USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. II > Part 44
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PEYTON S. NANCE was the most prominent preacher of this fraternity, in its early history. He was born in Henry county, Va.,
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February 18, 1795. He united with a church, in 1823, com- menced exercising in public the following year, and was ordain- to the ministry, August 2, 1828. In 1830, he moved to Ken- tucky, and settled in Trigg county. Here he entered into the constitution of Cases Creek church, the same year, and remain- ed a member of it the rest of his life. This church first joined Little River Association, and Mr. Nance preached the introduc- tory sermon before that body, in 1831. He also served it as moderator, the following year. When his church joined Original Little River Association, in 1833, he went with it. He served that Association, as moderator, 21 years. The Lord called him to his reward, about 1860.
Mr. Nance was a man of excellent moral character, and a preacher of fair ability. He was pastor of Muddy Fork and other leading churches of his Association, and was probably the ablest and most influential minister that has been connected with that fraternity.
SAMUEL Ross was born in Edgecomb county, N.C., Sep. 20, 1789. He emigrated to Stewart county, Tenn., in 1808. Here he united with Saline Creek church, in 1818. In 1825, he was licensed to preach, and was ordained to the ministry in 1830. His church first joined Little River Association, but went into the organization of Original Little River, in 1833. Of the latter organization, he was the first clerk, and served in that capacity, six years. He was a preacher of very moderate gifts, but was regarded a good, sincere man. He died, about 1863.
WILLIAM BUCKLEY, of whom something has been said else- where, was in the organization of this fraternity, and was its moderator, the first three years of its existence. He was a man of experience and fine preaching ability ; but he fell into the habit of drinking to excess, and was deposed from the ministry. Balaam Ezel, who was a minister in Muddy Fork church, and was a zealous opposer of benevolent institutions, and especially of temperance societies, was also deposed from the ministry, for habitual intoxication. Francis Moore and John Barnett were among the early ministers of this body. The former died, Oct. II, 1839 ; the latter, June 25, 1854.
JOHN W. YOUNG, a blacksmith by trade, was a preacher in this fraternity, for a number of years. His preaching talent was very meager ; but he was regarded a good, upright man, and
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had the respect of the people among whom he lived. He died, at a good old age, about 1860.
PAUL H. L. WALKER was among the most gifted preach- ers in this Association, from about 1853 to 1870. He was moderator of the body seven years, served it as clerk, two years, and preached the introductory sermon on several occa- sions. He was expelled, or withdrew from the Association, on being charged with preaching the following doctrines, which the Association deemed heretical. I. That the gospel is the means of saving sinners. 2. That the preaching of the gospel was ordained of God ; and that all men are under obligations
to obey it. 3. That Jesus Christ came into the world to make the salvation of sinners possible. Pleasant Hill church was ex- cluded from the Association " for retaining Elder P. H. L. Walker and his doctrine, among them." Mr. Walker continues to preach to Pleasant Hill and some other unassociated church- es, in Crittenden county, and is said to be highly esteemed by the people among whom he labors.
J. B. Hardy of Crittenden county, and Hezekiah Smith, of Trigg, are among the most prominent of the living ministers of this fraternity.
WEST UNION ASSOCIATION.
