08 – Jan. 08 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

It was printed posthumously
J.M. Carroll was born into extreme poverty on Jan. 08, 1852, in Monticello, AK to his Baptist preacher father, Benajah and wife Mary Carroll.  When J.M. was only six, the family moved on to Burleson County, TX.  Because of the Civil War and the freeing of their slaves which was all the estate they had, the family was impoverished.  Mr. Carroll died during the war and in 1868 his mother followed him in death when J.M. was 16 and he had to shift for himself.  At age 19 he married Sudie Wamble who was 16 and settled down to farming on rented land.  Early on he was called to preach and was licensed by the Liberty Baptist Church in Burleson, County.  Realizing the limitations of his education, having only gone to the 7th grade he entered Baylor University, and in five years, by doubling up, graduated with a Master of Arts degree.  Mary also entered Baylor College.  He received many honors having mastered Latin, Greek and Hebrew.  He was the pastor of several Baptist churches in Texas, including the cities of Anderson, Corpus Christi, Lampsas, and Taylor.  He resigned for a while to devote his time to the cause of prohibition.   He also served in various high offices of the Texas Southern Baptist Convention including the agent for Foreign Mission work.  He then was the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Waco until he resigned to do work for the endowment of Baylor.  However possibly most will remember him because he is the author of a little booklet – The Trail of Blood.  It was printed posthumously and as of March 2011 there have been more than 2, 400,700 printed.  His life surely shows what prayer, hard work, determination and grit can accomplish.
Dr. Greg J. Dixon from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. IIII: Cummins /, pp. 15-17.