At the close of the preceding period, we found the church active, vigorous and in a healthy condition. She had not lapsed into a lukewarm state. Her watchmen had not slept at their posts. In the two years immediately preceding the period we are now approaching, a considerable spirit of engaged ness had prevailed, and the church had received a number of valuable accessions by baptism. The fileds were now again white unto the harvest, and her laborers with a will had gone forth to reap the precious fruit.

     In the month of October, 1823, the church, as her custom was, observed a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer. The spirit of this meeting was largely participated in by the membership. A number of excluded members about this time were restored to fellowship; and, from the manifestations of penitence among backsliders, attention to the preaching of the Word and inquiry among the unconverted, and the travailing spirit of prayer and anxiety for the salvation of sinners among the members, it was apparent that "the hand of the Lord was with them."

     At the meetings in November and the ensuing months, up to about the first of August, 1824, large accessions were made by experience and baptism. The revival spirit pervaded the hearts of the members, extended to neighboring churches, and resulted in the addition to Bullittsburg of one hundred and eighteen members, making her total number at this time three hundred and fifty-nine. Among those added to the church during this revival season will be recognized the familiar names of John Thomas, Mills Wilkes, John Winston, sr., William Botts, Joshua Botts, William Graves, John Duncan, Benjamin Graves, Asa Kirtley and Benjamin Terrill. The last named brother has for a number of years been a laborious and useful minister in Missouri. Many others, who have been useful and honored members in this and other churches, were among the fruits of this revival.

     The character of the preaching, which the Lord of the harvest so signally blessed during this season of ingathering, was, as in the years past, when Taylor and Deweese were the laborers, or when Henderson and Wilson, or when Graves and Matthews were the laborers. Salvation "by grace, through faith" in the Lord Jesus Christ, was the burden of the message which these faithful men of God delivered.

     None other, indeed, but the doctrines of grace have ever been received or allowed by this church. Whatever diversity of ministerial gifts may have characterized the three laborers of this period, they were of one mind in faith, fellowship and discipline. They spake the same things; and, as Paul said of "John, whose surname was Mark," they were profitable to each other for the ministry. The meek, affectionate, persuasive address of Graves harmonized with the bold, earnest argumentation and appeals of Dicken and Kirtley. The three with one heart and voice testified alike, "to both great and small," "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

     The church at this time enjoyed great spiritual prosperity. Her territory was, indeed, much diminished. Her house of worship standing within one mile and a half of the Ohio river in its northern bend, which constitutes her northern, north-eastern and south-western boundary, while the flourishing young churches she had planted drew a cordon around her on all other sides. She still cherished with the ardor of her first love the spirit of evangelism; and it may be said of her, as of the primitive church of the Thessalonians, that "the word of the Lord sounded out" from her in all the regions beyond. Her ministers but represented her doctrine and her spirit when they went forth in the name of the Master to publish "the good tidings" in the surrounding country.

     Graves, though of delicate and frail constitution, was indefatigable, and abounded in labors of love. The two younger men were strong physically and mentally, were strong in faith and feverent in spirit, and no labor was too great for them to undertake or endure; and so, by means of the joint labors of the three, all that were in the surrounding country "heard the word of the Lord."

     While passing through this season of prosperity, the church was approaching a time of sore affliction and great depression. Two years from the time of this great revival, in which the labors of Graves and Dicken were so signally blessed, and while the former was in the very prime of his life and usefulness, and the latter rapidly advancing in the ministry, and as we may say, growing in favor with God and men, - they were both stricken down. James Dicken died June 10, 1826, aged forty-one years. Absalom Graves died the 17th of August of the same year, in the fifty-seventh year of his age.

     These were good men, and faithful standard-bearers in Israel, and when they fell the whole church was filled with sorrow. Indeed, such was the estimation in which they were held for their works' sake, that the lamentation over their decease was scarcely less in all the neighboring churches than in this. But among all those who felt their loss, no one looked upon the mournful events of the past or into the dark future with a sadder heart than Robert Kirtley. For the first time in the history of this church since the second year of her existence, she had but one minister. Hitherto the responsibility had been shared by two or more. He was alone, and the responsibilities of the situation were far greater than ever before. The church was now large, and great requisitions were made of him for ministerial labor. About the time of the death of these brethren, the most difficult case of discipline which had ever taxed the wisdom, forbearance and faithfulness of the church, came up and was made a reference for several months before it was settled. Though the parties were prominent members, men of standing and influence, having large relationships, and the difficulty between them complicated, such was the wisdom, impartial faithfulness and affection with which it was conducted, that it was finally settled without engendering party spirit or discords.

     The cases of discipline were numerous and sometimes aggravated; but, by the grace of God, the church was equal to every emergency. Such was her reputation for wisdom, prudent counsels, impartiality and faithfulness, in the maintainance [sic] of church order and discipline, that for many years her assistance was sought by all the surrounding churches, in the settlement of difficulties.

     It was during these years that the recently organized sect, under the leadership of Alexander Campbell, made such desperate efforts to proselyte Baptists, and otherwise to dismember the Baptist churches of Kentucky. Some three or four members of this church embraced the heresy of Mr. Campbell; were promptly dealt with, and, after the first and second admonition, were excluded.

