BAPTIST HISTORY, HERITAGE and DISTINCTIVES – The Separate Baptist revival was led by the incomparable Shubal Stearns …

Thomas E Kresal

BAPTIST HISTORY, HERITAGE and DISTINCTIVES – December 15, 2018

Revival Heritage – Part One of Two
The Separate Baptist revival was led by the incomparable Shubal Stearns, a converted New England Congregationalist, who after his Baptism in Connecticut, migrated to North Carolina to fulfil the call of God upon his life.

Stearns began preaching with a congregation of 17 in central west North Carolina and revival broke out. He soon had 17 preachers whom he trained and sent out into Virginia and South Carolina. Within one generation over 1,000 churches were birthed and within two generations over 5,000 churches were birthed. In all actuality, the revival is still not over. The Southern Baptists; the Independent Baptists; the church of God, Cleveland, TN; and the Landmark Baptists, are direct descendants from Stearns and the Separate Baptists.

Our Separate Baptist forefathers broke the iron fist of tyranny prior to and after the War of Independence. Every American should have knowledge of the 44 preachers jailed in Virginia and the profound impact their testimonies had on Washington, Jefferson and especially Madison.

A number of these men were at one time household names among Americans. The following servants should be household names among our Baptist people:

Roger Williams , John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, Isaac Backus, Elizabeth Backus, Samuel Stennet, Jeremiah Moore,
Rachel Thurber Scammon, Shubal Stearns, Daniel and Martha Marshall, Abraham Marshall, William and Sara Murphy
Samuel Harriss, John Gano, John Leland, Adoniram Judson, John Taylor, Isaac McCoy, Jeremiah Vardeman and Hudson Taylor.

It is as though we are in a coma; a coma caused by an unfortunate accident. What was the accident that caused the coma?

Prepared by Thomas E. Kresal: Excerpts from “Sacred Betrayal” by James R. Beller Chapter 3, p. 39-41 (Prairie Fire Press, St. Louis, Missouri, 205 p. 1-3)