Landmark Baptist

Announcing the formation of:

The J.H. Spencer Historical Society

A new Baptist historical society is being started in the state of Kentucky. This society is open to anyone who is interested in preserving and promoting the historical distinctives, doctrines, and history of Kentucky Baptists. The society is named after J.H. Spencer, author of A History of Kentucky Baptists, published in 1885 and the premier Kentucky Baptist historian of the nineteenth century. The JHSHS has the sanction and support of the Kentucky Baptist Convention as we have pledged to work together in a spirit of cooperation in this common cause of retaining our Baptist identity.

The inaugural meeting of the J.H. Spencer Historical Society will be held on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. This is the day before the annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. A meal will be provided free afterward. The JHSHS will meet at the:

Heritage Baptist Church
163 North Ashland Ave.
Lexington, KY 40502

Bro. Chris Beckham, pastor of the Flemsingsburg Baptist Church, Flemsingsburg, KY will present a paper on the History of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.
Bro. Stan Williams, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Cannonsburg, KY will preent a paper on the Doctrinal Basis of our Cooperation
Bro. Keith Harper, professor of church history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC will bring a historical message on the Faith of our Fathers.

Everyone is invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the J.H. Spencer Historical Society.

You can join the J.H. Spencer Historical Society for 1 year for $10 or for 2 years at $17. Benefits of membership include the fellowship with others who are interested in Baptist History, periodic updates, a JHSHS journal and other printed materials, as well as advance announcements of future events. Membership in the JHSHS is open to all who are interested in promoting our Baptist heritage and preserving our historic distincitves.

Write to the J.H. Spencer Historical Society at:

Stan Williams
c/o J.H. Spencer Historical Society
11512 Midland Trail Road
Ashland, KY 41102

Thanks for the information, Bro. Ben.

Would you define J. H. Spencer as a Landmarker? I am familiar with his book, but not so much with the man. But I have assumed that he was a Landmarker. If so, do you think that the KBC in using his name is only honoring his historical contributions or might this also hint at their Landmark leanings? Just wondering. Thanks.

Bro. Vaughn,

The name "J.H. Spencer" Historical Society was picked because Spencer was the greatest Kentucky Baptist historian. There have been a number of Histories of Kentucky Baptists written, but Spencer is still the standard for them and by far the most thorough. I have not done a great deal of research into his beliefs, but I do know that Spencer was one of main early oppenants of William Whitsitt's new thoery of Baptist origins. I am almost positive that he was a Landmarker in his ecclesiology.

The JHSHS is not under the control or direction of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. We are a independent historical society. We do have the approval of the KBC basically because the KBC does not have any sort of Baptist historical society, while many other states do. While the men organizing the JHSHS are conservative Southern Baptists, we said up front that we do not want the membership in the JHSHS limited to Southern Baptists or even Baptists in the state of Kentucky. I would encourage anyone Baptists who is intersted in Kentucky Baptist history to consider joinng the J.H. Spencer Historical Society.

Bro. Ben--
Thanks for your thoughts on J. H. Spencer, and also the explanation of the nature of the historical society.

(The Western Recorder, the Southern Baptist newspaper in Kentucky recently ran a story about the J.H. Spencer History Society. I thought some of you might like to read it.)

Lexington—Determined to increase awareness and appreciation for Kentucky Baptist history, the J.H. Spencer Historical Society held its inaugural meeting last month prior to the Kentucky Baptist Convention annual meeting in Lexington.

The purpose of the new group is “to promote and preserve Kentucky Baptist history,” according to Ben Stratton, pastor of Farmington Baptist Church and the society’s elected secretary/treasurer.

With a modest current membership of about 20 pastors and laypeople, Stratton said he hopes the society can become a significant resource that rivals those of other state conventions.

“Kentucky is one of the few states that doesn’t have a Baptist historical society,” he pointed out. But it once did.

Messengers to the 1999 KBC annual meeting voted to disband the former Kentucky Baptist Historical Commission. In its place, the Kentucky Baptist Archives Advisory Board was formed.

Members of that board decided last year that it “really wasn’t accomplishing as much as it could,” Stratton noted. The KBC Mission Board in May approved the dissolution of the advisory board while simultaneously affirming the formation of the J.H. Spencer Historical Society.

It is named for historian J.H. Spencer, who authored the two-volume narrative “A History of Kentucky Baptists,” which chronicles Baptist life in the commonwealth from 1769 to 1885.

About 16 people attended the group’s inaugural meeting last month, Stratton said. Participants elected officers and heard a series of messages regarding Baptist history. The society’s elected officers are Stan Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church of Cannonsburg, president; Charles Blair, pastor of Poplar Grove Baptist Church in Hickman, vice president; and Strattton, secretary/treasurer.

“There’s as much Baptist history in Kentucky as anywhere,” Stratton explained. “A lot of great things have happened here, but a lot of it is forgotten.”

