Bethabara Baptist Church

This historic and influential Church was organized on October 5, 1825, in a log house built by the citizens of the neighborhood to be used for a school house and house of worship, and free for all the different denominations then existing around them. At this point, Panther Creek the nearest Baptist Church, had kept up regular services for some time, styling it as the "Arm in the Forks of Panther Creek, Daviess County, Ky.," and in 1825 dismissed some members by letter to form a church there.

These members, with a few others, met in the log house on October 5th, and with the assistance of Elders Ancil Hall, James H. L. Moorman, William Moorman, and David J. Kelley, organized Bethabara Church with ten constituent members. The names of these members were:

Nancy Crofford	William Miller	Fleming Miller
Bettie Crofford	Peggie Miller	Preston Talbert
Warner Crofford	Susan Maddox	Emma Talbert
Joseph M. Martin

The next day Elizabeth Martin and Pally Stout were baptized by Elder Hall, who had been chosen as the first pastor. Mrs. Martin outlived all the other constituent members and on July 20, 1878, at the age of 83, wishing to show her devotion to the Church presented a beautiful communion set to the Church.

For two years the Church continued to build up under the leadership of Elder Hall. He then resigned and Elder Jasper Bristow was called to the pastorate. He served but a short time as some trouble arose over the subject of missions and he resigned. He later cast his lot with the anti-missionary Baptists.

Preston Talbert, the first clerk, moved away, leaving only two male members of the Church, one being the Moderator, Joseph M. Martin. The prospects now looked gloomy, no pastor, no clerk, and no member willing to act as clerk, and the Church was on the verge of dissolution. At this point Polly Stout arose and remarked, "We cannot give up the ship," volunteering to act as clerk. Her proposition was accepted and she acted as Clerk for a time, during which Elder William Downs was called to the pastorate. He was a man of unusual ability and was especially fond of debating. Something is said of him in the sketches of the founding fathers.

The neighboring Churches at this time were Old Panther Creek, Rock Spring (Yelvington), Green Brier, and Little Flock (Bell's Run). The records show numerous instances when a friendly letter was read from one of the Churches, or when Bethabara wrote to one or sometimes all of them, requesting the sending of delegates, or "helps," as they were called, to aid in settling some difficulty that had arisen in the Church. The Church grew under the ministrations of Elder Downs and had frequent meetings, often at the homes of the members. About this time Elder Reuben Cottrell moved into the neighborhood and became a very active member, supplementmg the work of Elder Downs. He was a very firm believer in missionary work but bitterly opposed all organizations other than the Church.

On November 17, 1832, plans were made for a new meeting house to be built on the northeast corner of Brother Cottrell's farm, on the site now occupied by the Church Cemetery. This new house of worship was to be a one-story building thirty-six feet long and thirty feet wide built of hewn logs and having a shingle roof. Elder Cottrell and Brethren Enoch Stone and Thomas Taylor were the committee to superintend the new building. As no mention is made of the cost it is to be inferred that both material and labor were, for the most part, donated by the members of the Church and their neighbors. The house was soon finished and the first services held in it on July 17, 1833, eight months to the day from the time the matter was taken up and nearly eight years after the organization of the Church.

Twice during that year the Church met at the home of Brother Joe Martin and observed the ordinances of foot washing, the only instance recorded when this was done. The doctrine of foot washing remained a part of the Articles of Faith until the year 1852. It was also in the year 1833 that a part of the land given to the Church was selected as a cemetery.

Pastors

Since the organization of the Church the following brethren have served the Church as pastor:

Pastor	Years
Ancill Hall	1825-1826
Jasper Bristow	1827
William Downs	1828-1835
Reuben Cottrell	1835-1842
B. F. Mitchell	1843
No Pastor for two years with Elder K. G. Hay acting as supply part of that time
Reuben Cottrell	1845-1849
J. P. Ellis	1850-1857
J. B. Haynes	1857-1860
J. P. Ellis	1860-1863
J. M. Dawson	1863-1872
J. P. Ellis	1872-1874
J. D. Arnold	1875-1881
R. S. Fleming	1882
A. J. Miller	1883-1884
B. F. Swindler	1884-1889
L. H. Voyles	1889
J. N. Jarnagin	1890-1896
E. W. Coakley	1896-1900
W. B. Rutledge	1901
W. H. Dawson	1902-1903
J. J. Cloar	1904 1909
P. E. Gatlin	1909-1912
I. B. Timberlake	1912-1913
A. S. Pettie	1914-1919
0. M. Shultz	1919-1921
J. Norris Palmer	1922
Russell Walker	1923-1926
Sankey L. Blanton	1927-1928
E. L. Spivey	1928-1929
J. W. Kincheloe	1930-1934
J. B. Leavell	1935-1938
Carl E. Bates	1938-1941
Kelley Barnett	1942
Howard Olive	1942-1943

Clerks

This Church has been served by the following Clerks during her more than one hundred and seventeen years of history (as of 1943):

Clerk	Years
Preston Talbert	1825-1827
Polly Stout	1828
John Taylor	1829-time unknown
J. M. Dawson	1844 or earlier to 1850
Elijah Griffin	1851-1857
J. M. Holmes	1858-1861
W. M. Harrison	1862-1863
Phocian Harris	1864-1868
N. B. Barnhill	1869
Oliver Bryant	1870
J. M. Holmes	1871
J. M. Gordon	1872-1873
Oliver Bryant	1874
J. F. Camp	1875-1876
J. W. Barnhill	1877-1878
J. F. Camp	1879
J. W. Barnhill	1880
J. F. Camp	1881-1884
J. T. Dawson	1885-1894
N. J. Cook	1895-1900
Oscar L. camp	1901-1925
Emmett Jones	1926-1928
Oscar L. Camp	1929-

Bethabara Church became a member of the Gshen Association in the year 1826. Up to the year 1844, the Church was represented almost annually in the gatherings of that body. In accordance with previOus arrangements, messengers from the following Churches met with the Bethabara Church on November 1-3 1844 to organize the Daviess Count Baptist Association: Owensboro (First), Rock Spring (Yelvington), Buck Creek, Pleasant Grove, Bell's Run, Mt. Liberty, Green Briar, and Fredonia (extinct). The 50th session of the Association met with Bethabara in the year 1893 and plans are now on foot for the 100th session to be held at the same place in 1943. In the meantime, this Church has entertained the sessions of the Association in the years 1854, 1879, 1909, and 1931. This coming session will mark the 6th time the Association met with the Church.

Deed Information

1850 from Ruben Cottrell (Deed I-572 is 1.5ac Panther Creek)

Source: A History of the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky, 1844-1943. Wendell H. Rone, Messenger Job Printing Co., Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky, 1944.