On July 10, 1981, the Grace Baptist Church in Georgetown, Kentucky met in session with the Faith Baptist Mission in Versailles, Kentucky, and with many other guests. We met together for the express purpose of organizing the mission into a New Testament Baptist Church. The ordained men met in council and chose the following officers: Bro. Bill DeRossitt as moderator, Bro. Larue Robinson as clerk, Bro. Eugene Clark to preach the pastor’s charge, and Bro. Al Gormley to preach a charge to the new church.
Following the singing, the moderator again gave the reason for this special service, the organizing of a New Testament Church. Bro. James Vance offered a beginning prayer, after which the moderator asked members of the council to identify themselves. Bro. DeRossitt read the names of the 28 charter members. He then asked the mission pastor, Bro. Bobby Lakes, to read the statement of faith and the covenant that the new church intended to adopt. Bro. Bobby Lakes read the New Covenant. The council voted to recommend to the Grace Baptist Church that things were in scriptural order and the organization should be completed. The Grace Baptist Church voted to complete the organization and to dismiss the 28 mission members from our rolls in order that they might constitute themselves into a New Testament Church. Moderator Bro. Bill DeRossitt received a unanimous vote from the charter members to accept the New Hampshire Confession of Faith as read, the Church Covenant as read, and to constitute themselves a New Testament Baptist Church.
The new church then conducted their first business meeting. They chose Bro. Bobby Lakes to be their moderator, and also called him as their pastor. The new church, after Bro. Bobby Lakes accepted the pastorate, chose Bro. Johnny Powers to be the church clerk, and Bro. William Fish to be the church treasurer. The new church voted to call themselves The Faith Baptist Church of Versailles, Kentucky. Bro. Eugene Clark preached the charge to the new pastor Bro. Bobby Lakes. Bro. Clark’s message was centered in a passage found in I Corinthians 3:9-17. Bro. Al Gormley’s message to the church was taken from Matthew 28:19-20 and was titled Foundational Truths. A most joyous service was dismissed in prayer by Bro. Bob Jones. We thank God for the privilege of sponsoring the mission and thank Him for those who labored with us in the work.
Bill DeRossitt, Pastor
Grace Baptist Church
Georgetown, Kentucky