Rev. George Eve

George Eve (b. 1748), a native of Culpeper County, was ordained a Baptist minister in 1778. At the time of the election he was serving as pastor of Blue Run Church in Orange County. He later moved to Kentucky (Semple, History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia [rev. ed., 1894], pp. 238–39; Taylor, Virginia Baptist Ministers, Series I, pp. 246–48).

George Eve is married to Elizabeth Cave Johnson: BIRTH 05 JAN 1757 • Orange, Virginia, United States; DEATH 13 AUG 1832 • Barbourville, Knox, Kentucky, USA

George Eve [pp. 294-295 A History of Kentucky Baptists, by J. H. Spencer]

http://usgenwebsites.org/vagenweb/culpeper/BibleChurch.html

George Eve was an early preacher in Bullittsburg church. He was born in Culpeper county, Va., 1748, and was raised an Episcopalian, but under the preaching of the renowned David Thomas, he was converted, and joined the Baptists in 1772. He soon began to exhort, and, in 1778, was ordained to the ministry. He took charge of F.T. church, and, after Elijah Craig's removal to Kentucky, Blue Run in Orange county. For a number of years he preached with "astonishing success" in his native State, and large numbers were led to the Savior under his ministry.

In 1797, he moved to Kentucky and settled in Boone county. Here he joined Bullittsburg church, and was a preacher in it about three years. He then moved to what is now Franklin county, and joined Great Crossing church. About this time ?the great revival? commenced. Mr. Eve was very active, giving almost his entire time to preaching. A great many were added to the churches under his ministry. May 2, 1801, he and William Hickman constituted North Fork church, of nineteen members, near Mr. Eve's residence. Of this church he became a member.

Up to this period, and for some years afterward, Mr. Eve?s life was most exemplary. His piety, meekness, amiability and great usefulness, rendered him popular and beloved, to a degree seldom surpassed. He had the care of several churches, and his popularity seemed to be greater than ever before. He was connected with some of the most distinguished families in the State. His wife was a sister of Col. Robert Johnson, and, consequently, an aunt of Col. R.M. Johnson, James Johnson, and John T. Johnson, the first of whom was VicePresident or the United States, and all of whom served in the United States Congress. But with all his exalted connections and great popularity, he was still the same meek, amiable and beloved minister of Jesus. But alas for the frailty of human nature. "Let no man count himself happy until he is dead," said an ancient philosopher. In his old age, and contrary to the expectation of all who knew him, this most lovely man fell by the use or strong drink, and was excluded from North Fork church. He was restored, and again went on preaching for a time. But the tempter overcame him, and he was expelled a second time, after which he returned to the church no more, but soon went the way of all the earth.

As a preacher Mr. Eve was below mediocrity. As an exhorter he greatly excelled, and his gift of song was marvelous.

• “From James Madison to George Eve, 2 January 1789,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-11-02-0297. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 11, 7 March 1788–1 March 1789, ed. Robert A. Rutland and Charles F. Hobson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1977, pp. 404–406.]