History of Baptists in Kentucky facts for kids

The history of the Baptist movement in Kentucky began around 1775. That's when some Baptist preachers from Virginia first visited the area that would later become the state of Kentucky. These early visitors included John Taylor, Joseph Reading, and Lewis Lunsford, who came in 1779 but later went back to Virginia.

Baptists started to settle in Kentucky more permanently around 1781. The very first Baptist church, with 18 members, was started by John Garrard. A big event was when Reverend Lewis Craig led hundreds of people, known as "The Travelling Church," from Virginia to Gilbert's Creek, Kentucky, arriving in December 1781. Cedar Fork Church was founded shortly after, in 1782.

Growing Churches and Associations

By 1785, there were 12 Baptist churches in Kentucky. These churches grouped together into three larger organizations called "Associations." These groups helped the churches work together and share their beliefs.

Some of the early church members were also enslaved people. They were part of many of these first congregations.

• The Elkhorn Association included three churches north of the Kentucky River. These were at Tate's Creek, Clear Creek, and South Elkhorn.
• The South Kentucky Association had four churches south of the river. These were at Rush Branch, Head of Boone's Creek, Gilbert's Creek, and Pottinger's Creek.
• The Salem Association included four churches in Nelson County. These were at Cox's Creek, Severn Valley, Cedar Creek, and Beargrass.

The leaders of these 12 churches in 1785 included people like Lewis Craig, John Taylor, and Joseph Craig.

The First African Baptist Church

Around 1790, two enslaved people named Peter Durrett and his wife brought their followers together. They formed the First African Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This church later became known as the First African Baptist Church. It is the oldest Black Baptist church in Kentucky and the third oldest in the entire United States.

Peter Durrett was a very active leader in the church. He tried to become an ordained minister, but the local Baptist group didn't approve it. However, they still encouraged him to continue his important work. By the time he passed away in 1823, Durrett was leading about 290 church members. His congregation had even managed to buy their first church properties.

Leadership of London Ferrill

Reverend London Ferrill became the second pastor of the First African Baptist Church. He was a freed enslaved person from Virginia. In 1824, he successfully led the church to be accepted into the Elkhorn Association.

Under London Ferrill's leadership, the church grew incredibly. In 31 years, the number of members increased to 1,820. This made it the largest church in Kentucky, whether Black or white. By 1861, the church had an amazing 2,223 members!

Uniting and Separating

The early Baptist groups in Kentucky, like the Elkhorn and South Kentucky Associations, had different ideas about some religious teachings. They were known as "Regular" and "Separate" Baptists. These differences came from Virginia, where many of the early settlers had moved from.

They tried to unite, following examples from Virginia and the Carolinas. In 1801, the Elkhorn and South Kentucky Associations agreed to join together. But this unity didn't last long. Just a year later, in 1802, they separated again into the North District and South District Associations. This happened because the number of churches in the association had grown a lot.

More Baptist Associations were formed in the years that followed. These included the Bracken Association in 1798, the North Bend Association in 1802, the Long Run Association in 1803, and the Green River Association in 1800.