The History of Mt. Zion Baptist Church
By John B. Conrad

The Mt. Zion Baptist Church, organized at Mt. Zion, then Pendleton County, and now northwestern Grant County, Kentucky on May 19, 1827, has roots in the Old Baptist Church on the Dry Ridge. This Church was organized the Fourth Sunday in August 1791, "near Campbell's Block House & 33 miles South of the Mouth of the Licking". This location at that time was in Fayette County, Virginia.

According to the scanty records available today, Elders Lewis Corban and John Conner organized the Church. Elder Conner's name was misspelled as Conyers in this early record. There were nine members: John Skirvin Sr., William Conrad, Robert Childers Sr., Jesse Conyers, Rachel Conyers, John Lawless, Absolam Skirvin, Jacob Franks, and Elizabeth Franks. Every other source available today indicates that this early member, listed as Jacob Franks should be identified as John Franks (ca 1751-1817). His wife, Elizabeth, would be Elizabeth Lail (1758-1841), wife of John Franks. Also known as John Martin Franks, he and Elizabeth Lail were the only adult Franks in this area at this time to be charter members of this church.

The Old Baptist Church on the Dry Ridge survived the harshness of frontier life including at least two Indian attacks. It had added some 40 members from a very thinly populated region by 1817 when Elder Christian Tomlin came to the area preaching the doctrine of the Free-Will or New School Baptists.

By late 1817, eleven members had withdrawn to form a new Free-Will Church, with Elder Tomlin as the twelfth member. By July, 1818, the two groups, now identified as the Old Baptist Church of Christ on the Dry Ridge, Predestinarian and the Baptist Church at the Dry Ridge, Free-Will, agreed that the meeting house (built 1799) would be joint property, with the Free-Will Church meeting the second Sabbath of each month and the Predestinarian Church meeting the first Sabbath. The meetinghouse was also used as a school during the week.

Church designations have changed with years. This Free-Will Church became identified in the 1840's as "The United Baptist Church at Dry Ridge." In deeds buying and selling church sites it became known in 1861 as the "Dry Ridge Free-Will Baptist Church," in 1875 as the "Regular Baptist Church," and in 1929, as the "Dry Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, successor to the Regular Baptist Church." Today it is known as the "Dry Ridge Baptist Church."

Predestinarian Baptist Churches are sometimes known as "Hardshell Baptist," "Primitive Baptist," "Regular Baptist," "Particular Baptist," and "Old School Baptist," but most often simply as "Old Baptist."

Having no Old Baptist preacher in regular attendance; their membership in a continual state of decline, and their identity as as Old Baptist Church threatened by the growth of the Dry Ridge Free-Will Baptist Church, the Old Baptist Church on the Dry Ridge decided to reorganize at Williamstown. In the old record book, where nothing had been written since 1818, a final entry was made on October 28, 1826, as follows:

WHEREAS--We, the remaining 11 members of the Old Baptist Church of Christ on the Dryridge, Predestinarian, do feel the great necessity of a clear continuance to our Church Records so as to preserve and maintain the peace and prosperity of Zion. Therefore, on this 28th day of October, in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty-Six, be it resolved:

1--That since the peace and prosperity of Zion demand that we take up our tents and silently steal away, we shall effect the same in full faith and fellowship.

2--That letters of dismissal be granted to William Conrad, Martin Draper, Elizabeth Conrad, John Lowe, Esau Boyers, Robert Childers and John Lawless Sr. to organize the church anew at Williamstown in Grant County, Kentucky.

3--That the Church henceforth shall be known as the Williamstown Church of Christ, Particular Baptist.

4--That it be known as the Old Baptist Church of Christ on the Dryridge, Predestinarian and the Williamstown Church of Christ, Particular Baptist is one and the same church.

5--That the Church is most solemnly bound, with All Mighty God as its witness, to pen in the Record Book the doctrines of the Old Faith and order and abide with them hence forth and forevermore.

6--That letters of dismissal be granted to Jacob Franks and Elizabeth Franks, his wife--to aid and assist Elder David Lillard in organizing a Baptist Church at the headwaters of Little Ten Mile Creek, hence forward to be known as Mount Zion. May All Mighty God add to its peace and prosperity.

7--That a letter of dismissal for Bro. Asa Tungate be granted to the Salem Church of Adams County, Illinois.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you always--Amen. (Signed) Martin Draper, Clerk.

