Sept. 20, 2012
For Immediate Release

 

By Mary Kutter, students news writer

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University will host a lecture on “African-American Baptist History” as part of the Baptist Heritage Lecture Series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 at Campbellsville University's Louisville Education Center, located at 2303 Green Way, Louisville.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Lawrence H. Williams, distinguished professor emeritus of Africana studies and history at Luther College in Iowa and teaches at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville, and Dr. Joe Early, Jr., assistant professor of theology at Campbellsville University, are the featured speakers for this event.

Williams' lecture for the event is titled “The History of Simmons College/University.” Early's lecture is titled “Richard Henry Boyd: Shaper of Black Baptist Identity.”

John Chowning, vice president for church and external relations and executive assistant to the president, said, “The Baptist Heritage Series focuses attention on Baptist heritage and history and the distinctiveness of the Baptist faith. This particular event will focus attention on the rich history of African American Baptists in Kentucky and in the nation.

“The Baptist Heritage Series is dedicated to highlighting the richness of the history of the Baptist movement in Kentucky, the United States, and around the globe,” Chowning said. “As a Baptist affiliated institution, Campbellsville University is seeking to help promote a better understanding of and appreciation of what it means to be a Baptist in the 21st century.”

Williams, in addition to serving as distinguished professor emeritus of Africana studies and history at Luther College in Iowa, is a noted historian known for his research on African-American Baptist history in Kentucky. He teaches at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville. Williams is a nationally recognized authority on the black church and the civil rights movement of the 1960s, in which he worked with many important leaders of the movement. He is the author of various articles, monographs, and book chapters on the role of the black church in the civil rights struggle.

Dr. Joe Early, Jr.

Early serves as assistant professor of theology at Campbellsville University's main campus. He was the faculty recipient of the 2012 Servant Leadership Award at Campbellsville University. Teaching at the school since 2009, he is also the author of several books on Baptist life and history. His latest book is “The Life and Writing of Thomas Helwys: The First English Baptist,” and he is currently working on a book for Broadman Holman Press titled “A Survey of Christian History,” with an expected publication date of 2013.

When describing the speakers, Chowning said, “They are both very fine scholars in their own right as evidenced by their respected accomplishments and academic experiences.”

The event is co-sponsored by the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky, Central District Association of Baptists and Simmons College of Kentucky, and is in partnership with CU's School of Theology and Office of Church and External Relations.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.