FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MIDDLESBOROUGH (KY)
By Henry Harvey Fuson, 1924The First Baptist Church of Middlesborough was organized in a small shack, the oflice of J. R. Sampson, at Middlesborough, Kentucky, September 23rd, 1889. At that time there were no streets, sidewalks or permanent buildings of any kind in Middlesborough. Its streets, laid out to the extent they were in use, were marshes and mud puddles. There were very few people there and none who regarded it as home.
The church was organized by council, composed of Rev. R. C. Medaris, Rev. L. M. Sharp and Rev. L. Close. Brother Medaris aeted as Moderator and Brother Sharp as Secretary. It was organized with the following charter members:
J. F. Bosworth W. J. Eastman Mrs. Mary Eastman Stella Eastman J. S. Chambers J. C. Teague J. C. Tarvin Clinton Cribins W. G. Eastman J. R. SampsonArticles of faith and church covenants were adopted and the church was thus organized. A church meeting was held with Brother Medaris as Moderator and J. C. Teague as Clerk; and W. J. Eastman, Clinton Cribins and J. C. Teague were elected Trustees, and J. C. Teague was elected Church Clerk.A building committee, composed of J. F. Bosworth, W. J. Eastman and J. C. Teague, was appointed; and J. R. Sampson and J. C. Teague were appointed to draft a church constitution, which was afterwards adopted.
The Middlesborough Town and Land Company agreed to give to all church denominations a lot for buildings and was to donate all brick and stone and unused lumber needed in erecting such buildings. On October 26th, 1889, the church made a contract with W. J. Eastman to build the church, complete, for $920.00, he to donate $200.00 of that amount. The building, not very imposing, but ample for all purposes, was completed. Brother Medaris supplied for the church, from time to time, and held a meeting at which the church membership was materially increased.
On October l0th, 1890, Rev. Wm. Shelton, from the Franklin Street Church at Louisville, was called and began his pastorate in
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November, 1890, and continued with the church until March, 1892, when he accepted a call to Dalton. A few years later Brother Shcllon, in the prime of life, died.Rev. Everett Gill, a young seminary student, supplied for the church several months, from April to November, 18!n, when his duties a.t the seminary required his whole time. Later he went as a missionary to Italy and has been there ever since, and is now at the head of all the Italian missionary work.
Rev. W. A. Borum, who accepted a call to the church, began his pastorate December 4th, 1892, and continued until January 13th, 1897, when he accepted a call to the church at Somerset, Kentucky.
Rev. J. B. Holly, who had just completed a year at the seminary, began his pastorate of the church in May, 1897, and continued until August, 1898.
Rev. George W. Perryman was the next pastor of the church and began his work in November, 1898. The church and Sunday School increased under Brother Perryman's pastorate and very soon outgrew the building. They then enlarged the building and installed the first pipe organ in Middlesborough. Brother Perryman, in 1900, was called to the Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a few years later died.
Rev. C. M. Reid began the pastorate of the church in 1901 and continued his labors with the church until 1910. Under his ministry the church grew, during which time the church had several very successful revivals. It was through him that the present Baraca Class was organized, through him the church was enlarged and through him a number of Sunday School rooms were added. Brother Reid went from here to London, Kentucky, and then into missionary work in Colorado, where he is now living and working.