Please note in paragraph 6 of the above final minutes of the Old Baptist Church on the Dry Ridge that letters of dismissal are granted to Jacob and Elizabeth Franks to aid and assist Elder David Lillard in organizing a church at Mt. Zion. Again, every other source available today indicates that this member, listed as Jacob Franks, should be identified as John Franks, son of John Martin and Elizabeth Lail Franks.

The younger John Franks (1784-1851) and his wife, Elizabeth Cowgill, in 1829 deeded two acres to Thomas C. P. Cunningham and George Cowgill as trustees of the Mt. Zion Church. This is the site on which the original meeting house stood and the present church is now standing.

Elder David Lillard was an Old Baptist minister at this time, so there is every reason to believe that the church was organized as an Old Baptist Church. There are no early records of the Mt. Zion Church surviving today, but its Articles of Faith at that time as an Old Baptist Church would be similar to the following:

1st--We believe in one only true and living God and that in this adorable Godhead there are three that bear record in heaven the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one equal in glory, dignity, eternity, and power

2nd--We believe that the scriptures of the old and new testament are the word of God and the only rule of faith and practice.

3rd--We believe in the doctrine of eternal particular and unconditional election.

4th--We believe in particular redemption by Jesus Christ.

5th--We believe in the doctrine of original sin.

6th--We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God by the inputted righteousness of Jesus Christ.

7th--We believe that God's elect shall be called with a holy calling, regenerated, converted and sanctified in time.

8th--We believe in the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment and that the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.

9th--We believe that baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ and that true believers are the subjects of these ordinances and that the mode of baptism is by immersion and no other. And we do further agree to assemble together on our stated meetings of business, to bear each other's burdens to reprove and be reproved in case of any departure from the above faith and practice.

During the next decade Elder David Lillard was undergoing a conversion - a change that would be undertaken by a sincere and conscientious Christian like Elder Lillard only after much prayer and soul wrenching meditation. He adopted the Free-Will doctrine, perhaps not all at once, but over a period of time.

Again there are no records available today to tell us when the Mt. Zion Church or other churches in the Ten Mile Association, which Elder Lillard had assisted in organizing in 1831, adopted this change but it was undoubtedly by 1840.

The earliest written record found today of the Articles of Faith of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church appears on page one of the Clerk's Minute Book that begins with the minutes of the congregational meeting held on August 25, 1897. The Articles follows:

--We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the infallible word of God, and the only rule of Faith and practice.

--That there is only one true God, and in the God head are Divine essence, these are the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and these three are one.

--That by nature we are depraved fallen creatures. That Salvation, Regeneration, Sanctification and Justification are by the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

--That the Saints will finally perserve by Grace through Faith to Glory.

--That Believers Baptism by immersion is necessary to receiving the Lords Supper and the only Christian Baptist.

--That the Salvation of the Righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.

--That it is our duty to be tender and affectionate to each other and study the happiness of the children of God in general and be engaged singly to promote the Honor of God.

--That preaching Christ tasted death for any man shall be no bar to communion.

The only listing found of the charter members of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church appears in the 1972 Homecoming Program celebrating "145 years of Service."

Again, the name of Jacob Franks if given as an 1827 member of this Church. As discussed above, the correct name of this founding member at Mt. Zion is believed to John Franks (1784-1851) rather than Jacob Franks.

1972 Homecoming Program carries a notation that the program was prepared by "Courtesy of Raymond (Eugene) Lawrence, Assistant to the President, Cumberland College, Williamsburg, Kentucky." His sources are not given, but his brief biography of the life of Elder David Lillard is compatible with other published articles on Elder Lillard. In addition, the following items also appear in the 1972 program:

"At the organizational meeting of church May 19, 1827 William Thompson from Craigs Creek was elected Moderator and Elder Lillard elected Clerk. At the first congregational business meeting the four Saturday in June 1827, the church elected William Hutchison Clerk and James Webster Deacon. They voted to "Commune" at the July meeting and thereafter at their stated meetings in June and October.

"The first Deacons--James Webster, 1827; John Bruin, 1842; A. Beach, 1844; James Smith, 1851, D. G. Webster, 1867.

"The first Clerks--William Hutchinson, 1827; T. G. Cunningham, 1827; William Points, 1850; G. W. Osborne, 1870; J. R. Franks, 1871; William Points, 1872; J. F. Points, 1874.

"The first Pastors--David Lillard, 1827-1854; J. W. Lee, 1867-1873; J. V. Riley, 1873-.

"The first preacher ordained--A. Tomlin, 1856."

Mt. Zion Baptist Church,
Mt. Zion, Kentucky 1827-2002
John B. Conrad, Editor
Used with permission of Mr. Conrad

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