James A. Kirtley, son of Robert Kirtley, and present pastor of old Bullitsburg church, was born in Boone county, Kentucky, May 26, 1822. In his boyhood, he attended the common schools of his neighborhood. He made a profession of religion, and, with his brother Robert E., was baptized by his father, the first Sunday in November, 1839, and united with the church of which he is now pastor. He was licensed to preach in 1842, having for a year previous, exercised in public prayer and exhortation, and entered Georgetown College the same year. He was compelled to leave college, in the spring of 1844, on account of a temporary failure of his eyes. During his college days, he devoted his vacations to active labour in preaching the gospel. He was ordained at Bullitsburg, the first Sunday in October, 1844, by Robert Kirtley, Asa Drury, and William Whitaker. He has written a respectable volume on "The Design of Baptism," and some smaller works of history and biography. He has served as Moderator of the State Ministers' meeting, and has been sixteen years Moderator of North Bend Association.
He died February 13, 1904, and is buried in Bullitsburg Baptist Church Cemetery. ============ [From J. H. Spencer, A History of Kentucky Baptists, 1886; reprint, 1984, Vol. I, pp. 302-303.]
In 1870 James A. Kirtley was the chosen as the preacher for the annual meeting the General Association of Baptists of Kentucky, convening at Louisville that year. [Wm. D. Nowlin, Kentucky Baptist History, p. 128.] - Jim Duvall He also commented on the Salem Predestinarian Association: Comments on the Salem Association
Some of his writings can be accessed below.
A Centennial Sermon, 1875
By James A. Kirtley
This sermon was preached many times in northern Kentucky, the year prior to our nation's 100th Anniversary.Hyper-Calvinism, Universalism and Campbellism
Northbend Circular Letter, 1846
By James A. KirtleyThe Lord's Supper
Northbend Circular Letter, 1859
By James A. KirtleyThe Civil War and its threat to the churches
Northbend Circular Letter, 1861
By James A. KirtleyAn Exhortation [I Cor. 16:13-14]
Northbend Circular Letter, 1863
By James A. Kirtley
The points of emphasis: 1] vigilance, 2] firmness, 3] be bold, 4] be strong and 5] let abounding charity characterize all labors....1870 - A history of Bullittsburg Baptist Church was assigned to J.A. Kirtley and appeared in its first installment and was concluded in 1872.
"The Scriptural Duty and Method of Training the Churches to Christian Liberality."
Northbend Circular Letter, 1871
By James A. Kirtley
He also wrote the book The Design of Baptism, Viewed in Its Doctrinal Relations, 1873. It has recently been republished by Baptist Standard Bearer Press.
More Baptist Biographies
Baptist History Homepage