USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. II > Part 56
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JAMES BLAND ENGLISH, a native of Hardin county, Ky., was several years pastor of the church at Shepherdsville, about the time of the Civil War, previous to which he had been em- ployed as missionary in Goshen Association. He was afterwards pastor of Portland Avenue church in Louisville. Subsequently he moved to Missouri, where he still resides. He was a very moderate preacher, but a diligent and successful pastor.
A. FRANK BAKER was born in Owen Co., Ky., April 16, 1835. He was raised on a farm and received a good English education, with some knowledge of Latin and Greek. In 1854, he united with Dallasburg church in his native county. In 1859, he was ordained to the ministry at Hodgenville, Ky., and called to the pastoral care of the church at Bardstown. While here he established the Bardstown Baptist Female Seminary, now a male and female seminary, and one of the most flourishing schools in the State. He has since been pastor of several prominent churches in the State, and was for a time co-editor
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of the Prophetic Key, a monthly magazine. He has labored much as an evangelist, and has conducted protracted meetings in which several hundred persons have been approved for bap- tism. During the past two years he was missionary pastor of the young churches at Ashland and Catlettsburg; but has recently (1884) gone to Mattoon, Ill. He is a strong preacher, a good pastor, and a man of tireless energy.
THOMAS H. COLEMAN is a native of Mercer county, and was : licensed to preach, at Harrodsburg, previous to his entering Georgetown College, about 1857. On his return from college, he located in Lincoln county, where he took pastoral charge of Mt. Salem church. He also rode as missionary of South Ken- tucky Association two years, and was moderator of that body from 1864 to 1867. In 1868, he took charge of the Baptist Female High School, at Bardstown. In 1871, he accepted a call to the care of Little Union church in Spencer county, and, the next year, succeeded the lamented P. B. Samuels in the pas- toral charge of Cox's Creek church, in Nelson county. Healso preached monthly to several other congregations while he resided in Spencer county, and was clerk of Nelson Association sixteen years. In 1884, he moved to Georgetown, where he continued to devote himself to the ministry, being pastor of several country churches.
Mr. Coleman is a good, sound preacher, and has been, from the period of his ordination, one of the most useful ministers in the State.
JAMES M. COLEMAN, a younger brother of the above, began his ministry about 1867, and was called to the care of Mill Creek church in Nelson county, in 1868. On the death of P. B. Sam- uels, he was chosen pastor of New Salem church in the same county, in 1872. He was several years pastor of Cox's Creek and Mt. Washington churches, and served those of Cedar Creek and Mt. Moriah, shorter periods. About 1882, his health became so feeble that he moved to Lincoln county with the hope of being benefited by a change of location. Here he took charge of Mckinney church (formerly Mt. Salem) to which he still ministers.
Mr. Coleman is noted for his constant and unaffected piety, and perhaps no man in Nelson Association was ever more gen- erally beloved. Although feeble in health from the beginning
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of his ministry, he has been diligent in his sacred calling, and has enjoyed more than an ordinary degree of success.
THOMAS HALL, who is pastor of the churches at Bloom- field, Mill Creek and New Hope, has been a prominent minister in Nelson Association, since 1869, and moderator of that body, since the death of P. B. Samuels, in 1872. He was born in Charleston, S.C., June 29, 1828, and bred an Episcopalian. Un- der the ministry of Dr. Richard Fuller, he was converted to Christ, and was led to adopt Baptist principles by reading the New Testament in Greek. He was baptized by Dr. James Cuth- burt of Washington, D.C. In 1864, he was ordained to the min- istry at Anderson, S.C., and afterwards moved to Kentucky, where he succeeded Dr. Wm. Vaughan as pastor of Bloomfield church, in 1869. The next year, he was called to New Hope church in Washington county, and, in 1875, accepted the care of Mill Creek church in Nelson county. To these three con- gregations, he continues to minister to the present time. A good degree of success has attended his labors, and he is much beloved by his people. He is a scholar of generous reading, a sound theologian, and a good minister of Jesus Christ.
JOHN M. SALLEE, a son of J. W. Sallee of Somerset, is a native of Pulaski county, in which he was raised up to the min- istry. After preaching several years in Lincoln and Casey counties, he succeeded J. M. Coleman in the pastoral charge of Cox's Creek church in Nelson county, about 1879, and con- tinues to occupy the position with much apparent satisfaction to his people. He is the first pastor who has given all his time to that famous old church.
