Editor's note: In 1800-1801 what has been labeled by many as the "Second Great Awakening" spread from western Kentucky to central Kentucky and there was rapid growth in the number of churches and the number of members in the churches of the Elkhorn Baptist Association. The following are records from the association for the years 1800, 1801 and 1802. As will be noted there was a total of 1,642 members in 1800; the following year, 3,211 members were added to these twenty-six churches. In 1802 ten churches and 457 members were added. This information is taken from W. W. Sweet's Religion on the American Frontier: The Baptists.
MINUTES OF THE ELKHORN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION 1800
At an Association began and held at Bryans in Fayette County August the 9th 1800 Brother Augustin Eastin agreeable to appointment preached the introductory sermon from Psalms 73, 24 Thou shalt guide me.After Sermon Business was opened with Prayer when Brother Ambrose Dudley was Chosen Modr and Brother John Price Clerk.
Letters from 26 Churches were read and messengers names enrolled as follows
Total Membership = 1642. The Church at Dry Run being lately constituted made application for admittance into this union and was Received. -
Letters from several correspondent Associations were read from the Ketockton Salem and the united. Brother Redding & the Clerk appointed to arrang the business of the Association. Messengers appointed them Brother Taylor & Hickman Salem Baimbridge & Smith Dudley the United Baimbridge, Payne, Redding & Eve the Bracken, Brother Eastin to write to the Salem Association,
Brother Payne to the Ketockton Asson Brother Barrow to the united Association Brother Baimbridge to the Bracken Asson Adjourn till 9 OClock Monday morning
Met pursuant to adjournment.The circular letter read revised and aproved of The Letters from the coresponding Association red and approved of
Brethren Eastin, Dudley and Price appointed a Committee of corespondence to write to the Philadelphia Association. Harikin Church dismissed to Join the united Association. The Church at Buck run desolved by mutual consent.
Next association to be held at South Elkhorn the second Saturday in August next Brother Dudley to preach the Introductory sermon and in case of failure Brother Eve. Brother Eastin to write the Circular Letter for 1801.
John Price Clerk. Ambrose Dudley Modr. ___________ 1801
At an Association began and held at South Elkhorn Fayette County. August the 8th 1801 The Association was opened with divin worship sermon from Gallations 6 & 14But God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of Christ.
Letters from 26 Churches were read Brother David Barrow
Moderator Brother J Price Clk
Total membership = 4853. Ten Churches applied for admission and were recd Received Letters and Messengers from the Salem Bracken & Tates Creek Associations
Brother Joseph Redding A Dudley & J Price are appointed to arrange the Business of the Asson
Adjourn till Monday 8 oClockMonday 10th of August met according to adjournment after prayer proceeded to Business
Circular read, and, approved Letters to the corisponding Associations read and approved.
Request from South Elkhorn missionaries to the Indian nations. Agreed to appoint a Committee of five members to hear and determine on the Call of any of our ministers & if satisfied therewith to give them credentials for that purpose: To set subscriptions on foot to receive collections for the use of said mission and it is recommended to the Churches to encourage subscriptions for said, purpose and have the money Lodged with the Deacons to be applied for that purpose wheneve Called for by the Committee the following Brethren are appointed David Barrow Ambrose Dudley John Price Augustin Eastin G Smith or any three of them
Agreed that a Committee be appointed to attend the separate Association and write them a friendly letter and use such means as may appear right to them to bring about a union and if it should appear necessary that they call a convention of the Churches to carry the union into effect the following Brethren are appointed David Barrow Ambrose Dudley J Price Wm Payne & J Redding.
Agreed to appoint a committee to draw a plan to restore excluded members emigrating to this Country and present it to the next Association Brother Dudley Eastin and Price are appointed. Brother Wm Payne to write the Circular Letter for 1802 Agreed that the Churches who are in union with us that reside in the North part of our Bounds are at Liberty to use their own discretion in forming an Association and that Brother Eve and Baimbridge do advise them.
Messengers appointed to attend the corisponding Association to be held at Coopers run the Second Saturday in August next Introductory Sermon Brother Gano and in case of failure Brother Redding.
Agreed that Brother Walter Cave Richard Young Charles Smith J Payne James Haydon John Mason be appointed a committee to receive the bounty of the Churches for the benefit of our aged Brethren John Gano David Thompson & J Sutton as an indication of our Love and care of them in their old age and it is recommended to the Churches to make frequent Contributions & send them to the committee who are to distribute the same as to them may appear right and render an account to the Association what they have received and from whom and how they have distributed the same.
David Barrow Modr J Price Clk ___________ 1802
At an Association began and held at Coopers run Bourbon County State of Kentucky Augus I4th I5th I6th 1802The Association was opened with divine worship Brother Redding preached the Association Sermon from first John 4th igth we love him because he first loved us. Brother Augustin Eastin Chosen Moderator and John Price Clerk
Letters from 26 Churches were read
The twelve last Churches upon their request were received into the Association Letters from the following Coresponding Churches were received from Salem by their Messengers Brother William Keller; from Tates Creek by Brother Andrew Tibbie, from Green River Brother Robert Stocton, from Bracken Brother Philip Drake. Appointed the following Brethren to write to the different association Redding to Tates Creek Tarrent to Green River. Baimbridge to Bracken. Barrow to Salem. Adjourn tell Monday 9 oClock.Met pursuant to adjournment Th following Brethren are appointed messengers to the Associations. To the Green River Tarrant and Price, to the Tates Creek Redding and Corbin. To the Bracken Barrow and Baimbridg to the Salem Suggett and Reisse.
The Letters read and approve of The Circular Letter read an approved. A request from the Crossing Church not to admit McConnels run Church a seat in the association. Rejected. Also a memorial from the minority of said Church. Rejected. Agreed to appoint a committee of eleven members to attend the McConnels run Church the Wednesday before the fourth Sunday in October Namely Barrow Eve Enoch & Wm Smith Jelson Payne Thomas Stark Edmund Mountjoy Alexander Monroe Richard Young Lewis Corbin John Scott, seven of them may act in giving all the friendly aid they can. Quere from south Elkhorn What constitutes Baptism valid
Answer the administrator ought to have been Baptised himself by immersion legally colled to preached the gospel ordained as the scriptures dictates & that the candidate for Baptism make a profession of his faith in Jesus Christ and that he be Baptised in the name of the father of the Son & of the Holy Ghost by dipping the whole body in water.
The Committee appointed to form a plan for the use of Churches in our union to direct them in the reception of excluded persons who have moved to this state do advise that the Church which the person wishes to join write to the church from which said person was excluded and get a statement of the offence committeed & the acknowledgement of which they are to judge but in case the Church is dissolved they are to act at discretion.
Whereas the Church at Townfork is not satisfied respecting our union with the Baptists who were denominated separate we recommend it our Brethren James Gerrard Ambrose Dudley Robert Johnson and David Barrow to visit said Church and give them all the friendly aid they can
The following Brethren are appointed to attend the united association. Barrow and Jelson Payne North of Kentucky Richard Cave south of Kentucky
Next association to be held at Town fork on the Second Saturday in August.
Brother Eve appointed to preach the Introductory sermon and in case of Failure Brother Lewis Corbin. Brother Price appointed to write the Circular Letter for next association Agreed to continue the same Committee respecting the Indian Missionary
J Price Clk A Eastin Modr ========== [From W. W. Sweet, Religion on the American Frontier: The Baptists, 1931, pp. 484-494. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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