A Brief History of Burgin Baptist Church :

On December 21, 1890 thirty-five persons with leters from the Baptist Churches at Mt. Moriah,  Shawnee Run and Harrodsburg met in Cannon Hall, for the purpose of organizing a Baptist Church. (Cannon Hall is the second floor over the building that still stands at the corner of Main and Walnut St.) Rev. Strother Cook Sr. was chosen as chairman for the occasion. Rev. Ben Upton offered the introductory prayer and Rev. J.W. Lynch preached the organizational sermon. Rev. B.F. Taylor led in song and prayer and Rev. W.A. Borum gave the charge to the church. Rev. Strother Cook, Sr. gave the history of the Baptist denomination to those who gathered for the ocassion.

Rev. Strother Cook, Jr. son of the Rev. Strother Cook, Sr. was perhaps the first Christian missionary from Burgin to be sent to a foreign country; Africa's west coast. He made six trips to Africa his first trip was in 1884. He was sent by the Baptist people on some of these trips and was sponsored by the Christian Church on a later trip. He died and was buried in Africa.

Rev. W.A. Borum was chosen as the first pastor of the Burgin Baptist Church. He served one year from January 1, 1891 to December 12, 1891, during this time there were received into the membership thirteen by letter and ten for baptism. A committee was selected to purchase the lot at the corner of Main and First Streets from John A. and Nancy Huguely on January 21, 1891. On August 18, 1891 Burgin Baptist Church was admitted into the South District Association. The new church house was dedicated on November 11, 1891 with the Rev. R.W. Dudley preaching the dedicatory sermon.

The Rev. R.C. Medares was called to be the second pastor and he was responsible to preach two times a month. He served one year during which time the church received two members by letter and seven by baptism. Rev. W.E. Mitchell became the third pastor and served one year and nine months. During Rev. Mitchell's ministry Atwood Voris was ordained to preach. A janitor was hired for the summer months at a rate of $1.50 and $2.50 for the winter months.

The next pastor who came was the Rev. R.M. Strickler. He served for two years and the membership continued to grow; twenty by letter and sixteen for baptism. While Rev. Strickler was pastor, a most liberal offering meeting of $9.39 and a gold ring was taken at a District Missionary preaching. After Rev. Strickler came the Rev. T.H. Coleman who began his work in November 1897. The membership increased again; twelve by letter and five for baptism. Also, during Rev. Coleman's ministry, the Ladies Aid Society became active. By now the membership at Burgin Baptist Church was one hundred fifty. The Rev. R.H. Tandy was the first pastor called for an indefinite term. Rev. George Green had the shortest pastorate followed by Rev. W.H. Robinson and Rev. J.B. Jones. In 1909 Rev. W.S. Taylor was called as pastor and it was during his ministry that a new organ was brought. J.W. Campbell became the next minister in June 1910. Any member absent without good cause from business meetings were to receive a visit by a committee. The church clerk was instructed to contact non-resident members, and ask them to take their letters with them; if no respondance was received, their names were dropped from the membership list. William Jackson, the next pastor, ordained Ernest Gash to the gospel ministry. The Rev. R.L. Kimble followed Rev. Jackson and it was during Rev. Kimble's pastorate that the church voted to adopt an envelope system embracing the pator's salary, current expenses and a small emergency fund. During the pastorate of Rev. W.M. Stallings in 1917, the church voted to build new Sunday School rooms off the side of the auditorium at a cost of $2000.00. The new rooms were dedicated in September 1917.