WILLIAM W. WILLETT, a son of Richard Willett, was born of Baptist parents in Mead county, Kentucky, March, 8, 1848, and was raised on a farm. He completed his education at Sal- em College in his native county, in 1869. At the age of 17, he professed faith in Christ, and was baptized by G. H. Hicks, into the fellowship of Hill Grove church in Mead county. He was licensed to preach, in 1869, and ordained, in 1871. After preach- ing a year at Rock Ridge, near where he was raised, he moved to Jefferson county, and established a school which he called Beech- land Seminary, in which he taught, four years, preaching, at the same time, to Knob Creek and Pitts Point churches in Bullett county. In 1875, he accepted a call to Bardstown, and, as pas-
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tor of the church at that place, enjoyed a degree of success in building it up, that it had not before experienced. In 1882, two of his children died of typhoid fever, and, on October 3d, of the same year, he was called to join them in the land of rest.
There have been many prominent citizens, valuable mem- bers of the churches of this fraternity, among whom may be named the now venerable Abner King of Cox's Creek, whose father and grandfather were valued members of the same church, Samuel Mckay of Bloomfield, Elijah Wiggington of Little Union, and Judge T. P. Linthicum of Bardstown.
FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION.
This small community, located in Greenup county, originat- ed from a rupture of Greenup Association, on the subject of temperance. It was constituted of 4 churches aggregating 106 members, at Friendship meeting house in Greenup county, December 29, 1850. The names of the churches were New Bethel, New Salem, Friendship and New Hope, to which Mt. Zion was added the following year. The only ordained min- ister of the body was Thomas K. Reynolds. After its organ- ization, the Association gave its reasons for withdrawing from the Greenup fraternity, in a circular letter, of which the follow- ing is an extract :
" We, being a minority of that body (Greenup Associa- tion), could not induce her by any entreaties that we could bring to bear, nor any action we could enforce, to expel drunk- ards, or those that dealt out intoxicating drink, so much so, that the sin lay not in the lay members only, but that the min- istry was engaged in the sin of habitual drinking, and the mod- erator has frequently taken too much of that bowl."
The Association was quite prosperous during the first year. In 1851, it reported 5 churches, 3 ordained ministers, 59 baptisms and 221 members. It also reported prayer meetings in all the churches, and " several Sabbath-schools in a state of prosperity." The prospects of the young fraternity were very encouraging. But before the minutes of the meeting of 185 1 were printed, T. K. Reynolds, the oldest, and by far the ablest
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and most influential minister of the body, as well as its moder- ator. was excluded from Friendship church. This gendered a confusion from which the Association could not recover, and, in 1854, it was formally dissolved.
Mr. Reynolds was afterwards restored to the church, and, it is believed, the churches which had composed the unfor- tunate little fraternity, united with Creenup Association.
TWIN CREEK ASSOCIATION.
This small community of Antimissionary Baptists origin- ated from a division of Licking Association, caused by a circular letter, written by Elder Thomas P. Dudley, in 1846. This let- ter was not presented to the Association, as was originally in- tended ; but some of the members were permitted to read it, and, in 1847, it was read before the body. The style of the writing was obscure, and it was not clearly understood by the members. However, it caused considerable dissatisfaction and disputation. To avoid being further misrepresented, as he averred, Mr. Dudley, in 1848, caused 1,000 copies of the letter to be printed and circulated. A deliberate reading of the docu- ment increased the discontent. With the hope of restoring har- mony, James Dudley, a brother of the author of the letter, sent a circular to all the churches of the Association, requesting them to send messengers to Bryants Station, in Fayette county, on the last Wednesday in March, 1850. In this meet- ing, about half the churches were represented, and the writer of the letter was acquitted of heresy. This further increased the discontent of the churches which dissented from the decision of the conference. Stony Point and Friendship churches issued a " Joint Manifesto" in which it was averred that Mr. Dudley taught the "Eternal Creation System." It was also claimed that he denied ths doctrine of the "Regeneration of the soul."
