The Baptist Directory is a podcast giving in-depth biographical sketches of historical Baptists from the 16th through 21st centuries. This includes figures of repute and infamy, with the intention that listeners and viewers will come to recognize and understand Baptist history.
"There has been a willful, planned, and total destruction of a cemetery. Apparently, a part of our Baptist heritage has been destroyed, a portion of our early Kentucky history has been erased, and the graves of one of our former Governor's family have been desecrated." This is how Dr. Jerry Martin described what happened to the Pioneer Baptist Cemetery in Russellville, Kentucky.
In this episode, we will explore and explain what led to that reflection, with close attention to the chronology of the events through studies of never-before-seen documents and artifacts.
What happened to the graves? Where are they now? And who is responsible? This and more, in the latest edition of the Baptist Directory.
20 Jul 2026
The Meriwether-King Love Affair
William Douglas Meriwether was one of the wealthiest men in Kentucky during the Civil War Era, but he fell in love with a poor working-class woman he could never marry. Their love affair led to an excommunication from Antioch Baptist Church in 1868, just a couple of weeks before the couple was held-up by a young gunman named Jesse James. In this episode, along with a lot of information about the Meriwether and King families, you will hear how the information they provided him ultimately led Jesse James to rob his first bank.
17 Jan 2026
Baptist Comity
Throughout the late 1800's and early-to-mid 1900's, Baptists in America operated on a system which banned Southern Baptists from doing mission work in the American North, and which banned Northern Baptists from doing mission work in the American South.
How was that necessitated? How did it work? Why did it fall apart? This episode answers these and other questions.
28 Dec 2025
Hitler and the Baptists
This episode explores the 1934 Baptist World Alliance Congress in Berlin, where Baptist representatives, including those from the Southern Baptist Convention, met with Adolf Hitler and Reichsbishop Ludwig Müller to discuss religious practices and address antisemitism.
24 Jun 2025
The C.S. Carnes Defalcation
This episode explores the shocking 1928 embezzlement case of Clinton Samuel (C.S.) Carnes, treasurer of the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, who stole a large sum and vanished.
28 May 2025
Alexander MacLaren
Alexander MacLaren, a renowned Scottish Baptist preacher, gains recognition as the "Prince of Expositors" and second-most-read Baptist, leaving a lasting impact through his scriptural expositions.
29 Apr 2025
James David (J.D.) Grey
J.D. Grey is most famous for being the pastor of the First Baptist Church in New Orleans, LA., but was also a monumental figure in Baptist politics throughout the mid-1900s, serving as President of the SBC and Executive Committee member of the BWA.
11 Apr 2025
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University was a Baptist institution for the education of black men and women immediately following the Civil War. While occupying prime real estate in downtown Nashville, TN., Roger Williams University faced adversity as Jim Crow laws pushed them out. Ultimately, theirs is a story of rags-to-riches perseverance in the face of fierce and constant opposition, and though the University itself no longer exists, many of the schools and organizations which sprang from it are still making a major impact in the world today.
2 Apr 2025
John Bunyan
John Bunyan (1628-1688) is famously known as the author of Pilgrim's Progress, the second best-selling book of all-time in the English language. While little-known for his theological works and distinctives, Bunyan is an interesting character with many unique identifiers that distinguish him from Baptists of his day. Having spent over a decade in prison for preaching outside the Anglican tradition, Bunyan is a name all Baptists should know.
13 Mar 2025
John Collett Ryland
John Collett Ryland is famous (or infamous) for reprimanding William Carey when he asked to begin doing missionary work. However, in this episode we look at the life of Ryland and spend time examining that encounter with Carey, discussing if it went how the common story is told - or if it ever happened at all.
6 Mar 2025
John Leadley Dagg
John Leadley Dagg was the first Southern Baptist to publish a Systematic Theology in America. He was also a leading member of the Triennial Convention, Southern Baptist Convention, and many missionary sending agencies. He served as the President of Mercer University for 10 years, as well as President of at least two other institutions.
28 Feb 2025
Robert Greene (R.G.) Lee
An in-depth look at the life of R.G. Lee (1886-1978) with particular attention to his accolades, upbringing and family, college, marriage, pastoral experience, Bellevue Baptist Church, distinctives, influences, impact on the Southern Baptist Convention, retirement, late ministry effectiveness, quotes, death, and biographical literature.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
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Quality
53
Social presence
0
YouTube
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Engagement
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