In the early 1800's a revival broke out in parts of Kentucky that was called "The Great Revival." I have been asked to report a little about this revival and hope this will give you a better picture of the events. The Gasper River Meeting House in Logan County, Kentucky has been called the birth place of Cumberland Presbyeriansim. I quote below from an article done in 1876. [Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, February 10, 1876, page 3] "A few days ago I was called on by two well known Cumberland Presbyterian ministers of Auburn, Revs. McCormick and Penick, to survey the old lines of a remarkable as well as historical spot of ground--the former site of the "Old Gasper River Meeting-house." The deed of the church lot from John Carnahan to the people of the Presbyterian Church, bears date of the beginning of the present century, and written on a very wide, unruled sheet of paper, in a bold, dashing hand, and runs in this quaint style: "The said John Carnahan, for and in the consideration of the sum of six shillings, in hand paid by the said congregation, in hand to the said John Carnahan, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and the congregation is hereby acquitted and discharged before the inclosing and delivery of these presents, do bargain, sell and confirm in feoff, unto the said people of the Presbyterian Church, six acres of ground off my own head-right, etc. "On a rising eminence, about a stone's throw from the bank of that beautiful stream, "The Clear Fork of Gasper river," is the place where the Meeting-house stood--a ridge of rough stones, forming an oblong, thirty by fifty feet, marks the identical spot. It is about two miles north of South Union, Kentucky. The old log house has long since gone to decay, and not a vestige of its ruins now remain, save the ridge of stones which served as a foundation for the house. The undressed appearance of the material indicate, that like Solomon's Temple, it was put up without the sound of a hammer being heard. "The paper called for a large elm tree, standing on the bank of the river, as the beginning corner, no trace of which could be found, but the spot where it once stood could be pointed out by Mr. Smith Hambling, whose memory was aided in the matter by recollecting where he used to stand when a boy, forty years ago, and throw stones at wood-peckers coming out of the holes they had pecked in the old and then dead elm. The venerable octogenarian, Esquire Wm. Barnett, as straight as an arrow, and as lively as a lad, was with the surveying party, and added to the enjoyments of the day by his sallies of wit, and early reminiscences of the surroundings. "A fine, large spring of clear sparkling water rises immediately outside the church lot, and it was remarked by one of the party that this could create no great inconvenience, since the church going people, if ever debarred from crossing the line, could easily reach the water with a long-handled gourd. "The Cumberland Presbyterians having received permission from the claimants of the old site, also a donation of more ground from Jacob Yost and family, are now erecting on the old place a large and elegant church edifice, and while the wealth and hospitality of the neighborhood makes it a good location for a flourishing church; yet there being, as at Enon, "much water" there, would seem to argue its being more suitable for a Baptist or Campbellite church. "Standing on this sacred spot, surrounded by the neglected graves of the long-forgotten dead, what strange and weird visions of the past, rises and pass in panoramic view before me. Here is the birth-place of Cumberland Presbyterianism. More than three-quarters of a century ago James McGready preached here, and a great revival followed, out of which grew the large and influential body of Christians known as the Cumberland Presbyterians. Elder Rankin, who lived to be nearly a hundred years old, and died about ten years ago at South Union, was pastor of this church at the time of the great awakening under Mr McGready's preaching, and objected to the course pursued by that great revivalist, and afterward founded the Society of Shakers at South Union, and was for many years a leading spirit of the Society. "Here was once a famous religious camp ground, and whole families came from a distance of fifty miles around in wagons and carts, and camped on the sacred ground for weeks at a time. "Here the jerks, that singular religious phenomenon, peculiar to that age, raged with fearful epidemic violence, attacking alike the saint and sinner--baffling then, as it has continued to do to this day, the efforts of the most learned and critical, to account for or unravel its mysterious manifestations. It would indeed be a strange coincidence, if the rebuilding of the temple should be followed by a revival of the jerks. The very surrounding suggest the more than possibility of such an occurrence. "If the reader has felt half the pleasure and interest in reading about this ancient and venerable place, that the writer felt in surveying around it, then I am satisfied.