BUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHES

BUCK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCHES

By Harry D. Tinsley

NOTE: Although this story starts in Ohio County, these churches are now located in the northeastern section of McLean County. McLean County was formed by act of the Kentucky legislature on February 6, 1854 from portions of surrounding Daviess, Ohio, and Muhlenberg Counties.

The New Providence Church occupied the Tanner's Meeting House since the Buck Creek Church was moving into a new log meeting house one mile west Nuckols. Built in 1840-1841, this church was located on a hill since known as Buck Creek Hill. (The Tanner's Meeting House, also built of logs, was located three miles west of Livia on the Glennville Road).

In 1856-1857 a neat frame house was erected on the same site. In 1892 the members decided to build a new meeting place. There was a great difference of opinion on where the new house should be built. Finally, in February 1894, the church ordered the new house built on the Owensboro - Livermore Road, about midway between Livia and Nuckols. The building was completed and occupied in July 1894 but dissatisfaction remained among some members over whether or not the plans had been carried out in a legitimate manner. The church became completely divided, resulting in a number of the members continuing to meet in the building completed in 1857.

The dissatisfied members continued to transact business as the Buck Creek Church and both churches sent statistical letters and messengers to the meeting of the Daviess County Association, which convened at the Oak Grove (Utica) Church in August 1894.

After it was discovered that two opposing groups of messengers, both claiming to represent the Buck Creek Church, were in attendance, a committee was chosen to look into the situation. This committee was composed of seven visiting brethren who were chosen from among those who ire unprejudiced by local conditions or past or present relationships, one being Elder J. T. Casebier, of Rockport, Ky.

After a careful examination of all records, the committee reported, unanimously, that the decision to move to a new location as a legal and binding act of the church. Therefore, the group meeting on the Owensboro-Livermore Road was rightfully the Buck Creek Baptist Church. The members who had not approved the move were given letters so they could constitute a new church if they wished.

Sixty-nine members withdrew from the Buck Creek Church and in September 1894 the Old Buck Creek Church was organized and constituted. (These names also given in Rone’s book). Two other persons submitted their names to the clerk, making a total of 71.  In August 1895 this church became a member of the Daviess-McLean County Association.

Over the years, Buck Creek Church has been a prolific mother of churches.  Out of her membership she has given members to constitute Green Brier, in 1820; Mt. Liberty, in 1840; Oak Grove (Utica), in 1854; Glenville, in 1865; Woodward’s Valley, in 1879; and Old Buck Creek, in 1894.  She is also the grandmother of younger churches that have come from the churches mentioned above.

Today both the Buck Creek Baptist Church and Old Buck Creek Baptist Church continue to carry on their work.  Their foundations are strong, being based on almost 163 years of faith.

Buck Creek Cemetery

After settling the claim as to the legality of the move to the Owensboro and Livermore Road site, the Association volunteered to make the following suggestions relative to the Buck Creek Cemetery.

“In the event they preferred to constitute a new church at the old location they be permitted to use the old building until they could provide thernse1ve with one that suited them better, January 1, 1895, being the date fixed by agreement and that the old house should be sold and the proceeds divided equally among them, and that the old church lot should be added to the adjacent cemetery grounds, and that the mother church should then deed to the new organization a one-half interest in the cemetery lot, to be held and controlled permanently by the two jointly, for the use of both."

Two lots were donated, to the Church by Dr. A. W. Crow for the purpose of erecting a new house of worship. These lots were located about 500 yards to the north of the old site of the church and the cemetery. The new building was completed and the dedicatory sermon was preached by Dr. J. S. Coleman on Thanksgiving Day, 1894. Both churches continue to use the buildings erected in 1894.

Ref. "A History of the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association in Kentucky” , 1943 by Wendell H. Rone.

Published in The Ohio County News, April 10, 1975.

Thanks to Janice Brown

Old Buck Creek Church:

 Buck Creek Church: