Paintsville United Baptist Church

There is no record of when the first members of the United Baptist Church came to Paintsville but it is known that members of this now well-established church were living in and around Paintsville for several years before the first church was built. While the United Baptist Church had active congregations throughout Johnson County and in adjoining counties early in the 1800s, there was no formal congregation in Paintsville for many years.

On May 26, 1904, sixteen members of various United Baptist congregations met for the purpose of organizing a United Baptist Church in Paintsville. As a result of that meeting a committee, composed of E. J. Harris, I. H. Rowland and Ransom Seagraves, was sent to area churches asking them to send their pastor and two of the brothers of the church to assist in organizing a new congregation. Those sent were: Elder J. Powell Ferguson from the Bethel Church; Elder D. Grimsley from Blaine; Elder James Elliott, Elder A. Gibbs, Harry Van Hoose and James B. Preston from the Tom's Creek Church; the Licking Springs Church sent Elder J. J. Prater; the Friendship Church sent Elder William Honeycutt, Jesse Preston and John Butcher; and the Concord Church sent Elder Sam Preston, Mont Preston, U. S. Walters and James Davis.

The group met on June 25 at 3:00 P. M. at which time Elder E. J. Harris was elected its first Moderator and T. S. Kirk was selected as Clerk. The first communion service and foot washing was held at the church on Sunday, September 25, 1904.

Down through the years the United Baptist Church of Paintsville has been led by a long list of the town's businessmen. They include C. C. Preston, W. L. Preston, Arthur Green, Lafe Walters, Sherman Wheeler, Guy W. Preston, McKinley Baldwin, F. F. Rigsby, Roscoe LeMaster, Lawrence Daniels, O. I. Williams and William Johnson to name but a few.

F. F. Rigsby holds the distinction of having served the Paintsville church as Moderator longer than any other man...25 years. O. I Williams and Guy W. Preston served 15 and 10 years respectively. John R. Pelphrey, present pastor has served 15 years.

For a number of years the church property at the corner of Second and Church Streets was shared and owned jointly by the United Baptists. Missionary Baptists and the Freewill Baptists.

In 1906 the Missionary Baptists sold their interest in the property for $500. In 1925 the local Freewill Baptist congregation sold their interest to the United Baptists for $1,500. 20 years later a new building was built on the site which today houses the Paintsville United Baptist Church. This congregation is celebrating its 95th anniversary in 1999.

(Information for this brief history was provided in part by William Johnson.)