'An Independent Baptist Church'

The Baptist Story - Part 2

PERSECUTION OF THE BAPTISTS COMES TO AMERICA

Isn't it sad that this ONE diabolical doctrine that has probably caused more bloodshed and persecution than any other doctrine,' INFANT Christening, or BABY BAPTISM, was brought out of the REFORMATION by most all of the protestant groups that broke away from the Mother Church of Rome!

Martin Luther and Lutherans believed &taught ... and still do….INFANT BAPTISM... and persecuted those who disagreed;  

John Calvin and the' REFORMED CHURCH taught and practiced INFANT BAPTISM;  

John Knox and the PRESBYTERIANS, brought BABY BAPTISM out of the REFORMATION with them;

Zwingli, the Swiss Reformer, wrote in 1530, “The institution of Anabaptism is NO NOVELTY, but for 1300 YEARS has caused great disturbance in the church, and has acquired such a strength that the attempt in this age to contend with it appeared futile for a time.”  Take 1300 from 1520 when Zwingli wrote and we have A.D. 230, a date nearly reaching the apostolic age…  (Baptists in History, page 12, W.D. Harvey)

The ANGLICAN (Church of England) or EPISCOPALIAN Church continued to baptize BABIES as their Mother did (Church of Rome).

 John Wesley and the Methodists continued with the idea of baptizing babies they got from their mother when they broke away;

The Congregationalists, Puritans, and Pilgrims all believed in baptizing babies!

As William Pettingill notes 'in his article INFANT BAPTISM:

"this one doctrine has probably been responsible for sending more people to hell than perhaps any other doctrine-because it gave people the false assurance that by this act they were 'born-again' and a child of God!”

Have many of us have asked a person if 'he or she was saved, and the person would reply, 'Oh, yes, I was baptized as a baby!" ????

Many people are unaware that this religious persecution against Anabaptists even came to America in the early days of this republic.

When the different protestant groups came to America, they brought with them not only the idea of INFANT BAPTISM, but also they brought from Rome the idea of UNION of Church and State.

Each Colony or State, when it was formed by the various religious groups fleeing Europe because of Religious persecution, established by law in their respective territories, the official STATE religion of their state, forbidding and_PERSECUTING all religious views different from their OWN!

This especially included the heretic ANABAPTISTS!

You see, each colony, BY LAW had its own respective State Religion, and one had to abide by it or be persecuted...

For example, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was a 'Congregationalist' colony, while others were Lutheran; another was Presbyterian, etc.

The Presbyterian, at that time, believed in Religious liberty, but liberty JUST for the Presbyterian;

The Episcopalian would talk about religious liberty, but he meant liberty for the Episcopalian;

J.M. Carroll in THE TRAIL OF BLOOD lets it be noted as an historical FACT that there is NO RECORD of Baptists ever persecuting anyone for their religious beliefs ... They never had anyone put in jail, never tortured or martyred anyone, for holding differing religious views from them.. He wonders if any other religious group or denomination on the face of the earth can make this claim!” (Quoted from THE BAPTIST STORY, Davis, p135-144)  

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AGAINST BAPTISTS IN EARLY AMERICA

Yes, Religious persecution existed even in the early days of the United States.  Baptists came to America to escape persecution they were receiving in Europe, but lo, they received persecution by the established churches in each colony in America as well, all because of their stand contrary to Infant Baptism.  This persecution continued to be intense for over 100 years, from the beginning of the Colonial period to the opening of the Revolutionary War.

A.A. Davis The Baptist Story, page 120 states.

"Before the Massachusetts Bay Colony is 20 years old with the Congregationalist Church as the State Church, they passed laws against the Baptists and others.  Following is a sample of one of the laws passed by Governor Endicott and his Congregationalist friends in Massachusetts:

”It is ordered and agreed that if any person or persons within this jurisdiction shall either openly condemn or oppose the baptizing of infants, to go about secretly to seduce others from the approbation, or use thereof, or shall purposely depart the congregation during the administering of the ordinance, after due time and conviction, every such person or persons shall be sentenced to banishment”

Banishment back then in Colonial days almost meant certain death, and is the equivalent of capital punishment today, because it meant going to live with the savage Indians just beyond the border!  And so, in Massachusetts, the Congregationalists made it pretty hard for Baptists to operate!  They believed in religious liberty, but only for the Congregationalist!

