History

Kenwood Baptist Church

In 1944, Walnut Street Baptist Church’s desire to see the gospel reach South Louisville led it to plant Kenwood Baptist Church. The church originally met in the homes of its various founding members, moving from location to location as the church grew. Finally, in 1956, Kenwood moved into its eventual home at 6603 S 3rdStreet.

Victory Memorial Baptist Church

In 1889, a group of believers started meeting in Wilder Park in the Oakdale neighborhood, eventually moving into a one-room schoolhouse for the winter. In 1891, Oakdale Baptist Mission was officially begun with 24 members and help from McFerran Baptist Church. It was formally constituted as Oakdale Baptist Church on March 25, 1906. In August 1919, the church voted to change its name to Victory Memorial Baptist Church in commemoration of World War I.


Kenwood Baptist Church at Victory Memorial

After long, rich histories for both churches, the churches found themselves in very different places in the mid-2010s. Victory Memorial had dwindled significantly, and Kenwood was looking for ways to solve the space constraints it was experiencing at South 3rd Street. After six months of conversations, meetings, and three joint worship services, the churches voted to merge on September 25, 2016.