In_no portion of the country, have the Baptists had more confusion and strife in establishing themselves, than in that part of Kentucky and Tennessee, lying west of the Tennessee River, and known in the early times as the Western District, or Jack- son's purchase. In the southern part of this territory, the early churches were planted principally by preachers from old Red River Association, and were consequently hyper-Calvinistic and anti-missionary in sentiment. Those in the northern part were gathered by ministers from southern Illinois, and from Little River and Highland Associations in Kentucky. As early as 1823, there were, in the Western District, 12 churches, aggre- gating 317 members. All of these churches, except New Salem in Calloway county, and Clark's River in what is now Marshall county, were located in Tennessee. In September of the year named, these churches associated themselves under the style of
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Western District Association. The fraternity grew so rapidly that, in 1828, it comprised 30 churches. During that year it divided its territory by a line running due west from the Tenn- essee River, through Paris, Tenn. to the Mississippi. The churches north of this line organized under the style of Obion Association. These churches, 14 in number, aggregated 524 members, and nearly half of them were located in Kentucky. In 1830, this body declared by resolution, that it would not hold in fellowship any church that would "suffer its members to join the Masonic fraternity, or frequent its lodges." It was now discovered that some of the most prominent members of the body, including its moderator, Elder John Conyers, and a brother Nance, had united with the Masons. At once seven churches withdrew from the Association, and, together with two others, constituted Clark's River Association, in November, 1831. The nine churches aggregated 376 members. Notwith- standing this fraternity was willing to tolerate Free Masonry, it was hyper-Calvinistic in doctrine, and opposed to missions and other benevolent institutions. But neither the churches of the fraternity, nor those of Obion, were harmonious. Some of them were moderately Calvinistic, and were in favor of missions. These felt the need of a separate association, in which they could carry out their convictions of duty. Accordingly, they obtained leave of their associations to hold a convention for the purpose of consulting on the subject. This convention met at Wadesboro' in Calloway county, in December, 1832, and was composed of messengers from ten churches, aggregating about 300 members. Of the proceedings of this meeting, the records are all lost. If a meeting was held during the succeeding year, no account of it has been preserved. But, in 1834, messengers from the following ten churches, as nearly as can be ascertained, met at Gum Spring, in McCracken county : Wadesboro, West Fork of Clark's River and Sinking Spring, in Calloway county; Gum Spring and Ohio in McCracken; Trace Creek, Mayfield and Little Obion, in Graves, and Emmaus and Clinton, in Hickman. The meeting was called to order, and after due de- liberation, it was resolved to form a new association. A consti- tution, rules of decorum, and an abstract of principles were adopted, and the meeting permanently organized, under the style of Union Association of United Baptists. Afterwards, as-
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certaining that there was another organization of the same name, in the State, it prefixed the word West to its title, in 1844.
The next session of the body was held at Wadesboro', in 1835; but as the record of this and several other of its early meetings are lost, little is known of its early proceedings. It held its third session at Trace Creek in Graves county, in 1836. James P. Edwards was chosen Moderator, and J. C. Wilkins, Clerk. Mr. Edwards also preached the introductory sermon. ; At this time, the Association numbered 14 churches with 397 members. The next year, it met at Little Obion in Graves county. Durin Alcock preached the introductory sermon, J. P. Edwards was reelected Moderator, and A. E. Daniel was chosen Clerk. Two churches were received, and the Associa- tion now aggregated 408 members. From this period, till 1840, the growth of the body was slow. But about the latter date, a revival commenced within its bounds, and prvailed with great power, about three years. When the Association met at Hope- well in Ballard county in 1843, it numbered 29 churches with 1,474 members. This year, the Association appointed an executive board, to conduct missionary operations within its bounds. The following year, the board reported the perform- ance of seven months missionary labor, and a balance of $125 in the treasury.
But, in 1844, the revival had subsided, and a factious spirit seemed to pervade the body. The constitution was so amended as to allow individuals to bring queries before the Association, through the committee of arrangements. A resolution was adopted, declaring that any minister, preaching the doctrine of apostasy, should be considered as acting in direct opposition to the gospel of Christ, and an express item in the abstract of principles held by the Association. This was intended as a warning to some unsound preacher; but no intimation as to who he was is recorded. Elder Wm. K. Young charged Elder J. P. Edwards with having made a false report concerning Sugar Creek church, to which he had been sent as a committee. The charge was investigated, and a resolution, offered by T. L. Gar- rett, declaring that Mr. Edwards had made a correct report, was unanimously adopted. A resolution was adopted, con- demning open communion. This was intended for the benefit of Columbus and Paducah churches, which were reported to
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have been practicing the heresy. Committees were also ap- poined to visit those churches, inquire into the matter, and re- port to the next Association.
This charge, brought against Paducah church, and the way in which the affair was conducted, proved exceedingly unfortun- ate for the Baptists of the Western District. West Union As- sociation comprised at that time, all the Baptist churches (if we except the Anti-missionary Baptists, ) in that end of the State. This unfortunate affair exerted a baleful influence on all the churches in the Association, and kept them in a state of agita- tion, in a great degree, for a period of more than a quarter of a century. A detailed account of the official proceedings in the case would take much more room than can be allowed here. Nor is such an account desirable. A brief outline of the facts is all that history needs to preserve.