It is recorded that on one occasion one of John Clarke’s members was sick. John Clark was a Baptist preacher. The family lived just across the Massachusetts Bay Colony line and just inside that colony.  John Clarke himself, and another preacher, and a layman, all three went to visit that sick family.  While they were holding a prayer service with that sick family, some officer came and arrested them and brought them before the court for trial.

To trump up the charges against them, the 3 men were carried into a Congregationalist church service.  In court their hands were tied and the charge against them was:  "For not taking off their hats in a religious service." They were all tried and convicted.

Governor Endicott was present, and in a rage he said to Clarke, "You have denied infants baptism" (This was not the charge against them).  "You deserve death. I will not have such trash brought into my jurisdiction."  The penalty for all was a fine, or be well-whipped.  Clarke’s and the other preacher’s fines were paid by friends, but he laymen, Obediah Holmes, refused to pay his fine because he felt he had done nothing wrong. His fine was more than the others because he originally had been a Congregationalist before converting to Baptist.  He was well-whipped. The record states that he was stripped to the waist and then whipped (with some kind of a special whip) until the blood ran down his body and then his legs until his shoes overflowed.  The record goes on to state that his body was so badly gashed and cut that for two weeks he could not lie down, so his body could touch the bed.  His sleeping had to be done on his hands or elbows and knees."

J.M. Carroll states on page 48 of THE TRAIL OF BLOOD, "Thomas Painter, another man, refused to have his child baptized," and gave his opinion "that infant baptism was an anti-Christian ordinance."  For these offenses he was tied up and whipped.  Governor Endicott tells us that Painter was whipped ‘For reproaching the Lord’s ordinance."

In the same year, and for several years following, there are records of of several presentments to the Salem court of men who withheld their children from baptism or argued against infant baptism. (A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS, Vedder, p296)
 

THE VERY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN AMERICA

Davis states on page 126 of THE BAPTIST STORY,

"...In...1638, John Clark who was a regularly ordained Baptist preacher, instituted a congregation at Newport, Rhode Island, and that church still stands.  John Clark established the very first Baptist Church in America that we have any record of, in 1638, one year before Roger Williams had his religious adventure over at Providence, Rhode Island.  Roger Williams, preaching Baptist doctrines, was arrested in Massachusetts. Governor Endicott banished Williams and his family, and a few others, 11 or 12 total, and they were forced to go live with the Indians.  God, however, took care of them. He went over to a stretch of land, later to be known as Rhode Island, and made friends with the Indians!
 

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN THE OTHER COLONIES

A.A. Davis notes on page 128 of THE BAPTIST STORY,

"...You remember that Virginia had for a time a law prohibiting a Baptist preacher from preaching at all. That was finally modified to where one and only one Baptist preacher was allowed in a County. He was allowed to preach once every two months, later modified to once every month, and only in one definite place in the County, but then only in the daytime...NEVER at night....and the sheriff had to be present when he preached.  That was religious liberty in Virginia, in the old U.S.A.  (The Church of England was the ‘official’ Church of Virginia back in those early days, and Baptists were considered ‘heretics’ because they taught that baptizing babies was wrong.)"

Carroll goes onto state on page 50 of The Trail of Blood:

"Laws were passed not only in Virginia but in the colonies everywhere positively forbidding any Mission work.  This was why Judson, a Baptist, was the first foreign missionary....law forbade him to do mission work here in America!"

Carroll tells about the persecution and hatred of Baptist preachers in Virginia on page 49 of THE TRAIL OF BLOOD,

"...as many as 30 preachers at different times, were put in jail with the only charge against them – ‘for preaching the Gospel of the Son of God’ (apart from water baptism).   James Ireland is a case in point.  He was imprisoned.  After imprisonment, his enemies tried to blow him up with gunpowder.  That having failed, they next tried to smother him to death by burning sulfur under his windows at the jail.  Failing also in this, they tried to arrange with a doctor to poison him. All this failed.  He continued to preach to his people from the jail windows.  A wall was then built around his jail so the people could not see in nor he see out, but even that difficulty was overcome.  The people gathered, and a handkerchief was tied to a long stick, which was then stuck up above the walls so Preacher Ireland could see when they were ready, and the preaching continued."

