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A Walk of Faith
By R. Charles Blair

p. 30
      In 1707, the Philadelphia Association of Baptist Churches was established, first in what is now the United States.
      In 1751, the Charleston (South Carolina) Baptist Association was formed, first in the southern colonies.
      In 1796, Mero District Association was formed by churches in Kentucky and Tennessee, first to be developed in these areas.
      * In 1803, 190 years ago, the Cumberland Baptist Association replaced and enlarged Mero District, first to include churches in "western" Kentucky. The area west of the Tennessee R. was Chickasaw ground.
      In 1807, Red River Baptist Association was formed by churches in the northern part of Cumberland Association, coming closer to us.
      * In 1813, Little River Baptist Association was formed in western Kentucky, still bounded on the west by the Tennessee River.
      In 1814, the "Trienniel Convention" of Baptist churches was formed.
      * In 1818, 175 years ago, the Jackson-Shelby Purchase was completed, and white settlers could legally move into land west of the Tennessee.
      * In 1823, 170 years ago, Western District Baptist Association was formed, including Tennessee and Kentucky churches (now only Tennessee).
      * In 1828, 165 years ago, Obion Baptist Association was formed in western Tennessee, probably including Kentucky churches. Poplar Grove Baptist Church, near Hickman, oldest in the present West Kentucky Association, was formed in that same year.
      In 1834, West Union Baptist Association was formed in the Purchase. 1994 will be their 160th anniversary.
      * In 1848, 145 years ago, Mount Olivet Baptist Association was
p. 31
formed, with churches scattered throughout the Jackson Purchase.
      * In 1853, 140 years ago, the Beulah Baptist Association was formed in west Tennessee, including the Kentucky churches of Hickman (formed in 1846), Poplar Grove, Madrid Bend, and possibly others.
      In 1870, Blood River Baptist Association was formed out of West Union.
      * In 1893, 100 years ago, Graves County and West Kentucky Baptist Associations were formed, West Union became Ballard and McCracken Counties, and Mount Olivet dissolved.
      * Five or ten year anniversaries being celebrated in 1993.
      Associations in Boldface type refer to associations of West Kentucky and/or Graves County Baptist Associations.

[From Editor Doris B. Yeiser, Kentucky Baptist Heritage, Volume XVIII, Novemher 1993, Number 1, pp. 30-31; via Boyce Digital Repository. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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