History
Around 1898 the Mission Board of Southern Baptists sent a young man by the A.S. Petrey to Hazard, Kentucky. He rode horse back as a circuit rider, to get around to each community of twenty=five or more, where he saw any hope of establishing a church. About once a month in Dwarf (Which was then call Tunnel Town), he found a willing helper in Silas Richie who opened his home to the traveling preacher, and about the year of 1900 a small church was built. Will cornett gave the original plot of ground for the church. The church also was being used as a schoolhouse. This building burned, and the county required a deed to the property before they could use county funds to rebuild. The church then voted to deed the church site to the county with the stipulation that it could be used as a church building, ln Sundays for the morning and night services. The county kept its promise as long as federal government would allow it to do so Silas Richie became a Christian and was ordained in 1912 and became the pastor of Dwarf Baptist Church in 1915. He pastored the church for several years.
1920-B.M. Lucas became pastor.
1920 to 1928 There is no record
1929- Shafter C. Couch was pastor.
1930 and 1931 L.W. Martin was pastor.
1932 There is no record
1933 through 1935 Robert McCarthy was pastor
1936 and 1937 Henry Downing was pastor.
1938 No Record
1939 Amos Combs was call as pastor.
June 1940 Amos Combs resigned and Raus Hill was called to serve Dwarf and Hardburly. The Association report was sent to the Jackson Baptist Church, which was then in the Three Forks Association.
January 1941 -1942 a local boy, Vester Robinson, was licensed to preach and led the church until 1942
November 1, 1942, Rev. Marshall Swoverland was called to the pastor the church.
On January 20, 1943, three trustees were appointed: R.D. Boggs Robert W. Sloan, and Audley Lewis, At the same meeting the triangle of land in the forks of the road where the church now stands was offered to the church by Bob and Seba Sloane and was accepted. Bob also stated that if more than he offered was needed, he would add onto the original lot. Abuilding committee was elected: Blanche Richie, Seba Sloane, R.D. Boggs and M. M. Hampton.
1944 M.M. Hampton became the pastor.
Durning 1945 and 1946 the church was without a pastor.
1946 -1947 September 26, A.G. Brooks was called to pastor. The church selected a couple of deacons, R.D. Boggs and R. W. Sloane. They were ordained with Pastors: W.F. Badgett, (First Baptist); A.S. Petrey, (Second Baptist Church ,Petrey); Dan Roberts, (Duane), Deacon of the council; Jasper Hurt, (Hardburley); Clarence Burton, (First Baptist); Bill Combs (Hardburley); Milford Johnson, (Hardburley); Elbert Owens(Dwarf); and Rev. A.G. Brooks, (Dwarf), Pastor. Rev. Badgett gave the charge to the church and the deacons. The examiner was Dan Roberts. That was the main thing which happened during the stay of Rev. Brooks. He served from September 1946 to September 1947
Virgil Miller a local boy preached some after Brooks left and Different ones came for a service or two, but there was no regula pastor. A Rev. Houston come and held a two-week revival meeting in August of 1948. Since there was no regular pastor, Rev. J. S. Bell of the Hindman Baptist Church was asked to baptize those desiring church memebership.
1949 In August Dewitt Williams became a memeber being baptized in the creek by Rev. J.S. Bell. The church had no pastor. Elbert Owens was the Sunday School teacher, R.D. Boggs and Bob Sloane were the deacons. Soon talk of a new building revived. Building committee persons were Dewitt Williams, R.D. Boggs and Robert Sloan. The day that was set to begin the work dawned bright. Dewitt went forth in high hopes, eager to begin the church building. Commodore Slone, brother of Bob Slone had made a blueprint for the thirty by fifty structure. When the plot was measured against the structure size, it went beyond the lot given to the church. So, it was determined how much more land would be required. They then went to Bob and Seba for an extension of the lot, which they freely gave. Just a few days later, the building actually began. We had
$ 847.49 in the building fund at the time the actual labor began on October 5, 1949. The church Trustees were R.D. Boggs , R. W. Sloane and Dewitt Williams. The deed was made, that as long as the church remains as active Southern Baptist church organization, it belons to the membership, with each member having a vote.
1950- 1951 October 1 we began using the church for Sunday School and Church. Brother W.L Franklin, as county-wide missionary, filled the pulpit regularly from 1950-1951.