In North Carolina, there was a law prohibiting Baptists from even building churches or meeting places in the cities. (Baptists in History, W.D. Harvey, p22)

In New York, an ordinance in 1662 imposed a severe fine on anybody who should even be present at an illegal (Baptist) meeting or church service!  (Vedder, p303)

Reverend Wickenden preached the first Baptist sermon in New York in 1669.  He was arrested and put in jail for 3 months, and then banished from the Colony.    (ibid.) 

The first attempt at a Baptist Church in Maine occurred in 1681 when William Screven organized a church under Baptist Principles.  He was imprisoned and fined ten pounds by the provincial authorities for pronouncing infant baptism....

"no ordinance of God, but an invention of men."

Finding that there was no prospect of serving God in peace in Maine, the little church 17 people moved and settled near Charleston, South Carolina, in 1684 and organized the very first Baptist Church in South Carolina. 

Listen to this, "It was 80 years before another attempt was made to plant a Baptist Church in Maine."  (Vedder, A SHORT HISTORY OF BAPTISTS, p301)

Due to such intense persecution against Baptists in the New England Colonies, Vedder notes that by 1700, there were only ten small Baptist Churches in all of New England, with probably not more than 300 members." (Vedder, p302)

The first President of Harvard, Reverend Henry Dunston, was removed from his position because he preached a sermon against Infant Baptism.  He had served faithfully as the President of this Institution of learning for 12 years with universal satisfaction and applause.  In the year 1653, the birth of their 4th child brought to an issue doubts that he appears to have entertained for some time regarding infant baptism.  After studying the matter carefully, he came to the conclusion that infant baptism was wrong, and that only believers should be baptized, and he set forth his reasons in several sermons.  Vedder notes on page 297 of A SHORT HISTORY OF BAPTISTS,

"Great excitement was at once provoked by this procedure of Dunston's, and no wonder. The denial of infant baptism was a blow at the very foundations of the Puritan theory of Church and State, and Dunston immediately became a dangerous enemy of the Commonwealth.  Either he must be suppressed or the whole social fabric of Massachusetts must be remodeled."

Dunston was virtually compelled to resign the presidency of the college.

Two students of the college were expelled because they attended a Baptist meeting. (Baptists in History, Harvey, p22)

In 1676, the first Baptist Meeting house was built in Boston. A law was at once passed, confiscating it, if they did not cease to meet in it.  In 1680, the doors were nailed shut by order of the court. (Baptists in History, Harvey, p21)

In Connecticut, we can see the attitude toward early Baptists by the following statute,

"Nor Shall any persons neglect the public worship of God in some lawful congregation, and form themselves into separate companies in private Houses, on Penalty of Ten Shillings for every such Offense each person shall be guilty of"

In 1658, the court of New Haven, Connecticut made a law prohibited all conversation of the common people with heretics (Baptists, Quakers, etc.)  It stated:

"....where such an offence shall be committed, shall incur the penalty of ten pounds for every such an offence, and suffer corporeal punishment by whipping, not exceeding 30 stripes for each offence".  (Records of State of Connecticut, V. May, 1723)

In New Jersey, the Congregational Church was the official church of that colony, and anyone who was not a member of said church could not be elected of public office, or serve in any military capacity of leadership, nor even be allowed to vote in public elections. (History of Baptists, p93, J. Christian)

An interesting occurrence happened in one of the churches in early New Jersey.  A certain man who believed in infant Baptism wanted  his first child thus baptized, but his wife was averse to the measure, and would not consent until some plain passage of scripture could be produced to show that the Bible taught such a practice.  The man went to his minister and asked for evidence from the bible for baptizing babies, and his ministry frankly told him there was no such scripture, but showed him how the proof of the doctrine was reasoned.  On hearing of this Robert Calver inserted an advertisement in the newspaper offering Twenty Dollars reward to any one who would produce a text proving infant baptism.  Reverend Samuel Harker took up the offer and produced a text to Mr. Calver, who looked at it, but could not see Bible proof for baptizing babies anywhere in the text.  The minister, Rev. Harker, sued, but the court sided with Mr. Harker, and made the preacher pay the costs of the court!  Calver than offered $40 for any Bible passage which proved Infant Baptism, but no one accepted his challenge.  A historian note about this event and the interesting comment, "It does not appear that the court had any bias in favor of Baptist sentiments;  their decision, no doubt, was made according to the LAW and EVIDENCE" .....since there was no evidence produced for the baptizing of babies to the court, no other verdict could be rendered!

