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VOL. III. RICHMOND,
THE SYN?
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The first Presbytery in America was the
Presbytery of Philadelphia, organized in 1705,
which grew into the Synod of Philadelphia in
1716. This became the Synod of New York
and Philadelphia in 1758, and in 1789 this single
Synod was cut into four Synods, and these
constituted our first General Assembly in the
United States. The Synod of New York and
Philadelphia organized the Presbytery of
Transylvania in 1786. In the beginning this
Presbytery embraced all the district of Kentucky,
including the Cumberland river set
ltements, with a large country, extending
through what are now the States of Tennessee
and Mississippi, and then subsequently
reaching north into Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois. Churches and congregations
grew rapidly; and its ministers soon increased
to the number of 26, belonging now
to the Synod of Virginia. In 1802 the Presbytery
was divided into three Presbyteries,
Transylvania, West Lexington and Washington,
and thus making the Synod of Ken
tucky. The new Synod had on its rolls the
names of 37 ministers. The first meeting
was held in Lexington and was presided
over by the Rev. David Rice. The most
memorable and important act of this Synod
was the erection of a new Presbytery to be
known as Cumberland Presbytery. For
"grave and sufficient reasons" in 1806 this
action was revoked, dissolving the Presbytery.
The Synod has met in Lexington
eighteen times, in Danville sixteen times, in
Louisville eight times. Twice it met in
Nashville, Tennessee. Twenty ex-Modera
tors are still living, 'he oldest h rhe Rev
Robert L. Breck, D. D., LL. D., now of California,
who was Moderator in 1865. The
Synod now has on its rolls one hundred and
fifteen ministers, of whom eighty-one are
pastors, nine are foreign missionaries, five
are teachers, eight are evangelists, five are
secretaries, one an editor and six without
charge. The Synod has one hundred and
seventy-nine churches, and last year received
on profession of faith into the Church
?n>7 eight hundred and eighty-seven persons, and
six hundred and seventy-three hy letter. The
%10| total membership of the Church in the Synod
""DnrvCC is twenty thousand seven hundred and ninety.
' The churches of the Synod contributed for all
V' causes last year $296,122.
no- The approaching meeting of Synod will be
interesting for a number of reasons. It meets
in an historic church, the First Presbyterian
church of Bowling Green. It will be opened by
the retiring Moderator, a distinguished ruling
elder. The venerable stated clerk, who is now
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, NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, OCTOE
OD OF KE
IE IT MEETS THIS
serving his thirty-seventh year in this capacity,
was moderator of the Synod when it met in this
church thirty-two years ago. The ruling elder
who will represent the First church in the Synod
is the venerable Judge Robert Rodes, who
was ordained an elder in this church in 1857,
having served as deacon for five years previously.
His alternate is Dr. J. E. Younglove
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First Presbyterian Church, Bowling Green, Ky.
who was made an elder in 1876, he also having
served as a deason, having been ejected to the
diaconate in 1860. No two men have had more
to do with the progress and advancement of the
Church than these two men, and perhaps few
men have sat in the Synod oftener than Judge
Rodes. Both are now over eighty years of age,
but vigorous and active and who rarely miss
the services of the church. Among the men
who have been ruling elders in this year are a
number of names prominent in the affairs of the
Church in the Synod. Men like Judge Asher
Graham, Prof. D. M. Gaines, Hon. James A.
MAW
WESTERNPRESBYTERMaA
?al Presbyter/an &
thern presbyter/an
lER II, 1911. NO. 41.
:ntucky
YEAR
Mitchell, Major Jas. Geddes, Dr. J. P. McElroy
and Judge John E. DuBose.
The church where Synod meets this year is
one of the historic churches of Kentucky. It
was organized in 1819 by the Kev. Joseph
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organization of the church such men as Gideon
Blackburn, William Rice, David Rice, McChord,
Robert Wilson and a number of other pioneer
Presbyterian ministers had preached
and frequently held revival services in the
town. Among the charter members were
the McDowells, the McPlieeters, the Wardlaws,
the Halls, the Garrisons, the Marshalls
and the Henrys, all prominent in
the affairs of this city. Mr. Lapsley was
the first pastor of the church, serving until
his death in 1823. He was buried in the old
cemetery on College street, and his grave is
just under where the pulpit which he occupied
stood. The church was moved in 1833
to its present site, and the new church was
lour years in building. It is one of the oldest
and most historic buildings in the city.
Here the first school in the city was organized
and maintained. The mothers and
fathers of many prominent people in Bowling
Green were educated in the Academy
which was conducted in the basement of
this church by Mr. and Mrs. Jones. The
pulpit in the lecture room of the church is
made from wood taken from the first jail
ever built in Warren county. After Dr.
Lapsley's death the church was served by
Revs. D. II. Philips and S. B. Robertson. Dr.
Samuel Calvert was called as pastor in
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looi. wnen ne came xne cnurcn nad
members. "We find an entry in one of the
old record books where the pastor called
the session together and discussed the approaching
meeting of Presbytery in this
church, and appointed a day of fasting, and
prayer that the meeting might result in a
great spiritual gain for the church. The
result of the meeting of Presbytery was a
great revival during which 112personsmadc
profession of religion and thirty-one united
with the Presbyterian church. Today if our
church courts could be made the means of such
spiritual unlift for the community where the
court meets wnat a great Diessmg all our meetings
of Presbyteries and Synods would be. "We
cannot but contrast this incident with the meetings
of our courts today where the sermons are
few, the business is rushed, and the hurry of
commissioners to get away makes the meeting
almost a farce so far as spiritual gain to the
community is concerned. Following Dr. Calvert
as pastor came Rev. J. M. Clark and Dr. A.