USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. II > Part 60
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ROBERT T. BRUNER has been a leading minister in this body, from its constitution. He entered the ministry, about 1857, and has been a very laborious and successful preacher, to the present time, both as a missionary and as a pastor. He was moderator of Blackford Association, at its first three meetings.
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WM. H. DAWSON, of whom something has been said in the history of Daviess County Association, was a member of that body, before his removal to Rockport, Ia.
Of several other useful preachers in this fraternity, no particular account has been received.
GREEN RIVER ASSOCIATION NO. 2.
This small community originated in the following manner : In 1872, Liberty Association withdrew its auxiliaryship from the General Associaton, in order to establish a correspondence with old Green River Association of Antimissionary Baptists. This correspondence was nominally effected, in 1874, but gave serious offence to the minority of Green River Association. , As the majority refused to withdraw the correspondence, the minority withdrew, and organized under the style of "Original Green River Association of United Baptists." Its churches, or, rather, fragments of churches, were Holly Spring, Bear Creek, Caney Creek, Beaver Dam and Sinking Creek. In 1879, the body reported five churches, aggregating 119 members.
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Associations.
RED RIVER ASSOCIATION NO. 2.
This small confederacy of "Old Baptists" was constituted, in 1876, of the three following churches : Log Lick, White Oak and Salem. It is located in the eastern part of Clark, and some of the adjoining counties. and takes its name from a tri- butary of Kentucky river, which flows through its territory. S. A. Elkin and T. B. White were its preachers. The eleventh article of its constitution reads : " We believe the Lord's Sup- per and the washing of saints' feet are ordinances of the Lord, and are to be continued by the church, until his second coming." In 1880, the Association reported seven churches, six of which aggregated 110 members.
UNION COUNTY ASSOCIATION.
This young community was constituted, in the fall of 1878, of nine churches, of which Uniontown, Little Bethel, Wood- land, Highland, Seven Gums and Mt. Olivet had been dismissed from Henderson County Association, and Little Union, Plea- sant Ridge and Bethany, from Little Bethel Association. All these churches were located in Union county. The preachers belonging to them were Newton Short, J. B. Haynes, S. B. Withers and J. L. Perryman. A constitution and rules of order, according to the usual form, were adopted. The Association favored missions, Sunday-schools and other benevolent enter- prises, usually fostered by the denomination. It has started off prosperously, and bids fair to accomplish a good work in the fertile field in which it is located. At its first anniversary, in 1879, it numbered nine churches, aggregating 526 members ; in 1880, it reported twelve churches with 890 members, and, in 1883, twelve churches with 983 members. From its con- stitution, in 1878, to its meeting, in 1883, it reported 325 bap- tisms, an average of sixty-five a year.
OLD CHURCHES. Highland is the oldest church in this As- sociation. It was constituted at the house of Henry Morris near Highland creek in Union county, March 17, 1812, by John
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
Bourland, Job Hobbs, John Welden and John Grantham. The following eight persons were in the constitution : Henry Morris, Jane Morris, Sarah Wade, James Davis, John Buck, Aquilla Davis, Francis Berry and Mary Berry. The church united with Little River Association, with John Grantham as its pastor, in 1814. In 1820, it called the subsequently distinguished William C. Buck to its pastoral care, and, the same year, entered into the constitution of Highland Association. Mr. Buck served the church till 1835, when Wm. Morrison, who had been ordained by the church, the previous year, became his successor. About this time, the church divided on the subject of missions, and formed two churches, which continued to occupy the same house, till the Antimissionary organization perished. Mr. Morrison con- tinued to serve the church, except during a brief interval, occu- pied by Joel E. Grace, till he was called to his reward, in 1858. Since his death, the church has been served, in turn, by M. H. Utley, William G. Inman, James L. Tichenor, Nicholas Lacy, J. S. Taylor, J. C. Hopewell, J. M. Ezell, F. J. Jessop, J. B. Haynes and others.