--Tripod, in Russellville Herald. Old Gasper and the Shakers, by Rev. John L. Hill: "Most Cumberland Presbyterians know something of the causes that resulted in the organization of our beloved church. During that stormy period of religious discussion in the Presbyterian Church when there was such a marked difference of opinion between some of her leading divines, and such wonderful manifestations of the Holy Spirit, no place was more prominent, and no place is of more historic interest to Cumberland Presbyterians to-day than Old Gasper Church in Logan County, Kentucky. Located near by, and closely connected with Old Gasper in historic interest, is "Shaker Town." This town was established about the time of the organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. It will be remembered, that a difference of opinion resulting in religious trouble arose among a number of Presbyterian preachers while holding a meeting at Old Gasper, not long before the organization of our church. Among these ministers were McGreary, Ewing, the Rankins, and others. Out of this party a person of Rev. John Rankin, who failed to cast his lot with either the revival or anti-revival side of the Presbyterians. "Shaker Town is on the Memphis branch of the L. & N. R.R., about fifteen miles south of Bowling Green, Ky. This is one of the most beautiful and best farming sections in the state. The town is on a beautiful elevation, and consists of a church, a large business house or office, a school house, and five other very large, beautiful, and imposing structures used a residences, called the Center House. North House, South House, East House, and West House. At one time, there were five-hundred adherents to the Shaker faith living in this little town, but there are not nearly so many now. They adhere to the doctrine of celibacy, and their number is only recruited by those who join them from the "world" as they term it. These shakers are a very peculiar people, especially in their worship, a large part of which consists in singing and dancing, and a continual shaking of themselves, which is very amusing to onlookers. But with all these peculiarities they are a very intelligent, industrious and enterprising people. They own in Kentucky several thousands of acres of land, and are very wealthy. While they do not mingle with the world socially or religiously, they are friendly towards Cumberland Presbyterians, and sometimes attend our services at Old Gasper. "It was at Old Gasper that the first camp meeting in Christendom was held. It was here, just a century ago, that the Spirit of God so wonderfully operated on the hearts of men, convicting the stubborn-hearted, and often overpowering them so that they fell to the ground in an utterly helpless condition. On one occasion, a married lady went to the altar for prayer, and her husband, a very wicked man, went and very roughly dragged her away, and on this spot God struck him dead! Ah, those were wonderful days! Would we had the power from on high to-day, as our fathers had it then, for were it so, no power could stand against us! Some months ago I had the pleasure of assisting the pastor, Rev. W. H. Perkins, in a meeting at this grand old place. How impressive to look upon the great old trees that tower many feet into the heavens. These are the trees under which McGready and Ewing stood, and sheltered their heads in the days of yore. The same spring from which they drank, still yields an inexhaustible supply of nature's beverage. Adairville, Ky. [Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, July 1, 1897, page 1674 (10).] Red River - the Mother of Kentucky Churches by J. S. Grider, D.D. [Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, February 4, 1904, page 137] "It is a matter of some doubt as to which of the now existing churches in Kentucky was the first one to become a Cumberland Presbyterian church. A number of churches in the state were under the care of the Cumberland Presbytery when that presbytery belonged to Kentucky Synod of the mother church but cast their lot with the Cumberland Presbytery when reorganized by the Cumberland Presbyterians. This was true of Gasper River (now called Old Gasper), and, if I remember rightly, of Piney Fork; but Gasper River has not had a continuous existence, as many of its members were transferred to Pilot Knob, and the church was in a disorganized condition for many years. "But I am well satisfied that the oldest organization in the state and the one first becoming a Cumberland Presbyterian church was Red River, situated in Logan county, eight miles south of Russellville and only a few miles from the Tennessee line. At this place there has been an organization for something over one hundred and eight years, and a regular Cumberland Presbyterian church organization for ninety-four years. "This church, though