(History of the Baptists, page 95,96, John Christian)

This was Religious Freedom in early America!

As early as 1661, Virginia imposed a fine of 2000 pounds of tobacco on parents who refused to have their children baptized. (Vedder, HISTORY OF BAPTISTS, P307)

In Virginia, Baptist preachers were arrested as vagrants and cast into jails for no cause but their religious opinions.

Davis in THE BAPTIST STORY goes on to tell about the three Baptist Preachers who were thrown in jail for preaching the Gospel of the Son of God, and how that Patrick Henry came to their aid.

"The clerk was reading the indictment in a slow and formal manner when he pronounced the crime with emphasis, ‘For preaching the gospel of the son of God in the colony of Virginia, the above named preachers, Louis and Joseph Craig and Aaron Bledsoe....”.  

At this point a plainly dressed man who had just rode up to the court house entered and took his seat within the courtroom.  He was known to the court and the lawyers, but a stranger to the mass of spectators, who had gathered on this occasion.  That was Patrick Henry, who on hearing of this persecution, had ridden some 50 or 60 miles from his residence at Hanover County to volunteer his services in their defense.

He listened to the further reading of the indictment with marked attention, the first sentence of which caught his ear was ‘for preaching the gospel of the Son of God’.  When it was finished, and the prosecuting attorney had submitted a few remarks, Patrick Henry arose, reaching out his hand, received the paper and addressed that Virginia court in these words:

‘May it please your worship, I think I heard read by the prosecutor as I entered this house the paper I now hold in my hand.  If I rightly understood, the king’s attorney of this colony has framed an indictment for the purpose of arraigning and punishing by imprisonment three inoffensive persons before the bar of this court, for a crime of great magnitude, as a disturbance of the peace.  May it please the court, what did I hear read?

‘Did I hear an expression as if a crime, that these men whom your worships are about to try for misdemeanor, are charged with WHAT?’  

And continuing in a low, solemn tone, ‘for preaching the gospel of the Son of God’

Pausing amid the most profound silence and breathless astonishment, he slowly waved the paper three times around his head.  He lifted his hands and eyes to heaven with peculiar and impressive energy, and he exclaimed, ‘Great God....for preaching the gospel of the Son of God?’  

The exclamation, the burst of feeling from the audience was all over-powering.  In tones of thunder he exclaimed, ‘What law have they violated?’

The court and audience were now so wrapped up to most intense pitch of excitement, that the face of the Prosecuting attorney was pallid and ghastly.  While the Judge in a tremendous voice put and end to the scene and said, ‘Sheriff, discharge those men.’

 (Quoting from Ford’s History and Origin of the Baptists, p16-19)

This type of persecution of Baptists went on for about 100 years from early Colonial days up to the Revolutionary War!

Due to such persecution in early America against Baptists, there were only 47 Baptist Churches in existence in all of the American Colonies before the Great Awakening in 1735-1740. (Vedder, SHORT HISTORY OF BAPTISTS, 307)

THE FIRST SPOT ON EARTH WHERE THERE IS COMPLETE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - RHODE ISLAND

Roger Williams later became acquainted with John Clarke, and they both labored for nearly 14 years in an effort to obtain a charter form the Parliament of England for the colonization of a colony where religious liberty would be granted to all people.

It was in 1663 that Clarke, who had remained in England to wrestle with the British parliament, had succeeded in obtaining from those hostile British authorities the charter for the Rhode Island colony.  It was John Clarke, the Baptist preacher, who is possession of that charter brought it back to this country, the first document of its kind that ever graced American soil.  It declared that there would be complete Religious Liberty and freedom in Rhode Island.  There would be no religious test to hold political office within the bounds of that colony, and that all men should worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience.

Here we have Rhode Island, which began as a little Baptist colony in 1638, but not legally chartered until 1663, as the first spot on earth for over 1300 years where complete religious freedom and liberty was granted, and it was the Baptists who gave us that freedom!  

The second place where such religious freedom was also granted was in Virginia in 1786.

Religious Freedom Granted in the U.S. Constitution

Congress declared the first amendment to the Constitution to be in force December 15, 1791, which granted religious liberty to all citizens.  Baptists are credited with being the leaders in bringing this blessing to the nation.  You didn’t have to belong to a certain religious denomination to hold office anymore, and there were no denominational ‘State Churches’ which were supported by the tax payer of that state!

