Goshen Baptist Association
Grayson and Breckenridge Counties, KYEarly, on the morning of October 10, the Baptist hosts of Grayson and Breckenridge counties began to assemble at Leitchfield. Cause, the annual meeting of Goshen Association. By 10 o'clock most of the messengers and many visitors were gathered in the beautiful and commodious Baptist church, but the Goshen is a deliberate, as well as a deliberative body, and it was eleven o'clock before Moderator White called them to order. Elder W. V. Harrell preached the introductory sermon, from "The Commission."
The reading of the letters from the thirty odd churches was a long and tedious process, and it was late in the afternoon when the permanent organization was completed. The old officers, Elder H. B. White and W. V. Harrell, were again chosen as moderator and clerk.
Field Secretary Young, of the Temperance work, was given the entire evening of the first day, and made a telling speech. Almost the entire town and community crowded in to hear him, and made a "hilarious" gift of $35 in cash and pledges for his work.
Secretary Bow began an address on State Mission Work, but quickly landed into a collection for a new church building at Shrewsbury. Something over a hundred dollars were paid or pledged.
Secretary Geo. H. Cox got $15.09 for the Minister's Aid Society, while exactly the same amount was given to help rebuild the recently burned church at Grayson Springs. The Orphans' Home got a cash contribution of $12.39. In fact, it seemed to be a "collective" assemblage. The evening session of the second day was set apart to B. Y. P. U. and Sunday schools. Everybody came again, including most of the business men of the town, to hear an address by the president of the Louisville City Union, an official of the I. C. R. R., who was in the town on business. Of course it was Bro. J. T. Watts, and it goes without saying that he charmed and inspired everyone of us. Five ten-minute speeches on phases of Sunday school work were made by H. E. Cleaton, J. F. Vines, H. B. White, H. C. Truman and J. T. Gosnell. Pastor W. H. Rich, who prepared the program and gracefully presided over the evening's session, asked that the speakers "condense and compress" a thirty-minute address so as to bring it within the time limit.
A movement to divide the territory of the association was practically agreed upon, but definite action was deferred until next year. "Breckenridge Association" will in all probability be added to the list in 1904. Goshen the Goshen Association was organized many years ago, asked for the next (which will be its last with the old association) annual meeting, but after a protracted it was voted that they would go to Garfield, a new church just organized and admitted at this session. Pleasant Valley church also asked and was granted membership in the association.
The contributions reported by the churches to missions were painfully small, being a fraction over 13 cents per member, but there is ground for the belief that better things are in the near future. Two hundred and twenty-two baptisms, or an increase of over ten per cent in their membership, were reported by the churches. Probably no other association has had such an ingathering during the past year.
Rev. J. Lynch will represent them at the next S. B. C.
Pastor Rich, the Leitchfield church, and in fact the whole community, deserve mention for the hearty welcome and generous entertainment given us. As usual, the ARGUS man was especially fortunate. The elegant new home of Bro. E. R. Bassett was open to him during the three days' session.
The closing hour was made deeply solemn by the touching words of Bro. Willis, who for more than fifty years has been a member of the body. Recently his advancing age has prevented his attendance. Seldom have I heard a more impressive exhortation, or seen more eyes dim with tears. - H. E. C.
============ [From The Baptist Argus, October 9, 1902, p. 644; via Baylor U. digital collection. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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