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Velorious Edwin "V. E." Kirtley
(Pastor of MHBC from 1886 - 1889)
Velorious Edwin Kirtley, son of Elijah L. Kirtley, and a
descent of an old Welch family which has produced many Baptist
preachers, not less than seven of whom have lived in Kentucky, was
born in Taylor County, Kentucky on April 9, 1818. Because his
father had lost his property, he was brought up to hard labor on a
farm, and with only a few weeks schooling.
In may, 1837, he united with Pittmans Creek church, being baptized
by John Harding. After he was converted, his desire for education
was greatly increased. Accordingly he applied himself to study by
firelight, at night, while he labored hard by day. This practice
he kept up till he arrived at his 21st year. After this he went to
school and taught school alternately, until February, 1839, when
he entered Georgetown College. Here he worked his way through an
attendance of fifteen months.
Having been licensed to preach, at Pittman Creek, in June 1839, he
was ordained at Frankfort, December 25, 1841, by Wm. Vaughn, J. M.
Frost and George C. Sedwick. He immediately took charge of Big
Spring church in Woodford County. He was also pastor of Providence
church, in Anderson County, and preached once a month to each of
the churches at Hillsboro and Salvisa.
In 1844, he took charge of the churches at Bardstown, Mill Creek
and New Salem, all in Nelson County. He served these churches,
till 1848, when he accepted a call to the church at Owensboro, to
which he ministered two years.
In 1851, he accepted an agency for the Kentucky and Foreign Bible
Society. In this position he labored four years.
In March, 1854, he took the pastoral charge of the church at
Danville, and served it four years, building it up from 33 to 125
members, of whom he baptized 80.
On leaving Danville, he took an agency for Indian Missions, which
he prosecuted only a few months, when failing health forced him to
desist from traveling. He then improved a small farm near
Springfield, and remained on it during the war, preaching
meanwhile, to the churches at Hillsboro, Bethlehem and Haysville,
in Washington County, and Lebanon, in Marion County.
In 1865, he took charge of the church at Bardstown, and at the
same time became Principal of the Baptist Female College at that
place. After occupying these positions three years he moved to
Lebanon, where he took charge of the church, and built up a female
high school, of which he continued Principal, five years.
In 1874, he took the pastoral care of the churches at Stanford, in
Lincoln County, and Hardins Creek, in Washington.
In 1876, he accepted an agency for Domestic and Indian Missions,
and filled the position six years, closing in 1882.
Mr. Kirtley is an eminently practical man, in the prosecution of
his religious enterprises, whether in the pastoral office, at the
head of a denominational school, or prosecuting a financial
agency. He possesses remarkable physical strength and power of
endurance; and few preachers in Kentucky have performed so much
hard labor as he, and equally few, perhaps, have labored to better
advantage. He has been engaged in almost every enterprise of the
Baptist denomination in Kentucky, and has been blessed with good
success in them all. In the pastoral office, he thinks he has
baptized over 1,000 converts. He has raised money to aid in
building several church houses, as those at Portland, Crab Orchard
and Bethlehem, and to repair those at Bardstown, Mill Creek,
Lebanon, Haysville and Owensboro. He raised $8000-00 to establish
Danville Female Academy, the same amount for Bardstown Female
College. He supposes he has collected for missionary and other
benevolent enterprises over $150,000.00.
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