Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Jesse Mercer Purchases Christian Index Paper – Part FOUR of SIX

Thomas E Kresal Admin · January 30, 2020

Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives –
Jesse Mercer Purchases Christian Index Paper – Part FOUR of SIX

About 1818 he removed from Greene County to Powelton, where he resided until the end of 1826 or beginning of 1827, when he removed to Washington, which remained his home until death. Of the church at the former place he was pastor for twenty-eight years, and of the church at the latter he was pastor about seventeen years; but after removing to Washington he resigned the charge of most of his other churches.

Connection with the Index:
In the year 1833 the Christian Index, published by Dr. Win. T. Brantly, Sr. at Philadelphia, was purchased by Mr. Mercer and removed to Washington, Ga. For several years he was the editor of the Index, assisted by Rev. Wm. H. Stokes, and was the means thus of greatly benefiting the denomination in the State by his wise counsel and skillful expositions of discipline and doctrine. But editorial duties were not congenial to him, and the paper became a pecuniary disadvantage. In 1840 he tendered the Index, and all its appendages, to the Georgia Baptist Convention. The gift was accepted, and it was published by the Convention, through a committee, until 1862, when it was sold to Rev. S. Boykin, who for several years had been employed as editor.

To Mr. Mercer the denomination in the State is indebted for much of its harmony and prosperity, through the influence exerted for many years by that paper.

Thomas E. Kresal from: Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart, pg. 779-780