The " Eternal Creation System " taught that God, in the Eternal Past, created two distinct families : one in Adam, and the other in Jesus Christ ; that all the members of each of these families were created simultaneously, and, that, of course, they
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are, in fact, of the same age. According to this teaching, the child born to-day is, in reality, as old as Adam: The recent birth is only a developement of an "eternal creation." So of the spiritual family, "created in, and simultaneously with Jesus Christ." Abel, the first Christian, is no older than the last one that shall be " born from above." The descendant of Adam is the natural man, a simple being wholy corrupt, and unchange- able in the present life. A descendant from Jesus Christ, whether born (developed) in the days of Abel, or in the present age, is wholy pure and incorruptable.
A Christian, according to this theory, is not a child of Adam, regenerated, nor yet a descendant of Christ, born from above, but a coalescence of both, and consequently, a "com- pound being." As both of the component parts are unchangeable, and are antagonistic in their nature, there must be a perpetual strife between them until the stronger destroys the weaker. This Mr. Dudley denominates the "Christian Warfare." While the subject was agitated, the theory was sometimes called the "Two Souls doctrine," The denial of the regeneration of the human soul was a necessary sequence of this theory.
Against this theory and its sequences, the following churches of Licking Association protested : Stony Point, Friendship, Twin Creek, Williamstown, Raysfork, and Fork Lick. These six churches, by their messengers, met at Twin Creek meeting house in Harrison county on Friday before the third Saturday in November, 1850, and, after a sermon by Wm. Rash, proceedcd with the usual formalities, to constitute "Twin Creek Old Regular Baptist Association."
At its first anniversary, the Association numbered several churches with 242 members. The ordained preachers of the body were Wm. Rash, Wm. Conrad, Whitfield Collins, and Matthias Gosset. E. S. Dudley was a licensed preacher. The fraternity increased rapidly, till 1854, when it numbered twelve churches with 410 members. Soon after this, some dissensions occurred in the body, and Wm. Conrad drew off several churches, which afterwards remained unassociated. After this, the Association declined rapidly, till 1868, when it numbered five churches with 105 members. At this date, it united with the old North District fraternity, and thus lost its identity.
WILLIAM RASH was the leading minister in this small fra-
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ternity. He was a native of Virginia, and was born Feb. 13, 1783. In his youth he was brought by his parents to Kentucky, where he was bred to the trade of a hatter. During the great revival of 1801, he professed religion, and was baptized by Am- brose Dudley into the fellowship of Davids Fork church in Fayette county. In 1812, he moved his membership to Friendship church in Clark county, where it remained the rest of his life. In August of the same year, he entered the army, was afterwards promoted to a captaincy, was in the disastrous battle of River Rasin, and was taken prisoner by the British On being paroled, he returned home, and resumed the occupa- tion of a hatter.
On the 26th of April, 1823, he was ordained to the gospel ministry, by Ambrose Dudley, John Shackleford and Henry Toler, and accepted the pastoral charge of Friendship church, a position he continued to occupy about thirty-six years. He was also pastor of the churches at Mt. Nebo in Madison county, Boones Creek and Town Fork, in Fayette co., and, at the time of his death, Stony Point in Bourbon. He died of paralysis, June 9, 1859.
Mr. Rash was regarded a good preacher, and was held in high esteem by the people among whom he labored. Although he identified himself with the Anti-missionary Baptists, after the split on the subject of missions, he was conservative in his ministrations, and enjoyed a good degree of success in winning souls to Christ.
AMBROSE DUDLEY RASH son of the above, was raised up to the ministry among the Antimissionaries ; but afterwards came out from among them, and became an able preacher. He has been pastor of the churches at Winchester, Stanford, Lancaster, Nicholasville and several others. When last heard from he was living at Winchester, and laboring as missionary of Boones Creek Association,
LYNN ASSOCIATION.
The churches of which this confederacy was constituted are located in LaRue, Hart, Taylor and some of the adjoining coun-
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ties, and most of them were dismissed from Russells Creek Association. The constitution was effected at South Fork meeting house, LaRue county, Nov. 8, 1856. The following churches entered into the organization: South Fork of Nolin, New Market, Rolling Fork, Three Forks of Bacon Creek, Good Hope, Dover, Union Band, Mount Tabor, Ætna Union and Bethabara. After the constitution, Mt. Moriah and Mt. Pisgah joined the Association by letter. The body then numbered twelve churches, aggregating 1,037 members. The following ministers were in the constitution : Wm. M. Brown, J. P. Bry- ant, John Ingraham, E. L. Jaggers, D. J. Logston, John Dun- can. D. Miller, John Miller, S. P. Skaggs and J. T. Miller. Immediately after its organization, the Association appointed a missionary board, consisting of R. C. Ray, J. A. Miller, G. Dye, W. Walters and John Y. Brown, directed them to hold quarterly meetings, and requested each church in the Associa- tion to send a messenger, with its contribution, to each meet- ing of the board. This plan worked so satisfactorily, that it has been continued in operation to the present time. The body also advised the organization of a Ministers' and Deacons' Meeting.
