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Greathouse Point > Library > Biographies > Samuel Greathouse

Samuel Greathouse
Added 2/19/99

A History of Kentucky Baptists From 1769 to 1885, Including More Than 800 Biographical Sketches, J. H. Spencer, Manuscript Revised and Corrected by Mrs. Burilla B. Spencer, In Two Volumes.  Printed For the Author. 1886.  Republished By Church History Research & Archives 1976 Lafayette, Tennessee.  Vol. 2, pp 114-115 (Warren County]

SAMUEL GREATHOUSE was, for a number of years, one of the most active and useful preachers in Green River Association.  He was of German extraction, and a native of Maryland.  He emigrated to northern Kentucky, while a young man, and, after marrying his cousin, Susan Greathouse, became one of the early settlers of Warren county.  Here he became alarmed about the safety of his soul, by the following circumstance: At a house-raising, he was carrying up one of the corners of the building, when a fork, with which the men on the ground pushed up the logs, split open and allowed the log to roll back, by which two men were instantly killed.  "What would have become of my soul, if I had been one of those men?" soliloquized Mr. Greathouse.  This was not long after the beginning of the present century.  Mr. Greathouse was soon afterwards baptized, probably by John Hightower, and entered into the constitution of Bays For church, located about eight miles east of Bowling Green.  He was soon afterwards set apart to the ministry, and called to the care of the new organization.  The church was prosperous under his ministry, and he became very popular, as a preacher.  About 1820, he as invited to preach, one Sunday in the month, to Bethel church, in Allen county, while Zechariah Emerson occupied its pulpit another Sabbath.  Mr. Greathouse was of a jealous and stubborn temper, and soon began to manifest a dislike for his co-laborer, and to circulate reports about him that could not be substantiated.  This led to an investigation, and Mr. Greathouse was convicted of slandering his brother.  A majority of Bays Fork church adhered to him, which led to a division of that organization.  The minority was constituted, under the name of Rocky Spring church, and was sustained by the Association.  This church was very prosperous for many years, under the pastoral care of Younger Witherspoon, a son-in-law of Mr. Greathouse.  Bays Fork church was dropped from the Association.  Mr. Greathouse continued to preach occasionally, for several years, and to make strenuous efforts to obtain his former standing in the Association, without acknowledging his fault.  But his efforts all failed.  His church withered, and finally dissolved.  He became discouraged, and resorted to the free use of intoxicating liquors.  For a number of years before his death, he did not attempt to preach.  He died under a dark cloud, about 1850.

Mr. Greathouse left a respectable family, of whom his youngest son, Thomas Greathouse, became a Baptist preacher, of small gifts, and a teacher and composer of vocal music.

Greathouse Hightower Emerson Witherspoon

MD Allen-KY

 
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