Crescent Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) first became home to BSK faculty and staff offices in the spring and summer of 2023. Dr. John Inscore Essick, BSK’s Associate Professor of Church History and Director of BSK’s Rural Ministry Program, works and teaches classes from an office within the church office suite. Additionally, Abby Sizemore, BSK’s Director of Admissions, has an office inside the church’s Fellowship Hall.
BSK is thankful for the continued partnership with Simmons College of Kentucky as they offered space to the Institute for Black Church Studies when it began. Due to the amazing growth that Simmons College has experienced, the Institute office needed to relocate to CHBC. This fall, Dr. Lewis Brogdon and Rev. Erica Whitaker have a new shared office located in CHBC’s West Tower, off the narthex. Brogdon, Associate Professor of Preaching and Black Church Studies and Executive Director of the Institute for Black Church Studies at BSK, will lead the Institute from this location. Whitaker, who serves as BSK’s Director of Development and is Teaching Professor of Preaching, will be teaching and working from this office during the Fall 2024 semester. Whitaker expressed enthusiasm stating, “It’s quite profound to teach preaching courses near the historic sanctuary and pulpit of CHBC.”
In addition to these offices, BSK shares an audio/video studio with CHBC in the basement of the church. The Seminary also hosts regular meetings for its board of trustees, faculty workshops, and institutional meetings from the library. BSK’s President, Dr. David Cassady, highlights this growing partnership, “The passion for quality theological education exhibited by Crescent Hill Baptist Church is noteworthy. We are thankful for the hospitality, but most of all, we are empowered by the shared vision for excellence in ministry leadership. Crescent Hill is a true partner in the work of theological education.”
This new shared space adds to an already long lasting and rich partnership. CHBC has been a longtime supporter of BSK. Since 2009, BSK has hosted an annual lecture series in honor of Dr. Glenn Hinson, a longtime member of Crescent Hill Baptist Church.
Rev. Jordan Conley, a BSK alumnus and co-pastor of CHBC, shares his excitement, “BSK Theological Seminary is educating and equipping the most diverse generation of ministers we have ever seen. Crescent Hill has been a proud partner with BSK Theological Seminary for over a decade. Our members have served as faculty, administrators, students, and volunteers. The Holy Spirit is opening doors that have been rusting at the hinges since Southern Seminary was taken over by fundamentalists over 30 years ago. God is not done with equipping leaders to serve congregations. We are grateful for the new ways the Holy Spirit is calling us to explore and create together in this new era of ministry.”
This “hub” for BSK in Louisville mirrors the Lexington, KY hub for BSK at Central Baptist Church. Central Baptist Church houses offices for several BSK faculty and staff, as well as the President’s Office. To learn more about the history of BSK’s Lexington offices, click here.
