{"id":632,"date":"2019-10-05T18:46:46","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awarningministry.com\/?p=632"},"modified":"2019-10-05T18:51:24","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:51:24","slug":"baptist-history-heritage-and-distinctives-america-owes-a-great-debt-to-these-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awarningministry.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/05\/baptist-history-heritage-and-distinctives-america-owes-a-great-debt-to-these-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – America owes a great debt to these men"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/a><\/a>\u200eThomas E Kresal<\/a>\u200e\u00a0to<\/em> Baptist History Preservation <\/abbr><\/a>October 5, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – America owes a great debt to these men. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elisha Rich<\/strong> was ordained to preach the gospel and take the pastoral care of the Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Baptist church on October 05, 1774<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He used his skills as a blacksmith, gunsmith, farmer, and bookkeeper to sustain his family.Persecution was to be expected, and he suffered \u201cno little rough opposition. His livestock was injured and the pulpit in the meetinghouse was set to fall when he ascended it, and he was otherwise harassed; but those hearty souls persevered, and the work of God expanded.By the nineteenth century the overt opposition had all but ended, but the same determination was revealed in the lives of Baptist pastors. The population had increased, and now many of the men of God found themselves responsible for overseeing the ministries of three or four scattered congregations. They continued to support their families, but now their ministerial responsibilities were multiplied.Such a man was Christopher Columbus Metcalf, born on March 10, 1855, and ministered the Word faithfully for 52 years. C.C. Metcalf served as a circuit-riding pastor in the hills of Kentucky and had the care of four churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He farmed during the week and on Saturday at noon he mounted his horse and rode to his first church. Most of the churches had services Saturday night and Sunday as well, for they had services on only one Sunday. The pastor would prepare lessons for a deacon to teach the other three Sundays. The next Saturday he would go in a different direction until each church had been visited each month. America owes a great debt to these men who invested their lives in this manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas E. Kresal from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins\/Thompson, pp. 413-14<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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