Weekly Bulletin
Sunday Morning Message
This Sunday in Baptist History
April 6
Thomas Ansley was born on this day in 1769. He was sprinkled and raised in the Church of England. Following the Revolutionary War, his family moved from New York to New Brunswick, where he continued in his Protestant church, but with a growing spiritual apprehension. Turning to the scriptures, the Holy Spirit taught him that Jesus Christ was the end of the law for righteousness, and Thomas put his faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Soon he felt a burden to warn this neighbors to flee from the wrath to come. On one occasion he left his family to go to a nearby village to preach for a few days, but those few ended up in many as God poured down His blessings. As his ministry grew, Brother Ansley became more and more concerned about his Protestant christening. He sought out the Baptist, T. S. Harding, requesting baptism. After his immersion his preaching ministry intensified – and that was still before his ordination.
On one of his preaching tours, Brother Ansley met a young Presbyterian lay preacher, named Samuel Robinson, and the two immediately became friends, sharing the Word of God and their experiences. Not long before they went their separate ways, the Holy Spirit laid on Ansley’s heart that Robinson should become the Baptist leader of Charlotte County, and he told the young man. In the course of time, Robinson became convinced through the scriptures that he should be immersed. He invited Ansley to return. A large crowd gathered to witness the baptism, and as Ansley entered the water he was convinced that God’s blessings were sure to follow. Brother Robinson later wrote about his baptism, “It met the disapproval of my brethren who were Presbyterians; but many have since followed my example. In three weeks twenty-nine were baptized, and seventeen of them formed into a church in the western part of the country.”
Brother Thomas Ansley was traveling to preach when he became ill. Word was sent to his wife to join him, but she got sick half way there and had to return home. On December 7, 1831, at the age of six-two, Brother Ansley passed into the presence of his Saviour.
In days gone by parts of Canada were thoroughly evangelized and populated by strong Baptist churches. Sadly, today that is no longer the case, with only a few Baptists scattered here and there across the country.
Source: This Day in Baptist History, II – Cummins and Thompson