222 – August, 10 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

The Day Baptists United

The Baptist General Committee of Virginia took up the subject of union between the Regular and Separatist Baptists on August 10, 1787. The Committee fulfilled a great need from its first session October 9, 1784, until its dissolution in 1799. The Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the Baptists in America were in their formative years. The Baptists sent memorials and remonstrance’s relating to the vital issues of religious liberty to the Virginia General Assembly by John Leland, Ruben Ford, and others. For many years the subject of union had been debated and concerns aired.

The Regulars complained that the Separates were not sufficiently explicit in their principles, having never published…any confession of faith; and that they kept within their communion many…professed Armenians, etc. The Separates answered that they did not entirely approve of religious societies binding themselves too strictly by confessions of faith, “seeing there was danger of usurping too high a place.” After considerable debate as to the propriety of having any confession of faith at all, the report of the committee was received with the following explanation in part: “To prevent the confession of faith from usurping a tyrannical power over the conscience of any…and that the doctrine of salvation by Christ and free, unmerited grace alone ought to be believed by every Christian and maintained by every minister of the Gospel. Upon these terms we are united; and desire hereafter that the names of Regular and Separate be buried in oblivion, and that from henceforth we shall be known by the name of the United Baptist Churches of Christ in Virginia.”  This union took place during the time of a great spiritual awakening across the Commonwealth.

Dr. Greg J. Dixon: From: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins/Thompson, pp. 328-29.

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162 – June 11 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

 

Prayer for Persecutors and Freedom

 

The Separate Baptists in Virginia had divided into two associations for the convenience of the messengers, and on May 14, 1774, the Southern District met in the Banister Baptist Church of Halifax County. There they transacted one of the most important aspects of an associational ministry, a phase that is all but dead among us in these days. For three or four years there had been severe persecutions against the Baptists in many parts of Virginia. Letters were received at their association from preachers confined in prison, particularly from David Tinsley, then in the Chesterfield jail. The hearts of their brethren were affected at their sufferings, in consequence of which they: “Agreed to set apart the second and third Saturdays in June as public fast days, in behalf of our poor blind persecutors, and for the releasement of our brethren.”

 

Those two days of prayer were Saturday, June 11, and Saturday, June 18, 1774, and the saints prayed for the enlightenment of the spiritually blind persecutors and the freedom of their ministers. We ought not to be surprised to observe that during that decade, the Separate Baptists “achieved their greatest growth . . . with 221 churches and unconstituted local bodies with 9,842 members.” Some of the persecutors were converted and became Baptist preachers, and freedom of religion was gained for the whole state of Virginia.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart: From: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I. (Thompson/Cummins) pp. 240.

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30 – January 30 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

 

30 – January 30 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PASTThe first church in Tennessee

 

 

1806 – A BAPTIST CHURCH WAS THE FIRST CHURCH OF ANY KIND IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE – Tidence Lane died on January 30, 1806. He was born near Baltimore, MD on August 31, 1724. His Anglican father Richard was an ardent opponent of the Baptists. The message of the Separate Baptists had a great effect on Tidence after the family moved to North Carolina.  He married Esther Bibber in May 1743 and heard Shubal Stearns preach, fell under conviction and was gloriously saved. In 1758 his younger brother Dutton was saved and both boys were called to preach.  His father was so irate that he pursued the youngest brother with the intent to kill him. Tidence and Esther had nine children, seven of them sons. Pressures, from the British Governor William Tryon against the Baptists, caused Tidence to turn toward Tennessee where the gospel had never been declared. His was the first church of any denomination organized in the State of Tenn. In 1779. he was the first Moderator of the First Association in the state, organized on October 21, 1786, 10 years before Tenn. was admitted into the Union. Lane’s success was so great that by 1790 Tenn. had 18 churches, 21 preachers and 889 members.

 

Dr. Greg J. Dixon; adapted from:  Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson/   pg. 40.

 

 

 

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THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

 

 

 

He was the leader of the Separates

 

1745 – THE SEPARATE BAPTISTS WERE FOUNDED BY SHUBAL STEARNS WHO WAS A CONVERT OF GEORGE WHITEFIELD Shubal Stearns was born on January 28, 1706. In 1745 he joined the ‘New Lights’ and preached as a ‘New Light Congregationalist’. He was a convert of George Whitefield the English Anglican Evangelist. Many of his converts became Baptists as they began to study the scriptures and became convinced of believer’s baptism by water immersion. Stearns was one who became the leader of the Separate Baptists; Isaac Backus was another, he became known as “The Apostle of Liberty”, and Daniel Marshall was the other who became the founder of the Baptist effort in Georgia. Shubal was baptized in 1751 and ordained on May 20. In 1755 he moved to Sandy Creek, N.C. where he organized a Baptist church and saw a great out pouring of God’s Spirit and in a short time they had over six hundred members. His assistants were his brother-in-law Daniel Marshall and Joseph Breed. Shubal traveled continually and they not only saw the lost saved but a host of young men called to preach. Some of them were John Dillahunty, Philip Mulkey, Joseph and William Murphy, James Read, Nathaniel Power, and James Turner. Churches flourished in Virginia and the Carolinas and the Sandy Creek Association was formed. Stearns was lovingly revered as the “Old Father.” He died on Nov. 20, 1771.
Dr. Greg J. Dixon; adapted from:  Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson/   pg. 37.

