SOUTH KENTUCKY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (KY) NOT CALVINIST

  The South Kentucky Baptist Association, formed in 1785, is found to be Non Calvinist/Provisionist.  The association was never Calvinist in doctrine, but some have reported it to have been so, because it was said that South Kentucky Baptists had "adopted Arminian sentiments." What has been left out though, is that the South Kentucky Association adopted a tolerance of the belief that salvation could be lost, when they agreed to the Terms of Union of the United Baptist movement, which allowed for Calvinist, Provisionist and Arminian views. Most associations kept their specific doctrinal views within their association, agreeing only to view the baptisms, and ordinations and church acts as valid, regardless of doctrinal view. 

The Elkhorn (Calvinist) and South Kentucky (Provisionist) associations agreed to a union, and to be known as United Baptists in 1801. However, when the Elkhorn Association realized that the South Kentucky allowed Free Will (Arminian) Baptists to preach in their churches, they tried to censure the South Kentucky Association, but without success, as South Kentucky refused to rescind its toleration of Free Will Baptists, and reminded the Elkhorn in no uncertain terms, that the South Kentucky Association preached general atonement. The Elkhorn Assn. objected to the Free Will doctrine that salvation could be forfeited, and the two associations parted ways.

 One historical record of this is found in "The history of the Elkhorn Baptist Association" by Walter M. Lee, A.M., Th. D. page 9. The "Arminian sentiments" spoken of was merely a toleration of Arminian Baptists and did not mean they had abandoned Calvinism, because they were never Calvinists to begin with. The problem first started when elders from the South Kentucky Assn. realized that some elders in the Elkhorn Assn. were preaching that non elect infants will suffer damnation because they had been born guilty of Adam's sin imputed to them. The South Kentucky Assn. immediately reacted and passed a resolution against that doctrine. They also immediately revised their articles of faith to reflect their belief on this issue. This revision sparked the accusation against the South Kentucky Assn. of being Arminian.

 "Elkhorn Association united in belief with five churches which called themselves
"United Baptists" in 1797. Many attempts had been made by Elkhorn to unite with the South Kentucky· Baptists; but all had failed, until in 1801,under the influence of the general revival, a union was finally accomplished.This union continued for only about a year, after which the South Kentucky Baptists (Separates) adopted Arminian sentiments." You can read the history here. 

The response of the South Kentucky Association is contained in the following statement in 1820. This shows that even years after the two associations parted ways, the Calvinists in the Elkhorn Assn. persisted at throwing accusations against South Kentucky, and the Nolynn Association which sprang from it. It is only a part of a larger statement in rebuking the Calvinists in the Elkhorn Assn. who accused South Kentucky and Nolynn of everything from Universalism, to Arianism to Arminianism. This can be read here in the history of Charity Baptist Church.

 "So likewise doth the Armenian plan oppose the experience of every enlightened Christian, if it be what Calvinism says it is, but we believe Jesus Christ, our divine Saviour, in person tasted death for every man and thereby made an atonement for the sin of the whole world, or in other words, made salvation possible for all the fallen family, and that all men may be saved by repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, without which none can be saved. We earnestly contend that salvation is by grace without the deeds of the law, that grace devised the plan, put it into execution, gives power to accept it, carries on the work, and will in the end crown the whole, by which the standing of the Christian is secured against principalities, powers, men or devils. These are our views of the Gospel, which we believe a correct aisle of instruction to the children of men, for if Kings, Governors, or Magistrates, empires, kingdoms, and republics, were subject to it, happy would be our world, in this glorious system of instruction are, directions to husbands, wives, parents, children, masters and servants as well as to ministers, members and churches, this being the case we as your servants exhort you to observe these things, and delight of your hearts, that thereby your good may not be evilly spoken of.
Farewell.
Done by order of the Association the 2nd Monday in October 1820.
Robert Heaton, Moderator "
Walter Williams, Clerk 

It seems very possible that the Elkhorn Assn. became increasingly calvinistic over time. It seems in the beginning, they were mild Calvinists, if Calvinist at all. In the history of Boone's Creek Church, it states the following incident;

"The Boone's Creek Church was gathered by John Taylor and John Tanner, and received into the Elkhorn Association in August of the next year. John Tanner was the first pastor. He had become a very strong hyper-Calvinist, and when a revival reached the church in 1787 he opposed it, claiming it was the work of the Devil, refusing to baptize the converts. The church sent for Elder William Hickman, who came and carried forward the meeting. David Thompson, who came from Virginia to Kentucky at an early day, was the second pastor of the Boone's Creek Church."  At the very least there were "low Calvinists" who were willing to "carry on" the revival. 

In 1809 Bryant's Station Church experienced a split. Both congregations worshiped in the same building.  "It was never possible to reconcile the two parties, though both congregations worshipped in the same house for nearly a century. The Particular Baptist Church at Bryant's Station had only two pastors through the ninety-nine years of its history - Ambrose Dudley and son, Thomas P. Dudley, the latter being an extreme Calvinist." This implies that the other congregation was not a "Particular" Baptist church. Read about Boone's Creek and Bryant's station here

The South Kentucky Association is the mother association of the Nolynn Separate Baptist Association, which were Arminian, and still exists to this day, still using the name "Separate Baptists", which further shows that there were Arminans among the Separate Baptists from the inception of that movement. Most of their articles of faith are similar to other Non Calvinist articles, but they wished to include the article adopted by the South Kentucky Assn. on infants and the mentally impaired.  In article 11 of their articles we see the following;

 "11. We believe that Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and that all may partake of his Divine benefits through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, infants and those who have never developed the mental ability to receive regeneration, are included in the covenant of God’s grace. John 3:15-17; Acts 4:12 "

Notice in article 5 how they view perseverance. 

 "5. We believe that he who endures to the end the same shall be saved. Rev. 2:10; Matt 24:1"

This, while similar to other Baptist articles faith, shows that they believe salvation can be lost. To read the addresses of the Nolynn Baptist Assn. and their defense against their Calvinist accusers, see here.