__ , _, , ___ wsip<n inwu-w/wm

-.....->n _ i

‘ around 111111.

4

‘PAGE TEN

History 0f nae lVorth

River Baptist Church

_ (By Dr. Gordon C. Warren, of Acadia University,

Wolfville_ N.S..

13y D1". Gordon c. Warren of Acadia University.

The Baptist denomination in the Maritime Provinces can p085! no grcn: antiquity: 1t dates 1190i‘ wnW-Jyyng than a hunched. and fiymt j 111's. The 02.".- [ML Church pcrsistcci 111110, 1;..- prtscnt 111111‘, l 111411 not I110‘ m“ to be found; . these 111'"- l5 the one at‘ NS. \\“.11\'l1 unis oration- I‘. 1s the oldest BAD“, 1:1 C:in.1.n\. ' 11nd bit-u

11am‘

t» .11 s of Builiiu ned to he

vwsr»

lllI-x ltlllflTv

l d ‘or zxvi. Mo) '

for the , * hurl rendered

the navv to . Reurrti in

l

ifvlicirf ~ .

1e of thou‘ doetr oil from the ETI- errl inc

11m I: . cave qivay a ' 1M0 and it is rllnbll" .. during his life 1:00 lu Pdll~‘<l‘..1‘.€! 1"‘ -. g m“ {or the Cliristmn

T1,,- I-‘irst Preachers |

q" -. ‘wry q- .1 who fr‘ preached z’. in flu.» Pr"o"11f‘".

~- naming in the .n-‘

"d bf; the H211-

i wflrc lnflivvfivcil.

ltd birnlzcrs 'l"ho

i o! t . >1 11.1.» John Scott. Th" cm“ "awrl from P*'ll 1.11‘. 5PM‘.

1|,,,,g_ _,./l sotilcd at. 301-111 River,‘ 1;‘ 1am; m‘ 7. wipq-p ho coitiluctcd n fat-m n: some two hundred .1i'1'i"s.

. 11w, in

m, c,.m,,,,,. _ '~ cfscl 111s m“; 8-, iortcr. rlccPilf Irons man vii -' F’"‘-"“l'1‘-‘"'l "Wm

the spiritual d' tltution of.’ his ‘fold lowmcn. no toiled on hi"- mslll ""2? . inc week tint-s and r1191" - ‘ 5*‘ ‘l baths in punching the 20;‘; ' n} nzlciitinn to his local commit - he visited West. RivcrASt. P!‘ ~»

Road and Lot 471. (icclnrmg ‘he “P” l scarchczzbl“ riches of Christ ‘llltlqfrl gaping Fol‘ a number of lflli-t ~ thu: (‘X1‘l'('l.'”‘flylll.< vi t“ 8V5 11 :21 pypiclicr. a'-d 1n 1871'! became t. l1 (q yin P-i-st tiircc B1ll)"‘l. P-llds" for: to ho ordaind 011 this Tslffml Wlvle Fathers Fdunird "fluid"!- o.’ Cornwallis. . and Tl1°°‘l_“"‘ S. Harding. of Horton, N-S- “"7" on. a missionary: tour of this FY13" “n” y“ rm“, 310111‘. they ordamsd yq-N gpntt pl, Alexandra on 5°13? 1g Jnhn Scott at NO-“ll Rlvgiarz: Oct. v, and .1011: shew at

~ y , l. .

wit; solo"? 12501-11 dcalfptl will‘ ‘he f ‘in and progress 0f ill’ nap‘ rhnwh a.‘ West and Clyde Riv- "Sixty yewvlsd w» 7G1": his-Mi: raised up E er .01

Fi-ctt. l roslribnt (if Nmlh Rllgr‘ v.1,“ was flflpfwfilfds ordalnfld .V

.5 StoiFSZ

f-‘itlw-rs lvlnnnlm! and 39'6"‘! m“ I

i - In became the first ‘Baptist. Ploneci ,-».;._<,- FWPlS, Hc felt, corgtratmg; bv ‘Divino influence, to la {in m h“ ppfching follow coun f)!" NfildlTP and crave 0'" Scott, his

flnfil for Father bu‘

a event carnal

“reapom were not

Well Drilling Communicate with

Trask Well 60., Ltd.

