The Beginnings of Ninth
Street Baptist Church
About
that time, they were ready
to improve the conditions
of the building.
Therefore, in a few
months, they called as
their pastor, the Reverend
H. Miller about 1900, and
he started the renovation
of the old structure and
made some progress doing
so. It was a slow
progress and he left to go
elsewhere in 1908.
They were without a pastor
once more and during that
time Brother Nelson, our
lay member of the church
who was strong in the
faith held the church
together by holding weekly
prayer service and Sunday
school. During that
time, various ministers
were called to preach on
Sundays. In December
1911, the Reverend William
Taylor of Lexington,
Kentucky was called to the
pastorate. Rev,
Taylor was a preacher with
a wide vision and soon set
out to complete the work
Rev. Miller had started.
The cornerstone was laid
in 1914 and the “Little
Mission” was named “Ninth
Street Baptist Church.”
They worshipped in a
basement church for seven
years and it did not seem
that they would ever be
able to finish the
building. It was
during that period that
the church learned that
nothing is lost in talking
to GOD – She prayed on,
and that no time is lost
in waiting on GOD – She
waited on. GOD was
in the plan.
Deacon
Henry Washington and his
wife Maggie who lived at
323 East 11th
Street, (the exact spot
where the Macedonia
Missionary Baptist Church
stands) mortgaged their
home so that the Ninth
Street Baptist Church
could be completed.
In the month of April
1921, they marched
upstairs into the newly
completed Sanctuary.
It was like a dream come
true and the result of
many sacrifices and the
answer to many prayers.
Under the leadership of
Rev. Taylor the membership
increased by baptism and
relationship, and all
groups were organized.
One of the first
organizations was the
Usher Board, with Sister
Mary Jones as its first
president. Sister
Virginia Jackson organized
the Missionary Society in
November 1921, with Sister
Maggie Washington as
president.
The
Official Staff: Ten
Deacons were ordained,
James Mallory, John Webb
Sr, James Webb, Calvin
Whatley Sr, George M.
Lacey, Alex Armstrong,
John Owens, William Hall,
Taylor Johnson, and Henry
Washington. Five
Ministers were ordained.
Elijah Kelly and sent to
Calvary Baptist Church,
Cincinnati, OH.
George M. Lacey, and sent
to First Baptist Churches,
Flemingsburg, and Augusta,
KY. G. W. Buckner,
and sent to Mount Zion
Baptist Church, Latonia,
KY. Robert Hughes
and Nelson Orr, who
remained as associate
ministers of Ninth Street.
Music Department The
Church Choir was organized
and the Kitchen Utensil
Orchestra was organized
with Sister Elizabeth as
president of both. A
church bus was brought for
the Sunday school, and for
transportation elderly
members.
Our
Church was accepted as a
member of Howard’s Creek
District Association, and
remained until 1974.
Reverend Taylor went to
his eternal rest on
January 25, 1931 after
serving as pastor for
twenty years.
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