This brief history of the church was written by Livingston Taylor, based on a longer article by Alice J. Reading.

South Frankfort Presbyterian Church can trace its roots in Franklin County back to 1795 when the Hogsett Church, later known as Upper Benson Church, was organized in the home of Thomas Paxton.

Its membership depleted by deaths (including Paxton’s in 1844) and migration, Upper Benson Church disbanded in 1848. Some members went to Frankfort or Lawrenceburg churches but the greater part joined Lower Benson (by then renamed Franklin).

In his history or Bridgeport, Willard Rouse Jillson said the Franklin Church “gradually” lost membership during and after the Civil War … the primary trouble was the question of slavery, engendered by civil strife. Most of those who left the church were of Northern persuasion. They came, family by family, to Frankfort and man became members of the First Presbyterian Church.

Others began to meet in the Turner School House, Second and Shelby Streets. The Rev. A.M. Frazier, pastor of two Woodford County churches, ministered to the group.

Our church’s present site at Third and Steele Streets was purchased by a Dr. Williams in 1880 for $1,000 and plans were made for a church building.

On May 27, 1884, 31 members of the new church petitioned the Presbytery of West Lexington for admission, although later that year presbytery boundaries changed and the church became part of the Louisville Presbytery. The first pastor was Robert E. Caldwell.

The first church building was a gray frame structure containing a “large one-room auditorium, with a small offset room in the rear for the infant class.” Sunday School classes met “here and there” in the auditorium. The building was heated by two coal stoves.

The brick building dedicated in 1904, as seen from the Steele Street side, resembled today’s structure in overall appearance.

Eventually, more Sunday School space was needed, and an annex was built behind the sanctuary. James Montgomery, Judge J.P. Hobson, and Judge William T. Fowler were key leaders in this project. The annex, completed in 1924, contained separate Sunday School rooms, a kitchen and an assembly room.

The addition which houses our present Fellowship Hall and Sunday School rooms was completed in 1964, and parts of the earlier annex were converted to office space. This was done during the term of our longest-serving minister, the Rev. John L. Hunt.

From 2000 to 2003, the church underwent major renovation in the sanctuary and adjacent buildings. The distinctive South Frankfort Cross in the sanctuary symbolizes the renewal of our church.

South Frankfort Presbyterian Church has a long record of significant mission support in the community and region. Among a host of mission outreach activities, our church currently provides volunteer workers and financial support for the nearby Kings Center, which conducts tutoring , Bible study, recreation programs and field trips for South Frankfort residents. The Resource Office for Social Ministries (R.O.S.M.) receives significant support and former Pastor Alan Sorem served as Chairman of the Board. In addition, SFPC-ers are enthusiastic supporters of Rivers of the World (R.O.W.) and Dr. Ben Mathes.

For the past quarter century and more, our church also has had a history of excellence in education and music. Excerpted from a longer account in January 2001 by Livingston Taylor from articles by Alice Reading.

The unique cross at the front of the sanctuary was created for our congregation in the year 2000 from Kentucky Walnut by the Rev.  Gerald H. Cooper, woodturner and retired Presbyterian Minister Living in Berea, Kentucky. The design was formulated by a special committee, whose members included Jim Baker, Bill Kirkland, Ann Ratliff, Sandra Moak Sorem, Judith Thornton, Jim Thornton, and Callie Williams.

The cross is the central image of the Christian faith. In the Catholic tradition, Christ usually is seen upon the cross, but in the reformed tradition the central portion of the cross is empty as a proclamation of the resurrection.

The cross beams of the Celtic cross represent the intersection of heaven and earth.  The circle that joins the arms of the cross represents the eternal and unbroken presence of God in all the created universe. It symbolizes God’s peace and God’s completeness. The circle embraces the concerns of heaven and earth and holds all within God’s care.

The descending dove on the tallest portion of the cross is the classic and most authentic symbol for God’s Holy Spirit based on the New Testament accounts of Christ’s baptism.

The Chi Rho on the right arm of the cross represents Christ. The Chi and Rho are the first two letters for the Greek word Christos Use of the Chi Rho monogram for Christ symbolizes the theological concept of “The World made flesh, who dwelt among us.”

The Alpha and Omega on the left arm of the cross represents God the Creator, the eternal author of the beginning and the end of it all. It is derived from Rev. 1:18, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The vine ascending the base of the cross symbolizes the Christian community. “Abide in me as I abide in you … I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit” (John 15:4-5). This image symbolizes the community of faith growing both toward the divine and in exhibition of divine attributes. The vine grows from the base of the cross, symbolizing that our faith is deeply rooted in God’s good gifts of life and sustenance, the earth, the soil, and all that  nurtures our bodies and spirits.

The Celtic knotwork around the circle represents the human community growing from the vines to unity with God’s wholeness.

The symbolism on the cross is Trinitarian – the Alpha and Omega (God, Creator), the Chi Rho (Christ, Redeemer), and the descending dove (Holy Spirit, Sustainer). It is sacramental – the dove for Baptism and the bread and chalice for The Lord’s Supper. It also represents community with the vine and the branches.

The Celtic Cross grew out of Irish monasteries from the sixth century. The early crosses were boundary markers and teaching tools for the mostly illiterate people of the time.  Since many Presbyterians trace their ancestry to Scotland, the Celtic crosses of most significance are those on the island of Iona, identified as a sacred lace founded by the Irish missionary Columba. Before 800 C.E., Iona had become the center for evangelization of the Celtic tribes of Scotland. During the twentieth century American Presbyterians developed a special interest in the island of Iona and joined with others in working to restore its ancient buildings and to recover the monuments on its grounds.