Travels in Baptist History 20 – The Waldensian Trail of Faith 10 The Waldensians in America and today by Jim Curran

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Travels in Baptist History 20- The Waldensian Trail of Faith 10The Waldensians in America and today

We conclude this series on the Waldensians on the journey of many of them to America as well as a look at them today. So how did people from the Italian Alps wind up in the Piedmont of North Carolina?In the late 1800’s the little valleys of the Waldensians were facing a new crisis- overpopulation. The group relied mainly on agriculture for sustenance. In the valleys where they lived surrounded by mountains there was only a small amount of workable land. As it was subdivided among families the amount became too small to sustain a family. Something had to be done and plans were made to start colonies overseas in North America and South America.So 29 Waldensians boarded the SS Zaandam to prepare for a colony. Only one, their pastor Charles Albert Tron, could speak English. They came to what would be Valdese with no money, provisions or houses. They purchased 10,000 acres of land on credit from the Morgantown land and improvement company. Initially the Land Company tried to have them organize as a corporation cutting timber for which to build their houses and selling the excess to pay off the land. The sawmill was antiquated from the start and the Waldenses were unfamiliar with its operation. They were excellent stone masons but poor lumberman- building from stone took time which they did not have the luxury of. They would settle for small “sawmill shacks” for the time being and build more later. The Land company would take back the land and sell it to the residents on an individual basis.On the Trail of faith there are several structures that show the early years of this endeavor. The first is the Pierre Tron House (I am unsure if he was any relation to the pastor.) This is an original building from 1893 that sat about 500 yards from it’s present location and a grand son of the Trons Fred Stroup donated it and the land that the Trail of Faith is on. Originally it was about half the size and as more lumber was available it was enlarged. Next to it is the old sawmill powered by it’s original hit and miss engine. As time went on the Waldensians would build houses based on those in Italy with beautiful stonework. (You still see this stonework all over Valdese.) The Refour house is a reproduction of the original that was in Valdese. Like those in Italy this was a combined barn and house with the animals below. One other structure is a community bread oven.I think it fitting that we look at the Waldenses today. While many diverged a while back we can never regard them as a monolithic group. They were independent churches and showed variation as such. Indeed Martyr’s Mirror notes that there were three distinct groups even then (1660’s)” Of the dispersion and the different names of the Waldenses; that there were three divisions of them, one of which agreed in all articles of religion with the Anabaptists; that said people were called Anabaptists ; that they rejected infant baptism; their views with regard to the office of secular authority, against war, the swearing of oaths, and against nearly all articles of the Roman church;”Today we can see this as well. The Waldensian church at Valdese became part of the Presbyterians in the late 1800’s (along with the one in Monett MO.) The ones in Italy mainly aligned themselves with the Methodists and are now quite theologically liberal. There was even a group of 80 that sadly became Mormon in the 1800’s! (Some Baptists from Scandinavia were also drawn into that heresy at the time too.) It is worthy to note that there are Baptists among the Waldensian people too- there are several Baptist churches in Valdese composed largely of people of Waldensian descent. One of them presents the Easter drama at the Trail of Faith. For further links to the Anabaptists Martyr’s Mirror has more information including quotes from even Catholic authorities that linked them.I hope this series has been an encouragement to you- If we are to take some things out of their story I would say this.

1. Always stand in persecution. There are those that have went through far worse than what we have.
2. Don’t ever forget the price that was paid by those in the past.
3. Don’t compromise for the sake of emergency. Their compromises in calling preachers from Geneva led to further issues.
4. Even the most ancient of churches can go in the wrong direction. Their compromise with the Protestants was the beginning of many. Lest we just look at them, most of the oldest Baptist churches in America have turned into liberals theologically.

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