Posted by deangonzales on November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving is often an occasion when we thank God for what he’s given us. But we often forget to thank God for the opportunities he gives us to “give up” what he’s given us. Not only has God given us life but he also calls us to give up our life for the sake of the gospel. This is a privilege and a blessing too often overlooked.
To remind you of this privilege and blessing, I’d like to encourage you to watch the brief video presentation entitled “Jesus Is Worth It,” which is produced by To Every Tribe ministries and features a word from its president, David Sitton. To Every Tribe is a parachurch ministry that exists to help local churches prepare and send missionaries to unreached places in the world. Its vision “is to bring the gospel to those hard-to-get-to places where the name of Jesus has never been heard so God will be worshiped by every tribe, language, and nation.” Pastor and writer John Piper has this to say about To Every Tribe ministries:
All I have read and heard and watched inclines me to rejoice over the vision and theology and mission of David Sitton. I thank God for his Christ-exalting, God-centered, Bible-based courage to focus his life and ministry on the unreached tribal peoples. Like no one else I know, David Sitton puts his body where his mouth is. The risks are high; the reward is overwhelming. I commend To Every Tribe Ministries for your support and involvement. May the Lord of glory spread his fame through all who partner with this ministry to make a name for Jesus among the nations.
To learn more about To Every Tribe ministries, click here. To watch the stirring video “Jesus Is Worth It,” click the link below:
JESUS IS WORTH IT!
Bob Gonzales, Dean
Reformed Baptist Seminary
Posted by jsmitheasley on January 7, 2009
Particular Baptist churches[1] began to pop up in England in the early part of the 17th century as an outgrowth of the Puritan movement. The first Particular Baptist church in England was formed in 1633. For the next several decades, the Particular Baptists enjoyed tremendous growth. By the mid-1640’s there were seven churches in London. By the late 1650’s, there were approximately 131 Particular Baptist churches throughout England, Wales, and Ireland.[2] It was a time of great blessing and spiritual harvest. When Charles II took the throne in 1660, after the relatively peaceful days of the Cromwell era, the Baptists went through a period of intense persecution. Apparently, however, Particular Baptists continued to grow even in the midst of persecution. According to one historian, new churches were planted and some older ones flourished so that Baptists increased by about another third between 1660 and 1699.[3]
The Act of Toleration under William and Mary brought religious liberty. We might conclude that these new freedoms would result in even greater spiritual vitality and growth for Particular Baptists. But this is not what happened. Baptist historian Michael Haykin notes,
After 1689 Calvinistic Baptists, as well as other Protestants outside the Church of England, were now legally free to have their own distinct forms of worship, to expand their congregations, to build their chapels. One would expect that given such opportunities, the Calvinistic Baptists would flourish. Many Baptists who witnessed the dawn of toleration certainly thought so. These hopeful promises of future blessing were not to be realized; however … the Calvinistic Baptist cause began to decline.[4]
This brings us to the period of spiritual decline among the Particular Baptists in the early 18th century. Evidences of this period of decline abound. It has been estimated that that there were roughly 220 Particular Baptist congregations in England and Wales around the years 1715 to 1719. By the early 1750’s, however, the number of congregations dropped to around 150. That’s a decrease of approximately one third.[5] An influential Baptist pastor could state in 1750,
The harvest is great, and faithful and painful ministers are few…and what adds to the sorrow is, that there are so few rising to fill the places of those that are removed; few that come forth with the same spirit, and are zealously attached to the truths of the everlasting gospel.[6]
Andrew Fuller summed up the situation in these words, “Had matters gone but for a few years, the Baptists would have become a perfect dunghill in society.”[7]
In God’s mercy, things eventually began to turn around toward the end of the century. The final three decades of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century were a time of spiritual prosperity and expansion for Calvinistic Baptists, which included the great missionary movement among Particular Baptists that sent William Cary to India. But for most of the 18th century, Particular Baptists were in decline. There were exceptions. Some Baptist churches actually prospered, and a few men were active and successful in evangelistic work. On the whole, however, the state of Baptists in the first two-thirds or three-quarters of the eighteenth century was one of spiritual declension. Of course, other denominations in England during the late 17th and first third of the 18th centuries also experienced declension. But as we’ll see, this problem continued among the Baptists even during the early decades of the Evangelical Awakening that began to occur in England in the late 1730’s.
We who are Reformed Baptist ought to be concerned to understand this period of our history. After small beginnings, the Calvinistic Baptists in England enjoyed tremendous blessing and steady growth. In some ways, the same has been the case with Reformed Baptists in our lifetime. But for the Particular Baptists of England things began to deteriorate as they entered the 18th century. Our concern should be that the same thing doesn’t happen to us, as we have entered the 21st century. Therefore, we should examine what factors may have contributed to the decline of early 18th century Particular Baptists. Michael Haykin identifies some of these factors in his book, One Heart and One Soul: John Sutcliffe of Olney, his Friends and his Times. There are other historians and students of Baptist history that provide input as well. So what were some of the factors that lead to the spiritual decline of our Baptist forefathers? And what lessons can we learn and apply today? Stay tuned until our next post.
Jeffery Smith, Pastor
Covenant Reformed Baptist Church
Easley, South Carolina
[1] Particular Baptists were Calvinistic/Reformed Baptists who grew out of the English reformation. They were called Particular Baptists because they embraced of the doctrines of grace, including the doctrine of particular redemption. A prominent segment of Particular Baptists in England what has come to be known as The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. The confession was first published in 1677 and then again in 1688 and 1689. This is the confession generally affirmed by those who go by the title “Reformed Baptist” today.
[2] Dave Merck, Modern Church History; manuscript of lectures given for Reformed Baptist Seminary, 247.
[3] David Englizian, as quoted by Merck, 259.
[4] Michael Haykin, One Heart and One Soul: John Sutcliffe of Olney, His Friends and His Times (Darlington, Co. Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1994), 15.
[5] Ibid. 25.
[6] Ibid. 24. Haykin is quoting John Gill.
[7] Ibid. 25.
