Dr. Raford Bethel Herrin

Lord Jesus Christ on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at his home, with many loving

family members by his side. He passed away 5 years and 17 days after the passing of

his wife and best friend of 64 years, Vonda Delphine Herrin, and just over 65 years after

he was ordained to lifelong service in the gospel ministry.

Dr. Herrin was born March 3, 1927, in Shopville, Kentucky, to John and Oteila

Herrin. He lived in Tateville, Kentucky, as a child, and moved to Norwood, Ohio, at the

age of 15. He entered the U.S. Army at age 18, shipping out to Germany to serve with

the military police during a turbulent end-of-war and post-war period. Upon his

honorable discharge in 1947, Dr. Herrin returned to Norwood to live and work. On

February 17, 1951, he married Vonda, beginning a fruitful and exciting life that included

eight children. Upon his call to the ministry in 1953, Pastor Herrin embarked on seven

decades of starting and pastoring Baptist churches in Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky,

to include churches in Cleves, Ohio, Cynthiana, Kentucky, Pine Hill, Kentucky, Mt.

Vernon, Kentucky, Pall Mall Valley, Tennessee, Booneville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Ohio,

Falmouth, Kentucky, a return to Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, and finally Elizabethtown,

Kentucky, where he pastored Brooks Baptist Church for over 35 years before his

retirement from full-time pastoring in 2010.

Despite initially having only an eighth grade education, Dr. Herrin pursued further

education throughout his life. Even with a large family, he took classes at

Independence Baptist Bible College, Independence, Kentucky, and continued on at

what is now known as Eastern Kentucky University. He eventually earned a Bachelor of

Theology and Master of Religious Education from Great Plains Baptist College, and

Doctorate of Ministry from Great Plains Baptist Divinity School.

A hallmark of Dr. Herrin's life was witnessing to anyone and everyone about the Lord

Jesus Christ. He loved tent revivals, brush harbors, church revivals and personal, one-

to-one witnessing about Jesus. These opportunities would commonly arise when he

engaged in other passions, such as, buying, selling and trading jewelry, and knives, and

playing golf multiple times a week. He was an avid walker, walking a least two miles

every day except Sunday.

Dr. Herrin was preceded in death by his wife Vonda, his parents, his brothers

Derwood Herrin, Coy Herrin, Dewey Herrin, and Paul Herrin, his sister Esther Herrin

Dick, grandson Andrew McVicker and granddaughter Emily McVicker.

Survivors include eight children, Melinda Creech (Joe), of Cumberland, Kentucky;

Cynthia McVicker, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Rebekah Hammond (Larry), of

Louisville, Kentucky; Kenneth Herrin, of Lexington, Kentucky; Aneta Grugin (Joel), of

Owenton, Kentucky; Tina Sexton (Jeff) of Charlottesville, Virginia; Barton Herrin

(Tammy) of Sonora, Kentucky; Leesa Paynter (James (Skip)), of Sulpher, Kentucky;

fourteen grandchildren, Kevin Isaacs, John Hammond, William McVicker, Jr., Bethanie

Hammond, Rachelle Wood, Laynah Vance, Aaron Creech, Amelia Weber, Victoria

Paynter, Barton Herrin, Jr., Cameron Paynter, Andrea Rundle, Seth Sexton, and

McKinley Paynter; and six great grandchildren.

A visitation will be held Sunday, September 27, 2020, 3-5 p.m. at Brown Funeral

Home, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. A funeral service will be held Monday, September 28,

2 p.m. at Brooks Baptist Church, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with Pastor Joe Weber and

Brothers Mike Frey and James Love officiating. Burial will be Tuesday, September 29,

2020, 1 p.m. at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery, Radcliff, Kentucky. In lieu of flowers,

memorials can be made to Brooks Baptist Church, Elizabethtown, Kentucky.