HAVE THE BAPTISTS EVER PERSECUTED ANYONE?

John Christian writes in A HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS on page 22:

"The tragedy is, that those who came to America, on account of being persecuted in their own land, should here persecute others.  This was true of all parties, except the Baptists and the Quakers."

I want to call your attention an article by Frank S. Mead, author of the classic "Mead’s Handbook of Denominations".  He is considered the foremost authority on different Church Denominations.  I quote Dr. Mead from THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY, April 1935 on page 18:

"How old are the Baptists?  Well, how old are the hills?  The Baptists began with the Master.....Their first church was at Jerusalem.  They are as old as Christianity and know no founder but Christ.  Connected or not, spasmodic and separated and transient as to their physical organizations - their characteristic ideas and doctrines came directly from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Never once in their long, bitter, bloody history have they ever struck back at their persecutors or persecuted any others for their faith."

Such a noble tribute from a Non-Baptist Historian is indeed worthy of attention.  The quote was taken from THE BAPTIST STORY, p148 by A.A. Davis.

With some 1400 years of persecution back of them, the Baptists come out with a smile on their face; scarred they were, but they did not hate anybody.  They do not hate anybody now.  We do not hate our friends or our persecutors.  We feel toward these poor people as Stephen felt, "Father, Forgive them, for they know not what they do."
The Baptists came through this trail of blood with no hatred in their hearts, with no ill will for any man, but just wanting an opportunity to let our light so shine that others, seeing who we are, might want to come our way.

Thomas Jefferson, when forming the Constitution and its first amendment, goes back to those hated, persecuted, and abused Ana-Baptists and says by his action, "I will take your version of religious liberty and I will give it to the world."

Indeed, that group known as BAPTISTS was the forerunner in the establishment of civil and Religious Liberty in America.  The Declaration of Independence was denounced by the tyrants of Europe as "an Anabaptist document". 

Baptists were among the first and bravest to enlist in the Revolutionary war.  So distinguished were their services that General George Washington made most honorable mention of their sacrifices and valor in the glorious struggle for independence.

When the Lord Chancellor of England proposed to award John Locke the honor of being the author of religious liberty, he proclaimed to the world the following:  "The Baptists were the first propounders of absolute liberty, just and true liberty, equal and impartial liberty." 

Chief Justice Story, speaking of the Baptist Settlement of Rhode Island, says: 'In the code of laws established by them in Rhode Island we read for the first time since Christianity ascended the throne of the Caesars, the declaration that conscience should be free, and men should not be punished for worshipping God in the way they were persuaded he requires.'

WHAT THE BAPTISTS HAVE GIVEN TO SOCIETY....

Not only did Baptists give us the first spot on earth in over 1400 years where there was complete Religious freedom, they were the leading proponents to give us Religious freedom in our Constitution.  Baptists were the primary ones responsible for assuring that America would have no union of Church and State, and thus, no 'State' Churches!

The father of modern missions was William Carey, a Baptist.

The first institution of higher learning in the New World was a Baptist Institution. 

The first president of Harvard University was a Baptist.

The first institution of higher learning for women (Vasser College) was founded by a Baptist.

The first translations of the bible into Chinese, Japanese, Russia, Hindu, and several others...were made by Baptists.

In fact, the leaders in translating Scripture into foreign languages based upon the text behind the King James Bible are and have been Baptists.

The first voluntary Sunday School system was started by a Baptist, after the Robert Raikes hired-teacher SS system failed.

Many of our greatest hymns were written Baptist hands:

How firm a Foundation; Shall we gather at the River; I need thee every hour; Almost Persuaded; On Jordan's Stormy Banks; There is Power in the Blood; Are you Washed in the Blood; Wonderful Words of Life; Near the Cross; I am Thine oh Lord; Rescue the Perishing; Jesus paid it all; and others 
 

GROWTH OF BAPTIST CHURCHES DURING THE 1700'S

Due to such persecution in early America against Baptists, there were only 47 Baptist Churches in existence in all of the American Colonies before the Great Awakening in 1735-1740. (Vedder, SHORT HISTORY OF BAPTISTS, 307)

Mead's Handbook of Denominations notes on page 44:

"The Baptist movement grew rapidly during the First Great Awakening (a revival that swept America) during the 1740's.

