John Taylor Monument

Clear Creek Baptist Church.

The Baptist Church of Christ at Clear Creek was organized in April of 1785 as a branch of the South Elkhorn Baptist Church. Among the 30 constituent members were some of the saints who journeyed from Virginia with Lewis Craig and the traveling church. Its membership was composed of Kentucky pioneers who braved the wilderness and survived by the providential bounty of field and forest. Their burdens were allayed, however, as they gathered to worship, on those occasions, they enjoyed sweet fellowship, and prosperity of soul. Taylor, in his history of the Baptist churches describes one of these early meetings. Not withstanding the exertions of the people in the woods to get something to sustain on, there seem to be some heart melting move among the people. The first I recollect, was at a night meeting at my little cabin. Though the night was wet and dark, and scarcely a trace to get to my house. The little cabin was pretty well filled with people, and what was best of all, I have no doubt the Lord was there.

For preachers, John deploy James Rucker, Richard cave, and John Taylor exhorted by course. And in March of 1786, the members of Clear Creek unanimously chose John Taylor to be their first pastor. Taylor, in his history describes the events that followed his installation as pastor. From that day’s meeting, an instantaneous revival took place in the settlement of Clear Creek. That summer I baptized about 60 of my neighbors, and a number of them among the most respectable. We progressed on for that year with much peace and harmony. This year Clear Creek old meeting house was built a framed house 40 feet by 20, but we soon found the house would not hold half the people that attended in good weather. Five churches meeting with the Clear Creek Baptist Church, October 1 1785, agreed to form themselves into an association, the six congregations Gilberts Creek Baptist Church, big crossings Baptist Church, South Elkhorn Baptist Church, Tates Creek Baptist Church, limestone Baptist Church and Clear Creek Baptist Church were the original members of the Elkhorn Association.
Numerous conversions and great sins of revival were common throughout the early history of Clear Creek, and well known ministers such as Henry Toller. James Saget and Theodoret bull were labored here. The mother church at Clear Creek dismissed her members to form the congregations of Hillsborough, Greers Creek and Versailles. She has also sent forth her sons to preach the gospel. In this place, the Lord was pleased to set his name. And for 225 years Clear Creek Baptist Church has been a pillar and ground of the truth. The Lord has done great things for us were of we’re glad. Psalm 126:3

John Taylor

John Taylor was born in 1752. In Faqir County, Virginia. His family moved to Frederick County, Virginia, where at the age of 17, he was first awakened to his need for the Savior after hearing a message by that venerable old servant of God, William Marshall. Taylor described the preaching on that occasion, my eyes and ears were caught by the preaching, as the minister was treating on the awful scene of judgment. He stood upon a Great White Oak stump and preached spiritual life into my soul. Two of his companions in sin, Isaac and Joseph Redding were soon converted and began to preach the gospel. Their preaching further stirred Taylor until he believed on the Lord and was baptized into the membership of the South River Baptist Church by older James Ireland. He was licensed to preach the gospel and set apart to the great work of his life. Lewis Craig, John Pickett, John tunes, Joseph reading em Theodoret no ale compose the presbytery.
James B. Taylor, in his lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers summarized the early labors of Taylor in Virginia.

After some exercise of his talents in addressing his fellow men, he was beamed by his brethren qualified to labor in Word and doctrine, and was accordingly licensed. About this time. Joseph Redding began his ministerial career. These two servants of Christ, with apostolic zeal and courage carried the sound of salvation into regions it had never reached. They were two of the most daring spirits of that age. Very frequently, their journeys were extended to beyond the Blue Ridge more than 200 miles. This was then a thinly settled country. In these western excursions they were received with open arms. They were not like their Eastern brethren subjected to the opposing rage of the established church, but they were not without trials. Most of their journeys were performed on foot, over a rugged and almost unbroken wilderness, and they were continually in danger of falling prey to the savage barbarities of the Indians, as they passed on from for to afford. The good hand of the Lord alone preserve them in hunger and thirst, in watchfulness and weariness. Did Mr. Taylor go forth to preach the gospel. The Ministry of this itinerant was greatly blessed. several churches were founded mainly under his influence.

John Taylor and wife Elizabeth traveled by riverboat to Kentucky in 1783. They were charter members of Clear Creek Baptist Church. He remained here until 1795 When he left for Boone County, Kentucky. Later, when this church was in a declining condition, Taylor was again called to the pastorate at 70 years of age, he began to preach and revival commenced and continued more than a year.

Jay H. Spencer, in a history of Kentucky Baptist wrote, Mr. Taylor was uneducated in the popular meaning of the term, but was a man of a remarkably strong clear intellect and of calm, sound judgment. As a writer, he was crude, but always strong and eminently practical. Everything he ever wrote, said the distinguished William Vaughn is worth reading. He was very familiar with the Bible. And as a preacher, he was playing practical and abundantly successful. He was like Boone, a pioneer by nature. He has history of 10 churches published in 1827, is by far the most valuable contribution that has yet been made to the history of the early Baptist of Kentucky.

Marker placed by the Baptist history Preservation Society, October 9 2010