This church was constituted May 28, 1785, by Lewis Craig and John Taylor. This is the third church formed on the north side of the Kentucky River and the seventeenth planted in the new country. It was located in what is now Scott County, near the present site of Georgetown. The following were the original members, who entered into the constitution of the church: William Cave, James Suggett, Sr., Robert Johnson, Thomas Ficklin, John Suggett, Julius Gibbs, Robert Bradley, Bartlett Collins, Jemina Johnson, Susanna Cave, Sarah Shipp, Caty Herndon, Jane Herndon, Hannah Bradley, Betsy Leeman and Betsy Collins.

      The next year after the organization of the church, Elijah Craig came from Virginia and settled on the land, now occupied by Georgetown, and became very prosperous. He was immediately called to the pastoral care of the new church, which he served for five years, when a difficulty arose between him and Joseph Redding, a very popular preacher who had recently come from Virginia and settled near Great Crossings. The difficulty was finally adjusted and Elijah Craig was restored to the fellowship of the church In 1795, he entered into the constitution of a new church called McConnell's Run, but since known as Stamping Ground.

      Joseph Redding was the second pastor of the Great Crossings Church, who entered upon his duties as pastor in 1793, and continued until 1810. During the great revival in the church in 1801-03, he baptized 361 converts. James Suggett became pastor in 1810, and served fifteen years. The church continued to prosper under his ministry and enjoyed several precious revivals. Jacob Creath succeeded him in the pastorate, but served only one year. Silas M. Noel took charge of the Church as pastor on the first Sunday in January, 1827. During his first year, twenty-seven were added by baptism. During the year 1828 a very remarkable revival broke out under the preaching of Pastor Noel, Ryland T. Dillard and others, which resulted in three hundred and fifty-nine baptized. After this revival the church numbered five hundred and eighty-eight members.

      The Great Crossings Church, through the early years of its history, was served by many able ministers, among whom may be named Wm. C. Buck, John L. Waller, Wm. F. Broaddus, James D. Black, Howard Malcom, Duncan R. Campbell and Basil Manly, Jr., Ellis M. Ham was the pastor in 1946 and was succeeded by Ralph R. Hensley. This old church was one of the number that entered into the constitution of the Elkhorn Association and is still a member of that historic fraternity, to which Association the church reported 445 members in 1948.

======= [Frank M. Masters, A History of Baptists in Kentucky, 1953, pp.39-40. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

---

Scott County Baptist Histories
Baptist History Homepage