 

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162 — June 11 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

 Prayer  for Persecutors and Freedom

 

The Separate Baptists in Virginia had divided into two associations for the convenience of the messengers, and on May 14, 1774, the Southern District met in the Banister Baptist Church of Halifax County. There they transacted one of the most important aspects of an associational ministry, a phase that is all but dead among us in these days. For three or four years there had been severe persecutions against the Baptists in many parts of Virginia. Letters were received at their association from preachers confined in prison, particularly from David Tinsley, then in the Chesterfield jail.  The hearts of their brethren were affected at their sufferings, in consequence of which they: “Agreed to set apart the second and third Saturdays in June as public fast days, in behalf of our poor blind persecutors, and for the releasement of our brethren.”

 

Those two days of prayer were Saturday, June 11, and Saturday, June 18, 1774, and the saints prayed for the enlightenment of the spiritually blind persecutors and the freedom of their ministers.  We ought not to be surprised to observe that during that decade, the Separate Baptists “achieved their greatest growth . . . with 221 churches and unconstituted local bodies with 9,842 members.”  Some of the persecutors were converted and became Baptist preachers, and freedom of religion was gained for the whole state of Virginia.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart: Adapted from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I. (Thompson/Cummins) pp. 240 -241.

 

                                                                               

 

146 — May 26 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

 Lewis Craig grave site

 

The Bold Preacher Who Fled Fast

 

 

Toliver Craig and his wife, of Orange County, Virginia, were the parents of three sons who became Baptist preachers. They had very effective ministries in the area surrounding their home. David Thomas, the Regular Baptist, and Samuel Harriss and James Read, the Separate Baptists, had introduced the gospel of the grace of God into their community. It was not long until the Craig family became flaming evangels, preaching the Word of God everywhere and anytime they had opportunity. As a result of this zeal, the sons Elijah and Lewis Craig found themselves in the county jail. Elijah was incarcerated four times, twice each in Culpeper and Orange County jails. Lewis was imprisoned only twice, once in Caroline County and once in Spotsylvania County, although he was arrested four times. These imprisonments were for preaching the gospel of the Son of God without state-church ordination or state licensure, although they were charged with being vagrants, strollers, or disturbers of the peace.

 

These brothers probably appeared eccentric in their day, but their younger brother, Joseph, was a very unusual man. He was a man of small stature, stooping shoulders, and hardy complexion. He was very active in business and persevered as a traveling preacher. There is a court record in Orange County Court House dated May 26, 1768, charging him and several others with absenting themselves from the parish church. This may have been due to his conversion experience prior to that date and his presence at Baptist meetings. In spite of several charges against him, to our knowledge he never saw the inside of a jail, doubtless due to the fact that he was a fast runner.

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart: Adapted from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I. Thompson/ Cummins pp. 215 -216.

 

 

109 – April 19 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

The “Great Awakening” was an amazing movement of God’s Holy Spirit of which it has been written, “There are few instances in history of transformations of religious life so profound and so widespread during so short a period.”  Though the movement was experienced primarily in New England, in the course of time, through the ministry of the Separate Baptists, the so-called “Bible Belt” in the southern states of America was the primary benefactor. However, there is no doubt that the “Great Awakening” left its impact in Baptist Churches, and all other religious groups, throughout America.  Revivals had significant role in spiritual and physical growth as revealed in the history of the First Baptist Church of Cape May.  It had never been a large church, as Morgan Edwards reported that there were about 90 families in  the congregation on April 19, 1790, “whereof 63 persons are baptized and in the communion which is here administered every other month.”  There were periods of growth in that work that came during “revival meetings.”  The first such services were called “protracted meetings,” and they were usually held during the winter months when farmhands and fishermen experienced an idle season. One of the secrets of success in these meetings was the fact that they usually began with an appointed day for fasting and prayer.  At times cottage prayer meetings were held prior to the meetings as well.  In 1839, sixty-eight were baptized and united with the church.  In 1849 another 29 converts were saved, baptized, and added to the church.  With the infiltration of German rationalism, revivalism as such began to wane, and today it is tragic to report that many churches are pleased to merely maintain their membership.