The first full time pastor was Rev. E.L. Mitchell and during his ministry a parsonage was purchased. This parsonage was located on High Street. Rev. Dillard Sebastian became the next pastor. The first community census was taken in October 1922. Sunday School classes were divided and classified for the first time. Dr. D.R. Petty had a short tenure, but during this time the church distributed envelopes and took pledges of $2,200.00 for the church budget for the comming year. Rev. W.L. Shearer served the church from August 1924 to January 1929 as pastor. While Rev. Shearer was pastor the B.Y.P.U. was organized and the first every-member financial canvas was made. While Rev. H.O. Nicely was pastor, the church held its first Sunday School teachers training week. The church called the Rev. J.O. Carter as pastor in April 1933. A Brotherhood was organized and the first bus run was made for Sunday School. In June 1933, a D.V.B.S. was held. A basement under the church sanctuary was excavated and dedicated in 1935. The first pastor's study was located in the church and the furniture from the old Mt. Moriah Church was given to Burgin Baptist Church. It was during the ministry of Rev. I.E. Enlow that a committee was selected to have a baptistry installed in the church and Carol Kurtz was licensed to preach. Dr. F. Patrick Dennison was called as pastor in 1939 ; he is the only pastor to have died during his pastorate at Burgin Baptist. At the time of Dr. Dennison's death, Bro. W.B. Casey was holding a revival meeting at Burgin and he was called as the next pastor. While Bro. Casey was pastor, the Cooperative Program was put on a percentage basis and a church bus was bought.

Dr David R. Grant held the longest pastorate up to this time. Nursery facilities were begun and a kitchen in the basement was built. A study was made for a mission work at Buena Vista, Ky and a mission was established in that area. Morgan Hocker was ordained to preach and W. D. Hulette was licensed to preach. Rev. L.L. Day served as pastor from December 1952 to September 1953. Following Rev. Day was the Rev. Donald White and it was during his ministry that plans were made to build an educational building, however this building was not erected until the next pastor, Harold White, was called. While Norman Shockley was pastor, another
parsonage was purchased just two doors from the church building on the corner of Main and Second Street. Work to develope a playground on the lot behind the parsonage began.

Dr. Otto Spangler began his ministry at Burgin Baptist in January 1963. While he was pastor, the playground park was lighted and the park construction was finished which included a garage, restrooms and equipment storage room. The church building fund had now reached $10,000.00. Robert Cheak was licensed to preach. Rev. James Heard became our next pastor in 1966, and it was during his ministry that a new church building was erected directly across from the Burgin School on the Alfred Caddell property at a cost of approximately $220,000.00.

In 1972 Rev. Harold Dann became the minister and it was during his tenure that a new parsonage was built in 1973, next to the church building. In February 1977 Dr. Richard Harris came as our pastor and during his pastorate on June 18, 1978 Burgin Baptist celebrated the burning of the note of indebtness on the church with a homecoming event. In December 1981 Rev.Steve Hadden was called to serve at Burgin Baptist Church and it was during his ministry that two more additions were added to the church building to create additional Sunday School rooms and office space. Both wings of the building were extended at a cost of $182,000.00. A sermon tape ministry was also started during the leadership of Rev. Steve Hadden. Rev. Hadden resigned as pastor of Burgin Baptist Church in May 1985. Dr. Jon Roebuck became the pastor on December 1, 1985 until March 5, 1989. While he was pastor the television ministry was begun and a computer was installed in the church office.

The church was without a regular pastor for approximately one year after the service of Dr. Jon Roebuck. During that time Dr. Paul Lee and Bro. A.B. Colvin served as interim pastors. On April 1, 1990, John Penick came to Burgin as pastor and during that year the church celebrated it's one hundredth anniversary with many former pastors and members attending a special celebration service on September 16, 1990. After the departure of John Penick as pastor, Bro. Albert J. Gisler served as an interim pastor until Joseph Vest came as the pastor of Burgin Baptist in February 1996. It was during Bro. Vest's tenure that a new sound system was installed
for an approximate cost of $11,000.00. After his resignation in 2000 Bro. Albert J. Gisler served as the interim again until August 2001 when Mike Hamby came on the church field as the minister. His tenure ended on August 6, 2006.

Burgin Baptist Church has been blessed with the following pastors who have answered the call to stand in the gap on many occasions when the need for an interim prevailed. Dr. George Redding, Rev. H.B. Kuhnle, Rev. Bob Jones, Rev. Al Hardy, Dr. Paul Lee, Rev. A.B.Colvin and Rev. Albert J. Gisler.