Free Will Baptist History Exploring Our Origins Identity

This book is a treasure of thoroughly researched pieces of denominational history from around the country. The stories that are preserved here for future generations provide important understanding of Free Will Baptist origins and identity. Dr. Picirilli shares stories of people, state works, and institutions that contributed to the growth and organization of the denomination. The author presents historical facts while maintaining interesting details that keep the reader engaged. Topics in the work include: the Free Will Baptist Covenant, the founding of the Free Will Baptist work in Texas, Free Will Baptist participation in the Unity Movements, the Free Will Baptist school in Unicoi, the early history of the Christian Workers Institutes, along with sever other glimpses into Free Will Baptists. Key people discussed in this work include A.M. Stewart, D. J. Apperson, Redding Moore, J. W. Lucas, and others. Readers will be reminded how God uses ordinary people to build His kingdom.

Excerpt from A History of Original Free Will Baptists Original Free Will Baptists are the spiritual descendants of the General Baptists who settled in North Carolina during the colonial period. These General Baptists were the earliest Baptists to settle in the colony and were among the earliest organized religious groups in the colony, preceded only by the Quakers and the Anglicans. The story of these early Baptists has often been overshadowed by the accounts of other and later religious move ments which swept through the settlements of North Carolina and the rest of the region which became known as the South. Once this denomination had adopted the name Free Will Baptist and had begun to develop its own identity, they then began to preserve some account of their annual conferences, without which it would be impossible for one to know very much about them, apart from the oral traditions passed on from generation to generation. In the late nineteenth century there appeared two accounts of their history in North Carolina. The first was a summary account of their origin in this state, written by Rufus K. Heam about 1880, and the second consisted of a revised and enlarged version of Heam's account of their beginnings and a more detailed history of their pilgrimage through the nineteenth century, using abstracts of the minutes of the conferences during this period and written by Thad F. Harrison and J. M. Barfield. The latter was published in 1897 and served to inform a later generation of Free Will Baptists concerning their heritage. During the twentieth century more adequate records of this denomination havebeen kept and more attention has been given to preserving such materials, especially during the last few decades. In addition, research has turned up more information on the early period, including the colonial and the English General Baptist background of the denomination. As a result it is possible to give a more comprehensive and more accurate account of the denomina tion's history. For many years the author has had a deep interest in the history of Original Free Will Baptists. That interest, which beganof time the idea that he should undertake to write a history of the denomination began to take root and finally came to fruition following his retirement from the, college. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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The last decades of the eighteenth century brought numerous changes to the citizens of colonial New England. As the colonists were joining together in their fight for independence from England, a collection of like-minded believers in southern New Hampshire forged an identity as a new religious tradition. Benjamin Randall (1749ndash;1808) was one of the principle founders of the Freewill Baptist movement in colonial New England. Randall was one of the many eighteenth-century colonists that enjoyed a conversion experience as a result of the revival ministry of George Whitefield. His newfound spiritual zeal prompted him to examine the scriptures on his own, and he began to question the practice of infant baptism. Randall completed his separation from the Congregational church of his youth when he contacted a Baptist congregation and submitted himself for baptism. When Randall was introduced to the Baptists in New England, he was made aware that his theology, including God's universal love and universal grace, was at odds with Calvin's doctrine of election that was affirmed by the other Baptists. Randall's spiritual journey continued as he began to preach revival services throughout the region. His ministry was well received and he established a new congregation in New Durham, New Hampshire, in 1780. The congregation in New Durham served as Randall's base of operation as he led revival services throughout New Hampshire and Southern Maine. Randall's travels introduced him to many colonists who accepted his message of universal love and universal grace and a movement was born as Randall formed many congregations throughout the region. Randall spent the remainder of his life organizing, guiding, and leading the Freewill Baptists as they developed into a religious tradition that included thousands of adherents spread throughout New England and into Canada.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1862 edition. Excerpt: ... This year the church in New Durham received an accession of thirty-one members, and the next year twentysix were added. At the October session of the Quarterly Meeting in 1794, neither David Knowlton, an unordained preacher, nor any other member from Pittsfield, was present. Such a delinquency was not allowed to pass unnoticed; and Randall, by instruction, admonished them as follows: "We are this day convened at our Quarterly Meeting, and have a good day, through grace; but feel somewhat grieved at finding--David's seat empty. We wonder at you, brethren, that none of all your meeting are present, when the weather is so pleasant, and the travelling so good." The request for the ordination of Knowlton in 1795 was referred from the Quarterly Meeting to the June session of the Yearly Meeting, and a council of five ministers, each to be accompanied by a layman, was chosen and sent to Pittsfield. It convened with the church August 12th, and the following extract from the church record is here inserted at length, as a specimen examination by the fathers: "1, Chose John Buzzell Chairman. "2. Chose Benjamin Ran dull Clerk. "3. Queried with the candidate as follows: "' Dost thou believe that the Lord has called thee to preach the gospel?' "Answer. 'Yes.' "' Dost thou believe it will be for the glory of God that hands should be laid upon thee, if the council should find satisfaction?' "Answer. 'I dare not draw back.' "* Then give us a reason of thy hope; relate the dealings of God in bringing thy soul from bondage into liberty, and thy call to public improvement.' "He did so; all of which was satisfactory to the council. Questions were proposed as to the fall of man--his 1795.] CHURCH IN CANTERBUBY. 147 restoration by Jesus Christ--the obligations...