BEATTYVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH
Compiled and researched by Dr. Dennis Brewer
Beattyville Baptist Church was constituted on July 15, 1861 with twelve members entering into the covenant. The Church Covenant in part, is as follows: “Having been, we trust, brought by divine grace to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, and to give ourselves wholly to Him, we do solemnly and joyfully covenant with each other to walk together in Him with brotherly love....” There were twenty-two articles in the Rules of Decorum, the Nineteenth of which reads as follows: “That the names Regular and Separate by buried in oblivion and henceforth be known as United Baptist Church of Christ of Beattyville, Kentucky.” The following twelve members signed the Church Covenant: Decatur Beatty, Patience Beatty, Ann F. Beatty, Rhoda Beatty, T. F. Gray, Samuel Houndshell, Sarah A. Hall, Martisia Cole, Hiram Mahatha, Malinda Thompson and America C. Hunter. In August of 1861 James Jesse was chosen as Deacon of the church and Decatur Beatty was elected Church Clerk.
Elder S.V. Potts served as the first pastor of the church and is recognized as the one who gathered the church. Elder Potts served as Missionary for the Irvine Association and remained as Pastor of the Beattyville Church until 1862. He was succeeded by Elder John Ward. Brother Potts again assumed Pastoral Care of the church in October of 1863, serving for one year when he was excused from the pastorate of the church “owing to the condition of affairs.” Elder J.J. Edwards accepted the care of the church in November of 1864 and remained as Pastor until October, 1866. In May of 1866 B.W. Cole was ordained as a Deacon for the church.
In April of 1867, Harvey Hall, the “Pillar of Zion Church” assumed Pastoral Duties of Beattyville. Brother Hall served as the first Moderator of the Booneville Association of Baptists. In March of 1867 the church requested the General Board of the Association to furnish a horse for Elder I.C. Williams so that he might continue his missionary work within the mountains. In August, 1872, a motion was made and seconded that all members be granted a letter to join themselves to the Rock Springs Church. This is the last entry into the records until June 30, 1888 when the church was re organized with the following eight members: John H. Beatty, Patience Beatty, W.B. Cole, R.H. Davis, Alford York, Samuel Lutes, Charles A. Quillen, and Rhoda E. Davis. At this meeting R.H. Davis was elected Church Clerk and the church appointed a committee to raise funds for the erection of a house of worship. In August, 1888, messengers were appointed to attend the Booneville Association which was to meet at Ells Branch. A house of worship was not erected at this time. After August, 1888, there are no records of the church until June 19, 1893 when the church was once again reorganized with the election of a Clerk and Deacons. On November 2, 1893 the church arranged to hold services in the storehouse of H.A. Beatty and on that date, G.B. Thacker became their pastor with Deacons and Trustees being elected on November 26 of that year.
A series of meetings was held in 1894 which resulted in 46 additions by experience and baptism, fourteen by letter, and 36 by restoration. That same year the church membership roll was revised by the exclusion of five and the erasure of 53, leaving a membership of 90. The church was received into Boones Creek Association in this same year.
After being received into the Boone’s Creek Association, the church requested the Association to supply financial assistance in cooperation with the State Board to erect a house of worship at Beattyville, with the cost to be $1,500.
From this date there is but one more record of the proceedings of the church until April 4, 1896 when they met for the first time in their new building. George Kincaid was called as supply pastor of the congre4ation.
On April 1, 1897 the church appointed a committee to take up the matter of having a Baptist School located at Beattyville, but the idea was abandoned due to financial reasons. However, at the last session of the Annual Meeting of Boones Creek Association in September, 1922, J.W. Mahan, Pastor of Beattyville, stated that he had good reasons for believing that certain men of means were considering contributing largely toward the securing of a Baptist School at Beattyville and he suggested that the Association appoint a committee to look into the matter. The Moderator appointed J. W. Mahan, J.T. Turpin, J.B. Conkwright. Brother Conkwright declined the position and Judge J.M. Stephenson was appointed in his place. Needless to say, any efforts to place a Baptist School in Beattyville eventually failed.
1904 was the first year the church reported a Sunday School to the Association. Beattyville has remained a member of Boone’s Creek Association until 1959 when it became a member of the Red River Association. A new hours of worship was constructed in 1958 on a pleasant hill overlooking Beattyville.
