USA > Kentucky > Muhlenberg County > A history of Unity Baptist Church, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky > Part 3
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The third, dated November, 1854, shows that the church "does not tolerate brethren and sisters buying and selling spirits liquor for to make profit and that it is also moved and seconded that the Brethren do not tolerate Brethren in hiring slaves to work on the Sab- bath day."
In 1846 a number of members concluded that it would be more convenient for them to meet at Oak Grove and
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they were therefore permitted to organize a congregation at that place, five miles to the southeast.
In April, 1851, Unity agreed "to extend an arm to the hill country and grant them all the privileges an arm is entitled to when as many as five of their body are present." This agreement was renewed in April, 1868, by Unity "extending an arm to Pleasant Hill school house for the benefit of the church and the people living there." Five years later Pleasant Hill Church, three and a half miles northwest, was established as an in- dependent congregation.
In August, 1850, letters of dismissal were asked for and granted to members "desiring to be constituted at East Union," located five miles north, where a new church had been organized shortly before, but which apparently was not established as an independent church until 1852.
Reverend James Bennett served as Unity's pastor from June, 1854, to November, 1874, and with few ex- ceptions conducted all the services held during that period. He, like many of his predecessors, and like many of his contemporaries and their predecessors who were in charge of other country churches, received practically no money for services rendered. Preacher Bennett, as well as many of the other preachers, felt well paid with the meat, honey, cornmeal and canned fruit donated by the men, and with the socks, quilts and other things made by the women and presented to him.
Reverend James Bennett was a son of pioneer Philip Bennett, who, it is said, was a Revolutionary soldier. He was born in North Carolina in 1819, and a few years later came to Muhlenberg with his parents, who settled three miles northwest of Unity. The records show that in 1840 he was a member of the congregation; that in
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March, 1846, he preached his first sermon; that he was ordained at Unity in June, 1854: and that immediately after his ordination he was elected pastor, and served the church for twenty consecutive years. He took an active part in religious work up to the time of his death, which occurred on his farm near Pleasant Hill Church on May 11, 1891. His father was among the many whom he baptized.
All the people in this section of the Pond River coun- try who knew Preacher Bennett personally refer to him as a good and sincere preacher, a citizen who was always ready to lend a helping hand to every worthy cause, and a man who did as much, if not more, for Unity Church than any other person. The last reference made to him in the church books is in the minutes for January, 1880. It was then recorded that he attended the meeting on January 21st and preached the sermon.
The period which this second book covers embraces both the war with Mexico and the Civil War. No refer- ence, however, is made to either of these wars, nor to the question of slavery, or to any of the other allied topics in which the whole nation and every neighborhood was then deeply interested. The men and women of Unity doubtless discussed these topics, not only before and after meetings, but also in their meetings.
The fact that no reference is made to the Civil War might lead one to infer that no serious disagreement ex- isted among the members. Such, however, was not the case, for a number of men living in the Unity neighbor- hood had enlisted in the Eleventh Kentucky Infantry or some other Federal regiment, and a few were in the Southern Army. Their absence and the fact that the county was somewhat divided on the question of secession interfered with the attendance at church
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services. On the other hand, raids made in this part of the county by Dave Cane, Morris Moore, Al Fowler, Jack Porter and others, and the constant fear of more serious guerrilla warfare, brought many men and women to the meetings who came for the sole purpose of dis- cussing such matters. But, as already stated, the minutes in no way refer to this serious condition of local and national affairs on which the future of Unity Church, as well as the preservation of the Union, de- pended.
THIRD BOOK RECORDS
The third book that has been preserved begins with August, 1868, and runs to March, 1892. The first re- cord states that "A church covenant was prepared and adopted which may be seen at the first of this book, and also articles of faith and rules of decorum." The articles of faith are the same as those recorded in the two preceeding volumes, and are printed elsewhere in this booklet where a copy of the church covenant re- ferred to also appears.
