William Powell (not the actor of by-gone days, but William Rufus Powell), was born into a godly home in 1808, but he was not born again until many years later. At an early time in his life, his mother died, and other family tragedies sent him swinging back and forth between highs and lows. One of his early “highs” was his marriage to Mary Towles. William went from being a young schoolmaster in Culpeper, Virginia, to deputy-sheriff and to plantation owner. With his wealth and power came a number of vices – sumptuous meals, playing cards, dance parties and even to such things as fox hunting. During this period in his life, his sister begged him to reconsider the things of the Spirit which they enjoyed together as children, but William ignored her. Finally, when his wife asked him to attend the Mine Run Baptist Church, he agreed, and there he found his heart strangely moved by the preaching of Philip Pendleton. Leaving that meeting he found a little grove of trees where he broke down before God. He cried out for salvation through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ; the Lord blessed and the terrible burden of convection evaporated in divine peace. Soon thereafter he and Mary were baptized and joined the Mine Run Church. A few years later, when Pastor Pendleton died, William Powell was ordained and became the pastor of the church. Those were days when many Christians didn’t see the diabolical wickedness of alcohol, but Powell did. He preached abstinence so hard, he was asked to leave Mine Run, after which he started another church in the neighborhood. Usually, having two gospel-preaching churches in the same location should be considered a shame, but perhaps in this case the cause was just. Abstinence may have been important to Powell, but, of course, it wasn’t his only subject. Shortly before his death on this day in 1859, he preached his final message from the text, “Which hope we have as an anchor the soul.”
– Source: “This Day in Baptist History ” Thompson and Cummins