LITTLE BETHEL was the second church planted in Union county. It was gathered by William C. Buck, and was consti- tuted, Sept. 14, 1820, of the following persons : Wm. Ham- mack, Jeremiah Collins, Asher Cox, Charles Buck, Wm. C. Buck, Peggy Young, Sarah Collins, Elizabeth Young and Chris- topher Young. Wm. C. Buck was chosen pastor, and served the church till he moved to Louisville, about 1835. The same year it was gathered, it entered into the constitution of High- land Association, in which it remained till 1836, when it with- drew from that fraternity, on account of its attempting to inter- fere with its internal government. The church had excluded nine members, includng two deacons, because of their adhering to the Association against an act of the church. The Association nullified this act of the church ; hence the withdrawal. Richard Jones succeeded Mr. Buck in the pastoral office, in 1837. Since that time, the church has been served, in turn, by J. W. Collins, John Withers, T. B. Rushing, M. H. Utley, N. Lacy, Collin Hodge, J. C. Hopewell, J. M. E. Bell, S. W. Martin, J. J. Barnett and J. B. Haynes.
NEWTON SHORT is the oldest minister in this Association. He is a native of Virginia, and was raised up to the ministry, in
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that State. Soon after the Civil War, he moved to Kentucky, and settled in the lower Green River couutry, where he has con -. tinued to preach, and practice dentistry. Heisa man of exten- sive reading, and is well versed in theology.
JAMES B. HAYNES may be regarded the father of this fra- ternity. He has served it as moderator from its constitution, and has generally been pastor of four of its prominent churches. He is a native of Ohio county, Ky., and a descendant of an old 3 French Huguenot family, which settled, early, in that region of the State. His father was, early, a member of old Beaver Dam church, and was accustomed to walk twenty-five miles to his church meeting, when his was the only church in the Ohio Val- ley, below the mouth of Salt River. The subject of this sketch is a son of his old age, and was born, probably, about the year 1825. His early education was very limited, being obtained in the common schools of his neighborhood, At an early age, he united with Panther Creek church in his native county, where he, with David Whittinghill and D. J. Philips, was licensed to preach, in January, 1856. At the call of Bethabara church, he was ordained to the ministry, by J. P. Ellis, J. S. Taylor and J. R. Gillespie, in February, 1857. One year later, he was called to the care of Panther Creek church, to which, and to some others, he ministered, till 1861, when he was arrested by the "Home Guards," and committed to a military prison. After his release, he moved to Henderson county, where he labored, both as a missionary and a pastor, till his final settle- ment in Union county, not far from 1870. Since that period, he has labored with great zeal and diligence to build up the Redeemer's Kingdom in his adopted county, and his efforts have been much blessed. It is regretted that his health has recently become feeble.
MILES B. HOLMAN was a native of what is now Webster county, Kentucky, and was born Dec. 22, 1848. Being early deprived of both his parents, he was raised by an uncle, who gave him a limited common school education. In March, 1866, he united with New Harmony church in his native county, and was baptized by J. B. Haynes. In November, 1869, he was licensed to preach, and, soon after, went to Missouri, where he entered William Jewell College. On the 3d of June, 1871, he was ordained to the ministry, at Pleasant Grove church in
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
Maries county, Mo., by John A. Frost and Wm. M. Biggs, and was chosen missionary of Dubois Association, in the same State. In this position he soon gained an excellent reputation as an earnest, devoted and successful young preacher. On the Ioth of January, 1877, he was married to Mary M. Joice of Missouri, and returned to the place of his birth. At the begin- ning of the year 1878, he entered the work of the pastoral office in four churches in Webster and Union counties. In this position, he labored nearly three years with unusual success, both in strengthening the churches and in leading sinners to the Savior. In the fall of 1880, he went to Missouri, with the hope of improving his health. But he grew worse, and, in the following Spring, was barely able to return to his birth place, where he died of lung disease, May 7, 1881. Mr. Holman was an excellent preacher, and few young men have been more universally loved by acquaintances.
GREENVILLE ASSOCIATION.
This small fraternity lies in Wolf and some of the adjoin- ing counties. It originated in a division of the territory of Boonville Association, the Kentucky river forming the dividing line. On the 7th of November, 1879, messengers from Green- ville, Shiloh, Rock Spring, Zion, Union and Strongville churches met at Greenville meeting house, in Wolf county, and constituted GREENVILLE ASSOCIATION OF UNITED REGULAR BAPTISTS. The 6 churches of which is was composed aggregated 100 members. The preachers belonging to these churches were H. D. Keith, John Brown, J. M. Roberts, Abner Miller, G. W. Fields, Peter Johnson, G. B. Wills, Spiril King, Garvy Slusher, D. L. Williams, A. Gentry, M. H. Kelly and J. S. Campbell.