In 1910 Rev. J. M. Roddy was called to the pastorate of the church, and upon his return from a trip to the Holy Land, in January, 1911, he began his work as such. He was full of zeal and devotion and was consecrated to the service of the Master. He was untiring in his efforts to build up the church. Withal, he was a man of marked executive ability, not only in directing the activities of the church, but also in its business affairs. The church had never occupied the place or exerted the influence it could have done in the community theretofore, but, under his direction, it became not only an influence for good among Baptists, but also among the people of the entire city. He took a part in every public movement for the moral and social uplift of the community. To his active advocacy and
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efforts, more than to any other man, was due the final success achieved in voting prohibition in Middlesborough, after many failures; and then it was that the city was forever relieved of the curse of open saloons.The church needed a better location, a modern building and a pastor's home. The pastor's home was secured, and then he began his efforts to secure an effective church building. First, the most desirable lot in the city, the one now occupied by the church, was secured, and by small contributions by men, women and children, of 5 cents and up, the money was raised to pay for it. Thus, working for several years, the church was ready to begin to build. The services of Mr. Palmer Sharp were secured to generally superintend the building, and Mr. A. B. Miller was secured to superintend the work. The building was designed by Brother Roddy, and he devoted a great deal of his time during the years getting ready to build and was about the building during construction every day. Finally it was completed. This building was the most imposing and splendid church structure in all this mountain section at the time it was built, and was one of the best planned for Sunday School work, with ample departments for all of the classes. It was dedicated the 13th day of March, 1917. Brother Roddy preached the dedicatory sermon, and in two years it was fully paid for.
In 1920 Brother Roddy was called to the Dederick Avenue Church at Knoxville, and accepted the call in October, 1921. He was then in poor health and in a short time he suffered a nervous collapse. He suffered fearfully for more than a year. Doctors and great specialists all agreed that recovery was impossible, and, at times, announced he could live but a short time. They asesrted that nothing but a miracle could save him; but when God's children pray, as they did for Brother Roddy's recovery - everywhere he was loved - the dear God will, if necessary, perform a miracle in answer to their prayers. Brother Roddy has almost entirely recovered and is now pastor at Springfield, serving the God who hears and answers prayer, and who, no doubt, has answered the prayers for his recovery.
The present pastor, Rev. Sam P. Martin, accepted the call to the church November 1st, 1921, and began his labors as pastor January 22nd, 1922. His first service began with a revival meeting; in which he was assisted by Rev. Paul Montgomery and wife as singers. He at once entered into the work of soul winning. He soon had the churc::h crowded, and as the result of his wonderful appeal to church members and sinners, a very deep spiritual interest became manifest
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in all. Many were converted and there were added to the church membership in that meeting over two hundred. Brother Martin is fully consecrated to his work. He seems to think of nothing but of saving the lost and developing the church into God-honoring men and women.He has done and is doing a wonderful work with the young people and children in the many organizations to which he devotes a great deal of his time and attention. He is constantly on the go, night and day, and seems to feel that the day is wasted in which he has not talked to some lost sinner and persuaded him to accept Christ. Hundreds have been added to the church through his untiring labors, and the membership of the church has been more than doubled. He insists upon and urges all of the members to work and give of their time, money and talent to God and His service. He is a most earnest evangelist, and as pastor he seeks to instill into all of the members a desire to be soul winners. He has succeeded in enlisting a large body of the members in active and earnest co-operation for the upbuilding of the church and for the betterment of the cause of Christ. The new church now has a membership of 950. The Sunday School has an average attendance, from Sunday to Sunday, of 700. It has the largest men's class in the State. From Sunday to Sunday a large hall is crowded with from 200 to 300, and often many more, men, young and old, to whom their teacher, Brother T. R. Hill, always brings a wonderful message, of interest to the men, with a strong appeal for better living, for more useful citizenship, and for the acceptance of Christ. The class is composed of men of all religious faiths, and some of none at all; of many nationalities-American, German, English, French, Greek, Italian-who attend from Sunday to Sunday to hear themessage delivered by Brother Hill. From this class many have been added to the church, and by attendance there many have heard the story of Christ and His redeeming love, some of whom have probably never heard it before.
To accommodate the Sunday School the church now plans a much-needed extension of the church building. It has also purchased in the West End a lot and plans to build a church there. Thus, from this small beginning in 1889, and under the leadership of splendid and devout men as pastors, this church has grown until now it is one of the largest church organizations in this section of the State and is doing a great work for the glory of God. They
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feel sure that, under the splendid leadership of the present pastor, the church will continue to be a blessing to tlae mountain section of the State and in its extended missionary work will carry a blessing to lands throughout the whole world.========================== [From History of the Bell County Association of Baptists, pp. 49-52; via SBTS Archives, Adam Winters, Archivist. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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