The Gambler’s Mission: Steve P. Holcombe and the Heritage of the Louisville Rescue Mission

The Louisville Rescue Mission, one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the nation, has 135-year roots that begin with the most unlikely of missionaries. It was constituted as an interdenominational ministry by former riverboat gambler Steve P. Holcombe. His conversion to Christianity led him to transform the spiritual and social landscape of his city. Now a Southern Baptist benevolence ministry, the Louisville Rescue Mission’s perseverance is a story as remarkable as Holcombe’s own life.