On September 6, 1732, John Newton was born – (not that John Newton, but this one). The place was Kent County, Pennsylvania. Like the other John Newton, this Newton was raised in the Church of England. But when he was about twenty-years-of-age, he was born again, humbly putting his faith in the Saviour, Christ Jesus. Soon he requested believers’ immersion in the Baptist church which was pastored by Joseph Potts.
Later, after his marriage, John and his family moved to North Carolina where they joined with the early members of the Sandy Creek Baptist Church. After God’s call to the ministry, John became the pastor of the Black River Baptist Church, and through his preaching the Lord saved many souls, including some who became well-known pastors themselves. Then about 1765 the Newtons moved to South Carolina, where after some time he organized the Congaree (kang-gree) Baptist Church, and once again the Lord blessed. At that point, living closer to Charleston than Sandy Creek, John had more fellowship with the Particular Baptists than the Separates. Then in about 1780 he moved his family south into Georgia, not far from where his Separatist friend Daniel Marshal was preaching. He was still a member of the Providence Baptist Church when he passed away. Someone, perhaps a family member, wrote the last entry in John Newton’s journal. It said that the faithful servant of God died on this day in 1790, “having arrived at a good old age, and living in the fear of God.” That good old age was 58 years, 2 months and 26 days.