he came with his parents to Simpson county, in his childhood. In early life, he united with New Salem church in Simpson county. Here he was raised up to the ministry, and became pastor of the church of which he was a member, and of Union church, about the same time. He filled these positions several years, with acceptance to the churches, when he moved to Mis- souri. There he continued to labor until 1858, ·when, coming on a visit to his friends, he died, in his native state.
Mr. Owings was a very moderate preacher, but was re- garded as a man of sincere piety. In early life, he married Minnie, daughter of Jonathan Holcomb of Simpson county. He raised eight sons and four daughters. Of the former, Benjamin and Jonathan became Baptist preachers in Audrain county, - Missouri
STONE LICK church is located in Mason county. It was
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gathered by William Wood, the first preacher that settled in the northern part of the state, by whom also it was constituted, March 1, 1796. It united with Elkhorn Associatiou the same year. It reported 20 members. The following year 42 were baptized into its fellowship, increasing its membership to 70. In 1799, it united in the constitution of Bracken Association. With this body it remained a number of years, and then united with Licking Association of Particular Baptists. In 1838, it reported to that body 19 members. Like most, if not all, the churches in that fraternity, it continued to dwindle away, till, in 1876, it reported only 9 meinbers.
Of its early pastors, except William Wood, a sketch of whose life has been given, no information is at hand.
BEECH CREEK church is located in the southeastern part of Shelby county. There is a tradition, which seems reliable, that this church was gathered by the famous Lewis Craig, by whom, with others, it was constituted, in 1796, of the follow- ing persons : Samuel Ayers, Samuel Tinsley, Warren and Su- sannah Cash, and one other. The following year, it united* with Salem Association, of which it remained a member till Long Run was formed, in 1803, when it entered into the con- stitution of that fraternity. John Penny was the first pastor ; but finding a preaching gift among themselves, in the person of Warren Cash, they soon called him into the ministry, and, in 1799, he was ordained their pastor. A revival soon commenced under his ministry, and a large number was baptized. In 1803, the church numbered 151 members, and was the largest in Long Run Association. In 1817, it took a letter from Long Run, and united in the constitution of Franklin Association. At this period it numbered about 130 members. It continued prosperous, in Franklin Association, till 1834, when it reported 40 baptisms and a total membership of 138. In 1836 it went into the constitution of Middle District Association, where it remained some years, and then joined Mt. Pleasant Associa- tion of Anti-missionary Baptists, and, of course, has since been withering away. At present, it numbers about 45 members.
WARREN CASH was the second pastor of Beech Creek
*In Clack's History of Salem Association it is improperly printed Buck Creek.
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church, and, so far as is now known, was, with his wife, the first fruits to God of the wilderness of Kentucky. There is a tradition that seven persons were baptized by Benjamin Lynn, in Nolin river, in what is now LaRue county, in 1782. But of this, there is no sufficient evidence. On the contrary, after much painstaking investigation, the tradition seems highly improbable. Mr. Cash and his wife were converted to God, on Clear creek, in Woodford county, in the latter part of the winter, or early spring, of 1785, Mrs. Cash being con. verted first. They were baptized by John Taylor, and be- came members of Clear Creek church, some weeks after their conversion.
Warren Cash was born in Virginia, April 4, 1760. He grew up wholly illiterate. When the war broke out between England and her American colonies, young Cash entered the Colonial army, and served as a private soldier, four years. At the restoration of peace, he returned home, and, in No- vember, 1783, was married to Susannah, daughter of William Baskett, a respectable Baptist preacher of Fluvana county, Va. In the fall of 1784, he moved to Kentucky. He stopped dur- ing the winter in Grubb's Fort, in Madison county, but as soon as the weather was sufficiently open, toward spring, he moved to Woodford county, and settled on the present site of Mortons- ville. Soon after his removal to this place, he and his wife were brought into Clear Creek church, as related above. At the time he was converted, he was twenty-five years old, and was so illiterate that he did not even know the alphabet. However, he had a strong mind, possessed true courage, and was exceed- ingly anxious to read the word of God. His wife was a fair scholar and a very superior woman. She at once became his teacher, and found him a good pupil. In a short time he was able to read the Bible, and ultimately became very familiar with its sacred pages. "A few years after [his baptism]," says John Taylor, "he moved to a new settlement, in Shelby coun- ty. There he began to hold meetings, and Beech Creek church was soon raised up." After exercising in public, several years, he was ordained to the ministry, by William Hickman and John Penny, in 1799, and immediately took charge of Beech Creek church. Early in the year 1801, a revival commenced in the church, and not less than 70 were baptized.
