House of Worship: A Brief History of Goshen Baptist Church

Goshen Baptist Church at Glen Dean, Kentucky is recognized asthe oldest continuous existing Baptist meeting house in BReckinridge County.*

November 23, 1808, a group of baptized believers met in the home of Thomas Owen Sr. Baptist ministers, Water Stallard, Alexander McDougal and Warren Cash served as the Presbytery of Council of recognition and recognized as members of the Salem Association of Kentucky.

The United Baptist Church of Jesus Christ was given the name of "Goshen" by its first pastor, James Haden Moorman. Goshen means "land of plenty and comfort." The congregation met in homes until 1810 when the first log "House of Worship" was built near Long Lick Creek on the Thomas Owen farm. In 1828 another log house was built in the long Lick Creek vicinity to serve as the meeting house and school until a shcoolhouse could be built. In 1839, under the leadership of their pastor, Simeon Buchanan, pastor for twenty-three years, there was a great Revival resulting in many additions of both Blacks and Whites. with rapidly growing membership, a movement was made to erect a new "House of Worship." The frame building was built on land donated by Brother Grant Owen. the new "House of Worship" was in full use by July 1842.

In 1872 the members voted to move near Rock Lick Creek in the area of the old Goshen Bridge. The new frame uilding was built on land donated by W. J. Dean. Jese Moorman, Henry R. Dean and Thomas O. Moorman were named Trustee's.

The congregation moved again in the early 1900's to an early railroad settlement, Glen Dean, Kentucky. Members that lived west of the creek wanted to establish a church. This vote was approved and with the assistance of the members, Black Lick Church was formed and is active today. In 1904, both churches were established in their communities. Black Lick Church and Goshen Baptist Church both became members of the Breckinridge Baptist Association, which was organized in 1903.

Reverend D. B. clapp was the first pastor at the new location of Goshen Baptist Church. In 1956 an educational building was built. The bell was later removed from the cupola. The church purchased a mobile home to be used as a parsonage in 1961. Over th eyears, the original church has been renovated with lowered ceilings, handicap entrance, walkways, kitchen and bathrooms, furnace and new pews. In 1995 a lot on Highway 105 was purchased to build a parsonage. September 28, 1998 the church celebrated their debt free status on the parsonage with a note burning and dedication service.

Goshen's former pastors and families have been Bible believing, God fearing people who have gone on to serve our Lord in numerous ministries, as teachers, missionaries, professors, pastors and other areas of ministry.


* This is a history taken from an old, one page history book my wife and I discovered while cleaning out one of the rooms in the Sunday School building. In order to ensure that this history will not be lost to history, I thought I would reprint it here. The pamphlet was written in 1904 - the 100 anniversary of the current location of our church.


For more:
All the Pastor's of Goshen: From 1808-Present