The preaching of men like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards brought revival from the Holy Spirit and people were saved by the thousands across America.  Baptist Churches and Methodists Churches began to multiply across early America.

A dispute soon arose among the Baptists over the question of emotionalism.  The Holy Spirit was truly gripping some people as revival swept their hearts and people realized they needed to be born-again.  However, as can be expected, many people mistakenly saw emotionalism in itself as the evidence of real spirituality.  Sadly, this same phenomena is found in much of Pentecostalism today, I'm afraid.  Many, it was accused, were faking the emotionalism, and no real change of life occurred.  People were seeking 'an emotional experience' rather than seeking a true born-again relationship with Jesus Christ.  Again, much of this is seen in the Charismatic Movement today.

Because of this controversy, the 'Old Lights', or 'Regular Baptists' distrusted revivals, while the 'New Lights'  insisted on an experience of New Birth as a condition for membership in their churches.  Insisting on such a new birth for people to become members of his church is the main reason Jonathan Edwards was fired from his church.
 

BAPTISTS IN AMERICA IN 1800

F.E. Mayer in RELIGIOUS BODIES OF AMERICA notes on page 262 that persecution of the Baptists in the early colonial days of America made their growth very slow.  He quotes, "After a century had elapsed, there were only 11 Baptist Churches in Connecticut,  8 in Massachusetts, and 4 in Rhode Island.  The Baptists fared better in the Central colonies, especially in Pennsylvania.  In 1762, the Philadelphia Association numbered 29 churches.   The Baptists experienced their greatest expansion in the Southern Colonies during the last third of the 18th century."

Baptists experienced their greatest growth after the Civil War when many people were saved and Baptist Churches flourished.

DIFFERENT BAPTISTS GROUPS IN THE 1800'S

PRIMITIVE or PARTICULAR BAPTISTS

Mayer notes n p272 "At the beginning of the 1800's the majority of Baptists in the South held that all church practices not specifically commanded in the New Testament are contrary to the Scriptures.  Therefore, they were opposed to the establishment of Sunday Schools, the formal training of pastors, and the paying of pastors and missionaries.  These Baptists were nicknamed 'Hard-shell' Baptists.  In particular they directed their opposition against the forming of any society for foreign or home mission work, not because they were opposed to mission work, but because they could not find any directive in the New Testament for such societies.  Hence they are commonly known as Anti-mission Baptists.  The Baptists of the North were known therefore as 'Missionary' Baptists.  Baptists rightly consider the anti-mission movement the saddest chapter of Baptist history."

The Primitive Baptists are extremely Calvinistic in theology, and more closely aligned to Presbyterians on the doctrine of Election and Predestination. They also practice Foot washing.

While founded as a distinct group in 1827, according to Mead's Handbook of Denominations, there are only about 1000 Primitive Baptist churches left with only 72,000 members, as most Baptists do not agree with the extreme theology of the Primitive 'Hardshell' Baptists.

GENERAL BAPTISTS (Freewill)

Some say the origin of GENERAL BAPTISTS goes back to 1611 with John Smyth and Thomas Helwys.  As a distinct group they do not appear in America until Benoni Stinson organized them in 1823 at Liberty Baptist Church in Evansville, IN.  As other 'FREEWILL' Baptists, the General Baptists were unique among Baptists in that they did not believe in the Eternal Security of the Believer, and thus were Arminian (the extreme opposite of Calvinistic).  General Baptists believe that a Christian can turn his back on God and lose his salvation and end up lost in hell.  General Baptists believe that only those Christians who persevere to the end are saved.  Other Baptists groups, on the whole, believe in the Security of the Believer and 'Once Saved, Always Saved'.

General Baptists also practice footwashing.

General Baptists maintain a liberal arts college with a theological department at Oakland City, Indiana.  Not a very big group, there are only 719 General Baptist Churches with only a little over 67,000 total members (1998) according to Mead's Handbook.

During the first two centuries of their American history the Baptists of the Northern States showed little growth, largely because of the 'separatistic' principle. 

After the Revolutionary war, the Baptists started to raise standards for the training of their ministers, and began a concerted effort to increase foreign missionary work.  This was led largely by missionary Adoniram Judson.  This began to awake the Baptist consciousness, and in 1814, led to the organization of the General Missions Convention for Foreign Mission Work.  The Challenge of the newly opened Western frontier and the need of ministering to Baptists on this new frontier resulted in the formation of the Home Missions Society in 1832. 

