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Pastor

Bro. Jim Duke


Welcome and thank you for visiting our web site!

My name is Jim Duke and I am the pastor here at Olmstead Baptist Church. I trust that the content of our web site will be a help to you. We extend an open invitation to you and your family to attend our services so that you may worship the Lord God Almighty together with us.

Our desire is to fulfill the Great Commission given by the Lord Jesus Christ to His first church, a New Testament Baptist Church. We believe that Olmstead Baptist Church is one of the Lord’s churches and thereby that commission has also been given to us.

Why is Olmstead Baptist Church here?

In 1957 a group of people in this region were led of the Lord to start a new church. Upon seeking authority from Fatherland Baptist Church in Nashville, TN, Olmstead Baptist Church was organized and brought to life. The Lord built Olmstead Baptist Church here because He wanted a witness of Him in Olmstead, KY to fulfill His Great Commission in this place.

What is the Great Commission all about?

The scripture reveals to us that the Lord Jesus Christ gave His Great Commission to His first church and what that commission entails. Matthew 28:16-20 says:

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:16-20 (KJV)

As you can see there are three parts to this commission from the Lord to His church. Let’s take a look at these three parts one at a time.

The first part is to "teach all nations ..." Teach them what? To teach them that men, women, boys, and girls are sinners against the Lord God Almighty and are commanded by God to repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Consider these scriptures from the Bible.

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mark 2:17 (KJV)

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:14-15 (KJV)

The first part of our work here is to preach to everyone the same message that Jesus did during His earthly ministry, "repent ye, and believe the gospel."

Testifying ... [to everyone] ... repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21 (KJV)

The second part of the Lord’s commission to His church is "baptizing them ..." Believers baptism is what is testified by the scripture. When a sinner does repent, trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, and the Lord saves them they are commanded by the Lord to be baptized. Baptism is not in order to be saved but to show to the world that one has been saved by the Lord. When one is baptized by one of the Lord’s New Testament Baptist Churches they publicly show to the world that they have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and that they identify with the death, burial and resurrection (the Gospel) of the Lord Jesus Christ. They needed the Lord to have done such for them because without His Gospel they have no hope of salvation but because of His Gospel applied to their soul they have been saved by Him. Consider these scriptures.

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. Acts 8:35-38 (KJV)

And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Acts 18:8 (KJV)

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-4 (KJV)

The second part of our work here is to baptize those that repent, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved by Him. Baptizing them so they can show the world what the Lord has done to them and for them. Also by submitting to baptism they join Olmstead Baptist Church and become a member of this church of the Lord to help and take their part in fulfilling the Great Commission the Lord has given to us.

The third part of the Lord’s commission to His church is "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:" The "you" to which these things to observe have been commanded are to teach them to the "them" so they may learn to observe them too. In other words the church is to teach the new members of the church how the Lord wants to church to operate in continuing to fulfill the Great Commission so that others may hear the Gospel, be saved, and added to the church. And on and on it goes. Fulfilling the Great Commission is what the Lord’s kind of churches are to do until He comes back to the earth.

So now how does this apply to you? Well, by you having read this web page to this point the following scriptures have been fulfilled toward you.

... and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ... notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. Luke 10:9-11 (KJV)

So the rest is between you and the Lord God Almighty. Will you hear, receive and obey His command to "repent ye, and believe the gospel."? Or will you reject it? Know this, that through one of the Lord Jesus Christ’s churches, Olmstead Baptist Church, the kingdom of God has come close to you.

Our prayer here at Olmstead Baptist Church is that sinners hear with their heart the Gospel about the death, burial, and resurrection of God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That sinners would repent of their sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and He save their souls. That after being saved they would submit to scriptural baptism by Olmstead Baptist Church and serve Him here.

The calling of the Lord for me to be pastor of Olmstead Baptist Church is to preach, teach, lead, and help the church here fulfill this Great Commission from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or if there is any way in which I can help you please contact me.

May the Lord bless you with His faith, truth, and way,

Jim Duke
Pastor

Church Office - 270-726-3954
Cell Phone - 931-896-3769


The following is a chronological list of our pastors and their tenures with the church:

Bro. Thomas HartAugust 25, 1957 - July 1959
Bro. Richard FolgerNovember 18, 1959 - August 4, 1963
Bro. Wallace YorkNovember 6, 1963 - November 1966
Bro. Edward KittleJanuary 1967 - June 30, 1968
Bro. Harold HarveyJuly 1968 - March 1978
Bro. James DuvallMarch 1978 - February 1984
Bro. Harold HarveyApril 1984 - July 2000
Bro. Roger JonesJanuary 1, 2001 - November 18, 2007
Bro. Jim DukeNovember 1, 2008 - present