1952-1953 In a business meeting, the church voted to call Ragon Helton as pastor. He was a member of the Hazard First Baptist Church and had been helping out with that church mission for a while. He with his wife, daughter, and son (Bill Helton) came to work at Dwarf on Sundays. He came in January 1953 and served until September of that year. He was well received by everyone, but in September he resigned, saying he just was not a pastor.
1953-1954 the church called Parcel Flannery. He came to us from the Second Baptist Church of Hazard. It is now called Petrey Memorial Baptist. He, his wife, Ruth and two stepdaughters were with us until he left to go to the Clear Creek Baptist College in September of 1954. While Brother Flannery was here, he was ordained to the gospel ministry. Dewitt Williams was ordained as deacon at the same time; The ordination service took place at the Big Creek Baptist Church. Two Deacons were ordained for the church also.
1955- 1962 Jeff Atkinson came to us from Mississippi. He was a single man that had been sent here by the Mission Board to try out as a preacher. He was also ordained to the Gospel Ministry while at Dwarf. Soon after he was ordained, he got married and prepared to leave us. After Rev. Atkinson left several of the members attended a revival at Smithsboro Baptist church, led by a young mean name Archie Everidge. The church began discussing getting him to hold a revival meeting for us at the Dwarf Baptist Church. We did get Archie for a two-week meeting. Brother Archie came and held us a most spiritual revival. Then the church voted to as Archie if he could come and preach for us every Sunday night. He was building a chruch on Montgomery Creek during the day, so we knew that once a week was all he could preach for us. He agreed to come to us on Sunday evenings, Archie came in November 1955 and after seven years he resigned September 24, 1962, to be effective October 1, 1962.
1963- 1967 The next pastor the church called was James Howard, who lived at Airport Gardens. He had a wife and three lovely girls. He came to us on May 23, 1963, and left on June 7, 1967.
1967- 1982 On October 4, 1967, the church asked for the ordination of Dewitt Williams as a Minister, and J. M. Salyers to the office of deacon. So, Dewitt became pastor in October 1967 and resigned February 23, 1982.
1982-1989 After Dewitt resigned, and the church called Brother Clell Miller in May, 1982. Brother Miller served eight years. He resigned July 1989.September 23, a plot of land adjacent to the church property ws donated to the church by Nell Gonterman heirs. on September 28, another plot adjacent to that plot was donated to the church by Hershel and Eva Cornett.
1990 The church called a young man name Cecil Morgan who was attending the Clear Creek Baptist College, to pastor. On February 11, 1990-1991 at the evening service Brother Morgan informed the church that he would accept the call to pastor the church. He stated that Pastor Ronnie Pennington, of the Wooton Baptist Church desired to conduct his ordination service. Brother Morgan served from March 1, 1990, to May 26, 1991.
1991- Due to the poor and failing condition of the present building that was constructed in 1949 and 1950, preparations began for a new building that fall. on December 1,1991 the pulpit committee recommended to the church that Rev. Kendall Combs be called to serve as pastor for an indefinite time. The recommendations of the pulpit committee were approved by vote.
1992- April 8, it was reported to the church that Mac Brewer would donate equipment and fuel and J.C. Brewer volunteered to operate the equipment and prepare the land for the footer for the new building. Chuck Mullins volunteered to survey the building site and square up the footer. J.C. Brewer Jr. volunteered to wire the building. July the work began on the new sanctuary and continued through the summer and fall.
1993 - October 17-23 the church moved into the new Sancturary October 24, 1993, with 102 members and friends present, a special service was held to dedicate the new Sancturary. The service was solemn, the dinner festive. This occasion also commemorated Founders Day. -
1996-March, we moved into the Educational/Fellowship Hall, and a new steeple was installed on the church, thanks to Steve and Kathy Eversole. In August kitchen cabinets were installed in the kitchen.
2000- to the Presented -April 6, Rev. Kendall Combs gave notice to the church he would resign his duty as pastor effective April 16, 2000. October 16, Wallace Campbell and Son began work on the breezeway to connect the two buildings. November 17, the breezeway was completed. On November 11, after the morning service, at a special called meeting, the pulpit committee recommended to the church that Rev. Paul Randall Combs be called to serve as pastor for an indefinite time. The recommendation of the pulpit committee was approved by a unanimous vote. Rev. Combs accepted the pastor ship.
History of the Dwarf Baptist Church submitted by Shirley McIntosh
