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October 31, 1789:  John Mason Peck, pioneer missionary to the western frontier (Ohio and Illinois), was born in Litchfield.  Having secured funding as “missionaries to the Missouri Territory,” the Peck and his missionary partner Welch and their families traveled westward, arriving in St. Louis in December, 1817. Peck and Welch organized the First Baptist Church of St. Louis, the first Protestant church in the city, and baptized two converts in the Mississippi River in February, 1818. By year’s end, they also soon founded the first missionary society in the West: The United Society for the Spread of the Gospel. Peck became active in establishing Bible societies and Sunday School associations, distributing bibles as well as spreading literacy and Christian principles. Peck moved to Rock Springs, Illinois in 1822 to farm, and arranged a circuit to visit the various societies which he continued to establish, as well as isolated farms. On one trip, Peck visited Daniel Boone, then nearly 80, and later wrote a book about the frontiersman’s life.  ABHS holds Peck’s correspondence from 1833-1852 and a journal from 1854.

 

The American Baptist Historical Society (ABHS) seeks applicants for the position of Administrative Assistant.  The Administrative Assistant performs routine office tasks under the supervision of the ABHS Executive Director and other staff as appropriate.

The American Baptist Historical Society maintains the oldest and largest Baptist historical collection in the US, documenting the history of Baptists generally and American Baptist Churches, USA (the most racially and ethnically diverse Protestant denomination in the US), specifically.  ABHS collections include books, periodicals, manuscripts, organizational records, and the beginning of a digitized and born-digital collection.  Staff provide reference services, both internally and to the public by appointment.

Click here for full description.  ABHistorical Society_Administrative Position_2020

October 15, 1752.  Elizabeth Backus, a fifty-four widow and mother of Reverend Isaac Backus, was arrested and imprisoned for two weeks for failing to pay the church tax that went to the official (Congregational) church.  In 1728 an Act was passed by the General Court of Massachusetts, exempting Baptists from the tax, but that was the personal tax only, the property tax was still liable.  ABHS has many writings of Isaac Backus and microfilms of his personal papers.

October 14, 1774:  The Warren Association in Massachusetts petitioned the Continental Congress for religious liberty.  The Warren Association was in the vanguard of the battle for religious freedom in early America. Baptists had been persecuted throughout their history; their struggles to attain their “privileges” led to the insertion of the anti-establishment clause in the Bill of Rights. In 1774 the Warren Association sent a delegate to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to plead for religious freedom. Two years later, when a Baptist meeting in Pepperell, Massachusetts, was broken up by a mob, the Warren Association published an account of the affair, and engaged the people of Pepperell in a pamphlet war until they “made the town ashamed of what they had done.” ABHS holds the Warren Association Minutes from 1767.

October 10, 1779:  David Benedict born in New England. Although he was apprenticed to a shoemaker, he went to school, including Brown University.  While in seminary Benedict preached for Baptists in Pawtucket, RI, and following his graduation he was ordained and became the pastor of the newly established First Baptist Church in Pawtucket.  Benedict traveled (on horseback) collecting materials about Baptists, and sent out questionnaires for his History of the Baptists in the United States which was published in 1813. ABHS has a copy of Benedict’s History, and is it used frequently by researchers.

October 8. 1609.  John Clarke was born in Suffolk England.   He was a physician, Baptist minister, co-founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, author of its influential charter, and a leading advocate of religious freedom in the Americas.  He arrived in Boston where Baptists were considered heretics and were banned, in 1637 and decided to go to Rhode Island.  But Clarke wanted to make inroads there and spent time in the Boston jail after making a mission trip to the town of Lynn. The fledgling Rhode Island colony needed an agent in England, so Clarke handled the colony’s interests.  All of the other New England colonies were hostile to Rhode Island.  After the restoration of the monarchy in England in 1660, it was imperative that Rhode Island receive a royal charter to protect its territorial integrity. It was Clarke’s role to obtain such a document, and he saw this as an opportunity to include religious freedoms never seen before in any constitutional charter. He negotiated for months with Connecticut over territorial boundaries. Finally, he drafted the Rhode Island Royal Charter and presented it to the king, and it was approved with the king’s seal on 8 July 1663. This charter granted unprecedented freedom and religious liberty to Rhode Islanders and remained in effect for 180 years, making it the longest-lasting constitutional charter in history.

