Nelson County Baptist Church was first born in the heart of Bro. Darrell Goodlett. Bro. Goodlett was called into the ministry at the age of 16. As he grew older and learned more of the Lord, he developed a real burden for the Nelson County area—the county where he had spent most of his childhood.

It was in February of 1981 during a Missions Conference at Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, that Bro. Goodlett surrendered to plant a conservative independent Baptist church in Nelson County. In March of 1981, Bro. Goodlett and his wife, Vicki, who had also grown up in the area, began working to establish a church that would preach the Gospel of Christ without apology and build a caring and vibrant congregation.

The church was first a mission work of Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The first service was held in a rented storefront on March 22, 1981. Nelson County Baptist Church chartered as an independent congregation and Bro. Goodlett was ordained on May 31, 1981. The congregation continued to grow, and in January, 1982, moved into a larger storefront building. One acre of ground was purchased at the existing location from Bill Clemens (the church’s first baptized convert). In August, 1982, the congregation moved into the brick building. Eventually, an acre of land was donated to the church in memory of Bro. Clemens, and another acre was purchased.