JUDSON SLADE TAYLOR

JUDSON SLADE TAYLOR, the second child and son born to Pastor-Evangelist Alfred Taylor (1808-1865) and Mary Ann (Mahon) Taylor (1812-1852), was born in Ohio County, Kentucky, on July 24, 1838 and died at Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas, on February 10, 1889. He is buried in the I. O. O. F. Cemetery, located 3 miles east of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on Route #62. 

Judson S. Taylor was converted to Christ under the ministry of his father, as was his younger sister, Alice Taylor, and both were baptized by their father, the Pastor, into the fellowship of the Beaver Dam Baptist Church, in February, 1854. A full account of his real and abiding Christian experience is related by him in a twelve page, single spaced, account of his life for fifty years, owned by the writer. He had attended the schools at hand near his home; and, in the Fall of 1856, he entered Bethel Baptist College for men, at Russellville, in Logan County. Graduating in three and one-half years, he responded to the call of the Lord immediately to enter the ministry. In fact, his heart had been inclined in that direction ever since his conversion, but had intensified while in the process of securing a college education. 

Having wooed and won the heart and hand of Sophiah Brown, the daughter of John Gratton Brown, Junior, and Susan Ann (Dixon) Brown, they were married on June 22, 1860, on an Ohio County license and in the County. She was born in Ohio County, Kentucky, on April 20, 1838, and died at Keifer, Creek County, Oklahoma, on April 17, 1909, more than twenty years after his death, at nearly seventy-one years of age. They became the parents of 10 children, all of whom reached adulthood except a little boy, Jeddie Taylor (b. September 16, 1863-d. October 20, 1865), who is buried in the Slaty Creek (Taylor) Cemetery, Ohio County, Kentucky. She was buried alongside her husband in the I. O. O. F. Cemetery, near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. 

Having been previously licensed to preach, he was ordained to the Baptist Ministry by pastors H. B. Wiggin, J. G. Brown and his father, Alfred Taylor, at the Rochester Baptist Church, Butler County, Kentucky, in the year 1861, where he held his membership from 1861 through 1863. He served as a Messenger from Rochester Church to the Gasper River Association in 1862-1863. He and his wife were members at Green River Church in 1864-1869, and he appeared as a Messenger to the Association during that entire time. His pastorates included: Mt. Carmel (1861-1863) and Nelson Creek (1862-1864), in Muhlenberg County; Providence (1862-1865), in Warren County; Walton's Creek (1863-1869) and Pond Run (1864-1865; 1867-1868), in Ohio County, exclusive of Green River Church. He became Pastor of the Green River Church in January, 1864, succeeding his father, Alfred Taylor, who had resigned. He served through December, 1865, and declined receiving another annual call. He was called to succeed pastor John F. James and accepted in March, 1867, and served one year, through February, 1868, declining to accept another call. His second pastorate was followed by the third pastorate of Pastor James F. Austin. 

In October, 1869, Brother Taylor and wife were lettered out from Green River Church. They moved to Cowley County, Kansas, to live near his brother, Wilson Kelley Taylor. He served Churches in Crawford County, Kansas, in 1871-1875; and, in Bourbon County, Kansas, in 1876-1879. Returning to Kentucky, he served the Auburn Church, Logan County, in 1879-1882; the First Baptist Church, Clinton, Hickman County, Kentucky (now Carlisle County), in 1882-1884. While living in Clinton, he pastored also the First Baptist Church of Murray, in Calloway County, Kentucky, in 1883-1884. In 1886 and 1887 he served the First Baptist Church of Fulton, in Fulton County, Kentucky. Shattered health led him to move to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in 1887 to recover it, if possible. He began serving the First Baptist Church at that place. After showing some improvement, he died there on February 10, 1889, in his fiftieth year. 

Judson Slade Taylor was a man of great brilliance of intellect, an author of several books and pamphlets, a writer of many articles for religious papers, a co-editor of Baptist papers, and in his early years a school teacher. He never lacked for places to preach for the glory of the Lord who had called him into the Gospel Ministry. He was noted, especially, for his evangelistic and doctrinal zeal and integrity.

A Sesquicentennial History of the Green River Missionary Baptist Church 1836 - 1986, Written and Compiled by Wendell Holmes Rone, Sr., For the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Church, 1987.