Vaughan H. Groom §ummerside

of; sounding board, in barns or dwel-

' first

(“.l> ll

‘of bellcvcrs’ baptism.

~ . About the year 1809 he emigrated

‘ ordered into fellowship with them. , I11 (‘Xlllfillllfifl this situation Dr. J ;

l .~’\¢'z1dir1 College. wrote: “Mr. Crab‘-

Y" more of‘ ‘m; emotional in his re-

tori tho worship of l ‘iiotnsclves.

‘rd ciclit happy bclierur-vs.

a Native Son.)

mighty through God to the pulllnfl

down the strongholds of sin rind Satan. He preached in the open ail‘. the canopy of heaven his jling houses 8s opportunity offer- ed. The new and odd way. as it scvnlcfl to the people, in which he baptized his converts brought upon 111m no small share of ridicule? 11:’ lllat itself did not end in smoke for frequently were "Msc smitten to the heart who came w hour what the Baptist Babbler had to say. John Sievcurt. :1 Scotch Baptist of Forty-Eight, was the ministering brother to c0- ooerab- with him and strengthen 111s hands; he was a loving._zcal- . a fellow helper in the

I1"1'l|." , Elder John Scott. the ancestor of the Smuis of North River, the s-u-ovid Bairist minister ordained mi rhi- Islrmd. the first pastor of iii-s t"“lf‘1‘h. died about 1843 and v l‘ iul in the old cemetery on 11v f.».-"1n now oimed hv Mr Warren. Ot-i_ - f1 slib marked l1 rest- Timr- has lone: since and no man the exact 10'3- of the grave of this devoted uorw/r ‘ ‘Vlllllf! fllflll \\'l1l'l (‘SHIP 11d and pivziclicd Bap- x-s in the early days Cixaivioval. He had 11t- tlio Haldane school in l"‘!ll and liari secured r1 1-111 for that limo. 111-1 rzvivi- o’ Al"l\'lt‘.~llll‘¢‘. Ff-lr-l lut- lio was converted and. . Willi the llldPllfilltltlll, .1 ‘ch on the Island of Arrzill. on the west coast of Scotland. At *‘* ave of nineteen he wont to . to Rilrlld the Haldane At about this time the I11- eonxvr-gaiions were bc-

school. dependent , c-imuz: concerned ovcr the 511015"

Mr. Craw- "ord under-rook a careful study of

sfderable influence. Never of n robust constitution, and having met with consid nblfl opposition and himishfp in his work, he died in May, 1828. at the early age of, 42. He had married before leav- ' ing his native heath, and rear-- ed n family of four sons and four l daughters. A man of untmpeacn- l able Christian character, a humble J gracious, forbearing spirlt, be ex- erted a powerful influence in the propagation of Baptist. princlpl-s on this Island. However. he never identified himself with the Bau- tists of Nova Scotia. The main reason was that he held the dor- trfnal peculiarities of the Scotch Baptists of that day. H; W33 up- posed to an ordained ministry. bald that any Christian layman might dispense the Lord's Supper. and maintained that the marriage of a believer with an unbeliever or even with a member of another denom- ination, constituted a cue for church dLscipline. Though, the peculiarities of Elder Crawford's views have long since been aban- doned by his successors, they created a division in the Baptist ranks that’. greatly retarded for many years the growth ‘of the de- nomination on the Island.

Visiting blisnlonarim

It was not until the third decade of the nineteenth century that the Baptists of the other two Mari- time PTOVIHCES bcga nto take en active interest in their brethren of rho same faith and order on this Island. The first of the visit- ing missionaries was Rev. Charles, Tuppcr, of Amherst. N.S., father’ of the eminent Canadian states- man. sir Charles Dipper. He came in The summer of 1825. Among the other missionaries who come to help and encourage the feeblel churches and spread the knowl- edzze of the gospel were Father l lidwarrl Manning. of Cornwallis. NS. F-athcr Theodore S. Harding. of Horton. N.S.. and Father Joseph Crandall. of Sasekviille, N.B., all three beloved fathers and found- ers of the Baptist denomination in the sister Provinces. Other missioizarics followed in ‘lhPlr steps. These visiting preachers fre- quently refer to the intelligence and hospitality of the Island peo- ple. their eagerness to bear the

the question soon reached a. dc- as to 1'5 scriptural warrant. ~ iuinirvscd tozelhcr with students.