 

**(And if one of the maintained would leave due to the preaching of God’s word straight and true, how The membership rants and raves at the pastor, yet there is little or no concern about reaching the lost and bringing them into the flock. ** True revival will cause an “Awakening” of the believers gratitude for his salvation, and an urgency for the salvation of the lost.)

 

**Editors note

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History  III (David L. Cummins) p.p.  227   –   228

 

 

84 – March 25 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

A Pioneer Church Planter

 

Jonathan Mulkey was one of the early pioneer Baptist preachers in Tennessee.  You will find his burial site in the old Buffalo Ridge Cemetery near Gray, Tenn.  You can still read on the gravestone these words, “…BORN OCT 16, 1752 – DEPARTED THIS LIFE SEP. 5, 1826, AFTER HAVING BEEN A PREACHER OF THE BAPTIST ORDER MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS.”  His father Philip had been a very successful preacher among the Separate Baptists in the Carolinas.  Shubal Stearns had baptized him on Christmas day 1756.  However Philip had fallen into sin and had done great harm to his testimony.  His son Jonathan married Nancy Howard and they made their way westward into Tennessee having escaped Indians on the way.  Jonathan served the Buffalo Ridge Baptist church as pastor for forty-two years and at the same time was pastor of the Sinking Creek Baptist Church for thirty-one years.  On March 25, 1786, along with Isaac Barton, they constituted the French Broad River Baptist Church which is now the First Baptist Church of Dandridge, Tennessee.  He also assisted in founding the Big Pigeon Baptist Church in Cocke County.  The churches where Pastor Mulkey served grew in spirituality, doctrinal stability and practical service.  He also possessed a missionary spirit, and he constantly kept the cause of missions before his congregations and the Holston Association, of which he served for eight terms as moderator.  When he was old he trained his horse to kneel like a camel so he could mount him to take him to the church house.  They would put an armchair behind a table for him to preach.  On Sept. 5, 1826, the tired old servant of the Lord closed his eyes in death.

Dr. Greg J. Dixon, adapted from: This Day in Baptist History III (David L. Cummins), pp. 174 – 175.

 

35 – Feb. 04 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

A Name of Honour
John Dillahunty, descended from a noble French family.  His grandfather, David de la Hunte, was expelled from France, and fled to Holland and then later made his way to Ireland.  John’s father, Daniel Dillahunty, came to America in 1715 and settled in Kent County, Maryland.  It was there that John Dillahunty was born and later married Hannah Neal, a Quakeress.  John and Hanna later settled in New Bern North Carolina.
John and Hanna were soundly converted under the preaching of the Separate Baptists Shubal Stearns, Daniel Marshall, and others preaching the gospel in 1755. Adopting Baptist principles, and growing in maturity, John was granted a license to preach.  John preached frequently but like most Baptist preachers of the time engaged in the activities of the Revolutionary War.  After the war in 1794 he led six families to relocate in Middle Tennessee west of Nashville, where they established the Richland Creek Baptist Church.   John Dillahunty continued to serve the pastorate of the Richland Creek Baptist Church until his death in Nashville on February 4, 1816.
Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History  III (David L. Cummins), pp. 71,72.

12 – Jan. 12 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

Daniel Marshall  Baptized Samuel Harris.
“the arrow of the Almighty stuck fast.”
 Samuel Harris led the charge for the Separate Baptists in Virginia.  He was born, Jan. 12, 1724 but not born again until 1758.  He was a nobleman, in that he held several positions of honor.  He served as sheriff, colonel of the militia, and captain of Fort Mayo.  But under the preaching of the Murphy boys he said that, “the arrow of the Almighty stuck fast.”  Daniel Marshall baptized him, and he was ordained in 1769.  He first preached in Culpepper County but was driven out of town by a mob.  In Orange County he was pulled from the platform by a roughneck and abused until rescued by friends.  On another occasion he was knocked down while preaching.  However, even then he didn’t suffer as other Baptist preachers did.  Take the case of “Swearing Jack Waller.”  He was on the jury at the trial of Lewis Craig.  Craig told the jury, “I take joyfully the spoiling of my goods for Christ’s sake.  While I lived in sin the jury took no notice of me.”  John Waller’s heart was melted and he was saved and in time became an honored Separate Baptist preacher.  One time while he was preaching he was assaulted by an Anglican parson and a sheriff.  The parson stuffed his whip handle down his throat but he returned and continued to preach.  John Taylor, John Koontz, William Webber, David Barrow, Lewis Lunsford, John Pickett, James Ireland, and Elijah Baker all suffered at the hands of mobs as they attempted to preach the gospel.  Sometimes snakes were thrown into their midst.  Many attacks were made at their baptism’s.  At times preachers were plunged into the mud with the threat of drowning.  It could surely be said of them that they were sent forth as, “sheep among wolves.”
Dr. Greg J. Dixon from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. IIII: Cummins /, pp. 24-26.