Paducah church was gathered, by J. P. Edwards and Willis White, in 1840. Soon after its constitution, it called to its pas- toral care the now venerable A. W. Meacham, then recently or- dained. About 1842, Mr. Meacham invited Thomas L. Garrett, then living at Hardinsburg, Ky., to assist him in a protracted meeting. The meeting was very successful, and Mr. Garrett became very popular with the church. Soon after this, the young pastor deemed it prudent to resign, and Mr. Garrett was called to succeed him, in 1843. Mr. Garrett was a preacher of marked ability and superior acquirements. But he was ambi- tious and dictatorial, and possessing an unhappy natural temper, he could not tolerate opposition. Having ascertained that Paducah church had suffered some persons belonging to other denominations to partake of the Lord's Supper with her during his predecessor's administration, Mr. Garrett, although pastor of the church at that time, objected to her letter, when presented to the Association, in 1843. In 1844, the Association appointed a committee to investigate the report against the church. The following year, Wm. E. Bishop and J. P. Edwards of the com- mittee, reported that, although the church had suffered one or two women, belonging to the "Reformers," to commune with her, a considerable time before Mr. Garrett became her pastor, she now declared herself opposed to open communion. The com- mittee also reported that they believed her to be sound in the faith. When the report was read, Mr. Garrett pronounced
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it false. A long and exciting debate ensued. The church, through her messengers, acknowledged her former error, begged pardon of the Association, and was retained in fellowship, by a vote of 28 to 19. In 1846, some of the churches complained, in their letters, of the course of the Association in retaining Paducah church in fellowship, and requested that the act be re- scinded. The Association acknowledged that she had erred, inas- much as the confession of the church had not been made through her letter. But as the church had acknowledged her error, in her letter of the present year, the Association expressed its satisfaction by a vote of 30 against 12. The difficulty with Paducah church was now happily settled. But the conflict in the Association assumed a new form.
Mr. Garrett continued to assert that Mr. Edwards had knowingly and wilfully made a false report, to shield a guilty church. The churches at Humphreys Creek and Lovelaceville complained to the Association, in their letters of 1847, of the treatment of Mr. Garrett towards Mr. Edwards, and requested the Association to adopt means to adjust the difficulty between the two ministers. The discussion of the sujbect, in the Asso- ciation, occupied the greater part of three days. The Clerk of the Association records, that on the fifth day of the session, the body attempted to prosecute the investigation, relative to the charge, made by T. L. Garrett against J. P. Edwards. “But after much altercation, no progress having been made, and said Elder T. L. Garrett having, for several days, treated this Association with much indignity, it was moved by Elder J. E. Grace, that we now suspend proceedings, and expel Elder T. L. Garrett for contempt." Mr. Garrett moved that the body decide by a vote whether it had the right to expel a member, for any cause. The question was decided in the affirmative, whereupon Mr. Garrett withdrew from the Association. Mr. Grace's motion was put to a vote, and Mr. Garrett was form- ally expelled from the body.
In July, 1848, Mt. Olivet, Little Obion, Liberty and Sa- lem churches, which had withdrawn from the Association, on account of its difficulty with Mr. Garrett, met, by their messen- gers, and constituted Mt. Olivet Association. The four church- es aggregated 199 members. This small fraternity espoused Mr. Garrett's quarrel, and in a series of resolutions, denounced
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the mother Association, with great bitterness, as having ex- pelled Elder T. L. Garrett for the purpose of blasting his repu- tation, and thereby covering up the guilt of Elder James P. Edwards; and as having been guilty of the most flagrant violation of truth and justice. The strife was now changed from a civil, to a foreign war. West Union Association replied, at length, to the charges made by the new fraternity, by publishing in its minutes of 1848, a detailed account of the difficulty, from its origin. Mt. Olivet Association reiterated its charges at its two following sessions. But West Union took no further notice of the subject. Various attempts were made, from time to time, to bring about a reconciliation between the two fraternities. But they all proved abortive, till 1871, when they entered into fraternal correspondence, which has been amicably sustained to the present time.