This Association is one of the family of missionary fra- ternities that grew up under the labors of those zealous and ef- ficient missionaries, J. J. Edwards and N. B. Johnson, and their fellow helpers. It exhibits a fine spirit of benevolence, advo- cates missions and temperance reform, and corresponds with the General Association. Its growth has been quite rapid. In 1884, it numbered nine churches with about 280 members
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Association.
LONG CREEK ASSOCIATION.
This small community is located in Allen county and the adjoining border of Tennessee. It was constituted under the style of "Kentucky and Tennessee Association," in 1880, but subsequently changed its name to " Long Creek." Its original churches were New Salem, Rough Creek, Garretts Creek and Rocky Mound. Its preachers were A. W. Keene, Christely Miller and - O'Neal. The churches were all small. Some difficulty in the Association caused Mr. Miller and Rocky Mound church to withdraw and join the General Baptists. Subse- quently, Brier Field church in Allen county, was added to the confederacy. The Association is weak and inefficient. In 1884, it numbered six churches with 336 members.
OWEN ASSOCIATION.
This confederacy was constituted of Beech Grove, Caney Fork, Richland and Lusbys Mill churches, in 1880. The last named was a new church, the other three had been dismissed from Concord Association. J. L. Ballard and J. D. Clark were the only preachers in the organization. The Association favors the benevolent enterprises of the denomination, and has been quite prosperous. At its constitution, it numbered four churches with 641 members; in 1885, it reported nine churches, 163 baptisms and 1, 123 members.
OHIO RIVER ASSOCIATION.
This is (Nov., 1885,) the youngest confederacy of the kind in the State. Messengers from fifteen churches, which had been dismissed from Little River Association, met at Crooked Creek meeting house, in Crittenden county, Oct. 13, 1883. Hon. J. L. Hibbs was chosen moderator of the meeting and
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
Elder J. S. Miller, clerk. A confederacy was constituted in the usual manner, and took the name of OHIO RIVER ASSOCI- ATION OF UNITED BAPTISTS. J. W. Crewdson was chosen moderator, and J. S. Miller, clerk. The churches entering into the constitution were Blooming Grove, Caldwell Springs, Camp Creek, Clear Spring, Crooked Creek, Deer Creek, Dyers Hill, Friendship, Good Hope, Mt. Olivet, Piney Creek, Pink- neyville, Sulphur Spring, Walnut Grove and Walkers Hill. They aggregated 1,425 members. After the organization, Cave Spring, with thirty members, was received into the union. The ministers belonging to these churches were W. R. Gibbs, C. Ogleby, J. M. Bebout, J. S. Miller, Collin Hodge, J. W. Crewdson, D. P. Campbell, Peter Melvin and E. B. Blackburn.
The first anniversary meeting of the body was held at Good Hope meeting house in Livingston county, beginning Oct. 4, 1884. The introductory sermon was preached by J. S. Henry. Collin Hodge was elected moderator, and J. S. Miller. clerk. A new church at Marion, the county seat of Crittenden, was received ; and Union, Dunn Spring and Salem came in by letter, from Little River Association. A lively interest was manifested in missions and other benevolent enterprizes. The following article was added to the constitution :
IIth. This Association will not retain in fellowship any church which will persist in keeping, as a member of her body, any one engaged in the manufacture or sale of alchoholic drinks to be used as a beverage.
The Association numbered, in 1884, twenty churches with 1, 844 members.
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Some of the border associations have a few churches in Virginia and Tennessee. But these are counterbalanced by Kentucky churches in Bulah Association, and some dozen or more unassociated churches in different parts of the State. The 104 associations, therefore, whose histories have been given, represent with sufficient accuracy, the number of white Baptists in the State, exclusive of the General Baptists and Free Will Baptists, of which brief mention will be made hereafter.
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Colored Baptists.
COLORED BAPTISTS.
As has already been noted, the colored people emigrated to Kentucky with their owners, and the Baptists among them entered into the constitution of the first churches that were formed in the wilderness of the great West. , There were few early churches that did not have a greater or less number of black members, and the colored Baptists generally lived in the same churches with their white brethren, till they were freed from slavery during the Civil War. They, however, had among them many preachers and exhorters of their own race, some of whom were regularly ordained, and, in some of the larger towns, they formed independent churches. At the beginning of the Civil War there were 17 such churches in the State, aggregating 5,737 members, and ministered to by pastors of their own color. These churches were located at the following points: Mays- ville, Mayslick, Danville, Harrodsburg, First, Green Street, and York Street, in Louisville, Frankfort, Tates Creek, in Madison county, Stamping Ground, in Scott, Hillsboro, in Woodford, First and Pleasant Green, in Lexington, Paris, Versailles, Nich- olasville, and Paducah. Besides these, there were large bodies of colored members, known as the colored branches of white churches, at Hopkinsville, Henderson, Georgetown, and, per- haps, other points, which also had preachers and exhorters of their own race.