Slow a number of his fellow

to Yarmotith. N.S.. when: be taught. school, and preached as 001701" t‘ '1'!‘ afforded. As a Scotch Brill- Ylsl lie held some view; at vari- ance with those of the Nova Scotia Baptists. As a consequence he ‘was not greatly favored by the Yarmoiith Baptists. and he never

.\I. (‘nmipj then persidcut 0T

ord was n Scotchman. and R1 Scotch Baptist. He had learned to think; our people had been

t \ll;l1t chiefly to feel. Had there been

ligion mid more of the intellectual 1:1 theirs. all parties would ‘have bun improved."

\Vl1ilt= in Yarmouth Mr. Craw- ford learned flint some 0f his "id friends in Scotland bud enllflfllfll tn P. E. Island and had establish- God amonn At once he entered into correspondence wi‘l1 them and eventually visited them in Och. 101i. The neighbors crowded into the house where he was first re- ccivcd. prohnblv somewhere at Int 4R. He preached to them and his message warmed their hearts and “was a (loop and lasting fm- pression. Not loin: afterwards ht? preached rm baptism and Immers- These

gospel proclaimed, some coming long distances to attend the scr- vfccs. and all beheld the fields ripe unto the harvest.

North River was frequently blessed by visits from these Baptist leaders from the mainland. Rev Jas. Munro, of Onslow, N3, tells , of preaching at M1". D's near Char- 1 lOHGZOWH tmost probably Wm. Dockendorfs at. North Rlvcri and of baptizing three person's in the summer of 1830. While on a tour of the Island in the summer of 11131. Elder C. Tupper visited North River. and thus reports hi5 visit: ‘Lords day 111.11 1Sept. 11, 193i) attended a conference at North River (to accommodate some per- sons that had not an opportunity to relate their experiences before) preached twice. baptized five per- sons. ordained three Deacons. and administered the Lord's Supper. I was, indeed, weary in the service of God, but: not. weary of it. Marked attention and great seri- Ousncss prevailed." The names of these three deacons are not given: they remain tinknowxi. The next year a new deacon was appointed and no further mention of these is found. In referring b0 one of the persons baptized on this visit Elder" Topper “rites: “One of the persons baptized by me at. North River was Bro. James Walker. In the time of Bonaporteks wars he was in the British service on board a frigate at the bombardment. of Copenhagen, in 1807. Being in- disposed. he staid on the deck

m": said to have been the first

llFl‘ 11s to be immersed in tilt‘ ‘Province, A Deacon Kennedy. 0i , Lot 4R. szlvcs this account, of thcj mmwv: “It was ‘the first sflripsl tural baptiziniz that ever took‘ p110“ on P. F7. ‘Island. But what was tho consequence? The in-

hnhiiflnts or the Island 1n general l one of his eyes was seriously and

lifted up their vnlcé against thP

w“- Baptist preacher. and Rlfilnrt- tropbe he was graciously preserved

thorn whom 11c baptized. A fcw rlav< after the bapifzing took place there was A heavy and tremendous .15.»... which laid acres of tho standing wood ilat on the rtroznid bore and there all over the Is- fund, “xffuwv cattle vizcrc killed by the falling trees and houses. xvhich was said bv manv to be an irwnr-dfail- jllflflmcnt from the Al-

lmfchwu on account. of Mr. Craw-

fordm Plunging people in the writ- m-i" jlfir-r Pfwlrhlllfi and booth,- iwg in two other settlements. hr- rctiirncd to Ynrmouih.

