"History of the Bracken Baptist Church" I
Minerva, Kentucky
By E. C. Goins
The Bracken Baptist Church, located in Mason County near the lovely little village of Minerva, Kentucky, was constituted in June, 1793, from ten members who had been dismissed from the Washington Baptist Church, Washington, Kentucky. Rev. Lewis Craig, who had moved into this section in 1792 after leaving the pastorate of South Elkhorn Baptist Church which was situated near the city of Lexington, Kentucky, led in the organization of this church. The records, for the most part, have been lost, but we find in the Minutes of the Elkhorn Baptist Association that Mr. Craig was the first pastor. In 1795, the church, with a membership of forty-five members united with the Elkhorn Association. Lewis Craig was one of the organizers of this association in 1785. After the formation of the Bracken Association in 1799, the Bracken Church, with a membership of 156, united with this Association. The Bracken meeting house, then located 500 yards northwest of the Village of Minerva was the appointed place for the formation of Bracken Association. Her pastor, Lewis Craig, was one of the leaders in this meeting. At this time there were four ordained preachers in her membership; Phillip Drake, Lewis Craig, William Holton and John King. One or the other served her as pastor during the early history of the church.
The 10 members who went into the constitution of the church were; Phillip Drake, Ann Drake, Bernard Thompson and his wife, Mary Lewis, Mary Downing, Thomas Kelsor, Elizabeth Murphy, Hannah Kelsor and Dennis Murphy.
As early as 1805 there was a crisis which divided this little flock into two divisions. The crisis was the slavery question which plagued many churches at this time. Rev. James Thompson was the pastor of the Anti-Slavery division. Rev. Thompson was a native of Scotland, and had immigrated to America in his youth. He arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 8, 1767. At this time, he was sold as an indentured servant for three years to pay for his passage across the ocean. He married during his servitude. When the time of his service expired in 1780, he moved to Virginia. Here, under the preaching of Rev. Henry Hagan, he professed faith in the Lord, and although he had been raised a Presbyterian, was baptized by Mr. Hagan into the fellowship of a Baptist Church. The next year he was drafted into the Army. At the return of peace, he moved to Bracken County, Kentucky, where he was set apart to the Gospel Ministry, and gave the evening of his life to the preaching of the Word of God. He was regarded as a man of sincerity, as well as a sound Gospel preacher. At the same time, we find Rev. William Holton of the Pro-Slavery group in the area. Both groups occupied the same meeting house. He continued as pastor until 1815. The split was finally healed by the dissolution of the Anti-Slavery Association in the state.
Jesse Holton became pastor of the United Church in 1815, and continued as pastor until 1829, when he went over to the Campbell Movement. Of the 288 members, Mr. Holton carried 251 members into the Campbellite camp. This left only 37 members in the old Baptist church. The adherents to the Campbell Movement assumed control of the church building which was a pattern everywhere they were able to sway the majority of the congregations that soon became apparent. The Baptists were allowed to conduct their services when the Campbell Services were not in session. After the split Rev. Gilbert Mason became pastor of the Bracken Baptist Church, and preached for several years. Mr. Mason was born in Bedford County, Virginia, June 1810. In 1820, at the age of ten, his parents moved to Franklin County, Kentucky. Here Mr. Mason, at the age of eleven, professed faith under the preaching of Rev. J. B. Jeter and Rev. Daniel Wills, and was baptized into the fellowship of Bethel