The first colored church organized in Kentucky, was com- posed of Separate Baptists, and was gathered at Lexington by a colored man named Captain. The exact date is not known, as it kept no records ; nor is it likely that the church was con- stituted with much formality, or in very strict accord with Bap- tist usage.
OLD CAPTAIN, as he was usually called, was a native of Caro- line county, Virginia, and was born the property of Capt. Durrett, about 1733. At the age of 25, he was pungently con- victed of sin, and was brought almost to the point of despair. But he finally obtained hope in Christ, and experienced great joy. His heart now deeply felt for the situation of his fellow- servants, and, immediately after he was baptized and received into a Baptist church, he began to exhort from house to house. Several years after this, the man who owned his wife, being a
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
pious Christian, determined to emigrate to what was then the wilderness of Kentucky, and being unwilling to part man and wife, he exchanged another slave for Captain, by which means the latter was brought to the new country.
Soon after his arrival in Kentucky, Captain went into the organization of a small Separate Baptist church, which was con- stituted on the " Head of Boone's Creek," in Fayette county, in 1785. In a few years this little church was dissolved, and about the same time, Captain hired himself and his wife of their master, and moved to Lexington. Here he was kindly re- ceived, and John Maxwell allowed him space on his land for a cabin, aided him in building one, and continued to be his friend as long as he (Maxwell) lived. As soon as he was settled, he began to hold meetings in his cabin, and to visit from house to house, exhorting the colored people to repent and turn to God. Soon a number professed conversion, and desired him to bap- tize them. This request he declined at first, because he had not been ordained. But finally he went to South Kentucky Asso- ciation, accompanied by 50 of his converts, and applied for ordination. "The fathers and brethren, after having taken the matter into consideration, did not consider it proper to ordain him, in form; but, being fully informed of his character and labors, they gave him the right hand of Christian affection, and directed him to go on in the name of their common Master. * "
After this, he examined such as applied to him, and, if sat- isfied of their conversion, immersed them. When a sufficient number had been baptized, he gathered them into a church, about the year 1801. But he seems either to have misunder- stood the design of "the fathers and brethren," or to have ignored it, for South Kentucky Association, at its meeting in 1801, which was the last it ever held, passed the following order : "Bro. Captain, a black man, who was a member of our Society, and who is now preaching and baptizing without having been ordained, is advised to join some convenient church, together with those he has baptized." It is not known that Captain was ever formally ordained. He probably regard- ed the giving of him the right hand and directing him to go on in the name of the Master, a sufficiently solemn ordination.
*Memoirs of David Rice, p. 232.
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Colored Baptists.
However, this may be, he continued to watch over the church he had gathered, and it greatly prospered. It is said to have numbered, at one time during his ministry, upwards of 300 members. He continued to hire the time of himself and his faithful helpmeet till they were too old to be of any value as slaves, and to labor in the gospel, till his strength failed. He died at his cabin near Lexington, in the summer of 1823, at the age of 90 years.
LONDON FERRILL, the second pastor of this church, was born the property of Mrs. Ann Winston in Hanover county, Va., about 1789. At about the age of nine years, his owner having died, he was sold to Col. Samuel Overton for $600. He was taught the trade of a house carpenter, and, at the age of 20, was baptized on a profession of his faith, by Absalom Waller. Some time after his baptism, he began to exercise in public, and soon became a popular preacher. The law of Virginia forbade slaves to baptize, and, as a consequence, they were not ordained to the gospel ministry. But Ferrill's brethren solemnly author- ized him, as far as their power extended, "to go forth and preach the gospel" wherever the Lord might cast his lot, and a door should be open to him. Soon, about fifty persons professed conversion under his ministry, and were baptized by a white preacher of the name of Bowles. His master perceived his re- markable natural gifts, and resolved to educate him, but died before he could execute this purpose.
