"Baptist Revival in Hickman County, Kentucky in 1857"
By D. B. Ray
The Tennessee Baptist newspaper"I know that it is cheering to Christians to hear of the prosperity of Zion. I commenced preaching early in the Spring for New Hope (Baptist) Church in Hickman County, Ky, near Clinton. The church contained only 6 or 8 members, and they had been without regular preaching for years. The Lord revived his word and added to the Church at different times nearly forty persons, most of them by baptism. I have been in the habit of preaching doctrinal sermons in my meetings, and the result is, all our converts have joined the Baptists. Such a course brings the opposition of the world on us, especially because we baptize some Pedobaptists as we go along. I baptized a very influential Methodist on last Sabbath, and from the signs of the times, truth is about to triumph over error in this country, Some say that they had rather see their children dead than to see them unite with the Baptists. One man threatened to leave his wife because she wants to be immersed. Circuit riders have circulated the report that I have constituted a church on the "Iron Wheel," because I have sold some "Wheels." During my meeting lately, I have had the pleasure of baptizing my old aunt and seven children and one grandchild, also my wife and my brother. I am circulating "Theodosia's, Wheels" and "Landmarks", Pendleton's "Reasons", etc, with considerable effect." D.B. Ray
(Document and the following information provided by Ben Stratton, Farmington, KY. It first appeared on the J.H. Spencer Historical Society Facebook page: From 1856 to 1861 David Burcham Ray was a missionary in west Kentucky for the West Union Baptist Association. The New Hope Baptist Church had been started in 1842 and joined the West Union Baptist Association in 1843. Following this revival, Ray would serve the congregation as pastor for the next three years and under his leadership, they grew to 81 members. In the last sentence, he refers to several popular doctrinal books - "The Great Iron Wheel" by J.R. Graves, "Theodosia Ernest" by A.C. Dayton, "An Old Landmark Reset," and "Three Reasons Why I'm a Baptist," both by J.M. Pendleton. This letter was written to J.R. Graves and appeared in the Tennessee Baptist newspaper on October 17, 1857.)
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