A Church Issue Presented to the Long Run Baptist Association The Buck Creek Baptist Church was constituted in 1799 in Shelby County, Kentucky. The 1848 Long Run Baptist Association Minutes show that there were 246 members of the church; there had been 1 addition and 5 members excluded that year. Bro. B. C. Stephens, who is not listed as a messenger from the church that year, asked to present a letter to the association concerning an issue in the church; that caused a debate among messengers to the association and the letter was referred to a committee of five men not associated with the Buck Creek Baptist Church. This committee recommended that the Buck Creek church choose twelve men from six churches out-side the boundary of the Long Run Association to advise the church in settling the issue.
Long Run Baptist Association Minutes 1848, pp. 4-5 Bro. Stephens from Buck Creek Church asked leave to read a letter to the Association. It was moved that a committee be appointed to listen to his communication, and that the committee be empowered to lay the matter before the association if they think proper. Upon the motion for the appointment of such a committee a debate arose upon the constitutionality of the proceeding; pending the debate the previous question was moved and seconded. The call for the previous question was sustained, and the motion for the reference to a committee prevailed. The committee consists of Elder W. F. BROADDUS, J. D. BLACK, John McCOY, S. ARNET and S. WOODRUFF.
The committee appointed to hear the communication from Bro. B. C. Stephens reported as follows:
The Committee to whom was referred a letter offered to the Association by Bro. B. C. Stephens, with instructions to examine the same, and report whether said letter ought to read before the Association, report as follows:
Your Committee find the paper referred to, to be a respectful appeal to your body, signed by sundry members of Buck Creek Church, in their individual capacity, setting forth certain grievances under which they are laboring, and asking the Association for advice.
Conceiving that the reading of the letter in question before your body, is not necessary, in order to your being qualified to give advice; and apprehending, moreover, that its introduction would tend to widen, rather than heal the differences that have given rise to this appeal, your committee are unanimously of opinion that said letter be returned to Bro. Stephens, without being read before your body. Your committee would beg leave respectfully to suggest further, that inasmuch as difficulties are known to exist in the Buck Creek Church, on account of which the cause of Christ is suffering, they are of opinion that your advice might be given in the premises, with probable advantage, and therefore recommend the following resolution:
Resolved, That this association advise the Buck Creek Church to call a council of Brethern [sic], as follows: The council to be composed of twelve, to be chosen out of six churches, (two from each church,) all of which shall be beyond the bounderies [sic] of Long Run Association, each contending party of the church to choose six. Both parties of the church shall pledge themselves to abide the decision of said Council, and carry said decision into effect.All of which is respectfully submitted,
W. F. BROADDUS, Chairman.
Long Run Baptist Association Minutes 1849, pp. 4 & 6 On motion, the following preamble and resolutions were adopted:
WHEREAS, two letters have been received, purporting to be from the Buck Creek Church, sending up separate delegations; and, whereas, this Association is not willing hastily to decide which of these delegations represent the true church; therefore,The following brethren were appointed the Committee under these resolutions: Elders W. F. Broaddus, John Dale and G. LaPage; and Brethren Galbraith, W. Hansbrough, J. B. Whitman, and J. Connell. On motion, Elder W. C. Buck was added to the Committee.1. Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed to take this matter into consideration, to report tomorrow morning,
2. Resolved, That until the Association shall act upon the report of this Committee, neither delegation from Buck Creek shall be entitled to a seat in this body.
The committee appointed in the case of Buck Creek Church, reported as follows, viz:
Your committee are of opinion that as the division in the Buck Creek Church has grown entirely out of certain cases of internal discipline, involving no doctrinal question, the Association has no jurisdiction which would justify her in investigating the merits of the case, or in recognizing either party resulting from said division, as the "Buck Creek Church."On motion of brother Barnett, the above report was adopted by a very large majority: and thus the Association refused seats to the delegation from both parties of Buck Creek Church.Nevertheless, your committee made an effort to bring about such a compromise as might justify your body in recognizing both parties as distinct churches. A plan was submitted by your committee, to the contending parties, to which the delegation from one party consented; but the delegation from the other party not consenting, the effort failed.
Your committee therefore recommend that for the present, both parties of the Buck Creek Church, be suspended from the privileges of this Association.
(Signed) W. F. BROADDUS, Chairman.
__________ Buck Creek Baptist Church's statistics appeared in the 1850 Minutes with 140 total membership, instead of the 246 members of the previous year.
========== [From Long Run Baptist Association Minutes, 1848, 1849 & 1850; via SBTS Archives digital documents. Edited and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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