While this quarrel was kept up in West Union Association, that body retrogaded in numbers, as well as in moral power. When the trouble began, the Association numbered 30 church- es, aggregating 1,132 members. In 1849, the year after the Garret schism, it numbered only 21 churches, which, by the ad- dition of 216 by baptism during that year, aggregated 1,030 members. The next year was one of prosperity, and the body increased to 26 churches with 1, 321 members.
As early as 1845, there was such a degree of annoyance from unsound and inefficient preachers, that the Association took up the matter, and adopted the following preamble and resolution :
" Whereas, much difficulty has heretofore risen in conse- quence of the common practice, now in use in ordaining ministers and deacons ; therefore,
" Resolved, That we advise the churches to take into con- sideration the propriety of sending, each year, to the Associa- tion, before calling them forth in ordination, such persons as they may desire to call forth to the said offices, and also, of authorizing the Association to appoint a committee to examine into their qualifications and capacity, and if found capable and worthy, to give the applicant a certificate of qualification."
This action appears to have been taken hastily, at the close of the session, and without deliberation ; for it was certainly con- trary to all Baptist principles and practice. But the churches
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took the alarm, and protested so vigorously against this pro- posed assumption of power by the Association, that the resolu- tion was rescinded by a unanimous vote, at the next meeting of the body. The subject was again brought before the Associa- tion, in 1849. Emmaus church sent a request that the Asso- ciation appoint a presbytery to ordain Henry Trent, one of her members, to the ministry. But the subject had now been in- vestigated, and the Association promtly decided that it had not " the lawful prerogative to do so."
In 1846, the subject of alien baptism was brought before the body. The churches were advised to receive no applicants for membership, except they had been legally baptized by a Baptist minister. A new church at Blandville petitioned for membership in the Association, in 1851. It was ascertained that the young church had received into its membership a Campbellite woman, without baptizing her. The church was received into the body, only on her acknowledging that she had unintentionally departed from Baptist principles, and promi- sing not to repeat the unlawful act. The following resolution was also adopted :
" Resolved, That if any of the churches of this Association shall persist in such practice, it will become the unpleasant duty of this Association to withdraw from such churches." This reso- lution was re-adopted, in 1858.
A local interest in Sunday-schools was manifested within the subsequent bounds of this Association, at an early period.
Elder Stephen Ray organized a Sabbath-school, near the present site of Clinton, in Hickman county, in 1831. But the Association appears to have taken no notice of the subject, till 1846, when it adopted the following resolution :
" Resolved, That we regard the Sunday-school as a great blessing to the church, community, and particularly, to the ris- ing generation ; and therefore recommend brother S. W. King, Sunday school agent, to the Christian sympathies and coopera- tion of our churches." From that time, to the present, the As- sociation has fostered Sunday-schools, with constantly increas- ing interest ; and much progress has been made in that depart- ment of Christian benevolence.
Like most other bodies of the kind, in the more recently settled portions of the State, this body has exerted its princi-
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pal strength in supporting missions within its own bounds. In this enterprise, it has employed many of its ablest and most ef- ficient preachers, and an excellent work has been accomplished. The leading enterprises of the denomination have received the sympathy and, to some extent, the contributions of the church- es of this body. In 1855, a committee reported on ministerial destitiution. The report states that there were 42 churches in the Association, with 30 preachers-licensed and ordained; and that 12 of these did about all the preaching that was done within the bounds of the Association. A similar committee recommended, in its report, the following year, that the church- es give their pastors a more liberal support, as a means of in- ducing efficient ministers to settle among them.
In 1857, the attention of the Association was called to the fact, that a number of small, feeble churches existed within its bounds, which were without pastors; and further, that these churches, in many instances; were located very close together. The Association advised that such contiguous bodies unite, and form one church, of two or more. This is by no means the only association in which the bad policy of constituting church- es so near to each other that they could not become self-sus- taining, has prevailed.
