impetus from 2nd Great Awakeningrise of Benevolent Empireevangelical Protestants turned to a multitude of new denominational and interdenominational societies

for missions and other causes one early thrust included home missions in frontier areas:

1796New York Missionary Society1st voluntary interdenominational missionary organization aimed mainly at Native AmericansBaptists, Presbyterians, Reformed all involvedBaptist Elkanah Holmes appointed as missionaryworked until differences re: baptism became too great

1802Massachusetts Baptist Missionary Societyoutgrowth of evangelistic activities of Warren Assoc.also a sign that Baptists in New England were moving toward societies that were independent of associations

anyone willing to pay $1 per year could join, regardless of denominational affiliationno relationship to local churches as far as representation was concernedbasis of membership determined only by voluntary financial support MBMS had some non-Baptist trustees no doctrinal or other standard set up for workers

 society

method for conducting home missions on American frontier became increasingly common among Baptists

British model (e.g., BMS) fear of centralizationBaptists sought to avoid development of ecclesiastical institutions that would threaten autonomy of local churches

 Associations

(Conventions):

geographically based (more difficult to cut off funds to a particular area or ministry) denominationally centeredexpression of denominations self-consciousness denom. structure fosters many benevolences relationship to program through churches interdependent & connectionalall parts of mission emphasis connected favored more in South

 Societies:

financially based (easy to cut off funds) benevolence centered single interestusually only 1 benevolence relationship to society is individualchurches usually bypassed (para-church) independent and voluntary favored more in North (at least until 1907)

 William

Staughton (1770-1829):

English Particular Baptist who was present at Kettering in 1792 when BMS was formed 1795he came to Americafirst in SC, then NJ, finally to Phila. as pastor of FBC (served 180511) promoted foreign missionswrote The Baptist Mission in India

some

English Baptist missionaries to India routed through America when E. India Co. refused to transport them because missionaries opposed slavery, caste system

 Massachusetts

Baptist Missionary Magazine (est. 1803) published letters from English missionaries role of womenMary Webb (1779-1861) confined to a wheelchair, helped to establish Boston Female Society for Missionary Purposes, 1st missionary organization in America for womenin 1812 she proposed that female religious societies set apart 1st Monday afternoon of every month for special prayer for missions

 example

of Congregationalists:

1806Haystack Prayer Meeting on campus of Williams College in MAstudents caught in thunderstorm during their regular prayer meeting and took refuge in a haystackthey made commitments to foreign missions and in 1808 formed the Society of the Brethren Luther Rice (1783-1836) joined the Brethren others were added later at Andover Seminary, including Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) an appeal by these students led the Congregationalists to organize the ABCFM in 1810in 1812 five young men (some with wives) sent to India by ABCFM

 these

two were part of the group that sailed to India (Judson was married to Ann) in 1812the Judsons and Rice were on different ships, but they studied Bible and accepted Baptist view of believers baptism by immersionthe three of them were immersed in Calcutta by William Ward, an English Baptist missionarythey resigned their ABCFM appointments the Judsons, at the invitation of William Careys son, headed to Burma to establish a Baptist work there

 Rice

returned to America to enlist Baptist support for this new missionary work in the Far Easthe arrived in Boston in 1813 and found that Baptists in that city had already organized the Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in India and Other Foreign Parts Rice also toured the Middle Atlantic and southern states to raise funds

 1814a

convention called by agreement of several Baptist associations in U.S. to meet in Phila. to establish a Baptist foreign missionary society

33 delegates from 11 states17 delegates from Phila. Assoc. new society was named the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States for Foreign Missionsbecame known as the Triennial Convention because it met every 3 years

constitution called for representation to be determined by voluntary support (any state or local society or any other bodyincluding churcheswithin the denomination that contributed $100 per year was entitled to not more than 2 delegates)no individual members and no real ecclesiastical connection between churches and the T.C.T.C. initially blended associational and societal characteristics managing board (Baptist Board of Foreign Missions for the United States) was elected by the T.C. to administer day-to-day matters based in Phila.

Richard Furman, pastor of FBC, Charleston, SC, was elected 1st president of T.C. (served until 1820)Thomas Baldwin of 2nd Baptist, Boston, was elected recording secretaryStaughton of Phila. became corresponding secretary (served until 1825) Rice & Judson were appointed as T.Cs 1st missionariesRice was asked to continue his promotional work in U.S. on a temporary basisthis kept him from ever returning to the fieldfor several years he traveled to raise funds for missions & educationhe also was involved in journalistic activities (Latter Day Luminary)

1817temporary move to a more associational model as T.C.s constitution was amended to embrace home missions & education along with the foreign work (Furman pushed this step) John Mason Peck and James Welch appointed a home missionaries to Missouriplans laid for Columbian College (later Geo. Washington Univ.) to be founded in Washington, D.C. (classes started in 1821) 1820Peck instructed by T.C. to move to an Indian mission in Fort Wayne, INhe stayed in MO and worked independently (in 1824 he came under appointment of MBMS)

 moves

toward society approach:

1824Baptist General Tract Society organized Rice one of founders (renamed American Baptist Publication and Sunday School Society in1840) 1826T.C. voted to restrict itself to foreign missionsmanaging board moved to Boston 1832Peck & others established the American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS)Baptists now had denominational identity primarily in 3 societiesmany Baptists in North were wary of a centralized polity that might threaten autonomy of local churches

trends influenced by individualism of the times, revivalistic pietism, mere quantity of societies organized during 2nd G.A. (see McBeth, Baptist Heritage, pp. 349-50, on differences between North & South on this issue)

1844last

T.C. attended by Baptists North & Southby this date there were 720,000 Baptists in U.S. and almost 9400 churches (a 360% increase in the 30 years since the T.C. began in 1814general population grew 140% in same time frame)