History of Spears Mill Baptist Church

The Sunday School of the Spears Mill Baptist Church was organized on Sunday, April 3, 1908, and was a mission of the First Baptist Church, Paris, Kentucky. The group met in the Spears Mill schoolhouse which consisted of one large room and a cloak room. Later, as the Sunday School grew, a large room in an old whiskey warehouse, near the mill, was rented and services were held there on Sunday afternoons by ministers of the First Baptist Church in Paris. On a Sunday morning in 1910, some folks from First Baptist Church in Paris and others were holding services when they decided to gather donations to build a church. Mr. J.B. Burnett offered to back a loan. That was not necessary, because the whole amount was received from people who loved the Lord. The ones who donated were of different denominations and some who donated had not yet made a profession of faith. It is told that the cost of the church amounted to $200.00. The Spears Mill Baptist Church, located on Spears Mill Road in Bourbon County, was completed in April, 1911 with membership of less than 25. This was a small one-room building built on land which was given by Mr. Mira Willis. The first deed stated that if the church was closed for a said time (2 years) that the land would go back to the owner. It was never without services for that length of time. However, there were short periods of time when the church was without a minister. But, many times, Sunday School services were held by the men of the church. The church was admitted into the Elkhorn Baptist Association in 1913. In the early years, new members were baptized in Stoner Creek near the mill. There were times when the baptistry in the First Baptist Church in Paris was used. The church was first lighted by kerosene lights. Later, gas lights were installed. In 1940, the gas lights were replaced with electric lights which were donated by Lucien Gray in memory of J.D. Franklin. In the early 1950s, a youth building was built in back of the church. It had Sunday School rooms, recreation or a dining room, and a kitchen. The cabinets were built by Mrs. George (Maude) Insko and her Junior Boys. The building itself was built by men of the church. By early 1956, under Rev. Ross Figart, the membership had grown to 175 members. Later, the two-room school house and the grounds next to the church were bought from Mr. Mark Fryman for $4,000. By alot of hard work, the building was reconstructed for the church and used until December 1969. A new piano was dedicated to and played by Mrs. J.B. (Ethel) Burnett. On Sunday, February 17, 1957, the mortgage on the building was burned. Contributions were received from many people, some were not members of the church. From August, 1956 to 1959, the membership, under Rev. Sam Hatton had grown to 203. Through the late 1950s, the old one-room church building was torn down and the lumber was used for basement Sunday School rooms. The work was done by men of the church and materials were bought as money was available. In the 1960s, a nursery, Sunday School rooms, office, two restrooms, and a water fountain were added. Mr. & Mrs. George Insko deeded said strip of land, mentioned in the first deed to the church. In the late 1960s, the congregation decided to build a larger church. It was built by selling bonds to members and others who received interest on their money. It was completed and moved into the last Sunday in December, 1969. The back of the building could be removed to add more space. Mr. J.B. Burnett had left money for the baptistry. During the ministry of Rev. Joe Carl (1966-1972), a mission was started in Bourbon County near Shawhan. In the 1970s Donald Muntz came to the church as music director. A new piano and a new organ were added to the church. Later, speakers were added. To enlarge the church, in the 1980s a Together We Build program was accepted by the church. By late 1984, most of the building was completed. Most of the labor was donated by men of the church. Some students came from the Clear Creek Baptist Theological Seminary to donate their work. The new part offers Sunday School rooms, Sunday School office, restrooms, nursery, Childrens Church, recreation room and kitchen. This wing of the building consists of two floors. The old building of the two-room school house was demolished to make room for a parking lot. The ground was landscaped and pavements were laid. The parsonage near the church, which had been bought in 1976, was sold in 1985. Church membership in October 1986 was 586 under Rev. Michael Young. Under the leadership of Rev. J.T. Rafferty the church renovated the kitchen with new cabinets and appliances on July 6, 1995. This was at a cost of $8,000. On September 10, 1995 the church voted to buy 5 acres of land adjacent to the church at a cost of $42,500. The land is to be used for recreation and additional parking. On February 22, 1998 there was a special called business meeting to vote on withdrawing from the Elkhorn Baptist Association and to seek membership with Boones Creek Association. Both proposals passed unanimously. Spears Mill was accepted by a unanimous vote into the Boones Creek Association at their semi-annual meeting on April 13, 1998. On June 25, 2000 the church set aside a special day to honor Donald (Dizzy) and Mary Muntz on his retirement as choir director. The Muntzs moved their memberships to a church closer to their home. At the end of the year 2000, Spears Mill had grown to a membership of 671. On July 18, 2001 the church elected to hire a part-time secretary, Glenda Stanfield. On September 9, 2001 Spears Mill celebrated it's 90th Anniversary with a Homecoming at the church. In 2004 a 30' X 60' picnic shelter was built by members of the church on the new church property. In August of 2007 the church voted to paved the parking lot and pour a new sidewalk at a cost of $35,000 and was paid for by early 2008. New lights were installed in the sanctuary early 2008 by donations in memory of Sara Myers. Spears Mill Baptist Church Pastors 1917 Rev. Ernest Magnum 1918 Rev. R.K. White 1919-1921 No Pastor (Rev. Fox filled in) 1922-1923 Rev. R.H. Turner 1924-1927 Rev. Roy McGee 1928 Rev. L.G. Gatlin 1929-1930 Rev. Stonaker (Rev. V.B. Filson finished for Stonaker) 1931-1932 Rev. W. Turner 1933 Rev. Walter Price 1934-1936 Rev. A.B. Watson 1937-1938 Rev. James Cummins 1939 No Pastor 1940 Rev. Dewey Bennett 1941 Rev. Earl Keener 1942 Rev. Richard Martin 1943 Rev. Howard Christopher 1944 No Pastor 1945 Rev. Earl Puttman 1946 Rev. William Joiner 1947 Rev. Ronald Robertson 1948-1949 Rev. Leonard Harmon 1950-1956 Rev. Ross Figart 1956-1959 Rev. Sam Hatton 1960-1962 Rev. James Valentour 1962-1963 Rev. Elmer Cunningham 1963 (Rev. L.H. Tipton & Rev. Spicer filled in) 1964-1965 Rev. Tom Nix 1966-1972 Rev. Joe Carl 1973 (Rev. Ralph Covey filled in) 1974-1975 Rev. Ron Nabors 1976-1977 Rev. Sam Hatton 1978 (Rev. W.M. Averett filled in) 1979-1990 Rev. Michael Young 1990-1991 Rev. Terry Staggs - Interim 1991-1991 Rev. Daniel McCroskey 1991-1992 Rev. Gardner Burden - Interim 1992-Present Rev. J.T. Rafferty