Jeremiah Bell Jeter died on this day in 1880. During his life he was a Baptist pastor, a Baptist leader, the editor of a Christian magazine and the author of several books. My source stated that J. B. Jeter was not an outstanding pulpit orator, but his ministry was highly blessed by God in that he baptized more than one thousand people in about nine years, and apparently there were a thousand more during the next fourteen years. That means, he must have been baptizing at least two people just about every week throughout that time. That is amazing, but so is this well-hidden piece of Baptist history: When Brother Jeter was called to become the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia, the membership consisted of 1,384 members, but only 333 were whites. Many Baptist churches across the South were fully integrated. Throughout Jeter’s ministry in Richmond, he often invited speakers to preach during extended meetings. For example, in 1842 an evangelistic campaign continued daily for five months, and during that time, one hundred sixty-seven members were added to the church following their baptism. Four years later, when Adoniram Judson visited this country, Brother Jeter preached a welcoming message which was so overwhelming that I am told that it is included in nearly every biography of Judson and his work in Burma. In addition to many other accomplishments, J.B. Jeter served the Lord during the tumultuous days of the Civil War, and on its conclusion he did his best to restore the fractured fellowship of the northern and southern Baptists. But as I say, J.B. Jeter died on this day in 1880.