Origin of the Christian Baptists
In the year of 1931, it pleased our Lord to awaken persons in the Ohio Valley to the fact that these last days, the banner of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ needed to be held high and that the Gospel of Christ crucified was needed to be preached in its purity.
On January 3, 1931, the following ministers met at the North Moreland Church, Portsmouth, Ohio: Van B. Williams, William Williams, S.P. Creech, Robert Meenach, and F.R. Kitchen. Rev. Van B. Williams was chosen as moderator pro tern and proceeded to call the meeting to order. A presbytery was selected with Van B. Williams, moderator; J.F. Sparks, clerk; and Hollie Conley, assistant clerk.
Rev. John Kemper and Rev. James Upton of the Scioto Yearly Conference of Free Will Baptists, and W.A. Hay of the Enterprise Association of Regular Baptists assisted in the work of the organization.
Articles of Faith, Constitution and Rules of Decorum, which had been prepared, were read before the body and unanimously accepted. The moderator appointed J.F. Sparks and Hollie Conley as a committee on credentials, also S.P. Creech, William Williams, and C.A. Wright as a committee on arrangements.
Firebrick Chapel Firebrick Kentucky; Westwood Mission, Ashland, Kentucky; Mabert Road Church, Portsmouth, Ohio and North Moreland Church, Portsmouth, Ohio were accepted into the organization. The association being now permanently organized, the following officers were elected: Van B. Williams, moderator, William Williams, assistant moderator; Hobart Day, clerk; and J.F. Sparks, assistant clerk.
The name of the association was then discussed and it was decided it would be known as The Ohio Valley Association of Christian Baptists.