The next meeting took place in September, 1868, and is of special interest, for on that occasion Miss Anna M. Craig, who later became Mrs. L. Bert Oates, was received as a member of the church. She has ever since held her membership, and has been a member of Unity longer than any other person now living.
In this connection it may be well to state that Mrs. Catherine D. Coleman, who became a member in August, 1850, and so remained until 1874, when she joined another church, is the oldest living former member of Unity. Mrs. Coleman was born in Caldwell county in 1825 and came to Muhlenberg in 1844. She is a daughter
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of Martin K. Ashbridge and a granddaughter of Joseph Ashbridge of Maryland, a Revolutionary soldier, and the widow of Beverly H. Coleman, who was clerk of the church from 1853 to 1861.
The proceedings show that during the latter part of
UNITY SCHOOL HOUSE Erected in 1889 on site of Unity's third church building
1872 and in 1873 many of the members of Unity changed their membership to Pleasant Hill Church, which was more conveniently located for them. Unity evidently felt this loss, for in April, 1874, the question of disband- ing was brought up before the church. But, as recorded on that date, "it was unanimously agreed that we still continue to keep house for the Lord."
In September, 1874, Reverend Thomas Rust, a mis- sionary, held a protracted meeting at Unity. This re- sulted in arousing the community and bringing into the
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church a number of influential men and women hereto- fore not identified with it, and in 1875 a new church house was built where Unity School House now stands.
The old house was then turned over to negroes, they having been separated from the congregation about eight years before, or about the year 1867. The negroes, during the time they were connected with the congrega- tion, occupied seats in the rear of the church building. They had all the privileges of the church except that of voting in "church meetings."
Although the old building had been presented to the colored Baptists in 1875, the issuing of a deed for the property was neglected for a number of years. The minutes written in September, 1883, show that "Where- as, there has been some contention by some of the Pedos [Pedobaptists or those who advocate infant baptism], in regard to the colored Baptists occuping the old house deeded by Maurice Moore, therefore be it known that we authorize our trustees to transfer all of our right and title of said house and ground to said colored Baptists."
The negroes continued to use the old house until it became too dilapidated for repairs. It was then abandoned and finally collapsed and now no traces of it remain. A few years after the old building was abandoned the negroes, with the help of the members of Unity, erected a church house two miles south of Unity and one mile from Graham, and called it Mount Zion .*
In 1876 a number of members withdrew from Unity,
*Mount Zion is one of the eight Colored Baptist churches in the county; the others are at Bevier, Central City, Cleaton, Drakesboro, Penrod, Greenville, and South Carrollton. They belong to the Green River Valley Association, which is one of the district associations comprising the General Association of Colored Baptists in Kentucky.
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and in 1878, when Reverend William McLean took charge of the congregation, it was at the point of dis- banding. Mr. McLean applied himself diligently, re- gardless of the fact that he received practically no pay for his work, and that only a few came to the services. He often preached to less than a half dozen people. It is said that on one occasion, although his audience con- sisted of only two men ( Wyatt Oates, who was clerk, and Henry G. Earle, who, at that time, had not yet become a member) he conducted the services in regular form, in- cluding, as usual, a long and well prepared sermon. His persistent work not only kept the much weakened church from passing out of existence, but did much toward re- storing it to its former strength.
In May, 1880, "the church took up the Sunday-school question and after some discussion agreed to elect officers, which resulted in the choice of M. R. Mercer, superin- tendent, Wyatt Oates, assistant, and J. Wallace Oates, secretary. Sunday-school was appointed for 9 o'clock the fifth Sunday of this month." Although no further reference is made to the subject, the Sunday-school has been more or less actively attended since its organization.
In 1882 Reverend Leander J. Stirsman, then a man of about thirty-three, who had been ordained the year before at Bethel Church, conducted two revivals which resulted in a number of additions to the church and a general interest in its affairs. This was the begin- ning of Reverend Mr. Stirsman's connection with Unity, and he has ever since been one of its most ardent friends.
