London Ferrill

Who was London Ferrill?

London Ferrill, also spelled Ferrell, was a former slave who became the second preacher of the First African Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, serving from 1823 to 1854. During his 31 years of service, Ferrill attracted and baptized many new members in the growing region; by 1850 the church had 1,820 members and was the largest of any in the state, black or white.

He gained support from both black and white leaders of the city. The funeral procession for Ferrill numbered 5,000 people, the largest in the city after that of the statesman Henry Clay. This was the first black church west of the Allegheny Mountains and the third oldest black Baptist congregation in the United States.