Burney, Thomas J., greatly distinguished and honored among Georgia Baptists for his able and successful management of the finances of the Georgia Baptist Convention for a long series of years

Baptist Church History

  · Daily Baptist Encyclopedia Post by Jim Curran

Burney, Thomas J., greatly distinguished and honored among Georgia Baptists for his able and successful management of the finances of the Geor- gia Baptist Convention for a long series of years, during which he acted as treasurer of that body, was born in Greene Co., April 29, 1801. He died June 22, 1876, most of his life having been spent in Madison, Ga. ._When young he had fair educa- tional advantages; was for a time a student at the famous law school of St. George Tucker, Winches- ter, Va., and for a brief period he engaged in the practice of law. Although he served in the United States land-office at Cahawba, Ala., for some time, and was all his life a man of business, yet Mr. Bur- ney was distinguished more for his deep religious convictions and for his usefulness in church and educational. matters than for eminence in any other respect. He was baptized by Dr. Adiel Sher- wood in November, 1834, and for forty years was an active, useful, and faithful member of the Madi- son church, of which he was for many years deacon and treasurer. He was secretary and treasurer of the Georgia Female College, a member of the board of trustees for that institution and also of Mercer University, and was the treasurer of the university and a member of the Executive and Prudential Committees of the Georgia Baptist Convention for many years. So skillfully did he manage the vast interests intrusted to his hands as treasurer of the Georgia Baptist Convention and of Mercer Uni- versity that his brethren gave him unlimited au- thority over all the funds. He was a man of firm purpose, dauntless resolution, and unswerving in- tegrity, all his other duties yielding to his religious obligations. He was calm, self-possessed, temper- ate, and thoughtful. He was not known as a speaker in the conventional meetings, but his few and pointed words ever received respectful atten- tion. His house was the preacher’s home, and from its altar the incense of morning and evening sacrifice ascended each day. His death was calm, peaceful, and happy. From the Baptist Encyclopedia by William Cathcart