Located on the creek of same name in Fayette Co. KY, about 2 miles from the village of Athens.
United with Boone's Creek Church 1st Saty. in Dec 1840. The only records found cover Feb. 1829 to Feb 1832. The book is in the library of the Baptist Seminary at Louisville, Ky. The United Baptist Church on Bogg's Fork was constituted on July 28, 1800 with 23 members. The minutes present at the organziation were Andrew Tribble and Thomas Ammon. In this book are the original constitution of 1800, and the rules of decorum adopted Sept. 23, 1815.
Deed from James Bentley et al to Robet Marshall et al., Trustees of the Baptist Church of Christ at Boggs' Fork, for 1/2 acre of land (Deed book 12, page 71, Fayette Co.).
Deed from Herbert Brink et al. to Trustees of Boggs Fork Church for 2 acres and the stone meeting house July 15, 1803 (Deed Book 12, page 72 or C.O.C.T. No A, page 72). Thus the old stone meeting house was erected before 1803. This lot and meeting house was sold after they united with Boone's Creek Church, and proceeds used toward erecting a new brick house in 1847, being the one in which Boone's Creek congregation now worships (as of 1923).
Squire Boone Jr. appears to have been the first pastor of Boggs Fork Church. He was the son of Elder Squire Boone, Sr. and a nephew of Daniel Boone, the Ky. pioneer.
Squire Boone Jr. was among the early settlers of Madison Co. KY and licensed to preach when a member of Tate's Breek Church of Separate Baptists, about 1790. About 1800 he removed to Fayette Co., near Athens where he died in 1820.
Bogg's Fork Church united with Tates Creek Assn. in 1800. While they were convened with Dix Riser Church, at which time she had 22 members. Squire Boone Jr. was one of the messengers. Benedict (History of the Baptists, published in 1813), states that Tate's Creek Assn. met with bogg's Fork Church in 1806 when she reported 88 members, and Squire Boone was one of the messengers. Bogg's Creek Church continued to affiliate with Tate's Creek Assn. until 1824, when she began to take active part in the organization of Boone's Creek Association.
On the 25 & 25th of April 1823, the 3rd conference looking toward the organization of the new Assn. was held with Bogg's Fork Church. After the organization had been completed, the several different forms of constitution from the various churches were read and from these the present constitution of Boone's Creek Assn. was adapted, which has never been amended during the century of her existence, with the exception of a slight change in the last article made during the session of 1822. At this conference at Bogg's ForkChurch, they agreed to meet on May 28 to be constituted as an association.
The messengers from Bogg's Fork Church at the constitution of Boone's Creek Assn. on May 28, 1823 were Ambrose Bush, James Browning and Elijah Bibb.
In 1824 she reported 144 members, and her membership has never exceeded that number as long as she reported to Boone's Creek Assn.
When the division came between the Baptists and the Reformers in 1829, Bogg's Fork Church remained true to the Baptists cause and was one of the 7 churches that voted to retain the constitution.
Under date of Feb. 1829 appears the following: "The church in session agreed to take up the subject of the request of the last Assn., as to whether she would abolish the constitution of Boone's Creek. She rejects the proposition and discards any other mode of being united in an Assn. capacity only in farm of her present constitution."
In 1829 committee appointed to determine what part of the old church body book should be transcribed in the new book.
At the next meeting the committee reported that they had transcribed the covenant and rules of decorum and thought it proper to transcribe the names of the members.
In Jan 1830 Harvey Bush exhibited a charge against himself for the sin of intoxication and fighting .... the church restored him to fellowship.
In Jan 1831 the church licensed and requested Brother Elijah Bibb to exercise his gift of prayer and exhartation in public in this church.
In June 1831 B.E. Allen was ordained deacon, and in the following Sept. was elected church clerk.
The last meeting recorded in the book was on 4th Saturday in Feb 1832 at which time Thomas Jerman was moderator and B.E. Allen clerk.
Bogg's Fork Church was affected but little, if at all, by the doctrine of Alexander Campbell after the division in 1829. This was largely due to the teaching and influence of Ambrose Bush, who was first and last an uncompromising Baptist. When a young man he joined Providence Church of which his father had been one of the constituent members, and in 1811 we find him the leading member in a movement for organizing a mission or what was known in his day as an "arm of the church" in his locality, which was the southwestern part of Clark Co. on Dewett's (Jouetts) Creek. This "arm" was later constituted a church under the name of Dewett's Creek Church with 21 members, who had withdrawn from Providence Church in Feb 1912. The church united with the North Dist. Assn. Ambrose Bush as their minutes show, was a messenger each year until the church disbanded in 1815, or at least that is the last year that we find any record of Dewett's Creek Church .... Ambrose Bush was a messenger each year (from ..... church) from 1823 until 1847, and in 1831 was elected moderator which position he held for 19 consecutive years.
Ambrose Bush was the son of Ambrose Bush Sr., who was one of the 5 Bush brothers who came with the colony from Va. which constituted Povidence Church. He married a daughter of Elder James Quisenberry. Ambrose G. Bush, a nephew of Ambrose Bush, was clerk of Providence Church for 50 years.
Bogg's Fork Church and Boffman's Fork Church were never the same congregation as claimed by Dr. Spencer (History of KY Baptists Vol 1, p. 478; Vol. 2 p. 81) for it was Bogg's Fork Church, and not Boffman's Fork Church that untied with Tates Creek Assn. of Separate Baptists in 1800. Boffman's Fork Church was a member of South Ky. Assn in 1801. .... |