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In the spring of 1802, Mr. Cash moved to Nelson county, and united with Simpsons Creek church. "Here he became a great traveling preacher." He visited the settlements south and west, from where he lived, till March 1806, when he moved to Hardin county. Here Bethel church was raised up, and he became its pastor. He baptized four of his children, with many others, at one time, while he was pastor of Bethel. This church became so large, that it was thought expedient to di- vide its membership. Accordingly, on the 17th of March, 1824, Gilead church in the same county, was constituted. Mr. Cash was in the constitution, and became pastor of the new church. He continued to serve this church, till 1840, when it split on the subject of missions. Mr. Cash adhered to the anti-mis- sionary party, and continued to serve it as pastor, till his death, which occurred September 15, 1850.
Mr. Cash was a plain, sound, practical preacher, of me- dium ability. Besides the churches already named, he was pastor of Union in Hardin, and Otter Creek, in Mead county. In the former, Benjamin and Enos Keith, and in the latter, John Rush, were raised up to the ministry, under Mr. Cash's pastoral care. Of his sons, Jeremiah Cash became a respect- able preacher among the Anti-missionary Baptists, in Gibson county, Indiana. He died while on a visit to LaRue county, Ky., in the Spring of 1850.
MOSES SCOTT was many years pastor of Beech Creek church. He was probably the immediate successor of Warren Cash. He was a preacher of small talent. He finally fell into dis- repute and was deposed from the ministry.
JOHN HOLLAND was the most distinguished of Beech Creek church's pastors, except John Penny. His father, Joel, and his mother were pious Baptists. They were natives of Virginia, and early settlers in Shelby county, Ky.
John Holland was born in Shelby county, Ky., about 1797, and received a fair English education. He united with Salem church, at an early age, and was probably baptized by John Rice. About 1814, he accompanied Henson Hobbs on a mis- sionary tour to Missouri Territory, whither he was sent by Long Run Association. On his return, young Holland was li- censed to preach, about 1815, and, three years afterwards, was ordained to the work of the ministry. He was called to the
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care of Salem church, to which he ministered until his death. He was also pastor of Beech Creek, Bethel, Little Mount, and Kings churches. He published, in pamphlet form, a sermon on a "Call to the Ministry," which exhibits decided ability. He was a man of delicate constitution, and died of disease of the lungs, a little past middle life-perhaps, in 1844.
GOOD HOPE church was at first located on a tributary of Pittmans creek, called Muldraugh's Mill Creek, in what is now Taylor county. In May, 1796, Tates Creek Association sent Peter Woods and Isaac Newland "to visit the destitute brethren on Green river with their ministerial labor." The object, no doubt, was to constitute these brethren a church, "if they were ripe for constitution." During this year, according to a history of the church, published in the minutes of Lynn Association, in 1876, Good Hope church was constituted of some ten or twelve members. "It was constituted a United Baptist church, and has remained such to the present time." This is incontestible evi- dence that it was constituted by ministers connected with Tates Creek Association, since that was at that time, and for several years afterwards, the only association of United Baptists west of the Cumberland mountains. Two years after this, a new church, represented by Edward Turner, and described as "the church on Pitman," was received into Tates Creek Association. All the known circumstances indicate that this was the church now called Good Hope. It was probably gathered by that active pioneer, who first represented it in the Association. After Mr. Turner, David Elkin was pastor of this church, and he was succeeded, in 1811, by John Chandler. At this date, it num- bered twenty-nine members. The growth of the church was so slow, that as late as 1834 Horatio Chandler, its pastor, wrote of it: "She has been struggling for existence for a number of years." It, however, exhibited the elements of progress, in that it had a Sunday-school-a thing too rare among the Baptists of that period-and approved the Baptist State Convention, with a desire that the constitution of the convention should be amended. Since that period, it has enjoyed much prosperity, and was, in 1879, the largest church in Lynn Association. At that date, it embraced two hundred and fifty members. This church most probably entered into the constitution of Green River Association, in 1800, under its original title of the church
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on Pittman. * At least it was a member of that body, in 1802. In the division of Green river, in 1804, it fell in Russells Creek Associacion. It entered into the constitution of Lynn Associa- tion, in 1856.
