Church discipline in the 20th century consisted of an array of practices among congregations. Like the present age, some congregations did not actively practice church discipline in any form, while other congregations engaged in extreme or even corrupted forms of church discipline, excommunicating members for practices such as “laughing,” “whispering,” or “playing the ‘fiddle.’” Were such instances of inappropriate discipline outliers or normal practice in rural Southern Baptist (SBC) churches? In a denomination as geographically diverse as the SBC during the 20th century and holding the conviction that every local church is autonomous, some variation in practice is naturally unavoidable. By the conclusion of the 20th century, SBC congregations were located in all fifty states across the U.S., and SBC mission work extended throughout the world. Given the reality that certain practical church customs and practices can differ from one town, county, borough, or parish to the next, a denomination representative of this expanse of cultures, customs, and locations presents an array of interesting questions for consideration when it comes to the practice of church discipline. Accordingly, this paper will analyze how rural SBC churches located in southeastern Kentucky understood the purpose of church discipline during the 20th century and how those SBC churches engaged in the performance of church discipline throughout that era. This paper will use pastor’s manuals popular during the 20th century, select church minutes and records, church histories, and other resources to evaluate how rural SBC churches and their leaders understood and practiced church discipline during the 20th century. Specifically, this paper will examine instances and examples of church discipline undertaken by five rural SBC churches located in southeastern Kentucky: First Baptist Church of London, Kentucky, Swiss Colony Missionary Baptist Church of London, Kentucky, Bond Baptist Church of Annville, Kentucky, Annville Baptist Church of Annville, Kentucky, and the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, Kentucky. Based on an analysis of the source material related to these congregations, this paper will argue that rural SBC churches accurately understood the biblical purpose and model of church discipline and, with rare exception, faithfully engaged in a practice of church discipline consistent with that model during the 20th century.