In the spring of 1883 work was begun on a new house which was dedicated on the fourth Sunday in June, 1884. Elder J. B. Moody, editor of the Baptist Gleaner, delivered the address on that occasion, his sub- ject being "Church Government."
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The house was a frame structure and stood on the site of the present building. It was erected principally through the efforts of Wyatt Oates, Calvin Oates, L. Bert Oates, Samuel B. Oates, Mack R. Mercer (all of whom were members of the church), Henry G. Earle (who later became a member) and George W. Eaves, Jr., (a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church). Unity later showed its appreciation of Mr. Eaves' help by permitting the Cumberland Presbyterians to use the building when they were so inclined, which was the case on a few occasions.
On September 7 and 8, 1886, Little Bethel Associa- tion met at Unity. The only reference to this event is recorded in the minutes for July : "On motion the church elected four messengers to the Association which is to meet with this church in September, 1886; L. B. Oates, H. H. Oglesby, J. Wallace Oates and M. R. Mercer. The moderator appointed the following committee on arrangements for the entertainment of the Association : George W. Eaves, of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Luther Bard, of the M. E. S. and M. R. Mercer and J. Wallace Oates, of this church."
This meeting of the Association, its fifty-first anni- versary, ranks among Unity's greatest events. After nearly thirty years it still lives fresh in the memory of those who attended. The gathering was a large one. Many of the people came in wagons or buggies or by rail, and many, as in the olden days, came horseback or afoot. A free dinner was served on the grounds. Every citizen living within about two miles, whether a member of Unity or not, entertained visitors.
Among the old and well-known veterans of the cross who participated in this meeting were Reverends James U. Spurlin, John O'Bryan, Nicholas Lacey, James Ezell,
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T. W. Isbell, Richard O. G. Walker, James Bennett, and Frank M. Welborn. Reverend James C. Hopewell, who served as Association moderator at fifteen meetings be- fore and twenty-one after, was moderator on this oc- casion ; and Reverend David S. Edwards, who has filled the office as Association clerk every year, except two, from 1885 to the present, was the clerk.
In 1889 there was held one of the greatest revivals in the history of the church up to that time. One of the members, speaking of this meeting, says :
"It was a meeting I'll never forget, and I feel that Brother Stirsman, the pastor, and the preachers who assisted him, look upon it as one of their greatest ex- periences in church work. Many of the people came to church singing and shouting or talking to sinners. Often as many as thirty mourners were at the bench at one time. Frequently the mourners walked up to the bench before the meeting opened, and preaching had to be dispensed with on account of the great enthusiasm of the mourners and some others present. On one occasion, at an afternoon service, there was present a young man who was leading a life that reflected no credit on him and who tried to make sport of the meeting. He was standing in the rear of the church, and his mother, seeing him, started back to talk to him. He immediately rushed out the front door and ran into the woods. One of the preachers and a number of other men quickly followed and soon caught the young man. They told him he certainly must be a big coward to run away from his mother. After a little persuasion, he walked into the church like a man. He not only listened to the sermon with great interest, but came back to church after sup- per. That night he returned home with his mother and at midnight, before retiring, made a profession of re-
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ligion. He has ever since been a man of whom any com- munity could feel proud."
FOURTH BOOK RECORDS
The fourth book begins with March, 1892, and con- tinues down to March, 1914. (The fifth, or present book, is not embraced in this history, for, up to this date, it covers a period of only three months.)
The entries for five years, extending from 1892 to 1897, show a general progress in the church work. What occurred on March 27, 1897, is briefly told in a record made on that date :
"Unity Church was preparing for its regular meet- ing. The fire was built in the stove and soon afterward a blaze was discovered on the roof. It was evident that there was no possible way to extinguish the flame and the four or five men and one or two ladies began to carry out furniture; twenty-eight benches and the chandelier were saved."