EDWARD TURNER was certainly a member of the church on Pittman [now Good Hope] as early as 1798, and was probably in the constitution of that body. He was quite an active preach- er among the pioneers in the Green river country. His father, John Turner was among the early settlers of Madison county, Ky., and his brother John, was at one time captured by Indians, but escaped from them, after a brief captivity.
Edward Turner was born in North Carolina about the year, 1768. He came with his parents to Kentucky, in his childhood. He was probably raised up to the ministry at Good Hope. About 1811, he moved to Warren county, and united with Provi- dence church. He served this church as pastor, about five years from the time he united with it, and then moved to Howard county, Missouri. He finally moved to Platte county, in that State, where he died about 1843. His son, Thomas Turner, became a Baptist preacher in Missouri, and is said to have been an active, useful minister. He only lived about twelve years after he commenced preaching.
DAVID THURMAN was raised up to the ministry, and began to preach in Good Hope church. Among the Baptist preachers, raised up in Kentucky during the early part of the present cen- tury, this eminent servant of Christ had few superiors either in ability or usefulness.
His parents were both Baptists in Virginia, where they were born and raised. The father, Richard Thurman, moved to Ken- tucky about the close of the Revolutionary War, and settled in Woodford county. He afterward moved to Washington coun- ty, where he died in 1802.
David Thurman was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, August 12, 1792. At the age of ten years, he was left an orphan and went to live with an elder brother, who put him to keeping bar in a tavern. Presently, seeing the degradation to which men were reduced by intoxication, he resolved never to drink.
#Pittmans Creek church, now known as the Campbellsville church, ac- cording to Horatio Chandler, was not constituted till May 21, 1803. The au- thor has been unable to clear up the matter, satisfactorily.
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spiritous liquors. To this resolution he adhered through every temptation. But as to every other popular vice, he gave full scope to his inclination. He was said to be a shrewd and suc- cessful gambler at the age of seventeen. Meanwhile, he had acquired the elements of a fair English education. He was a youth of great energy, and was fond of books. He pursued his studies with the same enthusiasm that characterized him when horse racing and playing cards.
But his wild career was suddenly cut short, in his nine- teenth year, by the preventing grace of God. He was over- whelmingly convicted of sin, and after abrief but agonizing struggle he found great peace and joy, in trusting in Jesus. He was bap- tized by David Elkin into the fellowship of Good Hope church .. Soon after his baptism, he began to exhort his former compan- ions in sin to repent and believe the gospel. Meanwhile, he studied theology under Nathan Hall, a distinguished Presbyte- rian preacher. In 1814 he was ordained to the ministry, prob- ably by David Elkin and John Chandler. The same year he was ordained, he was married to Jemima B., daughter of Rob- ert Scott, of Washington county. This noble woman was to him a helpmeet, indeed. "After they had gotten a little start in the world," said one of her sons, "she managed the temporal affairs of the family with such skill and industry that father was en- abled to give his whole time to study and preaching. For many years, I never knew my mother to go to bed before midnight, except on Sunday night, unless she was too sick to attend to bus- iness. On Saturday night she would have some of the children watch the clock that she might not be at work after midnight, and thereby break the Sabbath."
Mr. Thurman was a close student, and became an able the- ologian. Soon after his ordination, he was called to the care of Stewards Creek and Hardins Creek churches in Washington county. At Hardins Creek, several valuable ministers were raised up under his labors, the most noted of whom was Smith Thomas.
In the spring of 1818, he moved to what is now LaRue county, and gave his membership to Nolin church, of which the venerable Alexander McDugal was pastor. Of this church Mr. Thurman at once became the virtual pastor, and, on the death of the aged incumbent, was formally called to that posi-
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tion. He also accepted the care of Mill Creek in Nelson county and Rhodes Creek, in Hardin county. He probably supplied some other church.
