History of the Restoration Movement

Robert Floyd Kilpatrick

1890-1965

The Life And Work Of R.F. Kilpatrick

Robert Floyd Kilpatrick was born April 28, 1890 in Flintville, Tennessee. He was married to Lorena Roden April 12, 1908. The family was blessed with a home full of eleven children, at least two of whom became gospel preachers, Wayne and Larry.

Baptized in 1912 by John T. Smithson, Sr., it was several years before brother Kilpatrick began preaching at Gurley, Alabama in 1931. Until that time, he farmed for the most part. Several years he served churches in North Alabama and South Central, Tennessee. He preached at Lawrenceburg, Tennessee from 1944-1947, at Albertville, Alabama in 1948, and for Columbus City, Alabama from 1952-1959. He continued farming most of his life, but served churches in the Madison County, Alabama area for most of his preaching career. At one time, every church in the county could claim the involvement of R.F. Kilpatrick as an important part of their growth and strength. Among churches of Christ in North Alabama he was a household name, preaching meetings and evangelizing all through the area.

In the early years of radio, he conducted programs over Huntsville station WBHP, and also while in Albertville, WAVU. The life and work of R.F. Kilpatrick has long lived in the hearts and minds of those who were blessed by his life. He passed from this life to be with the Lord in 1965.

-Preachers of Today, Vol. 2, page 238.

R.F. Kilpatrick And The Gospel Advocate

In 1955, the brotherhood paper, Gospel Advocate, was conducting a subscription drive in view of celebrating its centennial year of operation. Staff writer and good friend of R.F. Kilpatrick, Gus Nichols, wrote a few articles to promote readership. In one article he made reference to the early years of R.F. Kilpatrick, before he even knew that the paper existed. The entry in its entirety is below,

Brother Nichols Writes

What a subscription to the GOSPEL AVOCATE may do is revealed in the following story from our tireless worker and brother, Gus Nichols, of Jasper, Ala.

"R.F. Kilpatrick, Gurley, Ala., who is a fine gospel preacher, told me the following story: When he had been a member of the church only a few years but had never heard of the GOSPEL AVOCATE or any other religious paper published among churches of Christ, a very prominent Baptist preacher asked him one day if he had seen a certain article in the latest GOSPEL ADVOCATE. He informed the preacher that he did not take the paper nor had he ever heard of it before. The Baptist preacher told him about the ADVOCATE and offered to pay for it for Brother Kilpatrick, which he did. In the next few years Brother Kilpatrick had learned enough about the Bible to discuss religion with the preacher. As a result of the influence of the ADVOCATE and Brother Kilpatrick's teaching, the preacher was convinced of the error of his way and gave up his position as a preacher in his denomination. There must be millions of people whose hearts are sick of religious divisions and in whose honest hearts there is a constant longing for a better knowledge of pure, simple, New Testament Christianity, without any mixture of the commandments of men, or of denominationalism. It is wonderful to be a simple New Testament Christian! A subscription to the (GOSPEL ADVOCATE will always help the honest heart. Don't be afraid to send it to your neighbor. Order a bundle of at least ten copies at 3 1/2¢ per copy and give them out, having the company bill you for them monthly or mail the paper to them at $2 per year in clubs of five or more."

-Gospel Advocate, 26 May 1955, page 410.

Success At Preaching In Macon, Tennessee in 1937

-Gospel Advocate, September 16, 1937, page 881

>Preaching At Huntland, Tennessee in 1940

Gospel Advocate, October 10, 1940, p.977

Debate At Huntsville, Alabama in 1941

-Gospel Advocate, June 26, 1941, page 620