Baptist History Homepage
Kentoboo Baptist Mission
Kentoboo Drive, Florence, Kentucky
About 1947Fourth row - Mrs. Marian Hacker (pianist), unknown, Mrs. Pearl Duvall, Mrs. Rich (M. Y. Rich - the minister's wife) ?, visiting preacher unknown, Mr. Herbert Spencer.
Third row - Evelyn Spencer, Leila Tanner, Betty Whaley, Mrs. Nellie Rowland, Glenn Duvall.
Second row - Carrie Spencer, Carol Duvall (being held), Jim Duvall, Bobby Whaley, Dan Spencer, Mr. Reuben Duvall.
First row - [l to r] three girls unknown, Richard Spencer, Curtis Spencer.
[The picture was probably taken by M. Y. Rich, the mission pastor.][Names provided by Jim Duvall, 2008.]
The first service of the Kentoboo Baptist Mission was held on May 1, 1945 in the basement of a family on Ridgeway Avenue (a side street off of Kentoboo Drive). When the family moved in February, 1946, the Schmitt family of Kentoboo Drive, who were members of the Erlanger Baptist Church, the church that established the mission work. M. Y. (Moses Young) Rich, a layman from Erlanger Baptist Church was the preacher for the mission for several years.
In 1946, R. C. McNay, a member of Erlanger Baptist Church, donated two lots for erecting a building for the mission. On August 1, 1946, work began on a building and the congregation met there three months later, though the interior wasn't fully completed. The mission building was dedicated on Sunday, August 3, 1947. That year a record of 48 attendees was reached.
In August, 1949, Pastor Frank T. Florence, Jr. was called by the church to serve. On June 18, 1950 the church was organized with 38 members. Pastor Florence was a son-in-law of Virgil Vater's family. The Vaters were community residents and members. Pastor Florence was a WWII / POW veteran; he wrote a book about his war experiences titled: Feet of Clay. He published the book while he was at Kentoboo. He and his wife, Betty, had three young children.
He was the pastor while he attended Georgetown College and the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. He was pastor until February, 1955.
The church has had the following men as pastors:
Wallace Priest (March 1955 - January 1956)
James Wofford (February 1956 - February 1957)
Felder Rowan (June 1957 - May 1959)
Phillip Davis (October 1959 - December 1960)
John Parker (February 1961 - January 1965)
Buford Cobb (June 1965 - July 1967)
Felder Rowan (October 1967 - June 1972)
Truett Cocanougher (September 1972 - March 1978)
Ralph Huffman (July 1978 - August 1983)
Stan Cole (January 1984 - present) [June 2000]
Kentoboo Baptist Mission Building, late 1940s