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Baptist Church. He was imrrediately asked to engage in public prayer, and early in his thirteenth year, he was fully licensed to preach. Although compelled to labor continually on his father's farm, he preached at night during the week and on Sunday. After laboring for a year or two in this manner, he was permitted to live a year with Rev. Abner Anthony to study under him. It was at this time that he gave himself totally to the work of the Master. At this time he went to school in Fincastle, Virginia for almost two years, and while there he lived with Rev. Absalom Dempsey and his family. After this he attended an academy in Albermarle county, Virginia. He then became a co-laborer of Rev. John Kerr, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia. From this field, he was called to the church at Petersburg, Virginia, and was regularly installed as the pastor. He was nineteen years old at this time. He preached to this church until 1834, during which time he baptized a large number among whom were Rev. Thomas Hume, Sr., and the distinguished Dr. J. S. Baker.At the death of Rev. Abner Clopton, Mr. Mason was called to succeed him as pastor of some of the churches in Charlotte County. He filled this position nearly three years until he was called as pastor of Mayslick Baptist Church, Mays Lick, Kentucky, in October, 1836. He also preached to the First Baptist Church at Maysville, Kentucky; Washington Baptist Church, Washington, Kentucky, and Bracken Baptist Church, Minerva, Kentucky. About 1845, he became involved in a personal difficulty with several of the members of the different churches that he pastored. Grave reports affecting his moral character became current. A Council was called to investigate the charges. The Council met at the Lewisburg Baptist Church and decided that Mr. Mason should make an acknowledgemant for his error, and ask for forgiveness for his wrongs, or that Washington Baptist Church should exclude him. He agreed at once to comply. He made the following declaration in writing:
"Not claiming to be infallible, I declare, in fulfilLnent of the requisition of the council, as far as I can do without a violation of conscience, that I am sorry for any errors that I have committed, and any injustice that I may have done Brother William V. Morris or Brother John L. Kirk, or any member of the Mays Lick Church, and I ask forgiveness.The Washington Church accepted the apology, but the Mayslick and Maysville Churches rejected it. The whole matter came before the Bracken Association in 1847, and Washington Church was excluded from the Association for not complying with the decision of the council. The result was the organization of the Washington Association which was formed within the bounds of the Bracken Association. Later the two associations were united into one as the Bracken Association.
Signed Gilbert Mason."About 1853, or the year following, Mr. Mason was called to the church at Lexington, Virginia. Remaining here for several years, he baptized a large number, among whom was the eloquent and scholarly J. C. Hiden, who later became pastor of the First Baptist Church, Lexington, Kentucky. From Lexington, Virginia, he was called to Manchester, Virginia where he was employed as a missionary under the General Association of Baptists. As he had done in Lexington, he continued his success in the ministry in this field. He stayed here until the beginning of the Civil War. At this time, he moved back to Kentucky where he preached until the Fall of 1872, when, his health being impaired, he resigned his charge and returned to Virginia. He resided at Lynchburq, Virginia until January, 1873. At that time, although very feeble in health, he went to visit his brother, Rev. G. M. Mason
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of Yanceyville, N. C. Here he remained until his death in 1873.Gilbert Mason was one of the most remarkable men that ever occupied a place in the American pulpit. At the age of 12 years, he could repeat whole chapters of the Bible by memory, and could readily turn to any passage in it. He was fully licensed to preach in his 13th year. At the time of his death which occurred when he was only sixty-three, he had been engaged in preaching the Gospel for fifty years, and, according to his own statement, had baptized over four thousand people.
Elder A. D. Sears, who was well-known among Baptists, preached at the Bracken Church from December 1840 until 1842 under the auspices of the Bracken Association. He was missionary for the Bracken Association. There is some dispute as to whether he pastored the church or whether he preached for the church in the capacity as Missionary for the Bracken Association. John H. Spencer in his, "A HISTORY OF KENTUCKY BAPTISTS," says, "That he was never pastor" but other sources differ with him as stating that he was pastor. Through his ministry he did much to recover Bracken Church from the Mason "controversy."
