1879-1909, 1957-2011
The Western Recorder is the official newspaper for the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Since 1851, the Western Recorder has been published by a variety of proprietors under its present name. The newspaper traces its origin back to December 15, 1825, through a chain of predecessor papers. Some of the predecessors included The Baptist Register, The Baptist Chronicle & Georgetown Literary Register, The Baptist Banner, The Baptist, The Western Pioneer, and The Baptist Banner and Western Pioneer. The newspaper became the Western Recorder in 1851. It was acquired by the state convention in 1919 and managed by an editor elected by a convention-appointed board of directors through 2019. Through the years the frequency of the newspaper has varied, but for most of its existence, the paper has been published on a weekly basis. The paper reported news related to Kentucky Baptist churches, associations, and the state convention. It would also report news and activities related to the Southern Baptist Convention and other Baptist groups. Events and actions related to the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary are also a major focus of the Western Recorder.
The Western Recorder Digital project is a joint effort with the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives, the James P. Boyce Centennial Library at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Kentucky Baptist Convention Archives. This is an active project and more years will be added in the future.
Users of this digital project should be aware that the condition of the originals and microfilm determined the readability and search ability of the newspapers. The staff of the three organizations have labored to provide the best copies available for this digital project.