His removal to the territory of Salem Association marked a new era in the history of that ancient fraternity. Unlike most of the Baptist preachers of his time, he gave himself wholly to the ministry of the Word. He did not limit his ministry to the stated meetings of his pastoral charges, but labored to cultivate every part of the territory of these churches; preaching in school houses, private residences, and in the woods, wherever he could make opportunity. Such labors were soon followed by a glorious revival at Nolin. The influence spread to the neighboring churches, and several hundreds of people were baptized. During the sixteen years that he labored within the bounds of Salem Association, many precious revivals occurred in that region.
In 1828, after a season of coldness in the churches, which had continued many months, this earnest man of God became greatly afflicted on account of the spiritual dirth that pervaded the churches of Salem Association. He did not, however, diminish his labors, but strove to increase them. He was labor- ing from house to house, night and day, when the Divine presence began to be manifest among the people on Barren Run, a branch of Nolin river, and within the bounds of Nolin church. A few persons were converted and baptized. The revival spread rapidly, and soon a large number were baptized at Nolin church. Among these were John Duncan, who was for many years a valuable preacher, and Robert L. Thurman, who has been a most energetic and efficient agent for Missions, in Ken- tucky, more than thirty years. From Nolin, the revival spread to South Fork of Nolin, Severns Valley, and Three Forks of Bacon Creek. About 300 persons were baptized into the fel- lowship of these churches. During this revival, Mr. Thurman was assisted by William M. Brown, then an active young preacher.
Mr. Graves, in his biography of A. W. LaRue, relates the following ancedote : At Nolin church, on one Saturday, Mr. Thurman appeared very despondent. There had been a long dearth, and the pastor's heart was discouraged. He told the church that his labors had not been blessed ; it probably was
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not the will of the Lord that he should labor among them, and advised them to procure another pastor. He sat down, and a profound and painful silence ensued. Among the members present was the aged widow of John LaRue, atter whom LaRue county was named. She was one of those noble Priscillas with whom God occasionally blesses his churches. She had sat in a leaning attitude, listening to every word the pastor said, until he sat down. After a few moments of profound silence, she straightened herself up, and pointing one finger directly at the minister, said, in a strong emphatic tone: " Brother Thurman, I'll tell you what the matter is-Stop preaching John Calvin and James Arminius, and preach Jesus Christ." After a few moments, Mr. Thurman arose, with the tears streaming down his cheeks, and repeated the text : " For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." The sermon that followed was one of thrilling power and eloquence. A re- revival commenced, during which 100 persons were added to Nolin church. The revival influence spread papidly over the surrounding country, and there were over 1,000 conversions within the bounds of Salem Association.
This was perhaps the last great work God wrought by this faithful servant. He had labored about sixteen years in this association, with wonderful success, and no man in it ever en- joyed a larger share of confidence and affection than did he. The following extract from the diary of Elder John Duncan, for 1834, will show something of the estimation in which this godly man was held: " August 24th. No life expected for Bro. Thurman. That night, I dreamed that Bro. Thurman was dead, and that I helped to lay him out. While laying him out, he came to life, and talked to me. I then awoke and slept no more that night.
"August 25th. Early in the morning, I started to Bro. Thurman's, fearing every minute that I would meet some one who would tell me he was dead. When I got in sight of the house, Mr. Farris told me he was dead. Ann Judson's ex- pression, when she arrived at the Isle of France, and heard ot the death of her friend, Harriet Newel, came into my mind: 'Oh death; thou destroyer of human fe'icity.' I went to the house and saw many weeping. Old Sister Lucas met me at the gate, and told me that Davy was gone home."
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Thus, after lingering some weeks with typhoid fever, passed away from earth this faithful servant of Christ, on the 25th of August 1834, in the 43d year of his age.
In person, Mr. Thurman was low, heavy built, and rather corpulent, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair.
In doctrine, he was an Ultra Calvinist, but was a strong advocate of home and foreign missions. He was a strong, chaste speaker, and his sermons exhibited the fruits of a richly endowed and well disciplined mind. He was Moderator of Sa- lem Association from 1830, till his death.