ASSOCIATIONS
Beattyville has been a member of Irvine, Booneville, Boones Creek and Red River Associations. The church probably affiliated with the Irvine Association in 1861. The Annual Meeting of Irvine Association was held at Beattyville in 1863 with S.V. Potts serving as the Moderator and E.P. Bowman as Clerk. Beattyville reported 30 members with three being baptized and two coming by letter. In 1869 the church reported to that association a membership of 74 with one coming by letter and three being excluded. In 1870 the church reported a membership of 40 with two being dismissed. It was at this session that the Irvine Association adopted a resolution calling for a division of territory with the new association to be formed at a meeting of churches at Beattyville on Thursday before the first Saturday in September 1871. At this meeting D.W. Murray from Sextons Creek in Owsley County was elected Moderator and A.D. Collins, a minister, elected Clerk. As far as we can ascertain, Beattyville remained a member of Booneville Association until 1894 when she joined herself to the Boone’s Creek Association. In 1958 she joined herself with the Red River Association. Beattyville has hosted meetings of the Association as follows: IRVINE – 1863; BOONEVILLE – 1871 BOONES CREEK – 1930; RED RIVER 1961, 1973
PASTORS
Beattyville.has had several men of influence to serve as her pastor. Among these are included S.V. POTTS who served as the first Moderator of Irvine Association and as the man responsible for gathering Beattyville Baptist Church. Brother Potts directed much effort in the establishing of churches and mission points throughout Eastern Kentucky. JOHN WARD, the second pastor of Beattyville, was born at Bowling Green, Kentucky on February 19, 1809. He entered into the ministry in 1841 and was the motivating force in the organization of 21 churches. Another man of great stature was J.J. EDWARDS, the third man to serve as pastor of Beattyville, Spencer’s HISTOR OF KENTUCKY BAPTISTS describes him as being a man who was “quite plain in appearance and quite ordinary as a preacher, yet a man who possessed great energy, perseverance, and powers of endurance.” Brother Edwards was responsible for gathering 35 churches and baptizing nearly 6,000 persons during his 19 years of employ with the General Board. HARVEY HALL, the fourth man to serve as pastor of Beattyville, has been described as the “Pillar of Zion Church” and was evidently quite a leader among Baptists in this area during the 1800’s. J.G. PARSONS served as Pastor of Beattyville from 1907-10. He was responsible for the gathering of Booneville Baptist in 1907 as well as Heidelberg Baptist in that same year. ROBERT C. JONES most recently served Beattyville Baptist Church from 1958-61. Brother Jones progressed from Associational Missionary of Pike Association to Director of Mountain Missions for the State Board and recently as Director of Direct Missions for the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
Beattyville has been blessed with pastoral leadership of a high standard and among those who have served as her pastor are: Smith V. Potts (1861—62; 1863—64); John Ward (l862—63J. J. Edwards (1864—66) Harvey Hall (1867—70) , E.H. Brookshire (1870) G. Fields (1871) G.B. Thacker (1893—96) , George Kincaid (1896) T.T. Martin (1896) , J.S. Chevans (1896—99) , S.E. Whipley (1899— 1902) , J. N. Conkwright (1902-04) , R.L. Baker (1904-05) , C.T. Brookshire (1905—07) , J.G. Parsons (1907—10) , Malcolm Taylor (1910—11) J. I. Wills (1911—20) , J.W. Mahan (1920—23) , W.L. Hutton (1924—25) Carl Northcutt (1926-27) , W.G. Farmer (1928) , W.R. Royce 1929-30) Furman Jones (1931—32), E.R. Sams (1933—1948), E. L. Mitchell (1949—50) , John Hatcher (1950—52) , R.B. Baker (1952—54) , Edwin Reece (1954—57) , Robert C. Jones (1958—61) , James E. Casey (1961—63) Ernest A. Cruse (1964—67) , Russell Singleton (1968) , Cecil Mobley (1968—70) , Walter Robinson (1970) , Kale Conner (1971—71) , Dennis L. Brewer (1972- Present)
We regret that it is not possible, due to a lack of accurate records to list dates for pastors more correctly. There are possibly others who have served as Pastor of Beattyville, especially during the period of 1871-93 but, we have no records indicating who they may be.
MISSIONS
Records certainly verify the statement that at one time, Beattyville served as the Mission Point for Mountain Mission Efforts by the Irvine Association and the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky. During its history, Beattyville has served as the mother of several Baptist Churches in this area and as sponsor of many other mission points.
In the latter part of the 1940’s, E. R. Sams, Pastor of the Beattyville Church, preached in the former GREEN HILL BAPTIST CHURCH, located at Lower Creek. The building in which he preached had been constructed about 1865 on a tract of land given by “white” people for the purpose of constructing a “colored church.” The church had been closed for a number of years until Reverend Sams conducted a Vacation Bible School and services. In the early 1950’s, John Hatcher conducted Revival Services at the Mission and reactivated it. Mr. and Mrs Raymond Norman were members of the mother church and became greatly interested in the work at the mission. Mr. Norman served as Sunday School Director at the Mission until his death in 1962. The last service at the Mission was conducted by David Tomlinson, Mission Pastor, in 1967. A More complete history of a second mission, Eager, is found under the history of Faith Baptist Church.
Other Missions might join the ranks of the two already mentioned: LYNAMS CREEK, PINNACLE, ZION, Etc. but space does not allow a complete listing and survey of each.
Today, the Beattyville Baptist Church worships in a new building, constructed in 1959 and boasts a membership in excess of 300. And, hers is the story of many Baptist Churches who had more humble beginnings in a day when life was hard and early pioneers strove to carve a home for themselves and their children from the wilderness.