THE KNOX COUNTIAN
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE KNOX HISTORLCAL MUSEUM
VOL. 4 NO. 1 BARBOURVILLE, KENTUCKY 1992 SPRING EDITION
A History of the First Baptist Church on the corner of Third and Church Streets
Editor's Note: Alex Rae Lyttle has kindly furnished us this piece which has been handed down among her family and church members. Written in 1963, the First Baptist Church remains a strong pillar in the black community of Barbourville today. We are proud to publish this article in honor of Black history Month which is celebrated each February.
By Carrie J. Hurst
Since all of the older members of this church have gone to their reward and having received information from some of those who were in the organization of the church, I feel it my duty to pass along some of this information to some who do not know anything about the church in her early days.
I have been told by reliable people, my mother (Cornealia Walker Patton) and my aunt (Sarah Ellen Walker) that their mother (Harriet Gibson Walker) was the first Negro Baptist to come to Barbourville, shortly after the close of the Civil War, about 1867. At this time there was no church building and the meetings were held in homes. Ministers would come through the town on horseback and would stop and preach. Many of these meetings were held in the Walker home. Rev. A.B.H. McKee of London was one of the ministers who preached in Barbourville.
These meetings were carried on for some time in the homes, then later on they were held in the Knox County Court House. Just who organized the church is not definitely known, but it is believed to have been Rev. A.B.H. McKee.
Some time later the Baptist, Methodist and Christian congregations went together and bought a piece of ground on what is now known as Second Street to build a Union Church. This property is where the city school once occupied and where the North Side Mission (White) is now holding service.
The Union Church never did materialize and there was a split in the Union so a Mr. Gilmore sold the part that belonged to the Methodists. Rev. Ritt Knight sold the part that belonged to the Christian people but the Baptist part was never legally disposed of as Mr. James May, father of Rev. H. F. May, sold the Baptist part (as I have been told, without the authority to do so). In the year of 1888, the Rev. F. L.Hamilton came to Barbourville and after calling the members together, the present property (1 acre) was purchased from the late Mrs. Ellen Matthews for the sum of $35.00. While the frame building was being erected, the Baptists held their service in the Methodist church until one Saturday night when the Baptists were to hold a business meeting, one of the Methodist sisters went to the church and poured all the oil out of the lamps and left the church without lights. This was a hint to the Baptists that it was time to move. They got busy and nailed planks together for seats and came to the present spot to worship God under their "own vine and fig tree."
The brethren and sisters from Fighting Creek (now East Barbourville) joined in with the Baptists in Barbourville and soon there was a growing church and it was named "First Baptist Church of Barbourville," the name it carries until this date. Some of us may remember that the late Deacon Alex Jones in referring to First Baptist Church would always say "Our Mother Church." This was because Brother Alex Jones, Sister Roda Jones, Sister Mary Gregory, and if I mistake not, Brother J. D. Gregory and many others I am unable to name just now, all held membership with First Baptist Church before St. Paul Church was organized.
The ministers who served First Baptist since her organization were Revs. F. L. Hamilton, Earley Lewis, Wm. Brown, H. Patterson, Dr. J.F.K. Moreland, H. Norton, T.M. Faulkner, C.E. Robinson, H. F. May, B.P. Barksdale, P.A. Mayfield, J.N. Burnside and Wm. H. Mills, Jr. D. T. Wood supplied for a short time (sic). On May 21,1953 the church was notified to meet to elect a pastor after the Rev. Mills resigned. Rev. J. W. McCathern was elected to serve one year.
Deacons who have served through the years were Bros. Harry Wilkerson, William Richey, James Maiden, Harry Kincaid, William Henderson, Henry Hardy, Thomas Patton, James White, Sr., James Lewis, LS. Gibbs, Walter Gary, John Jones, J. B. Hurst, E.G. White, R.F. White, B.F. Brown and John H. Clark.
The Church Clerks were Sisters S.E. Walker, M.A. Brown, Maud Clay, Carrie J. Hurst, Maud C. Tye and the present clerk Brother J.K. White.
From the organization of the church until the present time only five people have served as Church Treasurers. They were Sister Ann Anderson, Sister Cornealia Walker Patton, Brother LS. Gibbs, Brother J.H. Lewis and Brother B. F. Brown.
Sister M.A. Brown was at one time Superintendent of the Sunday School, also Brother J. H.Lewis served for one year, Sister S. E. Walker served as Superintendent for 35 consecutive years, Sister Maud C. Tye served one year, Sister Carrie J. Hurst served for 8 years and upon her resignation, brother E. G. White was elected and served until the present year of 1963.
From the organization of the church until her passing, Sister Eleen Hipsher Walker was Mother of the Church. After her death Sister Sarah White served in this capacity until age and failing health caused her to resign. Next in order Sister Sarah Ellen Walker filled the place until sickness caused her to give it up.
Sister Carrie J. Hurst being the oldest member so far as church membership and service was concerned, the church voted that Sister Hurst will be the Mother of the Church and Sister Maymie White to assist her when necessary. Brother E.G. Whit offered a suggestion that all the older women of the church be known as Honorary Mothers.
The first building of the church was a one-room frame building where we worshiped until about 1918 when under the pastorate of Rev. H. F. May, the church voted to erect a brick building. Every one went to work both old and young and soon we were worshiping in our new church. We had many clubs that worked for this new building and the first $250.00 that was raised for this work was by a club known as "The Young Christian Workers." Brother James White, Jr., was president and Sister Carrie J. Hurst was secretary.
Under the pastorate of the late Rev. G. P. Barksdale the church and all her auxiliaries seemed to want the work of the church to go forward. At this time we had two of the largest organized Sunday School Classes in Southeastern Kentucky. They were the "Metoka" Class for Men and the "Galeda" class for women.
Also during these years we had a working Missionary Society and we were able to erect and pay for the Annex which we so greatly needed. Sister Sarah Ellen Walker was the first President; since that time the late Sister Helen Clark, Sister Maude C. Tye, Sister Lula Gilbert, Sister Carrie J. Hurst, Sister Eva Adams, Sister Lola Nolan and Sister Dovie Thompson have all served as President, and Sister Maude C. Tye is President at this time. Many of the older members who did outstanding deeds worthy of commendation were Deacons Thomas Patton, J. B. Hurst, John Jones, J.H.Lewis, James White, Sr., and Sisters Sara Ellen Walker, Mary Jones and Sara White. The first Program Committee for the church was appointed under the pastorate of Rev. Wm. H. Mills. They were Sisters Carrie J. Hurst, Mary B. White and Ruth Jones Neal.
The church was also blessed to have two choirs -- a Senior Choir and a Junior Choir. Also two Quartets; a male Quartet and a Female Quartet, aside from some very good soloists. Jessye Hurst Hamilton and Ruth Jones Neal both served as pianists for the church and Sunday School until they had to leave home for college. Of course, they were glad to give their service to the church free.
Most of these early records were given to me by my late mother and aunt, aside from the time I have served as clerk of this church, I have kept records myself. I served as clerk under the pastorate of Revs. H. F. Mays, G. P. Barksdale, P. A. Mayfield, J. N. Burnside and William H. Mills Jr. and a short time under Rev. J. W. McCathern.
I hope that some of our young people will start from here (1963) and will keep a record so that their children's children will know what has been carried on in First Baptist, the little church that for many years has been guided by the Bible and "Hiscox Director for Baptist Churches."
May God ever bless and keep all of you, that we may ever join our voices in singing, "Bless be the tie that binds, Our heats in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above."