This material was taken from a “Christian Messenger” article, published on this day in 1871.

Isaiah Wallace was born in Hopewell, New Brunswick on January 17, 1797. The Lord saved his soul at an early age and after his baptism he began to publically serve his Saviour as a pastor, evangelist and agent for the Baptist college at Acadia, which eventually became Acadia University.

A typical Sunday in the life of Pastor Wallace went like this – “I began the day at Isaac’s Harbour with a baptism, followed by sermon, the giving of the hand of fellowship, the observance of the Lord’s Supper, and an affectionate farewell. After taking a hasty meal we got into a whaleboat and started for Seal Harbour, and there the afternoon went through exactly the same process. At the close of the afternoon service, we found the wind blowing a gale, so that it was impossible to proceed to my next appointment at New Harbour, eight miles distant, by water, and as there was then no carriage road, I was compelled to walk there. On reaching New Harbour I found the people assembled in large number in their place of worship waiting anxiously for my arrival. After a few minutes rest, I proceeded to baptize the six candidates in readiness and then preached, gave the hand of fellowship, observed the Lord’s supper said farewell, and then proceed to cross the river to my lodging at 11 o’clock at night, pretty tired out. That was indeed a busy and eventful day In company with Deacon Cunningham I proce3eded the next day to Guysborough, and then to New Glasgow.”

On another occasion which resulted in the establishment of the Campbellton Baptist Church, a lady of high social standing professed Christ and asked for baptism. Her husband had been told that baptism was dangerous to one’s health, so he asked the preacher if anyone he had personally baptized had ever gotten a cold or pneumonia. Bro. Wallace replied that there were none. The husband then asked if the preacher knew whether or not any of his associates baptismal candidates had ever caught colds as a result of being immersed. “And I answered ‘Yes. Reverend T. S. Harding told that he had baptized a thousand people, and he never knew of but one taking cold, and she was an hypocrite.’ ‘All right,’ said the husband, ‘My wife is no hypocrite,’” and she joyfully gave testimony of her faith in the Lord without the slightest bodily harm.