Organized on January 12, 1908, Crescent Hill Baptist Church grew rapidly under its first pastor, John F. Griffith, and the first building was erected on the present site in 1910.
Griffin was succeeded by the Rev. Oscar M. Huey who served from 1913 to 1918. Huey's tenure was marked by the repayment of a large share of the church's indebtedness, and expanded mission concerns. Two of the sons of the church died in WW I.
The next pastor, Dr. Charles L. Graham led Crescent Hill for 22 years. These years between the Great Wars, were both glorious and trying. In 1926 the church built a $350,000 sanctuary (dedicated in 1927) for its growing congregation. Southern Seminary, a neighbor two blocks away, developed close ties of support and friendship with the church.
During the turbulent years of World War II, Crescent Hill continued to grow and expand its ministries under the leadership of Dr. William C. Boone, a descendent of Daniel Boone's brother, Samuel. 123 members of Crescent Hill served in the Armed Forces.
The post-war years at Crescent Hill witnessed sustained growth. Dr. Rollin S. Burhans served as pastor from 1946 to 1960. While the Korean War and the McCarthy hearings held the attention of the nation, Crescent Hill developed dynamic church organizations and outreach ministries. The Sunday School program was strengthened and expanded resulting in the building of a new educational and family life facility.
The decade of the sixties was marked by the outstanding pulpit ministry of Dr. John R. Claypool. In a period of violence and social upheaval, Dr. Claypool addressed the deepest concerns of the world and brought to them a Christian message of integrity and hope. The racial crisis was a major focus of concern. New church staff positions included social ministry and counseling.
Dr. John E. Howell served as pastor from 1973 to 1978. These were years of re-evaluation and long-range planning as the church sought to re-define its role in a changing community.
Crescent Hill welcomed Dr. H. Stephen Shoemaker as pastor in May 1981. During his eleven-year ministry, he brought a prophetic, yet compassionate voice to the pulpit. He opposed forces seeking a hostile take-over of the Southern Baptist Convention and sought to bring healing and reconciliation to those alienated in the community including Viet Nam vets and AIDS victims.
From 1994 until June 2002, Ron Sisk, the ninth pastor, brought a focus on the needs of the Crescent Hill community, a commitment to upgrade church facilities and a search for social justice in the larger Louisville community. Crescent Hill has sponsored a Bosnian family, adopted a people group in Thailand and helped build a Habitat for Humanity house while continuing its traditional missionary outreach.
From Jan 2003 until Sept 2004, Winford Hendrix, the first transitional pastor of the church, enabled Crescent Hill to come to terms with its recent past and develop a vision for the future. The church moved from an organization based around paid staff to one in which gift-based ministry teams commanded more of the attention of the church members. Dr. Hendrix helped to guide the church search team in the quest for Crescent Hill's tenth "installed" pastor.
W. Gregory Pope became Crescent Hill's tenth pastor in March 2005 and challenged the church to think outside the walls and find ways of interpreting the word of God to the Crescent Hill area community.-- John Arnett and Dale Tucker
CRESCENT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
2800 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
(502) 896-4425