Rev. Sears was of English parentage, and was born in Fairfax County, Virginia, January 1, 1804. He acquired a fair education. He was of deistical influence, and entertained a strong prejudice against religious people, holding the Baptist in special contempt. He never formed the habit of attending preaching. In 1823 be came to Kentucky and settled in Bourbon county, where in 1825, he married Miss Ann B. Bowie. By some means, he was led to a close study of the Bible, and thereby was led to Christ. He had never heard a Baptist preach but getting hold of Andrew Fuller's works, he found their teachings so fully in accordance with his experience, and understanding of the New Testarrent, that he resolved to join the hitherto despised Baptists. On the 19th of July 1838, he and his wife were baptized by Dr. Ryland Thompson Dillard into the fellowship of Davids Fork Baptist Church in Fayette County. In 1839, he was licensed to preach by his church. In February 1840, he was ordained to the ministry at David's Fork Baptist Church by Ryland Thompson Dillard, Edward Darnaby, and Josiah Leak.
He at once entered upon the work of his holy calling, and during the next seven months, preached once a month at Georgetown Baptist Church and the Forks of the Elkhorn Baptist Church (not pastoring at either place) and devoted the rest of his time to hold protracted meetings: In December, 1840, he moved to Flemingsburg Baptist Church and resided in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. He was appointed Missionary of the Bracken Association. He preached at Flemingsburg Baptist Church (which at this time was only a few months old - having been formed from the old Wilson Run and Popular Run Churches) and Bracken Baptist Church at Minerva. He labored in the bounds of Bracken Association until 1842. During the year 1840, he held meetings at Shelbyville, Burkes's Branch and South Benson Churches where large numbers were added to the churches. In July, 1842, he began a rreeting with the First Baptist Church, Louisville, Kentucky which continued eight weeks, and during which time he baptized one-hundred twenty-five people. The first of September in 1843, he accepted the pastorate of this church where he continued until July 1849, when he resigned to take the General Agency of the General Baptist Association of Kentucky. In July 1850, he was called as pastor of the Baptist Church at Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Here he remained until the Civil War began, when he moved to the south where he preached to the soldiers, many of whom were baptized. In the latter part of 1864, he attempted to move to Kentucky, but was prohibited by the military authorities. In January, 1866, he took charge of the Baptist church at Clarksville, Tennessee. Under his care the church increased from 25 members to 225 members, and erected a house of worship at a cost of $25,000 dollars. He remained with this church until his death, June 15, 1891 at the age of 87 years.
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Alexander Warren LaRue was called as pastor of the Bracken Church in 1842. He succeeded A. D. Sears. Rev. LaRue was born in what is now LaRue County, Kentucky, January 23, 1819. His paternal grandfather was John LaRue, who was of French extraction, and settled in the county which bears his name in 1785. He left the Presbyterian church and joined the Baptist Church and was a distinguished and honored citizen. His father, Squire LaRue, was assistant Circuit Judge of his district, represented Hardin County in the Kentucky Legislature in 1822, was a member of the Baptist Church, and of him, it is written, "He filled every place to which he was called, with dignity and honor." The mother of A. W. LaRue was a daughter of Alexander McDougal, who was a native of Ireland, and a faithful Baptist preacher.A. W. LaRue was born in what is now LaRue County, January 23, 1819. He was led to Christ under the ministry of his cousin, Rev. S. L. Helm, and was baptized into the fellowship of Severns Valley Baptist Church, Elizabethtown, Kentucky by Rev. Coleman Lovelace, September 7, 1838. He was licensed to preach November 3, 1838. Having taken an academic course at Elizabethtown, he entered Georgetown College in 1839 where he graduated in 1842. Soon after graduation, he was called to the pastorate of Flemingsburg Baptist Church, Flemingsburg, Kentucky and also to the pastorate of Bracken Baptist Church at Minerva, Kentucky, and in addition, supplied two other pulpits in the Bracken Association. He was ordained at the Flemingsburg Baptist Church, December 4, 1842. In this field, he labored with great success and usefulness nearly seven years not only preaching to the charge of four churches but laboring abundantly throughout the territory of the Bracken