Bug m“ cnll of the Island had not into his bfnorl. The congenial folk he bad dl'cov"t":l hire bfml“ to tug at his heart airings. The result was that in 1814 he took up ncrmnucnt residence in tlllfl Province, Dllllli’! the first your lie lived in an tmcomforttible li'flc. log house, tmichi school in Char- lotietoivn. and snout his Sahbndis HTPRFhlTVI to thr- people of Lot, 48 Then h" accculcd the nasinrnic of the little church. the memlrrs proufsinz whet support they could give him and purchasing a farm for their ivvv pastor. fir‘ made but mp F\l\\\|')§\llQil'_ that l1;- bc per- miffed to visit other sections to fn‘(‘l'lf'l"| and mtnhlisli Not long. however. did this 08F- torato continue. A case of church discipline ma" matters so 1m- nlopsfinl for blm that h» resign- or] hi- "HBNZP. Another church at (my onzawrd him as pador, but, at the end of three rears trouble arose 1n his new field 41nd h1- was compelled to give no his second pastorate. Never after accepting a phat-go, h» hccnmn an ftfnnrate preacher. In i818 he settled with his, family in Trvon and 111M810"! more the remainder oi’ his life He enfovcd remarkable success In his mfnktry at lm-zc over the TF- imqd mvi orgauivcil what were known as Scotch Baptist churches at East Point. Three- Rivers. To? 43, ‘Fr-yon. and other sections. He yuibfished t1 treatise on believers’

Manager for P. E. island

baptism tn 1827 that exerted 0mi-

churches. -,

while the men in general were taking their brcakfast, when a. bomb thrown from the city caus- ed the frigate to be blown up. Of course those who were below perished; but the deck, thrown to a distance alight/ed on the sea. and he remained on it. Though

lastfngfv injured. yet in this catas-

from death. The life thus provi- oentlally and marvellously protect- ed. has now been for many years i devoted to the gospel ministry; and lour valued Bro. Walker's faithful ‘and rcaious labors, principally 1n New Brunswick, have undoubtedly l been blessed of God m the good of many souls. and the furtherance of the Redeemer-s cause."

In 18.70. under the Nova Scoiia Baptist Missionary Society, Rev. Samuel NIcCullv, of Amherst. N.S.. made a missionary tour to the Is- land, extending from Oct. 2 to Nov. l0. Hc preached in the dwel- ling house of Wm. Doekcndorff at North River. .1 successful farmer

i and influential member of the Is- ‘lami Legislature. whose home was f ever open to ministers of the gos- pel. Herc Mr. McCully organized a church of thirteen members. The names of the chart-er mem- bers of this church were as fol- lows: John Scott and his wife Elizabeth; Joseph Warren and his wife Ann; Donald McKinlay; Don- ald Imvfnzston and his wife: John Mon-ah. Malcolm Amos, Donald McPhail, Hector McNeill, Mrs. Charles McLean, and Mrs. Dun- can McLean. They chose Jnhn Scott as their first pastor and he was ordained over the church in i832 as already ‘noted. He had preached in Gae- llic among them for several years. iwhllc Ben]. Scott, of Lot 49 fre- ' qucntly declared the word in Eng- lish. At the time o.‘ Jrihn Scott's lordlnation Donald McKinley. a native of Scotland who came to North River in 1809. was chosen as , the first deacon. At first this lit- ltle band find no mes-ling house but assembled in school houses and in private dwellings. Their first chapel was a log structure erected at the lower part of the settlement near York Point, The second church was situated 11l-

most opposite the present parson- age but i; little to the south on

land originally ovmed

small farm on the Isle of Mule in

1a. press-gang boarded her,

Low-rm: EXCURSIONS

B i1 ST 0 N 131221.11: 1117

From CHARLOTTETOWD

Sill from Salli! Join lly Wodnudcy or Saturday n! 1:30 PM" 4.7., up h Sui- urduy. October 9. Inclu- nlvn.‘ Excursion Hahn. good returning from lesion on any regular selling no! luhr than l‘ days. Includ- Ing duh of dopcrturn from Saint John. Correspond- Inqly low rain from points In H10 Inferior of Now . Iriuuwlcli. Prlnu Edward Island and Nova Scctlu. Comfortable flchroom cc- eommoitoilens from $1 up. Fine mach at fair prlus. ‘Thorn will tic no selling from Si. John Wldnudny. Ociohlr b-

EASTERN

STEIMSIIIP LINES

Apply at any Canadian Nu- tlonul Railways ticket oflicu: or Rood‘: Paint Wharf, Saint John. hi. Dial 3-1191.

