Abby, Elena, and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Sandy Creek Baptist Church, the first Baptist Church started in North Carolina. It was from this church, planted and pastored by Shubal Stearns in 1755, that the South and much of America saw revival and thousands of churches started. The Baptist History Preservation Society placed two large marble markers there in 2005 in the 250th year of the church. What a blessing to be able to visit the site where during the founding years of our nation so many were saved, baptized, called to preach, ordained to the ministry, and sent out to preach the gospel starting the whole great commission process over again somewhere else. On one of the marble markers reads, “Baptist historian, William Cathcart said of Stearns, ‘He was eloquent, wise, humble, pathetic, full of faith, and wholly consecrated to God, and few men ever enjoyed more of the Spirit’s presence in the closet and in preaching the gospel. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest ministers that ever presented Jesus to perishing multitudes, and one of the most successful soulwinners that ever unfurled the banner of Calvary.’” Another marker reads in part by Baptist historian David Benedict, “Sandy Creek Church is the mother of all the Separate Baptists. From this Zion went forth the Word, and great was the company of them who published it, insomuch that her converts were as drops of morning dew. This church in seventeen years has spread her branches westward as far as the great river Mississippi, southward as far as Georgia, eastward to the Sea and Chesapeake Bay, and northward to the waters of the Potomac. It, in seventeen years is become mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to forty-two churches from which sprang 125 ministers.” “There are today thousands of Baptist churches as the result of the labours of Shubal Stearns and Sandy Creek Baptist Church.” Also, “Baptist historian Morgan Edwards wrote, ‘I believe a supernatural and invisible hand works in the assemblies of the separate Baptists bearing down on the human mind as was the case in the primitive churches.’”
The current Sandy Creek Baptist Church joined the SBC like so many of the Baptist churches in the South did after 1845. You can read about Shubal Stearns and his brother-in-law, Daniel Marshall, in such books as “This Day in Baptist History” by David Cummins or “America in Crimson Red” by James R. Beller. I have put a few links at the end of this post for more information. We thank the Lord for being able to see this link to our Baptist heritage.
http://www.sandycreekbaptistchurch.org/
http://www.baptisthistorypreservation.com/
The current Sandy Creek Baptist Church joined the SBC like so many of the Baptist churches in the South did after 1845. You can read about Shubal Stearns and his brother-in-law, Daniel Marshall, in such books as “This Day in Baptist History” by David Cummins or “America in Crimson Red” by James R. Beller. I have put a few links at the end of this post for more information. We thank the Lord for being able to see this link to our Baptist heritage.
http://www.sandycreekbaptistchurch.org/
http://www.baptisthistorypreservation.com/
