Travels in Baptist History 22- Shubal Stearnes by Jim Curran

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Travels in Baptist History 22- Shubal Stearnes

As we look toward the series of the War of the Regulation we will look some at Sandy Creek and the Separate Baptists. We will start where they started with Shubal Stearnes, an incredible man. The grave site of one of the most remarkable preachers that America has ever seen lies in the Sandy Creek church yard. Stearnes was converted under the preaching of George Whitfield. He became part of the separate Congregationalists but started to become convinced of Baptist Principles. He was baptized by Wait Palmer of Stonington CT. (Palmer is another unsung hero- he also helped start the first African American Baptist Church) In 1754 Stearnes would move south to Virginia and then to Sandy Creek in 1755 forming the Sandy Creek Baptist Church. This Church would become a blazing and shining light that started churches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. Most Baptist churches in the South and indeed many other areas have connection in one way or another to Sandy Creek. Shubal and his wife Sarah had no children but their spiritual children number in untold millions.Shubal would pass away on November 20, 1771 not too long after the events of the War of the Regulation.