At its second anniversary, the Association expressed itself on the subject of temperance, as follows :
" Whereas, The Church of Christ was set up as the great moral light of the world, and, as such, it becomes her duty to suppress every apparent evil; and knowing as we do, that the use of ardent spirits has proved a curse, both to the church and the world, therefore,
" Resolved, That we recommend the churches to suppress the evil, by disapproving of the making and use of the same."
In 1859, the body deplored the want of gospel discipline in the churches, and urged its better enforcement. In its benevo- lent enterprises, it has followed the example of the older asso- ciations, in approving and contributing to the general benevo- lent schemes of the denomination.
This has been one of the most prosperous bodies of the kind in the State. In 1860, it numbered seventeen churches with 1,421 members. In 1870, twenty churches with 2,073 members. In 1880, twenty-five churches with 3,073 members, and, in 1883, twenty-nine churches, with 3,219 members. In 1862, '63, and
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'77, it failed to publish its statistics. During the remaining twenty-four years of its existence, down to 1883, there were baptized for the fellowship of its churches 3,441 professed believers.
OLD CHURCHES. South Fork and Good Hope antedate the present century. Some account of them has already been given, ·
Liberty is the next oldest church in this fraternity. It arose during the great revival, and was constituted by those famous old pioneers, Benjamin Lynn and Wm. Mathews, with others, October 17, 1801. In the following July, it united with Green River Association, under the style of the Regular Baptist church of Christ on the West Fork of Brush Creek. It was represented in the Association by George Holbrook, James Skaggs and David Elkin, and reported thirty-three received by baptism (since its constitution), three by letter, nine dismissed by letter, two excluded; total fifty-eight. In 1804, it entered into the constitution of Russells Creek Association, under its present name, with its membership reduced to thirty-three. It was represented by Moses, James and Stephen Skaggs, the last named being a licensed preacher. The church remained in Russells Creek Association till 1814, when, on account of the circular letter of that body, of 1812, as it averred, it withdrew, and united with South Kentucky Association of Separate Bap- tists. After laboring two years to reclaim it, Russells Creek Association dropped it from fellowship, and it remained with the Separate Baptists, till 1867, when it united with Lynn Association.
Rolling Fork also arose during the great revival, in 1801. It appears to have been known, at first, as the Baptist church on Clear Creek, and to have joined Green River Association, in July, 1802, being represented by Philip Crowder and Joshua Shorte (the former being a licensed preacher,) and having a total membership of nine. The next year, it changed its loca- tion, and assumed the name of Otter Creek. In 1804, it entered into the organization of Russells Creek Association, with a membership of twenty. After this it dwindled, till 1811, when it numbered only twelve members. During the two years following, it enjoyed a most precious revival, and its membership was increased to fifty-four. In 1831, it moved
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to its present location, and assumed its present name. In 1856, it entered into the constitution of Lynn Association, with a membership of sixty-nine, since which it has had no permanent increase.
KNOX CREEK was constituted about 1804, and united in the organization of Russells Creek Association, at that date, under the name of Lynn Camp. It was represented by Thomas Whit- man and Wm. Dodson, and numbered 14 members. In 1814, it attained a membership of 52. But, about that time, the Separate Baptists made serious inroads among the churches of Russells Creek Association, and Lynn Camp lost nearly half its members. It assumed its present name, in 1818. In 1858, it united with Lynn Association, and has since been quite prosperous. In 1880, it numbered 171 members.
Of some of the old preachers of this Association, sketches have already been given; of some others no account has been received.