sometimes running low, has never ceased to maintain its identity nor to have its membership and its session. It stool with the revival party during the great trials through which the ministers and churches passed about 1800, remained firm during the days of the council, and cast its lot with the new presbytery, when organized by McAdow, Ewing and King. "The Red River community was that in which Rev. Finis Ewing and family lived during the stormy days that resulted in the formation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Though the organization took place in Dickson county, Tenn., yet the travailing pangs that gave birth to the church took place in southern Kentucky and mostly in Logan county. The center of that mighty struggle was about old Red River. It was there that the first regular camp meeting was conducted ever known to any church. In these camp meetings great spiritual forces were apparent on every side, and some accompanying phenomena that I have never heard explained unless upon the principle of divine power. I refer to what was known as the "jerks." Dr. McDonnold, in his history, said they appeared in East Tennessee under the preaching of Dr. Blackburn, A Presbyterian, before they were known in Logan county, Ky. My father was then a boy and went in a covered wagon to a camp meeting, either to Gasper or Red River, with his parents and the family. He saw a young woman while making sport of others taken with the jerks and surged back and forward with such force and rapidity that her long hair cracked like a whip, she calling all the while on God for help. He said, moreover, the in going out into the tall grass to find their horses that had been hobbled and turned out to graze, he passed many persons kneeling in earnest and devout prayer alone with God. We still need a baptism of prayer. True, some effort at a camping was made the year before at Gasper River, but the first regular appointed camp ever conducted on earth was at Red River. "Here Logan Presbytery had its first meeting ninety-one years ago. The ministers in this presbytery were Finis Ewing, William Harris, Alexander Chapman and William Barnett. May the sons of these men in this presbytery prove worthy of such noble sires. Some of the Ewings, relatives of Finis Ewing, were among its early ruling elders. This church has given to the denomination some of its brightest lights in the ministry; among others Rev. A.M. Bryan, D.D., "the golden-mouthed orator" of the church in his day. The church has had for its pastors and supplies a number of our best preachers. "Perhaps the preacher that did most for the upbuilding of that organization in the first half of the last century was Rev. Caleb Weedin, as he was an able minister and preached for many years to that people. Its pulpit was often filled by Alex. Chapman, whose memory still floats like sweet incense in the memory of some of the very old people of Logan Presbytery. "William Harris, strong, resourceful and effective; Hiram Hunter, a veritable master in the pulpit; Leroy, Penick, Mansfield, Foster, Johnston, and a host of others, have preached Christ Jesus in power and sincerity from its pulpit; yet Caleb Weedin did a large share in building up the church and making it permanent. "During Mr. Weedin's ministry there lived in the community an able jurist but most unique character. I refer to Judge Broadnax. He was a man of wealth for the times and greatly attached to the "evangelical Weedin," as he often called him. He was a member of Mr. Weeden's church, possibly an elder, and under his pastor's influence built a church near the old site. It was a large brick building and for the condition of the country a fine house. When urged to insure it against lightning by putting up a lightning rod he replied: "If God wants to destroy the house I have built and given him he is at liberty to do so." The house stood but a little while and was burned down. I do not know the cause. "The house of worship now standing is near the place occupied by the first church building, and near the old graveyard where the dead have been laid away for one hundred and twenty years. The church building now occupied has been built some sixty years and is kept in good repair. Rev. W. J. Hayden, of Logan Presbytery, is the supply at this time. The membership is not large now, but faithful and true to the church and the Master, and the old light is yet in the candlestick. Perhaps no church in all the list of churches in southern Kentucky is better entitled to be called the mother of churches and ministers than Red River. What a host will gather around the great white throne as the result of the existence of this church! Smiths Grove, Ky. To be continued next week. (c) Copyright 13 December 2001, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements, Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ SCKY resource links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html < >< God Bless America ><>