Dogwood Christian Church

Six miles north of Hopkinsville on Highway 107 in the clearing of a wilderness of Dogwoods, an arbor meeting was the forerunner of a future church known today as Dogwood Christian. This building constructed in 1908 after the original church built in 1891 was destroyed by fire 12-8-1907. It was first called “Fords Chapel” in memory of the first pastor Henry Clay Ford.
Earliest recorded officers were Elders: J. T. Walker, Alexander King, J. C. Weddington; Deacons: Stephen Thomas King, Nicolos King and George Powell. The first records were kept by Ernest King, then his brother Herman King followed by Noel Hale.
Current records are kept by James Deason. Elders are Garland West, 0. B. Wade, and James Deason: Deacons:  Girdie Young, Nathan Doss, Conrad Roberts and Gaither Sisk: Deaconesses: Ruth Hale and Jane Duvall and Sunday School Superintendent, Elois Wade. Jane Duvall, pianist and organist, is the daughter of the late dedicated Leslie Loftus, song leader who constructed the cross outside the church.
The small membership of Dogwood today are descendants of those former members. The oldest, active member, Garland West, who at age 78, still serves faithfully and taught the adult class 35 years until failing eyesight forced him to turn that over to Judy Roberts in 1983.
Earlier histories have been researched by Ewing King, a former dedicated member, who left the small country church of his ancestors in 1983 to unite with Hopkinsvilles’ First Christian.
 

Family Histories of Christian County 1797-1986
Reprinted with permission ©1986 Christian County Genealogical Society
©William Turner  ©Jim Killibrew

Eastview Baptist Church

Eastview Baptist Church began in July, 1984, with nine members from Bethel Baptist Church, Fairview, KY. This group met at the home of Robert Outland, Jr. Fairview. Bro. Dalton Stallons was elected as Pastor, August 8, 1984 and served until March 19, 1985. Bro. Robert E. Locke, former Pastor of Pembroke Baptist Church was called and began his pastorate in April, 1985.

Eastview Baptist was organized June 2, 1985. The sixteen charmer members are still living to date: Robed Outland, Jr., Dottie Outland, Rodney Outland, Maxine Locke, Robert E. Locke, Lori Locke, Ernest Petty, Wilma Petty, Sarah Ruth Petty, Robert Outland, Sr., Josephine Outland, Bobby Cunningham, Kathy Cunningham, Steve Outland, and Margaret Profitt.

In November, 1985, two acres of land was purchased for six thousand dollars, from Mrs. Iris Lindley Reddick, Indiana. The new building, constructed in the Spring of 1986, by Webb Ross and Ed Long, is located on U.S. 68E, six miles from Hopkinsville.

Robert Outland, Jr. and Ernest Petty were recognized as the first Deacons of Eastview. Maxine Locke and Bobby Outland were elected as Adult Sunday School teachers. Sara Ruth Petty, Lori Locke, and Amy Cunningham for the Children’s Classes.

There are thirty-two members to date, with highest attendance of fifty-nine. We are the youngest church in she Christian County Baptist Association. The Lord has blessed our church in so many ways; opening doors for us to purchase land, made a loan available for a new building, given us a spirit of worship, love and closeness that few churches have.

The first Revival was held April 11 thru 13 and conducted by Dr. Billy Chitwood, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Madison, TN.

Family Histories of Christian County 1797-1986
Reprinted with permission ©1986 Christian County Genealogical Society
©William Turner  ©Jim Killibrew
 

Edgewood Baptist Church
    Edgewood Baptist Church had its beginning in the fall of 1956 as a mission of the Second Baptist Church of Hopkinsville.  The Rev. Herman Adams was the first mission pastor and remained until April of 1958.
    After the mission was constituted into a church in June of 1958, they called Harold L. Sorrells as their first pastor.  He remained at Edgewood for approximately three years and the church experienced rapid growth under his leadership.  There were 132 charter members as was certified by a letter from the Second Baptist Church and signed by Rev. J. H. Maddox, moderator and W. H. Cagle, the church clerk.
    On August 24, 1958, the following were elected by the church to serve as its first deacons:  Mr. Joe D. Cason, Jr., Mr. Charles B. Dowdy, Jr., Mr. Thomas Hammonds, Mr. Donald Holmes, Mr. Clyde Finley, Mr. Ralph Jolly, and Mr. Earl Latham.
    Mr. William A. Davis of Gracey, Kentucky was licensed as a minister of the Gospel in 1959.
    Under the leadership of the Building Committee composed of Mr. Jesse Reed, Mr. Thomas Hammonds,  Mr. William Whittinghill, and Mr. Garland Brashears, the parsonage was completed in 1960.
    In March of 1961, Bro. McKinley "Mac" Moore and Bro. Aubrey Wood were approved by the church to be licensed for the ministry.  The building committee composed of: Mr. Earl Hamby, Mr. Luther Stewart, Mr. Thurman Welborn, Mr. Ralph Jolly, Mr. Robert Cahoon, Mr. Harold Gilky, Mr. Joe D. Cason, Jr., Mrs. Euton Cahoon, and Mrs. Pauline Phelps led in the completion of a new educational building that year.
    After the resignation of Rev. Sorrells, the church called Rev. Archie W. Allison, then pastor of the Sonora Baptist Church, Sonora, Kentucky, to be their new pastor.
    The next three years brought several improvements to the church property: the parking lot was expanded and graveled; concrete sidewalks were laid; the grounds were landscaped; and both the auditorium and the educational building were redecorated and air conditioned.
    Vacation Bible School at Edgewood in 1963, had the largest enrollment in its history with 230 enrolling.
    A far-reaching decision was made in November, 1964 when the church voted to discontinue the rotation plan for electing deacons.  The next month the following eight men were elected to serve on a permanent basis: Mr. Marvin Sisk, Mr. Thomas Hammonds, Mr. Gordon Gray, Mr. James Stewart, Mr. Jack Larkins, Mr. Clyde Finley, Mr. Don Holmes, and Mr. Willard Holland.
    Resigning to become pastor in Owensboro, Kentucky, Rev. Allison served the church until August 8, 1965.
    Rev. Paul Sullivan, pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Madisonville, was called to become the pastor of the church effective as of January, 1966.
    Edgewood grew so rapidly that chairs were brought into the sanctuary.  Soon a new sanctuary was added at the cost of $110,000.  Following this new construction a new blacktop parking lot was completed.  The old sanctuary was renovated to give additional space.
    Brother Terry Hansen was licensed for the ministry on October 8, 1969, making a total of six men licensed to preach from Edgewood.
    Late in 1970 the decision was made to trade the present parsonage for the Kenneth McCargo home on Andrew Drive.  Brother Sullivan announced his resignation as pastor stating that he was leaving the pastoral ministry on April 7, 1971.  Mr. Gordon Gray, chairman of the Deacon body, assumed the moderatorship and appointed a pulpit committee.
    Brother Lewis White, consultant with the Baptist Sunday School Board in Nashville, Tennessee was called to serve as interim pastor until the church called Brother James Earl Rennell, pastor of the Oolitic Baptist Church in Oolitic, Indiana to serve as pastor, to be effective as of July 12, 1971.
    A youth revival was held on April 14-16, 1972 with seventeen year old Rev. Jeffrey Naylor, from Paducah, Kentucky, as evangelist; and there were 53 decisions.