June 17

William Jones was born on this day (June 17) in 1762 in the country of Wales. Under the itinerant ministry of the Scottish Baptist, Archibald McLean, William, who had earlier apparently been born again, came to understand Baptist doctrine and was baptized in the Dee...

June 10

On this day in 1535, Charles V, Emperor of the unholy Roman Empire, issued a decree that Anabaptists – those who rebaptized believers, and who refused to recant of this act, would be put to death by fire. Also those who provided hospitality to these...

June 3

In the records of the men who were first responsible for the evangelism of India we find the following: “On June 3, 1784, at the Association of Nottingham, it was agreed to hold a prayer-meeting for the general spread of the gospel on the evening of the first...

May 27

Henry Dunster had been president of Harvard College before he came to understand the Biblical teaching about baptism, ie. only believers should be baptized and that by immersion. Dunster’s decision influenced others to consider the subject of baptism and also to...

May 20

After preparing this vignette, I’ve determined to read more of the books of Abraham Booth. Booth was born on this day (May 20) in 1734. The place was in Derbyshire, England. At the age of ten the Lord saved him from a life headed toward debauchery and hell. At the age...

May 13

It was the goal of the often revered Puritans to establish a society which governed its citizens from the cradle to the grave based upon what its leaders considered to be pure religious truth. They came to this country seeking freedom from the interference of others,...

May 6

C.H. Spurgeon loved to read and owned a library of over 12,000 volumes. Reading was not a hobby to Spurgeon, and it wasn’t for his recreation. He believed that it was essential toward the growth of the mind – and more particularly of the spirit. Beginning early in his...

April 29

William Baskett was born in 1741 in Goochland County, Virginia. His parents were poor Episcopalians. When William was twenty he married Miss Mary Pace. They immediately began morning and evening devotions together and with their children as they began to arrive. When...

April 22

Richard Fuller was born on this in 1804 in Beautfort, S.C. When he became of age, he entered Harvard College to study law and eventually became a lawyer. Back in Beaufort, Fuller heard the gospel preaching of Daniel Barker. A revival swept through the community and a...

April 15

John Young was arrested in 1771 for preaching the gospel without a government license. He had license from his church, but as yet he had not been ordained. For six months, he and others were incarcerated in Virginia’s Caroline County jail. It was a great burden on the...

April 8

On this day in 1801, Missionary Joshua Marshman recorded in this journal – “This morning Carey (Missionary William Carey) came to me in great haste, almost before I was awake. He had received a note from our good friend, Rev. David Brown concerning a matter of...

April 1

William Hickman was born in Virginia in 1747. While he was still a child both his parents died, and he went to live with his grandmother. The boy’s educational opportunities were limited, but his grandmother insisted that he learn to read his Bible – which he did....

March 25

William Batchelder was born on this day (March 25) in 1768. His parents were wealthy, devout Congregationalists from Boston. Through them he met another young Congregationalist named, Adoniram Judson. When he was thirteen both his parents died, and the young man was...

March 18

Edward Payson Scott was a pioneer missionary in a head-hunting region of Assam, in northeast India. On the day he first entered the remote area of Nagas, the first twelve men who saw him drew back their spears ready to kill him. But they hesitated just long enough for...

March 11

John Comer was born in 1704 and died just thirty years later. He had every intention of writing a Baptist history, but his early death rendered that impossible. He did however, keep a journal which was published by the Rhode Island Historical Society and called...