The first Baptist church in Groton, Connecticut has a long and storied history, revolving, for more than a century, around the name “Wightman.”

Edward Wightman was burned at the stake in Litchfield, England, in 1612, for no other reason than that he was a Baptist preacher. It is not surprising that his five sons moved their families to America, seeking religious freedom. All five of those men remained Baptists; two of them became preachers; two were deacons, and one was not called into the ministry but faithfully served the Lord as a member of a Baptist church. Valentine Wightman was a son of one of those five. In 1705, he moved to Groton, Connecticut, in order to establish a Baptist church, but his sights were ever on the horizon, and while pastoring the Groton church for forty-two years, he also started the first Baptist church in the state of New York.

Upon Valentine’s death his son Timothy was called by the church. The church grew under his ministry with periods of revival in 1764, 1775, 1784 and 1786. He served the congregation just as long as his father had, before he died in 1796. And then Timothy’s youngest son, John Gano Wightman was called to lead the congregation. It was on this day in 1817 that John married Bridget Allyn. During this man’s ministry the church experienced at least ten seasons of revival. When John died in 1841, one hundred twenty-five-consecutive years of Wightman leadership came to an end. But then about twenty-three years later, the grandson of John Gano Wightman was ordained and called to become the pastor of the Groton church.

What a testimony to have so many from one family serve the Saviour for such a long period of time.

– Source: “This Day in Baptist History” by Thompson and Cummins