However, in 1844 the Baptists of the Northern and Southern States split over the question of raising and distributing missionary funds.  Many Southern Baptists thought any organizational and denominational effort to raise funds was anti-scriptural because it was not expressly commanded in the New Testament.  Hence the Northern Baptists are often spoken of generically as missionary Baptists, whereas many among the Southern Baptists were known as anti-mission Baptists. The slavery issue also separated the Southern and Northern Baptists, which came to a head with the Civil War.  Southern Baptists admit today that this is one of their saddest CHAPTERS of their history, as being anti-mission and for Slavery during the mid-1800's.  Southern Baptists have now repudiated their errors on these matters and have apologized and are now considered strongly pro-mission and now admit slavery was wrong.

THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS & NORTHERN (AMERICAN) BAPTISTS

Thus, these two groups of Baptists split in 1844 over the question of raising and distributing missionary funds and later on as the Civil War approached, on the issue of Slavery.  After the Civil War, many Blacks came to Christ thru Baptist and Methodist missionary work and started their own black Baptists Churches an black Methodist Churches.  The black Baptists Churches formed into the National Baptist Convention ni 1895.  The Black Methodist Churches formed A.M.E. Churches (African Methodist Episcopal Churches). 

Note - The very first Black Baptist Church in America was organized at Silver Bluff, near Augusta, Georgia in 1773.

THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS

Mayer notes on page 272, "The Southern Baptists have remained much more conservative in theology than the (Northern) American Baptists."

Southern Baptists have refused to join liberal ecumenical groups such as The National Council of Churches and The World Council of Churches.

Southern Baptists are even now in 2004 withdrawing financial support from the Baptist World Alliance which has become increasingly liberal and modernistic.  Famous Southern Baptist Preachers like Adrian Rogers and Charles Stanley are trying to keep the Southern Baptist Convention and its seminaries true to the Word of God as apostasy has entered the seminaries through the hiring of liberal professors who deny fundamental truths of the Bible. This is the sad fact that many Seminary professors who deny fundamental Bible Truths are now teaching the future preachers of Southern Baptist Churches, and these apostate professors are being paid with tithes of good people in the Southern Baptist Churches!  Many Southern Baptist Churches have women as ordained pastors, although the Bible clearly teaches that women are not allowed by Scripture to be Pastors of Churches. (1 Timothy 2:12)

AMERICAN (Northern) BAPTISTS

In 1907 the Northern Baptists formed their denominational convention, and in 1950 changed its name to the AMERICAN BAPTIST CONVENTION, and later in 1972 adopted its third and present name of AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES IN THE U.S.A.

Foremost authority Frank Mead notes in his classic HANDBOOK OF DENOMINATIONS (11th Edition) notes on page 49,

"Generally it may be said that Baptists represented in the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. are less conservative in thought and theology than those in the Southern Baptist Convention.  American Baptists are represented  in the National Council of Churches and in the World Council of Churches."

Mayer notes on page 270 that American Baptists differ from Southern Baptists in that they (American Baptist Churches U.S.A.) take "an active part in all ecumenical movements and extending the hand of fellowship to other Protestant bodies for eventual fellowship, if not union."

Mayer notes on page 270-271 "American Baptists Churches...have permitted the rise of Liberalism (within its churches and seminaries)...and American Baptists today are under the influence of Neo-orthodoxy."

The terrible tragedy is that the salaries of the liberal and apostate professors now in many American Baptist Seminaries who deny precious Fundamental Bible Truths are being paid by the Tithes of good people who are members of American Baptist Churches.
 

It is also sad that the American Baptist Churches (U.S.A.) financially support (with the tithes of God's People) the liberal and apostate National Council of Churches and World Council of Churches.

American Baptist Churches have many "women ordained as ministers.  Some of them serve in churches, others in executive positions." (Religions of America by Leo Rosten, p32)

 The Bible clearly teaches that women are not to be Pastors of Churches in 1 Timothy 2:12.

Due to rank liberalism in their Convention and Seminaries, the American Baptist Churches are, as a whole, a dying group, with only 1.5 million members now in the United States.

INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCHES

At the turn of the century in the early 1900's many Baptists began to see the apostasy that was going on in the Southern and American Baptist Conventions.  Baptist preachers like J. Frank Norris, W.B. Riley, and John Rice led the charge and cried "FOUL" at the apostasy and liberalism coming into the denominations, mainly thru the hiring of Bible-denying apostate Professors in the Baptist Seminaries!  How could God's people allow their tithe money to go to pay the salaries of these liberal Christ-denying professors who were teaching future preachers? 

When the Southern Baptist and American Baptist Convention Seminaries refused to fire these professors, many Baptist Churches pulled out and became INDEPENDENT Baptists.

Many of the Northern or American Baptists pulled out to form Independent GARBC Churches (General Association of Regular Baptist Churches).  Churches pulled out of the Southern Baptist Convention and simply became Independent Baptist Churches.

Southern Baptist and American Baptist Churches soon began to ordain women as Pastors, which Baptists had historically believed was forbidden in Scripture in 1 Timothy 2:12.  They also began using the newer Bible versions, and started to yoke up in ecumenical ventures with groups that taught different plans of salvation.

THE INFLUENCE OF BILLY GRAHAM ON THE BAPTISTS

When Billy Graham, the most famous Southern Baptist of the 20th Century, began having Roman Catholic Priests help in his crusades and even have them lead in prayer as he called them his 'brothers in Christ', many Baptists realized this was not right.  A priest who taught others that we are saved by being baptized as a baby and then by keeping a series of sacraments during one's lifetime was not teaching the Bible plan of salvation according to the Bible.  When Billy Graham compromised to get the crowds in the big city crusades by having Church groups help organize his crusades who taught different plans of Salvation, many Baptists noticed something was wrong.  When Billy would then call these Roman Catholic Priests his dear brothers in Christ, although they still held to Roman Catholic theology, many Baptists realized that Billy Graham had changed.  When he would encourage those Romans Catholics who did come to Christ during his crusades to go back to their Roman Catholic churches and their false theology and false Gospel, and the Southern Baptist Convention and Seminaries did not hold Billy Graham accountable for such compromise, people poured out of Southern Baptists to make the Independent Baptist Church Movement in the 60's and 70's the fastest growing church movement during those decades.

BILLY GRAHAM HAS HURT THE INDEPENDENT BAPTIST PASTOR PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY ONE MAN IN THE 20TH CENTURY.

It is an irony that the one person who has probably caused more harm to Independent Baptist Pastors and hurt their church's testimony in their community is Billy Graham. 

Let me explain.  If Billy comes to a nearby city for a big crusade, all the churches in the area are urged to unite and help.  When a poor pastor does not participate because  Billy Graham is having  Roman Catholic priests help organize the crusade and even has them leading in prayer on stage and calling them 'My dear brother' on stage.........that poor 'narrow-minded' Baptist Pastor is looked upon in scorn in the whole community from now on, and his ministry is dealt a tremendous blow in the eyes of the community.  This Baptist Pastor is seen as 'unloving' and 'unwilling to cooperate' and a 'Trouble Maker' with the other churches 'to see people saved'.

And all along, the Independent Baptist pastor is just trying to stay true to the Bible and not compromise by being 'unequally yoked' with unbelievers in spiritual endeavors as the Bible warns in 2 Corinthians 6:14!

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
 

How can you yoke up with a man who teaches one is saved by being baptized as a baby and then by keeping the rest of the Seven Sacraments during your lifetime?  That is another gospel from the one taught in the Bible!

When I first became pastor of our Independent Baptist Church in our town, another big name evangelist came to town and all the churches were expected to participate 'to win souls in the community'.  When our church did not because of Scriptural convictions mentioned above, we took a huge blow in the community.  It has taken us years to finally regain respect in the community and shun the label of a 'trouble-maker' and 'narrow-minded' and we are now the largest church in our County, but it took time.  The 'Big Evangelist' and his city wide crusade hurt are ministry and outreach more than any other one thing since we came to the church.
 

HOW DO BAPTISTS FARE AMONG THE FASTEST GROWING CHURCHES IN AMERICA TODAY?

The Apostasy in the Southern and American Baptist Conventions and their seminaries, along with the compromise of Billy Graham, caused Independent Baptists to become the fastest growing church movement after 1950 in America. 

Shelton Smith, Editor of the Sword of the Lord newspaper, estimates that there are over 10 million Independent Baptists in America today.  Add that to nearly 20 million Southern Baptists, and almost 1.5 million American Baptists, we see that the largest religious group outside of Roma