October 5, 1783.  William Carey was baptized in Northampton County, England.  Carey is known as the “father of modern missions.” He was a Particular Baptist minister, translator, social reformer and cultural anthropologist who founded the Serampore College and the Serampore University, the first degree awarding University in India.  He translated the Hindu classic the Ramayana into English, and the Bible into Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Arabic, Marathi, Hindi and Sanskrit. ssssssWhen Adoniram and Ann Judson landed in India, they sought out Carey to talk about Baptist beliefs.

 

October 4, 1861.  Walter Rauschenbusch was born in Rochester, NY.  He is considered the father of the Christian social gospel.  From 1891-1892, Rauschenbusch studied economics and theology at the University of Berlin and industrial relations in England, Rauschenbusch’s work influenced, among others, Martin Luther King; Desmond Tutu; and his grandson, Richard Rorty. Rauschenbusch’s view of Christianity was that its purpose was to spread the Kingdom of God, not through a “fire and brimstone” style of preaching, but by the Christlike lives led by its members. Rauschenbusch did not understand Jesus’ death as an act of substitutionary atonement; rather, he came to believe that Jesus died “to substitute love for selfishness as the basis of human society.” Rauschenbusch wrote that “Christianity is in its nature revolutionary” and tried to remind society of that. He taught that the Kingdom of God “is not a matter of getting individuals to heaven, but of transforming the life on earth into the harmony of heaven.” ABHS has a large collection of Rauschenbusch family papers, correspondence, photographs, and lectures.

October 1.  Here in the state of Georgia, October is designated as Archives Month! Archives Month is a way to celebrate the value of Georgia’s historical records, publicize the many ways historical records enrich our lives, and recognize those who maintain our communities’ historical records. We here at the American Baptist Historical Society work to preserve such diverse materials as missionary correspondence and personal collections, American Baptist Church-USA organizational records, and original church records. Even though our records come from all over the world, we take the time this month to celebrate ALL Archives’ protection and sharing of original and unique records.

Sept 26.  ABC of Connecticut is holding their Annual Gathering at which they will celebrate the following anniversaries:  First Baptist Church, Middletown, Rev. Willis J. McCaw, pastor,  225 years.  Community Baptist Church, New Haven, Rev. Philippe E. C. Andal, pastor, 75 years. New Hope Baptist Church, Danbury, Rev. Leroy G. Parker, pastor, 125 years. Sanctuary of Faith and Glory Church, Windsor, Rev. Dr. Felton O. Best, 100 years.

Sept 26, 1832.  Joanna P. Moore was born in Clarion County, PA.  She became a lifelong teacher of freed slaves.  She taught literacy, started boarding schools for younger students, and homes for the elderly.  Her publication HOPE gave instructions for home schooling, called ‘Fireside Schools’.  Moore also started training schools so others would carry on her teaching legacy.  ABHS has some of Moore’s personal papers, photographs, and issues of HOPE from 1885-1961.

Sept 23, 1895.  The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc, was organized in Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. It was a merger of the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, the National Baptist Convention of America and the National Baptist Education Convention.  Reverend E. C. Morris from Little Rock, Arkansas was chosen as the president of this merged body. ABHS has books and articles about the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc, the minutes of their conventions,  as well as several National Baptist periodicals.

Sept 22, 1886.  Ernest and Ida Roscoe arrived at Kodiak Island.  They were the first Baptist missionaries to Alaska.  Among other things, they started a school and the Baptist Mission at Kodiak.  ABHS has a book their son, Fred, wrote of his life growing up in Alaska where there was no local government and no federal control except for customs collections.

Sept 19, 1749.  Philadelphia Baptist Association stated its support for local church autonomy.  The Church of England and Methodist church had a defined hierarchy that left little local church autonomy, but the Baptists had only loose Associations, and a local church could choose which Association they wanted to join.  Other decisions like which pastor to call, and who could join the church were decided by the local congregation.  The Philadelphia Association was influential; ABHS has records from this association beginning in 1763.

Sept 17, 1902.  Joseph S. Murrow organized the Indian Orphan’s Home in Oklahoma.  This was the first Baptist orphanage for Indians.  Murrow also founded Bacone College on which campus the Orphan’s Home was located.  He was 94 when he died, and had been a missionary for 72 years.    ABHS has his obituary which was printed in the Baptist in 1929.

Sept 15, 1799.  A Sunday School was established by Samuel Slater, the first one in the United States.  It was started for the benefit of children employed in Slater’s cotton factory in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, teaching them to read from the Bible.  The first class was composed of seven boys.  It began as a secular enterprise, but soon was placed under the care of the First Baptist Church, and began religious instruction. ABHS has minutes from many Sunday School (or Sabbath School) societies from all over the country.