Association. In 1849, his health, having become greatly enfeebled from excessive labor and exposure, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and entered into partnership with the distinguished Rev. William Calmes Buck, by which he became co-editor and part owner of the paper now so widely known as the "WESTERN RECORDER." He was connected with the Journal about four years, until 1853. Concurrently with the paper he was pastor of Banks Street Baptist Church and for a time was pastor of East Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. In January, 1853, having severed his connection with the paper, he accepted a call to the Harrodsburg Baptist Church at Harrodsburg, Kentucky. He pastored this church until the summer of 1856. Foliowing his ministry at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, he accepted a call to the pastorate of the Georgetown Baptist Church, Georgetown, Kentucky. He remained with this church until 1859. In August, 1859, he accepted the pastorate of the Stanford Baptist Church, Stanford, Kentucky. Here he remained until the year 1863. In 1856, he moved to Christian County where he became pastor of the Salem Baptist Church. Before he had been there a year, his wife died suddenly of an attack of neuralgia of the brain. She was a daughter of Elijah Craig, Jr. and grand-daughter of Rev. Lewis Craig. She was a noble and godly woman, and was the strength of her household. Rev. LaRue was frail and extremely sensitive and refined in his feeling. The shock was greater than his constitution could bear. His wife died July 19, 1864 and he followed her to the place of everlasting rest on September 11, 1864.
Mr. LaRue was not a genius, neither did he possess a superior native intellect. He was but a medium man in all of his gifts. But his application, his industry and well-tempered zeal were extraordinary. Few men were more consecrated to the cause of Christ, or made a deeper impression upon the minds and hearts of those he came in contact. His usefulness in the cause of Christ was very extensive and a multitude of Christian's hearts mourned when the beloved Mr. LaRue, great in goodness, was felled in the prime of life. The old house of worship, built by Lewis Craig and rescued from the Campbell Movement under the ministry of A. W. LaRue, was dilapidated, so much so, that it was unfit for worship service and a new building was erected in the Village of Minerva. Since 1850 the church has continued to decline in membership. About 1900
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the meeting house ceased to be occupied as a place of worship. The building was used as a community center until 1930 when the property was sold by the remaining members to a private citizen for $280.00. The money was given to Bracken Association, with the designation that it would be used for the enclosing of the graves of Lewis Craig and his wife. On the fence is a plaque which records a brief biography of Rev. Craig's life. In October 1930, the unveiling ceremony was held with Dr. John R. Sampey as the principal speaker.Under the capable and enthusiastic leadership of Rev. Ken Forman, Director of Missions for Bracken Association, a forceful revival surge to restore the Bracken Baptist Building and to begin again a work at this church has been launched. For many years, the old Bracken Church has been used as a tobacco barn. It is the hope of this writer that every Baptist in Kentucky will get behind Rev. Forman and give of their strength, time and talent to restore this worthy building to its former glory. It would take very little from the pockets of Baptists in Kentucky if each one would contribute at least $5.00 to this cause. This citadel of Baptist history should, by all means, be restored and a mission should be started within its walls. Let us pray together, stay together and work together for this worthy goal.
________________ BIBLIOGRAPHY
Spencer, John H., A History of Kentucky Baptists, Reprint by Church History, Research and Archives, Lafayette, Tenn.
1976 Minutes of the Bracken Association
Barbee, J. N., History of the Bracken Baptist Church
Yancey, Hugh, A Brief History of Bracken Association
The Western Recorder
Cathcart, William, D. D., Baptist Encyclopedia, Louis H. Everts, Philadelphia, 1883
Cathcart, William, A History of Virginia Baptists
Semple, Robert Baylor, History of Baptists in Virginia, 1810.
Private Conversations from Descendants of Lewis Craig
Masters, Frank M., A History of Baptists in Kentucky, Louisville, Ky. 1953
Minutes of the Elkhorn Association, 1795, 1796, 1797
==================== [From Kentucky Baptist Heritage Journal, July 1981; via Archivist Adam Winters @ SBTS Library - Internet. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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