The house burned to the ground. Meetings were con. ducted at Yeargin's Chapel until the early part of 1898, and in the meantime a new building was being erected on the site of the old one. The new house was dedicated on July 4, 1898. Unity later showed its appreciation of the courtesy that had been extended to it by the members of Yeargin's Chapel, for in the spring of 1902, while Yeargin's Chapel was being rebuilt, its members used Unity's house.
On November 4, 1900, Reverend Mr. Stirsman, the pastor, began a revival, in which he was assisted by Mr. W. D. Cox, "a traveling Baptist evangelist" who had been invited by the church to come to Unity for that pur- pose. The meeting continued for two weeks and is re-
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ferred to in the minutes as "a glorious meeting." From the standpoint of attendance it was probably one of the greatest revivals ever held at the church. In July, 1901, Mr. Cox was invited "to bring his tent and carry on a series of meetings." The invitation was immediately ac- cepted, the tent pitched, and, with the assistance of the pastor, another "rousing meeting" took place at Unity. The same is also said of the other "Preacher Cox tent meetings" held about this time at Depoy, East Union, Hillside, Rosewood, and Whiteplains.
On November 15, 1900, "Resolutions of recommenda- tion and endorsement of Brother W. D. Cox" had been passed by the church and recorded, and for more than two years thereafter the act was a leading subject of discussion, not only among the citizens of this com- munity, but also among many people living in other sections.
In June, 1902, "It was moved and seconded that we comply with the request of our last Association by re- considering a public endorsement of this church of Rev. W. D. Cox." A committee was appointed "to find the facts in the much talked of muddle existing between Daviess County Association and Rev. W. D. Cox, thence to Unity Church and Little Bethel Association and re- ferred back to Unity Church." A few weeks later the committee reported "in favor of Rev. W. D. Cox," say- ing, among other things, that "he has been faithfully representing the Baptist cause for a little more than nine years ; in his work he has been the means of organiz -. ing eight Baptist churches."
Shortly after this report was made the Reverend Mr Stirsman resigned, and Mr. Cox was chosen pastor and served in that capacity for about six months. Soon after Mr. Cox was elected pastor Unity was expelled from
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Little Bethel Association for its "indorsement of W. D. Cox," some of whose methods were not approved of by the Association.
Mr. Cox withdrew from Unity during the latter part of 1902 and in January, 1903, Reverend Richard Carroll Allen was chosen pastor. After Reverend Mr. Allen was elected Unity was re-admitted into the Association, and the excitement that had arisen during the stay of Mr. Cox soon subsided.
The records made from 1903 to 1914, that is during the time the church was in charge of the Reverend Mr. Allen and his successors, Reverends Robert W. Danks, Leander J. Stirsman, P. E. Herndon and the present pastor, John R. Kennerly, show that all the meetings were well attended and that practically every member was not only very much interested in the advancement of Unity Church and the Association but also in the advancement of religion and education in general.
UNITY'S BELIEFS
In the early days a number of Baptist churches in Muhlenberg (and in many other counties) practiced a somewhat mixed combination of Baptist beliefs. This was due principally to the fact that many of their first members came from different sections and brought with them different views, some of which they introduced into the churches of which they became members.
Some of the German-American pioneers, who came to Muhlenberg from eastern Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and settled in the lower part of the county, were Dunkards or Dunkers, often called German Baptists. After mingling with the Baptists living in that section they drifted into the congregations
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of their neighbors and for a while advocated a few of the Dunkard beliefs. During the course of a generation or two, practically all of them became identi- fied with Baptist churches, and soon every trace of the peculiar beliefs that formerly characterized them disap- peared. None of the Dunkards, as far as is now known, lived near Unity nor became identified with the church. Reverend Samuel Danner, who settled in Muhlenberg about 1800 and died near Bremen in 1857, aged seventy- three, was, it is said, the last of the Dunkard preachers in the county.
