Noel is the 8th essay in A Noble Company, volume 8.

Silas Mercer Noel (1783-1839) was of such importance in Kentucky during the first half of the nineteenth century, that he may properly be called the Father of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. More than anyone else during this period, Noel worked to unite Kentucky Baptists both confessionally against the threat of Campbellism and cooperatively for the purpose of missions. As early as 1813, Noel had called for the organization of “a general meeting of correspondence” for Kentucky Baptists. By the end of his life, the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky had been formed, thanks, in no small part, to his tireless efforts. ----Steve Weaver