DAVID ELKIN appears to have been one of the early pas- tors of Good Hope church, in which he was probably raised up to the ministry. He was a man of extraordinary natural in- tellect, but was uncultivated, being barely able to read. He was extremely poor, as to this world's goods; and what was worse, he was very indolent and slovenly in his dress. Yet it pleased the Lord to use him to good account, especially in the early days of his ministry. He labored with a good degree of success, among the churches of Russel's Creek Association, and preached the introductory sermon before that body, in 1814. Not far from 1820, he united with the Separate Baptists of No- lynn Association, and preached among them some twenty-five or thirty years. His reputation was somewhat sullied in his latter years, perhaps from too free a use of strong drink.
JOHN CHANDLER was a number of years pastor of Good Hope church. He was a member of that church at a very ear- ly period, if he did not enter into its constitution. Though far advanced in life, he appears to have been set apart to the ministry, in this church, subsequent to 1802, at which time he was clerk of Green River Association, and was not a preacher. He was, at that time, 46 years old, and evidently a man of much prominence in the association. He was clerk of Russel's Creek Association, from its organization, in 1804, till 1808, when (in 1809,) he was chosen Moderator of that body, one year. From 1810, he served it as clerk ten consecutive years. He probably began to preach, about 1810, and was ordained pastor of Good Hope church, in 1811. In 1816, he was a member of Stewart's Creek in Washington county, but con- tinued to serve Good Hope church as pastor, till 1826, when he resigned on account of old age, he being about 71 years old.
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Willis Peck.
He lived at least eight years after this, and continued to preach, as he had strength and opportunity. He is still re- membered with much respect and affection, by the aged.
HORATIO CHANDLER was the son John Chandler, and suc- ceeded his father in the pastoral care of Good Hope church. He was a fair English scholar, was endowed with a good intel- lect, and wielded a ready pen, but possessed a very moderate speaking talent, and did not succeed very well, as a preacher. He maintained a good moral character, and was an enterprising business man, in his private affairs, in the secular affairs of his denomination, and in the business department of Christian work. He was thought to have his heart too much set on money-making, for a preacher. He succeeded his father as clerk of Russells Creek Association, and served in that capacity 18 years. He did not live to be old.
WILLIS PECK was among the ablest and best pastors Good Hope church ever had. During a long ministry, in sev- eral different sections of the state, he was a valuable minister of Jesus Christ. His father, BENJAMIN PECK, was an early, but a weak Baptist preacher. He was probably raised up to the ministry in Brush Creek in Mercer county, and lived most of his ministerial life in the neighborhood of Perryville, Boyle county, and preached at that village, and at other places in the surrounding country. He was regarded a good singer, and possessed a fair gift for exhortation. Two of his sons, George B. and Willls, were good preachers.
Willis Peck was born in what is now Boyle county, Ky., January, 1811. He received a common English education, pro- fessed conversion in early life, and was baptized by Joel Gor- don. He was ordained, in early manhood, to the ministry, af- ter which he went to Todd county, and spent some time, evan- gelizing. Returning to Central Kentucky, he took the care of Mt. Salem church in Lincoln county. Here he married Eliza Jones. They had one son, and the young mother died. After the death of his wife, Mr. Peck accepted the pastoral care of the churches at Danville, and New Providence, in Boyle county.
In 1853, he married Elizabeth, daughter of George Philips, of Lebanon. He continued to preach at New Providence, seven or eight years. He also preached at Sugar Grove church in
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Garrard county. In 1860, he moved to Woodford county, where he took charge of Clover Bottom church, and also of Unity church in Mercer county. To these he preached about four years. In 1864, he moved to Taylor county, and took charge of the churches at Campbellsville and Pleasant Hill. At the time of his death, he was preaching at Salem, Pleasant Hill, Brush Creek and Good Hope. He preached his last ser- mon at Pleasant Hill, and was much exhausted, before he fin- ished his discourse. He anticipated his departure, and directed that, of his small property, $50 should be given to missions- $10 of that to the Rome Chapel. He then told his wife to tell his brethren that he died at his post. His last words were: "I am almost over the river." He passed to his reward, July 25, 1872.
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