THONAS W. PIERCE was an active and useful minister in this fraternity. He was a native of Ohio county, where he was born, July 30, 1842, and was raised up to the ministry, in Cane Run church. He was licensed to preach, about 1858. At the break- ing out of the Civil War, he entered the Confederate Army, and shared its fortunes, till the return of peace. He was or- dained to the ministry, in 1866, and soon afterwards took charge of the church at Litchfield. About 1873, he moved to Uptonsville in Hardin county, after which he was pastor of several other churches in Lynn Association. He labored with great zeal, not only in his pastoral work, but especially in pro- tracted meetings, in which he was extraordinarily successful. He was a good preacher, and his undoubted piety gave him great influence. But his valuable labors were cut short in the noontide of his life. After lingering several months, he died of consumption, at his home near Buffalo, La Rue county, August 16, 1883.
UNION ASSOCIATION OF REGULAR BAPTISTS.
This small community is located in the east end of the State. In 1871, seven of its churches were in Pike county, two
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in Letcher, and three in the State of Virginia. It was consti- tuted, in 1859, of nine churches, which had been dismissed from New Salem Association for the purpose. These nine churches aggregated 284 members. The progress of the body has been very slow. In 1870, it numbered II churches with 227 members, and, in 1880, 12 churches with 305 members. No information has been received concerning its old churches and ministers.
IRVINE ASSOCIATION.
This flourishing community was constituted at Drowning Creek meeting house in Madison county on the 3d Saturday in October, 1859. The following churches entered into the organ- ization : Providence, Drowning Creek, Clear Creek, Wood- wards Creek, Cow Creek, Irvine and Salem. Smith V. Potts and James J. Edwards were the only preachers in the constitu- tion. After completing the organization, by the election of S. V. Potts, -Moderator, and James Richardson, Clerk, the Asso- ciation adopted a resolution, recommending Sabbath schools.
At its first anniversary, the body appointed a missionary board, to be located at Irvine, the county seat of Estill, and S. V. Potts was appointed to labor as missionary within the bounds of the Association. In 1862, J. J. Edwards was ap- pointed missionary, and, with the aid of the General Associa- tion, was kept in the field 17 years. His efficiency may be in- ferred from the fact, that, during a ministry of 30 years, he baptized over 5,000 people-more than any other minister has ever baptized in Kentucky, excepting, possibly, Jeremiah Vardeman. Mr. Potts was also a successful missionary.
In 1866, N. B. Johnson began his missionary labors in this Association, and continued in the field 14 years, gradually ex- tending his labors far beyond the boundary of this fraternity. He too, was an eminently efficient missionary, and especially a wise and skillful organizer. When these godly men commenced their missionary labors in the mountainous region now occupied by Irvine Association, there were but few Baptists in it, and most of those few were Antimissionaries. But under the divine bless-
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ing, the desert soon began to blossom as the rose. Within II years, the Association increased from 7 churches with 270 mem- bers, in 1859, to 33 churches with 1, 251 members, in 1870.
At the last named date, the fraternity divided its territory, setting off 17 churches to form Booneville Association. How- ever, it continued to grow so rapidly, that it more than regained this loss of aggregate membership, within the following six years. Meanwhile, it virgorously supported Sunday-schools, and contributed something to general benevolent enterprises.
In 1870, the body resolved to put forth all its efforts "to oppose intemperance and the use of ardent spirits as a bever- age," and, in 1878, it expressed its determination " not to re- tain or receive any church that permits its members to make, sell or use ardent spirits as a beverage." At the latter date, it issued a circular against receiving alien immersion.
This body has continued a regular course of prosperity dur- ing its whole history. After furnishing churches to form two other associations, it still numbered, in 1880, 22 churches with 1, 320 members, and, in 1883, 24 churches with 1,430 members. Of these churches, at the former date, one was in Rockcastle county ; one in Owsley ; three in Madison ; three in Clay ; six in Estill, and eight in Jackson.
JAMES JESSE EDWARDS is one of the remarkable men of his day. He is neither learned nor eloquent, nor has he any ex- traordinary natural gift that is recognizable. In appearance, he is a plain, ordinary man, and quite an ordinary preacher. If he possesses any extraordinary qualities, they are energy, perse- verance, powers of endurance, and consecration to his holy call- ing. It is difficult to account for the measure of influence he has exerted over men, in any other way than upon the hy- pothesis that God has chosen him as one of the weak things of the world with which he confounds the mighty.
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