By Ariel C. Emberton, staff writer/photographer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Dr. Robert Blythe, pastor of First Baptist Church in Richmond, Ky., will be speaking at Campbellsville University's chapel service Oct. 7.
Blythe, a native and mayor of Richmond, participated in Sunday School and other youth activities as a child and accepted Christ at the age of nine. He was active in the work of the Mt. Pleasant District Association and the New Liberty Baptist Sunday School Convention throughout his school years.
In April 1980, Blythe accepted his call to preaching while serving in the music department at the New Hope Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio. This is where he preached his first sermon. Two months later, Blythe returned home to Richmond to preach at his home church, First Baptist Church.
Blythe has served as an officer of the Mt. Pleasant District Association for several years and of the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky and its auxiliaries for more than 35 years, being first elected to office in 1973. He has also done work with the Kentucky State Body of the National Baptist Convention of America Inc. and the Kentucky State Missionary Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention.
Blythe has spent time teaching mathematics and French in the public schools of Gary, Ind., Richmond and Madison County, Ky. He began teaching mathematics at Eastern Kentucky University in 1993 and retired in 2011.
He has served as dean of the Baptist Unified Christian Leadership Conference (BUCLC) of the General Association as well as vice president of that body. He served as president of the BUCLC from 2013 to 2017.
Blythe was inducted into the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2008. In 2012, Blythe was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award by the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Eastern Kentucky University.
In 2009, Blythe began serving as an instructor for the National Baptist Publishing Board Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress, which he had attended for many years. He has taught classes in Christian education for the spiritual renewal of men and for the training of associate ministries. He was inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni of Eastern Kentucky University.
In December 2018, Blythe was inaugurated as the first African-American mayor of Richmond to serve a four-year term.
Blythe attended Eastern Kentucky University and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education in 1971. In 1986 he graduated with his Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and in 2002 he received his Doctor of Ministry from Convincing Theological Schools. Blythe has completed additional course work in mathematics at the University of Kentucky in 1971 and Purdue University in 1972.
All chapels are televised on WLCU (Comcast Cable channel 10 and digital channel 15), streamed on Campbellsville University's Facebook page and wlcutv.com and can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGOyyKyrGBpSx8-uXa4NRtw.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 11,900 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.
Campbellsville University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award certificates, associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the status of Campbellsville University.