On July 20, 2009 an unveiling was held at Tates Creek Baptist Church, near Richmond, Kentucky.This event was sponsored by the Baptist History Preservation Society (www.baptisthistorypreservation.com) and the presentation was made by Jeff Faggart, who is also the pastor of Harvest Baptist Church, Rockwell, NC.
Speakers for the service included Jerry Huffman, pastor Tates Creek Baptist Church; Dr. Bill Grady, author of "What Hath God Wrought?", and Jeff Faggart.
Many descendants of Andrew Tribble were also in attendance including Alice Jane Tribble Ballew and James Neale, Jr.
Andrew Tribble is a former pastor of Tates Creek Baptist Church who, while a pastor in Virginia in the days leading up to and during the Revolutionary War, both influenced the thinking of Thomas Jefferson and supplied patriots with provisions.
The following page (page 35) contains pictures from the Andrew Tribble memorial service and the words inscribed on the Tribble monument appear on pages 36 and 37.
35
ANDREW TRIBBLE
PREACHER - PATRIOTA PIONEER AMONG THE BAPTISTS, ANDREW TRIBBLE MOVED FROM VIRGINIA
TO KENTUCKY IN 1784. HE SETTLED IN WHAT IS NOW MADISON COUNTY,
GATHERED THE TATES CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH IN 1786, AND PASTORED HERE
UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE HIS DEATH. FAITHFULNESS TO THE SAVIOUR MARKED
HIS LIFE. HE GATHERED SEVERAL CHURCHES IN KENTUCKY AND
BAPTIZED OVER TWO THOUSAND CONVERTS DURING HIS MINISTRY.KENTUCKY BAPTIST HISTORIAN, J. H. SPENCER, DESCRIBED TRIBBLE AS,
"A PREACHER OF GOOD ABILITY AND OF COMMENDABLE ZEAL HIS EARLY
LABOURS WERE PERFORMED IN VIRGINIA, WHERE HE ENDURED THE
PERSECUTIONS THAT WERE THE COMMON LOT OF BAPTIST PREACHERS AT
THAT PERIOD LIKE THE CRAIGS AND SHACKLEFORD AND A HOST OF OTHERS,
HE ENDURED HIS TERM IN A VIRGINIA JAIL FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL
CONTRARY TO LAW. HE WAS A VERY ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL LABOURER IN
KENTUCKY FOR ABOUT THIRTY-FIVE YEARS."ANDREW TRIBBLE WAS CONVERTED DURING THE SEPARATE BAPTIST REVIVAL
IN VIRGINIA, AND OFTEN SAID THAT HE WAS THE FIFTY-THIRD BAPTIST ON THE
NORTH SIDE OF THE JAMES RIVER HE WAS BAPTIZED BY JAMES READ AND BEGAN
PREACHING SOON AFTERWARDS. A MEMBER OF THE GOLDMINE BAPTIST
CHURCH IN LOUISA COUNTY, VIRGINIA, TRIBBLE WAS THE ASSISTANT OF ELDER
DAVID THOMPSON. HE WAS PRESENT AT THE IMPRISONMENT OF LEWIS CRAIG
AND JOHN WALLER IN 1768, AND HEARD THESE MEN PREACHING FROM
THE SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY JAIL. MAY 25,1769, TRIBBLE WAS ARRESTED IN
ORANGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA AND PRESENTED TO THE GRAND JURY FOR
"PREACHING FROM PLACE TO PLACE CONTRARY TO THE LAW AND WITHOUT LICENSE WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS PAST."BEGINNING IN 1773, ANDREW TRIBBLE PREACHED TO A CONGREGATION
OF BAPTIZED BELIEVERS AT "LEWISES MEETING HOUSE", NEAR
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. THIS GATHERING OF SAINTS, KNOWN THEN
AS THE ALBEMARLE BAPTIST CHURCH AND TODAY AS CHESTNUT GROVE
BAPTIST CHURCH, CALLED TRIBBLE AS THEIR FIRST PASTOR IN 1777.