Soon after the death of his master, having been freed from slavery, he moved to Kentucky, and settled near Lexington. Old Captain having become too feeble to discharge the duties of a pastor, the colored church desired Ferrill to unite with it, and become its pastor. This he declined to do on account of that organization's not being in fellowship with the Baptist denomi- nation, although holding to the faith and general practice of the Baptists, but, instead, entered into the constitution of the First [white] Baptist church, in 1817. He preached extensively among those of his own race, and made so favorable an im- pression, that the trustees of the town of Lexington engaged him to preach to the colored people of that corporation. In order to secure his membership and pastoral services, the African congregation applied to the white church to be received as a branch of that organization. On receiving this applica-
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History of Kentucky Baptists.
tion, the Ist church sent to Elkhorn Association, in 1821, the following queries :
"Ist. Can persons baptized on a profession of faith by an ad- ministrator not ordained, be received into our churches under any circumstances whatever, without being again baptized ?
"2d. Is it admissible by the Association to ordain free men of color ministers of the gospel?'
The queries were taken up by the Association, and a com- mittee, consisting of Jeremiah Vardeman, James Fishback, John Edwards, Edmund Waller, and Jacob Creath, was appoin- ted to consider the matter, and report to the Association at its next annual meeting. The committee reported, in answer to the first query, "that it is not regular to receive such members ;" in answer to the second, "that they know of no reason why free men of color may not be ordained ministers of the gospel, the gospel qualifications being possessed by them."
In accordance with the latter opinion, adopted by the Asso- ciation, London Ferrill was regularly ordained to the full work of the gospel ministry by the Ist church at Lexington, and, not- withstanding the irregularity of the baptism administered by Old Captain, a compromise was effected by which the African congregation, which had now been constituted upon a written covenant (July 1822), was admitted to fellowship by the Ist Baptist church in Lexington, and, in 1824, received into Elk- horn Association. London Ferrill now took regular charge of this church, on its new foundation, and served it 32 years, dur- ing which it increased from 280, to 1, 820 members, and became the largest church in Kentucky. On the 12th of October, 1854, the faithful and venerable pastor was called to his final reward. The funeral procession which followed his corpse to its burial, was said to be the largest that ever passed through the streets of . Lexington, except that which attended the remains of Henry Clay.
London Ferrill was a remarkable man. He was descended from a royal family in Africa, born a slave in Virginia, and was without scholastic training. Yet, Dr. Wm. Pratt says of him : "He had the manner of authority and command, and was the most thorough disciplinarian I ever saw. He was respected by the whole white population [of Lexington], and his influence was more potent to keep order among the blacks than the police
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force of the city." His moral courage was dauntless, and his Christian integrity unwavering. When the cholera visited Lex- ington in 1833, he was the only minister that remained in the city. The scourge was terrible, as many as 60 dying in a single day. He remained at his post, burying the dead, white and black, including his own wife, until the fearful plague sub- sided in the city, after which he went forth to aid and comfort the sick and bereaved in the surrounding country. As a preacher, he was clear, strong, and remarkably effective. He baptized at one time 220 persons in 85 minutes, and, at another time, 60 in 45 minutes. During his ministry, he baptized over 5,000. In marrying slaves, he pronounced them " united until death or distance did them part."
FREDERICK BRAXTON succeeded Elder Ferrill in the pastoral charge of the old Ist African church. Under his ministry, it continued to prosper, and, at the beginning of the War in 1861, numbered 2,223 members. Since the War, it has somewhat di- minished, but is still a large and prosperous body. Elder Brax- ton continued to enjoy the confidence of his brethren till his death, which occurred Jan. 31, 1876.
The FIRST COLORED CHURCH in Louisville was the second organization of the kind in the State. It was formed an inde- pendent body by a separation of the colored members from the Ist Baptist church in Louisville in 1842, and united with Long Run Association the same year. At the time of its formal separation from the mother church, it numbered 475 members.
HENRY ADAMS was the first pastor, as well as the chief originator of this church as an independent body. He was a native of Franklin county, Georgia, and was born Dec. 17, 1802. At an early age he gave indications of extraordinary sprightliness of mind, and, being converted and baptized at the age of 18 years, was licensed to exercise his gift within the bounds of his church the same year. In 1823, his license was extended without limit, and, in 1825, he was ordained to the full work of the ministry. After preaching a few years in Georgia and South Carolina he emigrated to Kentucky, and was settled as pastor of the colored branch of the Ist Baptist church in Louisville, in 1829. In his new field, he was active and zealous in his labors among the colored people of the city, and his ministry was much blessed. He devoted himself to study,
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