The society intends to hold yearly meetings and put out an annual publication, he said. It likely would contain sermons from past Kentucky Baptist pastors and evangelists as a way “to bring back things that have been forgotten,” Stratton added.

While the J.H. Spencer Historical Society is not officially connected with the KBC, Stratton said the group does plan to work with the convention’s archives office. KBC Assistant Executive Director Steve Thompson said the relationship with the society is “loosely defined,” but the KBC will provide a limited amount of funding for expenses.

The J.H. Spencer Historical Society is open to all Kentucky Baptist pastors and laypeople. Membership is $10 for one year; $17 for two years. For more information about the society or to become a member, contact Stan Williams at (606) 928-4981, or sdwilliams@zoominternet.net.

Western Recorder issue date: December 2, 2008

The J.H. Spencer Baptist Historical Society recently mailed out the following three brochures to our members:

1. "Three Reasons Why I Am a Baptist with a Fourth Reason Added, on Communion" by J.M. Pendleton
2. "Why the Bible and Not Other Standards" by T.T. Eaton
3. "Can We Identify the New Testament Church Today?" by William Nowlin

We hope to have similar mail-outs every month or two.

You can join the J.H. Spencer Historical Society for 1 year for $10 or for 2 years at $17. Benefits of membership include the fellowship with others who are interested in Baptist History, periodic updates, a JHSHS journal and other printed materials, as well as advance announcements of future events. Membership in the JHSHS is open to all who are interested in promoting our Baptist heritage and preserving our historic distincitves.

Write to the J.H. Spencer Historical Society at:

Stan Williams
c/o J.H. Spencer Historical Society
11512 Midland Trail Road
Ashland, KY 41102

Bro. Ben Stratton,

I lived in Lexington back in the 1960's. Are you familiar with Lloyd Mahanes? He pastored Boone's Creek Baptist Church, near Athens I think. He also was associated with Bro. Clarence Walker of Ashland Ave. Baptist in Lexington. In about 1965 or so I attended a service at Boone's Creek that was part of their 175 Anniversary doings. There were several Baptist churches in that area that went back to the time when "the Traveling Baptist Church" came from Virginia through the Cumberland Gap. And that brings me to another question: Are you familiar with a book about "the Traveling Baptist Church" that was entitled something like this: The First Ten Baptist Churches in Kentucky." Is it available? Has it been reprinted maybe? I would like buy a copy if possible. Thanks and may God Bless.

Bro. Looney, you probably are thinking about A History of Ten Baptist Churches by John Taylor. Mercer University Press reprinted that in 1996 under the title Baptists on the American Frontier: a History of Ten Baptist Churches. A link can be found here:
http://www.mupress.org/webpages/books/Young.html

An electronic html version can be viewed here:
http://www.geocities.com/baptist_documents/ten.churches.by.taylor.html

A limited preview of the Mercer edition can be found here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=QXMxT2Z2JRQC

J.H. Spencer Historical Society

A new Baptist historical society has being started in the state of Kentucky. This society is open to anyone who is interested in preserving and promoting the historical distinctives, doctrines, and history of Kentucky Baptists. The society is named after J.H. Spencer, author of "A History of Kentucky Baptists" published in 1885 and the premier Kentucky Baptist historian of the nineteenth century. The JHSHS has the sanction and support of the Kentucky Baptist Convention as we have pledged to work together in a spirit of cooperation in this common cause of retaining our Baptist identity.

The second annual meeting of the J.H. Spencer Historical Society will be held on Monday, November 9, 2009 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. This is the day before the annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention and the day of the KBC's Pastor's Conference. The JHSHS will meet at the:

Severns Valley Baptist Associational building
500 College Street,
Elizabethtown, KY
(270) 765-4023

This year our speakers will be:

Dr. Stephen Wilson, professor of history at Mid-Continent University, Mayfield, KY will speak on the subject of "Kentucky Baptists and Biblical Authority."
Dr. Joseph Early, assistant professor of theology at Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, KY will speak on "The History of Campbellsville University."

Everyone is invited to attend the second annual meeting of the J.H. Spencer Historical Society.

You can join the J.H. Spencer Historical Society for 1 year for $10 or for 2 years at $17. Benefits of membership include the fellowship with others who are interested in Baptist History, periodic updates, a printed journal and other Baptist literature, as well as the advance announcements of future events. Membership in the JHSHS is open to all who are interested in promoting our Baptist heritage and preserving our historic distincitves.

The current officers of the JHSHS are:
Stan Williams (President)
Charles Blair (Vice-President)
Ben Stratton (Secretary-Treasurer)

Write to the J.H. Spencer Historical Society at:

Stan Williams
c/o J.H. Spencer Historical Society
11512 Midland Trail Road
Ashland, KY 41102
__._,_.___

Brother Stratton,

Does Mr. Early believe in Baptist succession or does he believe Baptists are a product of the Protestant Reformation?

Mark Osgatharp
Wynne, Arkansas