Bethel Baptist Association Logan and Todd County KY.

 The Bethel Baptist Association was formed out of the Red River Association in 1825. 

 In 1823 Elder Reuben Ross began preaching general atonement doctrines in the Red River Association. At first, he preached that the gospel should be preached to all persons without distinction. This caused some in the Red River to lift an eyebrow. In 1817, Elder Sugg Fort was commissioned to speak with Elder Ross in an effort to bring him back to the Calvinist view. Instead, Elder Fort ended up agreeing with Elder Ross. His views were tolerated for several years, and eventually about half the members in the association embraced his views, with some churches split evenly between Calvinism and general atonement, until certain Baptists from the northern counties settled in the area, joining the Red River Association. These new comers were so strict in their Calvinist views, that they believed the alarming of sinners to repent  is not the object of the Gospel.

In 1823, the Red River Association decided to put Elder Ross on trial for preaching doctrines opposed to their Abstract of Principles, which Elder Ross called "the creed". When he stood to speak, he refused immediately to be tried by the creed, but only by the Bible. However, he pointed attention to the first article of the abstract of principles which stated that the Bible was the "only rule of faith and practice." Then he stated the following;

"Inasmuch as that instrument (the abstract) itself declares that the word of God is the only rule, then there is no other, and I will be tried by no other. The creed itself confesses its own want of authority, when it declares in its very first article, that the word of God is the only rule. The creed is the work of man; the Bible of God; and as the heavens are higher than the earth, so is the authority of the Bible higher than the creed. I object not to the creed as such. It simply expresses one's belief as to what the Bible teaches, and so far is not objectionable. Prove that my preaching is not in accordance with the Bible, and I submit. Quote the Bible and I will listen with reverence; but not the creed for the sake of our holy religion and a decent respect for the common sense of mankind. I stand here able to prove, as I think, that the doctrinal views that I advocate are in accordance with the sacred oracles. The atonement is general and unlimited, sufficient for all. That salvation is offered to all who will accept it, without money and without price. That all men are the proper subjects of gospel address, and that the gospel is indeed the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."  

The victory was now won. When the scene was shifted from the creed to the Bible, it was decisive. There was no one willing to meet him there, for few had studied it as he had done. 

One of his friends said ;                                                                                                                                                                      "Never did he display a loftier moral courage than on this occasion. His opponents were taken by surprise. They expected to make it appear that his preaching conflicted with the 'Abstract of Principles'; but when he took his stand on the capital truth announced in the first article, it threw them into an embarrassment from which they could not recover. They were afraid to meet him in argument if the Bible alone was to be appealed to. He presented his views, and sustained them by the word of God. 

His opponents now proposed that the whole matter be dropped, and that they should live in peace. This was agreed to. But when the association met next year, there was no peace, but the same collision in doctrinal sentiments."  (Life and Times of Elder Reuben Ross pp. 308-309)

In the circular letter of the Bethel Association of 1826 it says;

" The nature and extent of the Atonement, of the Lord Jesus Christ, then became a matter of controversy; tho' not serious, until certain [B]aptists, from the upper counties of this state, settled amongst us. At first, they manifested an appearance of friendship and fellowship towards our churches and ministers, which led us to suppose, they were desirous to return into the general Union again. We, therefore, upon their application, received them into our chruches. But, alas! some of them, so soon as they obtained a standing amongst us, manifested a party spirit, which soon found its way into our Association. Things now became serious; a want of brotherly love and christian forbearance, was soon manifested in the deportment of a number of the preachers and lay members, especially, at the Associations, from year to year. Instead, of meeting in love, for the mutual edification and comfort of each other, and to preach the glorious gospel to sinners, it became a scene of contention, which reflected on us, as a religious society, and greatly injured the cause of God against us." (Bethel Association minutes 1826 pp. 5-6)

