Henry Adams (December 17, 1802 – November 3, 1872) was a Baptist pastor and leader in the black community in 19th-century Kentucky. He was born to free parents in

Franklin County, Georgia Franklin County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,424. The county seat is Carnesville. On February 25, 1784, Franklin and Washington became Georgia's eighth ...

, and became ordained at age 23.* p. 2–3 He preached throughout the

Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the war ...

before moving to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1829, where he became minister to black members of First Baptist Church. In 1842, his 45-member congregation eventually withdrew to form First African Baptist Church, which was later renamed Fifth Street Baptist Church. It was the second black Baptist church in the state. He remained pastor of the congregation until his retirement in 1871. He ordained a number of prominent pastors during his term, including,

Daniel Abraham Gaddie Daniel Abraham Gaddie (May 21, 1836 – November 13, 1911) was a Baptist preacher in Louisville, Kentucky. He was known for his leadership in state and national Baptist organizations. Biography Gaddie was born May 21, 1836.Simmons, William J. ...

and

Andrew Heath Andrew Heath (February 20, 1832 - February 19, 1887) was a Baptist minister in Louisville, Kentucky. Andrew Heath was born in Henderson County, Kentucky on February 20, 1832.Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Pro ...

. Heath was also his assistant and successor at Fifth Street Baptist Church. Adams was self-educated and became a respected biblical scholar, and led the black Baptist community in Louisville for decades. Adams stressed that church-related education and self-help were the keys to improvement of the situation of blacks in America. He organized black congregations during the Civil War and served as moderator of the

General Association of Colored Baptists A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...

on August 3, 1869.Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p798-800 He also taught night school attended by many slaves and free blacks before and after emancipation, including

William Henry Steward William Henry Steward (July 26, 1847 – January 3, 1935) was a civil rights activist from Louisville, Kentucky. In February 1876, he was appointed the first black letter carrier in Kentucky. He was the leading layman of the General Association of ...

and

Bartlett Taylor Bartlett Taylor (February 14, 1815 – July 3, 1901) was an African Methodist Episcopal Church minister in Louisville, Kentucky. He purchased his freedom from slavery in 1840 and became missionary for the states of Kentucky and Tennessee after the ...

.Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p603-607, 626-630 Later in life, he led a movement that culminated in the founding of Kentucky Normal and Theological Institute (later

Simmons College of Kentucky Simmons College of Kentucky is a private historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1879, it is the nation's 107th HBCU and is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education. History Beginnings In August 186 ...

) in 1879. He married Margaret Corbin, sister of Joseph Carter Corbin, in 1842 and they had five children. He died on November 3, 1872, due to a heart attack.

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