From “Records of the Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church,
Kentucky 1800-1803, 1804-1807, 1808-1812” Edited by W. W. Sweet, 1931
The Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church, a part of the South
Elkhorn Church, was formed in 1788. William
Hickman, one of the first Baptist ministers in Kentucky, became the
pastor. Hickman was “plain and solemn,
and the sound of [his preaching] like thunder in the distance; but when he
became animated, it was like thunder at home, and operated with prodigious force
on the consciences of his hearers.” The following
excerpts from the Forks of Elkhorn Church minutes are every mention of Finney
and similarly spelled surnames.
2nd Saturday in September 1801 the Church met and
after divine worship proceeded to business (moderator not identified)
A request from McConnell’s Run Church respecting help is
attended to and Brethren James Hayden, Edrington, Finney, and Hicklin is appointed.
(McConnell’s Run Baptist Church was carved from the Great
Crossings Baptist Church in 1795 by the Elkhorn Association when the Great
Crossings members reportedly wanted Joseph Redding to be their pastor instead
of Reverend Elijah Craig. Elijah Craig become the pastor at McConnell’s Run. McConnell’s Run later became Stamping Ground
Baptist Church. Both Great Crossings and
McConnell’s Run were in Scott County, north of Woodford County)
2nd Friday November 1804 the Church met and after
divine worship proceeded to business (William Hickman, moderator)
Brother Gregory is requested to talk with Brother Finney for
not returning his letter.
(A Church letter of recommendation is simply a letter from one
church to another recommending a member to the fellowship of the second
church. The letter states that the
person is in regular standing in the church and not accused of anything worthy
of disciplinary action by the church. It
seems that James Finney had removed from another church and was now attending the
Forks of Elkhorn Church. The Church was in need of Finney’s letter of
recommendation from his previous church)
2nd Saturday in January 1805 the Church met and after
divine worship proceeded to business (William Hickman, moderator)
Brother James Finney returned his letter of recommendation.
(It seems likely that James Finney had removed from a different church in the same vicinity as the Forks of Elkhorn. From the minutes, Finney was already attending Forks of Elkhorn Church and had yet to receive his letter of recommendation. It seems to have taken him at least three months to get the letter from his previous church and have it submitted. However, a Finney was mentioned in the minutes in 1801 so is it possible that James Finney had moved to another church between 1801 and 1805 and then have requested a return?)
2nd Saturday of October 1806 after divine worship
proceeded to business (William Hickman, moderator)
At the request of the Church of Glens Creek we have
appointed four Brethren William Hickman, Daniel Peak, Abraham Gregory, and
James Finney to meet at their meetinghouse the 3rd Saturday in this
month in order to assist them in their present difficulties.
(Glens Creek Baptist Church began in 1801 as a member of the
Elkhorn Association. Ten members of
Forks of Elkhorn Church were released to seed a congregation at Glens Creek in
May 1801. It is located in Versailles in
central Woodford County)
2nd Saturday of July 1807 after divine worship
proceeded to business (John Price, moderator)
Took up request of Town Fork Church agreed that the
following Brethren William Hubbell, John Price, Joseph Edrington, and James
Finney attend a meeting at Town Fork on the 28th day of July to
assist them in business of importance.
(Two Town Forks members, Thomas Lewis and Jacob Creath, had
a disagreement over the exchange of a slave.
A pamphlet called “A Portrait of Jacob Creath” was produced by Reverend
Elijah Craig. The Town Fork Church
called for a committee of helps from 18 churches who met in July 1807 and
investigated for four days the 14 charges in the pamphlet against Creath. The committee unanimously acquitted him on
each charge separately and on the whole charge together)
2nd Saturday of May 1808 after divine worship
proceeded to business (John Shackleford, moderator)
Brother Finney and Brother Gregory is appointed to see
Brother Charles Palmer respecting his neglect of duty and report to our next
meeting. After the issue was deferred,
Palmer came to the Church and gave satisfaction.
