(Brush Creek Church is now the Persimmon Grove Baptist Church) History of Campbell County Baptist Association
The Association was formed in 1827, however, the minutes of that meeting are missing. The following information was take from the Annual Meeting held in 1855.
CIRCULAR LETTER Dear Brethren:-
THE HISTORY OF THE CAMPBELL ASSOCIATION
We have chosen as the subject of the present Circular Letter, "The History of the Campbell County Association," being convinced that this [is a] subject that would interested all our brethren and believing also that some facts ought to be collected for the benefit of the denomination in future ages. We shall endeavor to give a brief outline of the origin and progress of this Association, with a brief sketch of the churches which it was composed, and constituted, and also some account of a few of the early ministers who have gone to their reward.The Campbell County Association was constituted at Brush Creek, in Campbell County, Kentucky, about three miles south of Alexandria, on the 21st., of September 1827.
There were delegates present from the following eight churches:
From Licking, there were present, Robert Ware, Israel Ware, Andrew Smolley, John Rees, Ferguison German, and James Fowler. From Four-mile,
David Berdick, J. Walker, Josiah Herbert, jun., and
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Joseph Clark.From Bank-lick,
Elam Grizzle, George Vice, John R. Stephens, Leonard D'Coursey, and Lewis Klette. From Wilmington,
William Griffin, Samuel Bryan, and Joel Berry. From Brush Creek,
William Gosney, William Lipscomb, R. S. Dicken, and John H. Calwell. From Twelve-mile,
John Stephens, William J. Morin, William Thomson, Samuel Belveal, Thomas Beagle, and Con Beagle. From Alexandria,
Joseph Dicken, George Graden, II, E. Spillman, James Spillman, and William D'Coursey. From Flower Creek,
John Taylor, Drummond Wheeler and John Wheeler. The Introductory Sermon was preached by Rev. William Montague, of North Bend Association, from 1st. Peter, ii, chapter, v. verse, "Ye also as lively stones," &c.
The Association numbered at its constitution, three hundred and forty seven-members. The following items constituted its principal business at its first meeting. Elder John Stephens was chosen Moderator and" Lewis Klette Clerk. Adopted the following six articles of faith: -
1st. That there is but one only living and true God, and that in this adorable God-Head there are three personal relations, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
2nd. That the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are the word of God, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
3rd. That by nature we are depraved, helpless, and fallen creatures.
4th. That Salvation, Regeneration, Sanctification, and Redemption are by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that the saints will finally persevere through grace to glory.
5th. That Baptism by immersion is a command of God, and should be observed by all true believers.
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6th. And that the salvation of the righteous and punishment of the wicked will be eternal. It was agreed to correspond with the following Associations, to wit: - Union, Bracken, and Eagle Creek, (in Ohio). William D'Coursey, was appointed to correspond with the American Baptist Tract Society, in Philadelphia.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM THE
Annual Meeting held in 18??This association was constituted at Brush Creek (now Persimmon Grove) Church on September 21st, 1827, of eight churches which had been dismissed from North Bend Association. It was first called Campbell association, but in 1832 it assumed its present title. The names of the churches that entered in the constitution were Licking, Four Mile, Bank Lick, Wilmington, Brush Creek, Twelve Mile, Alexandria, and Flower Creek.
The ordained ministers were Robert Ware, Elam Grizzle, George Vice, William Gosney, John Stephens, George Graden, and John Taylor.
After its organization the association adopted an abstract of principles consisting of six churches, and agreed to correspond with Bracken, North Bend, Union, and Eagle Creek (Ohio) associations. The eight churches of which it was constituted, aggregated only 374 members, and it was so unhappy, in consequence of a continuous spirit of discord, that it increased very little during the first twelve years of its existence. It was first annoyed by the Campbellite Schism, by which it lost, between 1829 and 1833, nearly all it had gained from its constitution to the latter date.
After that it was paralyzed by determined opposition to missions, on the part of a large minority of its members.
______________ The following information was taken from the 1874 Annual Meeting.
HISTORICAL FACTS THE CAMPBELL COUNTY ASSOCIATION was constituted on the 21st day of September, 1827, at the old Brush Creek meeting-house, about three miles south of Alexandria. There were eight Churches represented in the constitution, to-wit: LICKING, FOUR-MILE, BANK-LICK, WILMINGTON, BRUSH CREEK, (now PERSIMMON GROVE) TWELVE-MILE, ALEXANDRIA, and FLOWER-CREEK. Of these, Flower Creek dissolved about the year 1833; Bank-Lick joined North-Bend in 1850. The other six still compose a part of this Association. At the time of constitution, the Association numbered 374 members.
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The Introductory Sermon was preached by Elder Wm. Montague, text I Peter, ii:5. There are but two persons now living who were in the constitution; those are Elder F. German and John Wheeler.Elder John Stevens served as Moderator from the constitution to 1840, a period of thirteen years. In 1840 Elder James Vickers was chosen Moderator until 1850.
Elder James Spilman was elected and served two or three years, when Elder Vickers was again chosen and served until 1859, when Elder A. W. Mullins'was chosen and served until 1864, when Elder Spilman was chosen and served two years, when Elder J. M. Jolly was elected and served until 1873.
Lewis Klette was elected Clerk at the constitution and served until 1836, with the exception of two years, when Wm. DeCoursey served. In 1836 Elder Wm. J. Morin was elected Clerk and served until 1855, when N. C. Pettit was elected and has served until the present time.
DATE OF CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCHES,
AND THE NUMBER WITH WHICH THEY WERE CONSTITUTED.Licking Church October 1794 with 8 members,
Four-Mile Decemb'r1799 with 9 members,
Bank-Lick May 23 1801 with 6 members,
Brush Creek June 1804 with 8 members,
Wilmington 1804 none listed,
Twelve-Mile 1818 with 22 members,
Alexandria 1822 none listed,
Flower Creek 1796 none listed,
Flag Spring December 1823 with 21 members,
Newport February 1 1840 with 7 members,
Second Twelve-Mile May 1841 with 32 members,
Holt's Creek in Spring of 1845 with 12 members,
DeCoursey Creek October 5 1844 with 87 members,
Bethel Winter of 1845 with 25 members,
Second Covington July 22 1847 with 39 members,
Jamestown (now Dayton) 1850 with 19 members,
Pleasant Ridge 1854 with 26 members,
Licking Valley 1854 none listed,
Bowman (now Oak Island) 1858 with 14 members,
Plum Creek (now Grant's Lick) 1860 with 16 members,
German Baptist Church, Newport 1864 with 26 members.========== [The document is from the Campbell County Historical Society Library, Alexandria, KY. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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