Oxford Trip 2004 V: Baptist History

We left bright and early on Thursday July 15th for a tour of some of the historic Baptist sights that England provides.

Our first stop was the town of Moulten and the church of the first Baptist Missionary, William Carey. Fed up with the strict Calvinism and cold ecclesiology of his day, Carey and his associates organized the first Baptist Missionary Society and set off for India.



This is a stain glassed window in Carey Baptist Church. The words read: “Expect Great Things From God; Attempt Great Things For God.”



Here is a mural inside the church. It has the biography of Carey from childhood to his mission to India.

This was a wonderful church. The members were very nice and Christ-like. They even had a female deacon. Quite a new thing, or so the Pastor told me. Not that having a female deacon or recognizing female deacons makes one Christlike ... or does it?



And here is the room that Carey worked in as a cobbler, a pastor, a teacher, and self-taught student.



We next traveled to the town of Olney to see the church of John Newton, author of Amazing Grace.



Here you can see my attempt at getting a picture of the wonderful stained glass windows of the church.



And here is an interesting figurine on one of the windows.



We next went to Kettering and the church of Andrew Fuller. Here we went to see the home of Widow Wallace where the first Baptist Missionary Society was formed. We also had lovely tea and biscuits provided by the people at the church.

Here you can see the guest book at the church which my wife signed when she visited Kettering last year.



Here is Fuller.

Cheers.