(Charles Palmer married Susan Sparks. Palmer’s sister-in-law was Nancy Sparks-Cole,
wife of Jesse Cole, a deacon in Forks of Elkhorn Church)
2nd Saturday of June 1808 after divine service
proceeded to business (John Shackleford, moderator)
Brother Gregory and Brother Finney appointed to cite Brother
Lewis Palmer to next meeting for neglecting meetings of business. Two months later, Palmer submitted a letter
charging that the Church acted impartially and acted tyrannically in expelling
the former pastor. The Church excluded
him from the Brethren.
(Abraham Gregory was ordained a deacon in the Forks of
Elkhorn Church in November 1804 with Jesse Cole. He died in 1814 and his will was proven in
Woodford County 22 June 1814. A deed was
filed in Woodford County in 1797 between Robert Alexander and Abraham
Gregory. Gregory married Mildred Watts
and they were buried near Spring Station)
2nd Saturday in July 1808 after divine worship
proceeded to business (John Shackleford, moderator)
Brother Gregory and Brother Finney is appointed to cite
Brother Benjamin Edrington to next meeting for neglecting to attend meetings of
business. Edrington attended the next
meeting and gave the Church satisfaction.
He retained good status in the Church.
(Benjamin Franklin Edrington was born in 1770, the son of
John Edrington and Margaret Price. He
married Lettice Hickman, the daughter of Reverend William Hickman. John and Margaret Edrington came to Woodford
County between 1786 and 1790. Their
daughter Elizabeth Edrington was married to Hosea Cook who was killed by Indians
along with Jesse Cook in 1792. Jesse
Cook’s widow married Joseph Edringtron, another child of John and Margaret
Edrington. The Edringtons were all active in Forks of Elkhorn Church)
2nd Saturday in June 1809 after divine worship
proceeded to business (John Shackleford, moderator)
Two months before, the Church appointed Brethren Blanton,
Ware, and Boulware to converse with Mr. Daniel E. Brown concerning the
meetinghouse lot and to determine if they could get the lot and any additional
land. Mr. Daniel E. Brown submitted a
letter dated 10 June 1809 and is willing to relinquish 1 ¼ acres where the Church
meetinghouse, schoolhouse, and graveyard are located. The Church agreed to the proposals of Mr.
Daniel E. Brown and appointed Brethren William Hubbell, Abraham Gregory, and
James Finney to act as trustees for her in obtaining a deed in their names for
the benefit of the Baptist Church at the forks of the Elkhorn.
(Daniel E. Brown was born 11 November 1785 to John and Nancy
Brown. He married Elizabeth Finnie about
1810. This marriage may have been a
result of the meeting between James Finney and Daniel E. Brown over the Forks
of Elkhorn land. Brown was known as Brother Daniel E. Brown as early as 1801 in
Forks of Elkhorn minutes when he returned his letter and membership. In 1805, he was excluded for swearing and
gambling and then in 1807 he was excluded for frolicking and dancing.
By 1809, he is no longer referred to as Brother and simply was Mr.
Daniel E. Brown, obviously no longer a member of the Church)
2nd Saturday in March 1811 after divine worship
proceeded to business (William Hickman, moderator)
Brother James Finney is granted a letter of dismission.
(A letter of dismissal is similar to a letter of
recommendation. The Dismissal is written
for a member of the church who is moving from the church to a new church,
likely because the member has relocated.
The letter usually states that the member now resides in the new Church’s
location and is desirous of uniting with the new church, is in good standing and
full common with the old church, recommends the member to the new church’s Christian
regard, and when received by the new church, asks that the old church be
notified so the member can be officially dismissed. From the minutes of March 1811, it seems that
James Finney was granted a letter to take with him in his move to Union County)
(During the October 1812 business meeting, Brother Abraham
Gregory and wife, Brother Jesse Cole and wife, Sister Prudence Blackburn,
Sister Catherine Smith, Brother Walter Ayres and wife were all dismissed from
Forks of Elkhorn Church to join in a constitution at the Big Spring. It is obvious from the work that James Finney
had previously done in the Church that he would have been a part of this group
had he not moved the previous year)