Some confusion has originated in this fraternity, from its churches receiving into their fellowship persons excluded from sister churches. In November, 1858, Thomas Willingham was excluded from Cypress church. In July of the next year, he was received into Hopewell. This caused a breach of fellow- ship between the two neighboring fraternities. The matter was brought before the Association, in 1859, and that body, Resolv- ed, "That it is ordinarily discourteous and improper for one church to receive the excluded members of another." The next year, a committee, which had been appointed to investi- gate her case, reported substantially as follows: "We regard the action of Hopewell as wrong, and therefore, advise her to rescind the act of receiving brother Willingham." In 1862, the Association passed a resolution, respectfully advising, and earnestly requesting the churches not to encourage the prac- tice of receiving persons excluded from other churches. Sim- ilar advice was given, in 1866, and again, in 1871.
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The progress of this fraternity has been quite irregular. Mt. Olivet Association was located in the same territory, and, from year to year, received into its fellowship such churches, from West Union, as found it more convenient to attend the meetings of the former, and were willing to make the change. In 1860, West Union Association numbered 55 churches, ag- gregating 2,899 members. But while its churches received, during the next ten years, nearly 2,coo, by baptism, it was re- duced, in 1870, to 50 churches with 2, 259 members. The same year it dismissed II churches to go into the constitution of Blood River Association. During the next decade, the Asso- ciation enjoyed continuous prosperity : so that in 1880, it num- bered 44 churches with 3, 148 members, and, in 1882, 48 churches with 3,479 members. There have been baptized into the fellowship of its churches, from its first anniversary, in 1835, to its meeting in 1883, 8,755 converts, exclusive of those baptized in the years 1840, '41, and '63, of which we have no statistics.
OLD CHURCHES. Wadesboro, now in Blood River Asso- ciation, was constituted in 1823, and is probably the oldest Missionary Baptist church in the Western District of Kentucky. Trace Creek, in Graves county, is the oldest church now belong- ing to West Union Association. It was gathered by Absalom Copeland and Lewis Goad, and was constituted in the cabin of Joshua Shelton, Oct. 2, 1824. Among its original members were John Taylor, Joshua and Jeremiah Shelton and their wives, and Ralph Shelton. It probably belonged first to Western District Association, and afterwards to Obion, but under a dif- ferent name from the one it now bears. Absalom Copeland was its first pastor, and has been followed in turn, by M. S. Wyman, H. R. Puryear, S. S. Taylor and some eight others. In 1837, it was so nearly destroyed by Campbellism, that it was reduced to five members. But soon afterwards it was revived, and in 1843, numbered 32 members. It now (1883) numbers 57 members. Mayfield Creek is the next oldest, and was con- stituted in 1825. It was in the constitution of West Union Association. Emmaus, in Hickman county, was constituted in 1828; Gum Spring, in McCracken, in 1829; Little Obion, in Graves, in 1831; Clinton, in Hickman, in 1833; Ohio, in Ballard, in 1833; Hopewell, in Ballard, in 1835; Concord, in Graves, in 1836, and Paducah and Mississippi, in 1840.
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Among the early minister's of this body were James P. Edwards, Stephen Ray, E. A. Daniel, M. S. Wyman, James Bone, H. H. Richardson and Joseph Ashbrook.
ISAAC EDWARDS, though a very plain, humble preacher, performed his part in planting the standard of the cross among the pioneers of the Ohio valley, and deserves to be remember- ed. He was raised up to the ministry, in Harrison county, Va., from whence he emigrated to Kentucky, in 1791. After stopping a short time in Mason county, he moved farther west, and settled not far from the present site of Mt. Eden, in Spen- cer county. Here he probably went into the constitution of what was called the church on the Ridge, in 1798. While liv- ing here, he visited a small settlement on the north side of the Ohio river, about 25 miles above Louisville, and there gathered the first church that was organized in what is now the great and populous State of Indiana. It was constituted of four members, viz : John Fislar and his wife Sophia, and John Pettit and his wife Cattern, on the 22d of November, 1798. This church united with Salem Association, in Kentucky, under the style of Fourteen-Mile Creek, the following year. To this little band, Mr. Edwards ministered, till the Lord raised up to it, of its own number, a preacher of the name of Henson Hobbs, who was afterwards famous in Long Run Association in Kentucky, and who gathered the first Baptist church that was constituted in Louisville. After the church on the Ridge dissolved, he united with Little Mount church in Spencer county, of which he re- mained a member, till 1815, after which we have no farther account of him.
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