baptists and missions in 19th century america

7/30/2019 Baptists and Missions in 19th Century America

1/19


2/19

impetus from 2nd Great Awakeningrise ofBenevolent Empireevangelical Protestantsturned to a multitude of new denominationaland interdenominational societies for missions

and other causes

one early thrust included home missions infrontier areas:

1796New York Missionary Society1st voluntary

interdenominational missionary organizationaimed mainly at Native AmericansBaptists,Presbyterians, Reformed all involvedBaptistElkanah Holmes appointed as missionaryworkeduntil differences re: baptism became too great


3/19

1802Massachusetts Baptist MissionarySocietyoutgrowth of evangelistic activities ofWarren Assoc.also a sign that Baptists in NewEngland were moving toward societies that

were independent of associations anyone willing to pay $1 per year could join,

regardless of denominational affiliationnorelationship to local churches as far asrepresentation was concernedbasis of membership

determined only by voluntary financial support MBMS had some non-Baptist trustees

no doctrinal or other standard set up for workers


4/19

society method for conducting homemissions on American frontier becameincreasingly common among Baptists

British model (e.g., BMS) fear of centralizationBaptists sought to avoid

development of ecclesiastical institutions thatwould threaten autonomy of local churches


5/19

Associations (Conventions): geographically based (more difficult to cut off

funds to a particular area or ministry)

denominationally centeredexpression ofdenominations self-consciousness

denom. structure fosters many benevolences

relationship to program through churches

interdependent & connectional

all parts ofmission emphasis connected

favored more in South


6/19

Societies: financially based (easy to cut off funds)

benevolence centered

single interestusually only 1 benevolence relationship to society is individualchurches

usually bypassed (para-church)

independent and voluntary

favored more in North (at least until 1907)


7/19

William Staughton (1770-1829): English Particular Baptist who was present at

Kettering in 1792 when BMS was formed

1795he came to Americafirst in SC, then NJ,finally to Phila. as pastor of FBC (served 1805-11)

promoted foreign missionswrote The BaptistMission in India

some English Baptist missionaries to Indiarouted through America when E. India Co.refused to transport them becausemissionaries opposed slavery, caste system


8/19

Massachusetts Baptist MissionaryMagazine (est. 1803) published lettersfrom English missionaries

role of womenMary Webb (1779-1861)confined to a wheelchair, helped toestablish Boston Female Society forMissionary Purposes, 1st missionary

organization in America for womenin1812 she proposed that female religioussocieties set apart 1st Monday afternoon ofevery month for special prayer for missions


9/19

example of Congregationalists: 1806Haystack Prayer Meeting on campus of

Williams College in MAstudents caught inthunderstorm during their regular prayer

meeting and took refuge in a haystacktheymade commitments to foreign missions and in1808 formed the Society of the BrethrenLuther Rice (1783-1836) joined the Brethrenothers were added later at Andover Seminary,

including Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) an appeal by these students led the

Congregationalists to organize the ABCFM in1810in 1812 five young men (some withwives) sent to India by ABCFM


10/19

these two were part of the group thatsailed to India (Judson was married to Ann)in 1812the Judsons and Rice were ondifferent ships, but they studied Bible and

accepted Baptist view of believers baptismby immersionthe three of them wereimmersed in Calcutta by William Ward, anEnglish Baptist missionarythey resigned

their ABCFM appointments the Judsons, at the invitation of William

Careys son, headed to Burma to establish aBaptist work there


11/19


12/19

Rice returned to America to enlist Baptistsupport for this new missionary work in theFar Easthe arrived in Boston in 1813 and

found that Baptists in that city had alreadyorganized the Baptist Society for thePropagation of the Gospel in India andOther Foreign Parts

Rice also toured the Middle Atlantic andsouthern states to raise funds


13/19

1814a convention called by agreement ofseveral Baptist associations in U.S. to meetin Phila. to establish a Baptist foreign

missionary society 33 delegates from 11 states17 delegates from

Phila. Assoc.

new society was named the General MissionaryConvention of the Baptist Denomination in theUnited States for Foreign Missionsbecameknown as the Triennial Convention because itmet every 3 years


14/19

constitution called for representation to bedetermined by voluntary support (any state orlocal society or any other bodyincludingchurcheswithin the denomination that

contributed $100 per year was entitled to notmore than 2 delegates)no individual membersand no real ecclesiastical connection betweenchurches and the T.C.T.C. initially blendedassociational and societal characteristics

managing board (Baptist Board of ForeignMissions for the United States) was elected bythe T.C. to administer day-to-day mattersbased in Phila.


15/19

Richard Furman, pastor of FBC, Charleston, SC,was elected 1st president of T.C. (served until1820)Thomas Baldwin of 2nd Baptist, Boston,was elected recording secretaryStaughton of

Phila. became corresponding secretary (serveduntil 1825)

Rice & Judson were appointed as T.Cs 1stmissionariesRice was asked to continue hispromotional work in U.S. on a temporary

basisthis kept him from ever returning to thefieldfor several years he traveled to raisefunds for missions & educationhe also wasinvolved in journalistic activities (Latter DayLuminary)


16/19

1817temporary move to a more associationalmodel as T.C.s constitution was amended toembrace home missions & education along withthe foreign work (Furman pushed this step)

John Mason Peck and James Welch appointed ahome missionaries to Missouriplans laid forColumbian College (later Geo. WashingtonUniv.) to be founded in Washington, D.C.(classes started in 1821)

1820Peck instructed by T.C. to move to anIndian mission in Fort Wayne, INhe stayed inMO and worked independently (in 1824 hecame under appointment of MBMS)


17/19

moves toward society approach: 1824Baptist General Tract Society organized

Rice one of founders (renamed AmericanBaptist Publication and Sunday School Society

in1840) 1826T.C. voted to restrict itself to foreign

missionsmanaging board moved to Boston

1832Peck & others established the AmericanBaptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS)Baptists

now had denominational identity primarily in 3societiesmany Baptists in North were wary ofa centralized polity that might threatenautonomy of local churches


18/19

trends influenced by individualism of thetimes, revivalistic pietism, mere quantity ofsocieties organized during 2nd G.A. (seeMcBeth, Baptist Heritage, pp. 349-50, on

differences between North & South on thisissue)

1844last T.C. attended by Baptists North& Southby this date there were 720,000

Baptists in U.S. and almost 9400 churches(a 360% increase in the 30 years since theT.C. began in 1814general populationgrew 140% in same time frame)


19/19

baptists and missions in 19th century america

Documents