     During this period many interesting developments of growth and activity, as well as many sad changes are to be enumerated.

     Bullittsburg, through the appointment of "helps," assisted in the ordination of Landon Robinson, a former licentiate of this church, on the fourth Saturday in April, 1824, as a minister of Sand Run Church, where he acceptably exercised his ministry till removed by death, which occurred not far from the time of the deaths of Absalom Graves and James Dicken. In like manner she assisted in the ordination of Eld. Wm. Whitaker, on the fourth Lord's day in October, 1826; he also had been for a number of years a useful member of this church. After his ordination, he became pastor at the Sand Run Church, where he labored till very recently, having been removed by death, August 12th, 1872, aged seventy-nine years.

     On the 2nd of July, 1826, Joseph Botts, sen., was set apart to the office of deacon; in which sphere of labor he served the cause of the Master with faithfulness and efficiency, till encouraged by the church to preach the gospel. He was licensed to preach in December, 1829, and ordained the first Lord's day in October, 1833. He exercised his ministry in this and neighboring churches, till the fall of 1836, when he removed to the State of Illinois, where he has been usefully employed in the Master's vineyard, and still lives, honored "and esteemed very highly in love for his works' sake."

     About the time of the ordination of Eld. Joseph Botts, Eld. Jesse Terrell, who had for several years been a member of this church, was ordained in the East Bend Church, December, 1833, brethren from Bullittsburg assisting in his ordination. He also has labored many years in the gospel, in the State of Missouri, and still lives, beloved and honored.

     In October, 1826, Reuben Graves, at his own request, was released from the duties of clerk, and also from serving as deacon, and Willis Graves was appointed clerk in his stead. In June, 1830, James Graves, a man of exemplary deportment, who had been a useful officer in the church for a number of years, was, because of growing infirmity, released from the active duties of the deaconship. It was about this time also that Elders Wm. Spencer and Demas Moss, were received as transient ministers. They both preached a while in this and other surrounding churches, and then removed to other localities.

     Rowland Botts was ordained a deacon in February, 1833, and Absalom Graves, jr., in May, 1836. During this period many of the old and useful members of the church passed away. John Graves, the honored ancestor of an extensive family, died Dec. 8th, 1825; Edmund Garnett died Sept. 11th, 1826; Wm Wallis, at an advanced age, the father of an extensive family, both in Virginia and Kentucky, died May 21st, 1833; Willis Graves, the only son of Eld. Absalom Graves, the efficient clerk of the church, and also of the North Bend Association, from 1826, died Nov. 12th, 1834, in the midst of growing usefulness, honored in life and greatly lamented in death. James Graves died July, 1835; Wm. Gaines October 20th, 1836; and George Gaines June 26th, 1839.

     Besides the immediate fruits of the great revival last referred, the church received a number of valuable additions, particularly in the years 1832 and 1838. During the entire period, reaching from November, 1823, to October, 1839, one hundred and seventy-nine members were dismissed by letter, chiefly as emigrants removing to the west. This large number dismissed, together with fifty-one excluded, and seventy-nine deceased, making in all three hundred and nine, reduced the church by the first of October, 1839, to one hundred and sixty-eight members.

     The great losses sustained by death, exclusion and removal, (compensated in some measure, 'tis true, by additions by letter and restoration) brought sadness to the hearts of many. To no one, however, were the present surroundings and prospective troubles an occasion of greater sadness than to Elder Robert Kirtley. He, more than any other man, knew the influences at work, and foresaw more clearly the coming storm; foreshadowed by the annual visits to the North Bend Association, of representatives of the Licking Association, and especially by the occasional visits of the leading representative spirit of that body, who, more than any other man in Kentucky, deserves the title of "divider of brethren." [This was Thomas P. Dudley of Lexington. jrd]

     Through all these years, from the death of Graves and Dicken, the astute, but bitter partisan, and disciple of Daniel Parker, industriously planted and nourished the germ of discontent in the minds of a few of the ministers, and in the midst of some of the churches of the Association; which spirit began to assume an organized form of opposition, at the annual meeting in 1839, and culminated at the meeting of 1840. These things, together with the general religious apathy which prevailed, were, to the thoughtful and spiritually minded members of all the churches, a sufficient cause for the gravest apprehensions. Especially were the thoughtful and faithful members of Bullittsburg, and her pastor, aroused to a very great concern for Zion, and to earnest prayer and supplication for a revival of God's work, as the best and only remedy against the threatened evils.

     The first Wednesday in October, 1839, was set apart as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer to God. The meeting was largely attended; many of the brethren offered prayer, confessed their waywardness, gave expression to the longings of their hearts for the visitations of God's grace, and for the salvation of sinners. This old church humbled herself, "under the mighty hand of God," and the Lord was with her.

=============

[James A. Kirtley, History of Bullittsburg Church with Biographies, 1872, pp. 21-26. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

---

Period 6
More on Bullittsburg Baptist
Baptist History Homepage