This shows that many in the Regular Baptist camp not only tolerated general atonement views, but embraced them, and many Regular associations had churches and elders who did not ascribe to the Philadelphia Confession. When the agitators forced the issue, it was agreed to divide the association, allowing each church the choice of which to join. At the first meeting of the Bethel Association, the 5th resolution states "5th Resolved, that we adopt the constitution, abstract of principles, & Rules of Decorum of the Red River Association, as the plan & form of our government." (from the 1825 Minutes of the Bethel Assn. which can be seen here )

The Abstract of Principles they adopted from Red River are as follows;

1. We believe in one only true and living God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God,
and the only rule of faith and practice.
3. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.
4. We believe in the doctrine of election, and that God chose His people in Christ before
the foundation of the world.
• 5.We believe in man’s impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature, by his own
free will and ability.
• 6.We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
• 7. We believe that God’s Elect shall be called, converted, regenerated and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
• 8. We believe that the Saints shall persevere in grace, and never fall finally away.
• 9. We believe that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, and that true believers
are the subjects, and we believe that the true mode of baptism is immersion.
•10.  We believe in the resurrection of the dead, and a general judgment.
• 11. We believe the punishment of the wicked and the joys of the righteous will be eternal.

 It is very interesting that the Bethel Association adopted the same abstract of principles and constitution of Red River, so once again this shows how articles of faith, when the terms "particular" or "definite' number" are absent, were used by those holding to general atonement, but was usurped by the Calvinist faction, for now there were two associations with completely different views on the atonement and election, having the same articles of faith. Later, Bethel adopted new articles which are below.

ABSTRACT OF PRINCIPLES 

 We believe that the Holy Bible is the word of God, that is was written by men divinely inspired; that it is the only sufficient and perfect rule of faith and practice' that among others, it teaches the following (important?) truths.

1) That there is only one living and true God, infinite in every perfection, and that he has revealed himself, as the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit.

2) That man was created holy but by willfully violating the law of his maker, he fell from that state; that by nature there is no holiness in us; we are all inclined to evil, and as all have sinned, all are the children of wrath, justly exposed to death, temporal, spiritual and eternal. 

3)That the only way of deliverance from this state of guilt, and condemnation, is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who assumed our nature, and whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith; having so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believed in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

4)That the election taught in the scriptures, is through sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; and that none are authorized to consider themselves elected to salvation, until they repent and believe the gospel.

5) That the Redeemer by the grace of God, tasted death for every man; that he is the saviour of all men, especially of those that believe; and that based on the provision made in the atonement, all men everywhere are commanded to repent of their sins, and believe on the Lord Jesus.

6) That the influence of the Spirit of God is co-extensive with the proclamation of the Gospel.

7) That Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ; that baptism is the immersion in water' that believers are the only proper subjects' and that none have the right to the Lord's Supper until they are baptized. 

8) That according to the example of the apostles, and earliest Christians, sanctioned by the repeated presence of Christ himself after his resurrection, the first day of the week is to be observed as the Lord's day or Christian Sabbath. 

9) That there will be a general resurrection, and a final judgement; and the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment; and the righteous into eternal life.

 Red River was then referenced by associations around them as "those who sit in the antinomian chair". The association became anti-missionary and eventually ceased to exist. The Bethel Association prospered and is now known as the Logan-Todd Baptist Association.

 W. Fred Kendall writes in A History of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (1974), " “The doctrinal position of Reuben Ross was that of most of the missionary Baptists of Tennessee." It is obvious that Calvinism was not "overwhelmingly" believed by Baptists in Tennessee.

The first meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention after the Civil War was held, perhaps significantly, in one of the churches of the Bethel Association in Russellville, Ky. If the SBC was so solidly Calvinist, why in the world would they hold their convention in an association that was specifically formed to distance itself from it?

Read all this and more in "Life And Times Of Elder Reuben Ross" written by his son, James Ross here.Read his biography here. Read how the Bethel Assn. was formed here. Read about the twp associations dividing here in the 1825 minutes of the Bethel Assn. You can read about Reuben Ross' doctrines here .