church is the third home of wor- ship. The First Deacon

This first deacon was born on a

Scotland in 1789. when a lad of ten his father died leaving his mother a widow with three small children This prudent mother saw that there were but poor pros- pects for her little flock on their few stubborn acres, and so in 1809 when Donald was about twenty, she decided to emigrate to this Island with her three children. Just as the emigrant. ship was about to leave the British shores seized Donald, placed him in their boat and Impressed him into the Bri- tish navy. The day of doom for Donald and his mother seemed tn have arrived. However, through the importunities of the captain of the emigrant ship and of its pas- sengcrs, Donald was released. and after a nine weeks voyage landed on the Island with less than ten dollars in his pocket, He rented a farm at North River where he lived for three score years. Even- tually be was able to purchase the farm and became a freeholdcr. Though brought up in the Scottish Kirk. he became an admiring lis- tener of the Baptist pioneers. John Scott and Alexander Craw- ford. As a result in 1830 ‘he be- came one of the charter members of this church and was appointed its first deacon in 1832. an office which he adorned with a consis- tent Chrisfian life until his death on Oct. f1, 1870 in his 81st vcai‘. He Was the pvogcnninr ofthe Muc- Kinfavis of this community.

As already stated Elder John Scott dicd about 1843, and tho church was loft without a pastor. In the iviuter of that year Elder Ben]. Scott engaged. in mission- ary work under the Nova Scotla Board and visited North River. He writes: "At York and Elliot rivers the people are very anxious to fiear the word: but are much in want of a settled minister anion: them. They wish to securi- the labors of one who can preach in both English and Gaelic, which appears to be necessary as there are so many in that section that speak the Gaelic. I hope that the Lord will send one after his own heart to break to them the bread of life."

The good Elders hopes vicrc soon to be ixalized. In the previ- ous summer of 1842 a young man from Margaree, Cape Breton 111111:- ed Malcolm Ross visited North River, and preached with such ac- ceptance that he was invited to become pastor. He returned to his studies at Acadia during the winter. and in the following June he accepted the paswrage, brought a wife along with him and crcct- ed a dwelling house in the lower port of the settlement. Mrs, Ross was a talented lady who conduct- ed a school in her own home, which. not only promoted the 1n- tellectual development of the com- munity. but also helped to supple- ment the pastor's inadequate sal- ary. Mr. Ross was ordained in 1843 by Revs. J. Show, B. Scott. and Alex. McDonald. He labor- ed on this field for about nine years until 1852. As ho proclaimed the gospel of redeeming grace fn both English and Gaelic much spiritual blessing attended his ministry, and a total of upwards of a hundred persons were added tn the church.

At. the time of Mr. Boss's or- dination James Warren and wm. Boln were ordained deaeons. James Warren 11800-1888) was the proprietor of Warren Grove Mills. o local magistrate. and a man of some prominence in the commun- ity. He died in 1888. Wm. Ilain was a native of Thin-so, Caiih- ness County, Scotland. He had

the trade of stone cutter. mason

i ‘by Qqu re

John McPhec.

THIS UHAKLU’ ['1']? FUWN GUARDIAN

received an excellent education in his native land and had learned

and wilder. m» emigrated to this

Island and finally settled on n flu-m at calmness Cove. West River about 1884. He continued his work as mason and builder. and , in association with a Mr. Watts. f he built the Provincial Government Building in Charlottetown. In 1839 he married Ellen, daughter of Wm. Dockendcrff. two of his sons. Francis and Jacob, to whom reference will be _ made later, , came to occupy prominent places ‘ in the life of this church. Wm. Bain had been reared n Fresh!‘-

terian and was a staunch upbolder g

. of the principles of that. church l until the year 1836 when he ex- i pt-rienccd a deep conviction of sin. l became ‘exercised over the ques- tfon of baptism, and was finally baptfud into the church at York and West Rivers. A deeply spiritual l man, he proved a tower of strength to his church. Bwecfally 1n the Sabbath school and prayer meetings. and was a most gen- erous supporter of the gospel. He died Nov. ll, 1849, in the (7th year of his age. During Rev. M. Rosa's pastorate a Sunday school was organized at North River in 1843." Probably the first superintendent W88 Deacon Wm. Bain. By 187B it bod attained a membership of 76, with an average attendance of 40. The library contained 300 volumes and ieight: dollars was expended that lvcar for books. papers, etc. The jsunr-rintcndent was Francis Bain. ‘Following him in order were Jacob Bain, Wm. J. Howard. Wil- 11am Drake. and Ernest Warren.