Isaac Sawyer was born in rural New England in 1770. When he was a baby his village was attacked by Indians, and his father and all the other men were taken captive, leaving the women and children to fend for themselves. On the eleventh night of their captivity, Isaac’s father and one other man escaped. Living on roots and berries they made it home fifteen days later, sick and starving. Three years later Mr. Sawyer died as a result of his ordeal. This required that Isaac become a servant to another man and to move to the wilderness town of Monkton, Vermont. There were no schools or churches in the area, and Isaac grew up without any concept of the God of the Bible. But he married in 1792 and a year later the Lord sent an evangelist, and a revival to Monkton. Isaac came under deep conviction. He saw himself as a helpless sinner, almost falling into despair as he tried to improve his personal righteousness without success. But then by the grace of God he was brought to the realization that grace cannot be earned or deserved, and that he must cast himself by faith on the mercy of God. His faith in the promise of God eventually gave him peace in Christ’s salvation. Soon he and ten others were baptized and formed a Baptist church. Though he was the youngest member, at twenty-seven, Isaac was asked to become the church deacon and then to preach to the group, which he did, at first, with great reluctance. But then on this day in 1799, Isaac Sawyer was ordained. He remained the pastor of the Monkton Baptist Church for thirteen years, during which time God’s blessings were poured forth and other churches were established in the region through their outreach. It is estimated that during his ministry Brother Sawyer baptized well over eleven hundred people, with more young men ordained to the ministry than through any other church in Vermont. Isaac Sawyer eventually served his Saviour fifty years, before dying at the age of seventy-seven.
– Source: “This Day in Baptist History, II” Thompson and Cummins