Jump Start # 3932
Hebrews 11:38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
I stood silently at his grave. I have read about him and had seen pictures of his grave, but on this beautiful fall Indiana afternoon, with a dear friend, we traveled to this old cemetery where he was buried 167 years ago. Most today have never heard of him. His name barely makes the history books about restoration. Stretching multiple generations in the past, this heroic preacher helped some of my family learn about the N.T. way.
Born in North Carolina, he traveled with so many others to this young state in the early 1800s. Religiously, he was part of the Anabaptist faction, commonly called the Dunkards, or German Baptists. They were named Dunkards because they practiced immersing someone three times (trine baptism), “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” His name was Abraham Kern. He established a Dunkard church in Lawrence County, Indiana around 1819 on his own property. He began preaching among the “Dunkards.” It didn’t take long for the restoration spirit to catch him. In 1825, Kern held a meeting in the cabin of Henry Arney of Owen County, Indiana, who is my fifth great-grandfather. A congregation was formed based upon taking the New Testament as their only rule of faith and practice. They became known as Christians. Old Union, as the church in Lawrence County that Kern started, soon became Old Union Christian church. Preaching in log cabins and in open meadows, Kern led whole congregations of Dunkards back to the patterns of the N.T. About 1831, Kern was busy revisiting many of these early congregations, teaching them one baptism. This caused a great commotion in the little communities, leading many to search the Scriptures. In time, they immersed a person one time, not three. A nice brick building was built at Old Union in 1852, which still stands. Kern was known as the “marryin’est parson in Indiana.” For four decades his name fills the Lawrence County marriage register. Kern traveled throughout Lawrence, Owen, Green counties in Indiana, preaching the ole’ Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Layered throughout this country are countless men and women, lkke Abraham Kern, now unknown to us, but who are never forgotten by Heaven. They helped so many learn the ways of the Lord. They labored in harsh conditions. They were poorly paid. They traveled in extreme circumstances. They loved the Lord and would not stop.
Our verse today, speaking of the O.T. giants, who wandered in deserts, mountains, caves and holes in the ground. It’s that last expression that baffles me. Were they sleeping in holes in the ground? Did they find safety in holes in the ground. I have a few small holes in my yard caused by squirrels. I fill them back up with dirt.
Out of this comes some lessons for us:
First, it is hard for us to understand the times that were before us. Many a young preacher today has thrown stones at the trouble and division of the 1950s. Some have declared that it was not necessary. Others have said that it was handled all wrong. Easy to say those things in 2025. It wasn’t that easy in those days.
Each generation has it’s own challenges, wars, battles that must be fought. Other times may not understand or see the reason for it. But, when you are in the midst of it, you know why it is important. The arm chair quarterback on Monday morning sure has all the answers. But, in the midst of the game, it’s often a different story. Understand this as you look at history, even Biblical history. “How dumb,” we may think Israel was. Or, Eve should have seen through that slippery serpent. On this side of things, it sure is easy to have all the answers. Be careful with that. It may lead to an attitude that just doesn’t please the Lord.
Second, much of what we do will quickly be forgotten after we are gone. This is not only true of what we do, but it is also true of us. We may be able to give the name of our great grandparents but most don’t know very much about them. Go past them a couple of more generations, and all we have are names and dates. Now, this can make us sad and depressed. It can make us wonder that someday I’ll have a stone in a cemetery which no one visits and no one knows anything about. However, our work is now among the living. It is our church family that we encourage. It is our connections that we influence.
That’s how the Scriptures sum up the life of King David. He served the purpose of God in his generation. That’s what we do as well. Our generation needs us.
Third, it is the eternal will and promises of God that endures. That’s what the apostles were after. That’s what Abraham Kern was about. That’s what I’m about. That’s what you are about. What endures is the will of God. That ageless and timeless message that worked in the first century and worked in the backwoods of Indiana in the mid 1800s, works today in our fast paced cities. It is that timeless message that will guide us and get us through the storms of life. It is that precious blood of the Savior that still removes sins today.
This Saturday, October 25th, is the anniversary date of when Abraham Kern died. He was born in 1786 and died October 25, 1858. A good man. A preacher of God’s word. A restorer to the ancient way. Forgotten by us, but known in Heaven.
It did me good to stand at his grave. So many thoughts. I hope we can spend some moments together on the other side. I want to hear his story. I want to thank him. Through him, my family tree changed.
Roger