Stanley Baptist Church
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On September 12, 1876, Elder Daniel E. Yeiser, the Associational Missionary, began a series of revival services in a house built by Mr. F. J. Birk for a store, at Birk City on Green River, and occupied by him for about thirteen years. After laboring for twenty-six days, Elder Yeiser organized a self-sustaining Church of forty-nine members on October 7, 1876. Of this number nineteen were by baptism and thirty were reclaimed. The reclaimed members came from the Curdsville and Pleasant Grove Churches by letter.
After meeting for some time in private homes and in the school house the Church finally purchased the store building in which they were organized. The Church first assumed the name of Birk City after the little river village in which she was organized. Sometime in the year 1895 the Church voted to move to the village of Stanley and the Church has been called after that name to the present day.
The records of this Church have either been misplaced or destroyed up to the year 1923 and this sketch must of necessity be fragmentary. The majority of our information has been gleaned from the minutes of the Association. In the year 1880, on December 18th, the Church licensed Brother John A. Bennett to preach and on September 15, 1882, he was duly ordained to the work of the ministry. On the occasion of his fortieth year in the ministry the Church presented him with a very beautiful loving cup as a reminder of his long and useful ministry.
Pastors
The Church has been served by the following pastors and clerks in her more than sixty-six years of history:
| Pastor | Years |
|---|---|
| D. E. Yeiser | 1876-1885 |
| W. H. Dawson | 1886-1887 |
| B. Y. Cundiff | 1888-1892 |
| I. W. Bristow | 1893-1896 |
| B. F. Jenkins | 1897 |
| R. T. Bruner | 1898-1899 |
| E. H. Maddox | 1900-1902 |
| W. H. Dawson | 1903-1906 |
| L. H. Voyles | 1907-1909 |
| J. W. Bristow | 1910 |
| M. J. Cox | 1911-1914 |
| N. F. Gabbert | 1915-1918 |
| W. S. Shipp | 1919 |
| H. S. Wiggington | 1920-1925 |
| J. H. Winstead | 1926-1927 |
| W. L. Franklin | 1928-1929 |
| John Barker | 1930-1933 |
| H. Guy Moore | 1934 |
| Edwin E. Deusner | 1935-1936 |
| I. L. Baughn | 1937-1940 |
| Truman Cochran | 1941-1943 |
Clerks
| Clerk | Years |
|---|---|
| L. P. Birk | 1876-1879 |
| John A. Bennett | 1880-1881 |
| L. P. Birk | 1882 |
| N. M. Newman | 1883-1900 |
| C. C. Gabbert | 1901-1907 |
| N. M. Newman | 1908-1916 |
| H. A. Saalwaechter | 1917-1926 |
| Mrs. W. W. Hensky | 1927-1933 |
| Clara Igleheart | 1934-1938 |
| J. C. Hall | 1939-1940 |
| Ben Pruden | 1941-1943 |
Since the records are lost it is difficult to determine who were the men who served this Church in the office of deacon. Brethren L. P. Birk, N. M. Newman, W. W. Hensley, A. L. Waite, and James Hill served the Church prior to the year 1926. Since that time Brethren J. L. Barnard, John Hill, Don Culley, and Floyd Burns have served in this office. There are perhaps others but the author is uninformed concerning their names.
The Church became a member of the Daviess County Association in the year 1877 and the 1928 session of the body was held with the Church. A Sunday School has functioned almost continually since the organization of the Church. Training Union and Women’s Missionary work has also functioned at times during her history. This Church has never reached a membership of over 100 but on few occasions and at present it is above that number and stands at about 115. The Church is in a Catholic community and her work is limited. Since 1934 the Church has enjoyed one-half-time preaching.
Source: A History of the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky, 1844-1943. Wendell H. Rone, Messenger Job Printing Co., Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky, 1944.