The Sixty-first session of the General Association [1898] was held at First Baptist Church in Hopkinsville, June 18-23. Two hundred and thirty-six messengers were enrolled. A motion prevailed made by J. S. Coleman that all brethren, who became life members of this body previous to the change of the Constitution be entitled to seats as messengers. W. H. Felix was re-elected Moderator, and Drs. F. H. Kerfoot and J. S. Coleman, Assistant Moderators.The question of the denominational control of the Baptist Education Institutions of the state was prominent before the body. The report of the Committee read by Dr. T. T. Eaton presented many difficulties in the way of bringing the schools and colleges under the control of the General Association. They reported that the Trustees of Bethel College at Russellville "are a self-perpetuating body, and they do not wish any change." They found the Trustees of Georgetown College were elected by the Kentucky Baptist Educational Society, membership in which is secured by a contribution of one hundred dollars, or in case the contributor is an alumnus of the College, twenty dollars. "They would be in jeopardy if the election of Trustees should pass from this Society to the General Association."
The Trustees of Bethel Female College at Hopkinsville were elected by Bethel Association, which has absolute control over the College, and whatever is done toward making any change, "must be done by that Association." Liberty College at Glasgow, was under the control of Liberty Association and Blandville College, Blandville, was under the West Union Association. The Ohio Valley College at Sturgis, opened in September 1896, was controlled by the Ohio Valley Association; while Bardstown Male and Female College was controlled by the Bardstown Baptist Church. There was no report from Williamsburg Institute, Clinton College, Kentucky College at Pewee Valley, Lynnland Male and Female Institute at Glendale, nor Shelbyville College, Shelbyville, Kentucky, as to their attitude to denominational control.
============ [Frank Masters, A History of Baptists in Kentucky, 1953, p. 414. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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