Baptists can claim to be pioneers in Arkansas, as ministers of this church were here in 1820 -- good men and true. They worked on their little farms five days in the week, and gave Saturday and Sabbath to their high calling. Some of the gray-headed men can testify as to their faithfulness. It is most gratifying to hear the old men testify to the purity of the life and consistency of the conduct of the first Baptist preachers in Arkansas. Their humble but useful lives will pass in review before the readers of the Repository.The Kentucky Baptist Church in Saline county was formed in 1822, and enjoyed the ministry of one who remained in the State but six years. Then it was left without a minister. The members met monthly, and often weekly. After some time, quite a number desired baptism. In 1830, a Campbellite minister came among them, and began his efforts by attempting to show that there was but the "shadow of a shade's difference" existing, and preached to them Reformation. Being without a minister, he preached frequently for them during the space of four years -- and without success -- all the time quite a number desiring baptism. After this long time, they were visited by a Baptist minister, who baptized these willing converts; and during his last visits, a young Deacon, John Y. Lindsay, was ordained, and soon became their pastor (perhaps in 1836) and has continued with them. He is now old. In the Kentucky Church are four of his daughters, and three of their husbands. The writer passed a communion season with Bro. Lindsay. His daughters and sons-in-law were making their quarterly visit. The large family -- embracing many grand-children -- spent the two days together, reminding the writer of the visit's the Patriarchs received.
During the score of years passed by Bro. Lindsay, he has been very useful -- often preaching where none had gone before him, and baptizing those who had not witnessed the ordinances. His sermons are good, sufficiently Calvinistic, and take the ground that Baptists ministers have all they can possibly do in taking care of their own immediate fields. Though preaching so long in the communities, he finds very much yet to do, and is gratified whenever another minister becomes a neighbor.
A.L.H. Camden, Arkansas, August, 1858 =========== [From Samuel H. Ford, editor, The Christian Repository, September, 1858, pp. 654-5. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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