IN JUNE OF THE SAME YEAR, HE WAS ORDAINED TO THE
GOSPEL MINISTRY BY ELDER LEWIS CRAIG.36 THE PERSECUTION OF THE BAPTISTS IN VIRGINIA BY THE STANDING ORDER,
BROUGHT THE SUFFERERS TO THE ATTENTION OF SUCH MEN AS GEORGE WASH-
INGTON, PATRICK HENRY, JAMES MADISON AND THOMAS JEFFERSON.
IT HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED, THAT THESE FOUNDING FATHERS WERE INFLU-
ENCED BY THE PETITIONS, PERSECUTIONS AND PATRIOTISM OF THE BAPTISTS.
THE TRIALS OF THE BAPTISTS LED TO THE VIRGINIA STATUTE FOR RELIGIOUS
LIBERTY, WHICH WAS AUTHORED BY JEFFERSON AND ENACTED IN 1786.JEFFERSON CORRESPONDED WITH THE BAPTISTS, AND A LETTER FROM HIM
TO THE ALBEMARLE BAPTIST CHURCH SPEAKS OF THEIR MUTUAL FRIENDSHIP
AND ASSOCIATION. THE FOLLOWING STORY, CONCERNING ANDREW TRIBBLE AND
THOMAS JEFFERSON, WAS RECORDED IN THE JULY, 1826 EDITION OF THE
CHRISTIAN WATCHMAN AND FURTHER ILLUSTRATES THE INFLUENCE THAT THE
BAPTISTS HAD UPON OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE UNTIED STATES OF
AMERICA."ANDREW TRIBBLE WAS THE PARSON OF A SMALL BAPTIST CHURCH WHICH HELD
MONTHLY MEETINGS AT A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE JEFFERSON HOME NINE OR
TEN YEARS BEFORE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. MR. JEFFERSON ATTENDED
THE MEETING OF THE CHURCH SEVERAL MONTHS IN SUCCESSION AND AFTER ONE
OF THEM ASKED ELDER TRIBBLE TO GO HOME AND DINE WITH HIM, WITH WHICH HE
COMPLIED. MR. TRIBBLE ASKED MR. JEFFERSON HOW HE WAS PLEASED WITH THEIR
CHURCH GOVERNMENT. MR. JEFFERSON REPLIED THAT IT STRUCK HIM WITH GREAT
FORCE AND HAD INTERESTED HIM MUCH, THAT HE CONSIDERED IT THE ONLY FORM
OF PURE DEMOCRACY THAT THEN EXISTED IN THE WORLD AND HAD CONCLUDED
THAT IT WOULD BE THE BEST PLAN OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE AMERICAN
COLONIES. THIS WAS SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE."ANDREW TRIBBLE SUPPLIED THE AMERICAN FORCES WITH PROVISIONS AND
IS LISTED IN THE PATRIOT INDEX OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION. ANDREW WAS THE SON OF GEORGE AND ANNE TRIBBLE.
HE WAS BORN MARCH 22,1741 IN CAROLINE COUNTY, VIRGINIA AND MARRIED
SARAH ANN BURRUS IN 1768. THEIR CHILDREN WERE: FRANCES, SAMUEL, PETER,
THOMAS, NANCY, SALLY, SILAS, ANDREW, MARY, JOHN, PATSEY AND DUDLEY.
TRIBBLE DIED DECEMBER 30,1822 AND WAS BURIED ON THE FAMILY FARM
LOCATED A FEW MILES SOUTH.AND THEY THAT BE WISE SHALL SHINE AS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE
FIRMAMENT; AND THEY THAT TURN MANY TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE
STARS FOREVER AND EVER. - DANIEL 12:3MARKER PLACED BY THE BAPTIST HISTORY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
JUNE 20, 200937 _________