Many of the pioneers who came from the Carolinas, including a number of Unity's earliest members, were anti-missionary and belonged to the Primitive Baptists or Old School Baptists, popularly called Hard Shell Baptists. That some of the beliefs of these Primitive Baptists and others were introduced into Unity and practiced by the congregation for awhile is shown by a number of the early records of the church. In that re- spect Unity did not differ greatly from any of the other Baptist churches then in the county. And, having changed with the times, its beliefs and practices are to- day in harmony with those of the other Baptist churches that belong to the denomination known as Missionary Baptists.
The two Baptist denominations now represented in Muhlenberg are (1) the Missionary Baptists, often re- ferred to as the Baptists and sometimes as Regular Baptists, (2) the General Baptists, frequently referred to, locally, as Free-will Baptists. The various Baptist churches in America are divided into about ten denomi- nations or sects. By far the largest of these bodies is the Missionary Baptists. Among the other divisions is that of General Baptists. These two bodies, as just stated, are
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the only Baptist denominations now represented in the county.
Baptists, in general, are in agreement in the main with other evangelical Christians. Their most important distinctive views are these: they insist on the immersion of a believer in the name of the Trinity as the only Scriptural baptism, and make this baptism a prerequisite of church membership; they accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice; they have church independ- ency and democratic congregational church government, every church being independent of all the other churches and controlling its own affairs by the voice of all its membership.
The General Baptists are Arminian in theology ; they practice open communion; that is, they give every pro- fessed Christian an invitation to commune with them.
The Missionary Baptists (like most other Christians) are active in the support of all evangelizing agencies at home and abroad; they believe that baptism by immer- sion should precede communion at the Lord's table, and therefore do not commune with those not thus baptized, but practice close communion.
In Muhlenberg, as in some other sections, the mis- leading term "close communion" is sometimes applied to the few Missionary Baptist churches that invite to the Lord's table none other than members of the con- gregation ; and thus an attempt is made to distinguish them from the churches that permit members of any other Missionary Baptist church to partake of the Lord's table, which are then referred to as being "open-com- munion" or "inter-communion." The term "inter- communion" is not an inapplicable nor objectionable one, but the term "open-communion" when applied to any Missionary Baptist church is a misleading mis-
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nomer. However, these conflicting and confusing terms are not often heard in Muhlenberg. If applied to Unity the church would be designated as "inter-communion." Unity, like most of the Missionary Baptist churches in the county, permits members of any other Missionary Baptist church to partake of the Lord's table; and, like all of them, it necessarily practices close com- munion.
Some of these and a number of other peculiarities and views are seen in Unity's "Articles of Faith" and "Covenant." Baptists have never regarded a confession of faith as final and binding, but as a convenient state- ment of beliefs which they are ready to change when they see fit to do so. This attitude is seen in the differ- ences between the two confessions recorded in Unity's church books.
ARTICLES OF FAITH AS SET OUT IN UNITY CHURCH RECORDS IN 1814, 1841 AND 1868
1. We believe in one only true and living God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the words of God and the only rule of faith and practice.
3. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.
4. We believe in the doctrine of election and that God chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world.
5. We believe in man's impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature by his own will and ability.
6. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
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7. We believe that God's elect shall be called, con- verted, regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
8. We believe the saints will persevere in grace and never finally fall away.
9. We believe Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ and that true believers are the subjects; and we believe the true mode of baptism is by immersion.
10. We believe in the resurrection of the dead and a general judgment.
11. We believe the joys of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.
12. We believe that no ministers have the right to administration of the ordinances, only such as are regu- larly baptized, called and come under the imposition of hands by the presbytery.
13. These articles may be altered, amended or done away at any regular business meeting by a majority if two-thirds of the members are present.
ARTICLES OF FAITH AS SET OUT IN UNITY CHURCH RECORDS IN 1892 AND 1914
1. We believe that the Holy Bible, written by men divinely inspired and full of unmixed truth, is a perfect rule of faith and practice.
2. We believe in one God-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
3. We believe that man, once holy, fell by voluntary transgression from the happy state, and is now utterly void of holiness.
4. We believe that sinners are saved by grace alone.
5. We believe that men are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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