The closing months of 1817, from the first of October, together with the following months of 1818, up to about the first of August, constitute another remarkable period in the history this church. Indeed, it was one of the most remarkable in the history of Kentucky Baptists. The revival spirit was vouchsafed to this church in a very large measure. During this period one hundred and sixty-five persons were received for baptism, and taken into the fellowship of the church; making her total number three hundred and ninety-five.

     Among the many brethren added to the church during this revival, who afterwards became ministers, deacons, clerks and prominent members in this and other churches, were Joseph Botts, Jesse Terrell, Wm. Gaines, James Terrell, James Gaines, Wm. Kirtley, Wm. M. Gaines, Benj. Dulaney, Wm. B. Hayden; and in the intervening years, preceding the next general revival, were Robert Cornelius, James Ingraham, Benj. G. Willis, and Wm. B. Ewing.

     This was a season of great enlargement to the church, not only as it regarded the number of "believers added to the Lord," but also in respect to the knowledge, graces, and active usefulness of her members.

     The faithful labors of Graves and Matthews were greatly blessed. Neighbouring churches also shared the benefit of their labors, and participated largely in the fruits of this great revival. Particularly Middle creek, to which was added ninety-three members by baptism; while to the churches of the Association were added six hundred and eleven members. William Montague, who had been ordained, was also at this time a useful laborer among the churches.

     Landon Robinson, James Dicken, and James Gilmore were encouraged to exercise their gifts, publicly, within the bounds of the church.

     The church had many excellent singers, and at many of her numerous meetings, particularly those held at private houses and at night, singing, prayer, exhortation, and the relation of christian experience, were the principle exercises; which afforded a good opportunity to seek out and encourage the gifts of usefulness among the brethren. Bullittsburg had lost nothing of her former spirit of evangelization and church extension.

     Early in the year 1819 the propriety of organizing a church in what is called "the upper end of her boundary," was considered. And at the request of brother Matthews, the church, by a unanimous vote, gave her sanction to the movement, and her full consent that any of her members were at liberty to go into the organization, and appointed brethren Absalom Graves, Thomas Whitaker, James Dicken, Robert Kirtley and William Cave a committee of helps to assist in the organization

     The committee reported at the following meeting that, notwithstanding the disagreeableness of the weather, preventing a number fro attending who desired to go into the constitution, that the church was duly organized on the 29th of March, 1819, with seventy-eight members, under the title of "the Sand Run Baptist Church."

     Among those who went into this organization were Chichester Matthews and William Montague, ordained ministers; Lewis Webb, the clerk of the church; Cave Johnson, Jeremiah Kirtley, Cave Montague, William McCoy, Beverly Ward, Benjamin Mitchel, William Gaines, Benjamin Dulaney, Andrew Brockman, John Brockman and others; and at their following meeting by letter from Bullittsburg, James Gilmore, Benjamin Watts, Daniel Beal and others.

     Thus it will be seen that this young church commenced with encouraging prospects: comprising in her membership two ordained ministers, one licentiate, and experienced clerk, and a very considerable number of brethren and sisters of prominence and standing.

     By the meeting of the association in September, the church had received accessions from Bullittsburg, swelling her number to ninety-five. In the early part of the same year, after a free and harmonious consultation, Bullittsburg, by a unanimous vote, agreed to build a new house of worship; (her present brick building) which by the first of December was completed, at a cost of $1,850; and was received by her trustees, who were empowered as a building committee to execute the work, and hold the church property in trust. A deficit of $150 was apportioned on the members, and the debt at once extinguished.

     In the year 1818, Bullittsburg, as a church, took active measures to aid the Baptist church at Newport, in building their house of worship, and early in the year 1820, in like manner, liberally assisted the Sand Run church to erect theirs.

     At the April meeting in 1819, Wm Whitaker was appointed clerk in place of Lewis Webb, who united in the organization of Sand Run. About this time Francis Craig, who had for some time past been encouraged by the church to preach, but had recently removed to another locality, was, by a neighboring church, ordained to the work of the ministry.

     At the regular business meeting, first Saturday in July, 1819, James Dicken and Robert Kirtley were licensed "to preach the gospel wherever God in his providence, should cast their lots."

     Dicken was a man of bold spirit, of a sprightly mind and unaffected piety, and having attained to a very commendable growth in the ministry, was ordained June 3rd, 1820; Graves, Matthews and Montague being the presbytery.

     The ordination of Robert Kirtley was considered, and by a unanimous vote decided on. At his earnest request, however, it was deferred until the church again urged it upon him as a duty, and on the first Lord's day in August, 1822, he was set apart to the work of the ministry, Graves, Matthews, and Dicken constituting the acting presbytery.

     In April, 1820, Landon Robinson was fully licensed to preach the gospel, and in July of the same year, he and Wm. Whitaker, with others, were granted letters of dismission to unite with the Sand Run church, where Robinson was shortly ordained, and Whitaker was encouraged to preach.

     Reuben Graves was appointed clerk in the place of Wm. Whitaker, and was also recognized as a deacon, having been ordained to that office in the Middle Creek Church.

     On the first Lord's day in December, 1822, Whitfield Early was set apart to the office of deacon.

     Notwithstanding the large number of members dismissed for colonizing, and for emigration, the church at the close of this period, having received one hundred and ninety-seven by baptism, comprised a membership of two hundred and thirty-nine persons; and though she had contributed so largely of her ministerial force to strengthen a neighboring church, still retained three ordained ministers, Graves, Dicken and Kirtley. These three jointly served the church in pastoral labors; supplied several neighboring churches, and labored extensively as evangelists in this and surrounding counties; making frequent tours of preaching to the north side of the Ohio river, both in Ohio and Indiana. They were greatly attached to each other, and were "true yoke fellows" in "the ministry of the word," and "in the Kingdom and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ." For many years the church observed annually a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer to God for his continued mercy, and for the revival of his work. A season of fasting and prayer preceded almost every season of revival. The watch care which the church exercised over her members was affectionate, unwearied, and faithful. Scarcely a business meeting was held in all these years, that some case of discipline was not attended to.

     No irregularities of conduct, no disorderly walking, heresies, or breach of fellowship were allowed to continue until the cause was permanently reproached; a stain fastened upon the character of the church; divisions fomented or a sickly decaying piety super induced. Promptness, faithfulness and affections were the watchwords of the brethren, and the Lord blessed his people.

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[James A. Kirtley, History of Bullittsburg Church with Biographies, 1872, pp. 18-21. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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