April 28, 2025
BRANDENBURG, Ky. (KT) — A revival in the Salem Association of Baptists (Meade, Breckinridge and Hardin counties) has not only drawn large, enthusiastic crowds, but has given evidence of a noticeable partnership in the gospel by pastors in that association.
Chuck Rhudy, who has been the associational mission strategist since July 2024, said the idea for the revival “took off from the first of the year.”
Rhudy, who was a member of GracePointe Baptist Church in Louisville prior to taking the AMS role, contacted his former pastor, Mark Bishop, and asked if he would be available to do a revival.
“He said if we put together a revival, GracePointe would do better.” That involved a commitment to “bring a whole team of people … to do whatever was needed to make it successful.” GracePointe and Beechland Baptist members provided people to work in numerous roles — from music and sound system involvement to ushers, people working in the parking lot, serving meals, and cleaning up after meals while also teaching a children’s church and a teenager service. All that volunteer help from outside the church enabled members at each host church to attend the services.
Sunday night was the beginning service at New Brandenburg Baptist Church and drew a sanctuary full with about 250 adults. Elsewhere, there were 25-35 teenagers in a separate area and as many as 35 in children’s church.
The second night, the service moved to First Baptist Brandenburg, then the scheduled final night was Tuesday, April 8, at Salem Baptist. However, there has been discussion about extending the revival.
“It has been amazing,” said Bishop, noting the obvious energy and happiness of those attending. “If every county could work together like this …” Bishop mused as he reflected on how a similar effort could be a blessing in other areas. “There were 15 pastors there Monday night working together. That association is mostly small churches, most of them with 50-80 people. So they are not big churches.”
Bishop said this revival has been remarkably different from most he has been involved with.
“I have preached over 1,000 revivals in 600 churches, and only one or two times have I seen pastors come together like these have just for the sake of the kingdom. There was no animosity — no ego contest. It was all about the kingdom of God. Chuck was mega-instrumental in getting the pastors behind this.”
Rhudy said he is encouraged that the pastors and churches in the association were so supportive of the revival effort.
“We have a connections team, which has seven members, and I presented the idea to them. We kept praying about it, and we encouraged people to be involved. Everyone was on board. We printed and handed out flyers. It’s been a very successful thing, a God thing. Our association has 19 churches — 16 in Meade County, two in Breckinridge, and one on the outskirts of Hardin County — and the more we talked and prayed about the revival, the more and more got involved.
“As Mark has said, we are all on the same team — we are undershepherds, not the Shepherd. It really has been a successful event, and people have told me they can’t remember this association doing an associational revival.
“We didn’t doubt what God could do,” Rhudy added, saying he is thankful that pastors are together for the advancement of the gospel. They are friends and they meet together as friends, chat and talk about important things. They try to coordinate schedules. They are very respectful of things other pastors are trying to do. They are more than willing to do whatever it takes to bring the gospel to the community.”
The Salem association is the second oldest in Kentucky, dating its founding to 1785 when four churches met at Cox’s Creek in Nelson County. Rhudy said the revival fits perfectly with the association’s mission statement: “The purpose of the Salem Association of Baptists is to strengthen cooperation among member churches in order to multiply each church’s effectiveness in making disciples of Christ.”
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This story appeared in Kentucky Today.
