CHAPTER XIII
Associational Experiments
During the summer of 1807 the Richland Creek church was constitituted, so that at the first semi-annual meeting of the Illinois Baptist Union, in October, six churches were represented, besides the newly organized Cane Spring church over the river in Louisiana Territory. The six Illinois churches reported a total membership of 106; an increase of 26 in four months. Twenty of the new members were by baptism. Following are the names of the associational delegates: New Design: William Whiteside, Stephen Terry, George Dement; Mississippi Bottom: David Badgley, David Waddle, George Dement; Silver Creek: Joseph Chance, Edward Radcliff, Abram Teter; Richland: James Downen, Robert Brazil, Valentine Brazil; Richland Creek: James Lemen, William L. Whiteside, Isaac Enochs; Wood River: William Jones, Isaac Hill, Joseph Cook. William Jones was chosen moderator, and William Whiteside, clerk. The manuscript copy of the records of this meeting thus begins: "Minits of the Illenoy Association of Baptists, holden at Isaac Enochs, in the Richland Creek church, St. Clair county, Indeanne Territory, on friday, the 9th of October, anado. 1807, and continued by adjournment until Sonday ye 11th.
Friday ye 9th at 12 o'clock, Elder David Badgley deliver'd the entroductory sermon from John the 3d & 16th, for God so loved the world, &c. After sermond business was opened with prayer. Elder William Jones chosen Moderator. Letters from seven churches was read; their messengers enrol'd, and a list of their numbers taken . . .
Eld. David Badgley, Eld. Joseph Chance, Eld. John Hendrixon, and James Downen, with the Moderator and Clerk, was chosen a select committee to arrange the business of the association & make report. Adjourned till 3 o'clock.
Met according to adjournment at 3 o'clock. The select committee made report . . . . The committee adjourned. The association met according to adjournment. The Committee made their report, which was taken up in order." One peculiarity in the proceedings, it will be seen, was the double mill through which they ground their business. First a committee to consider what matters may properly come before the body. The committee adjourns, the association convenes, and the business is gone over
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again in formal order. In this way unwelcome matters as discussions on slavery, were shut out from the association.
The clerk was directed to furnish one written copy of the Minutes to each church, and was allowed twenty-five cents a copy for his labor. That was satisfactory to him for his labor, but as each copy required eight cents postage for all distances under forty miles, he stipulated at the next meeting that each church should fetch their own copy. The year following William Jones became clerk, and made the further requirement that each church furnish its own blank paper, sending it by the messenger. These were pioneer times. William Jones lived a few miles below the present site of Alton, and there was probably no supply of writing paper nearer than Cahokia or St. Louis, twenty five miles away, where foolscap was sold for two cents a sheet.
The first associational meeting of 18o8 was held at James Lemen's, June 10-12. The Illinois churches reported 136 members. During the preceding winter 27 received by baptism and 12 by letter. On the request of the Richland church John Baugh was ordained by a council during the sessions of the association. It was also voted to try the experiment of circuit preaching. It came up in the form of a suggestion to see if something could not be done to supply destitute points with preaching. So soon had the churches forgotten the example of the early days of New Design, when they waited for no preacher but came together regularly for mutual edification. There was presented:
"A request to take into consideration some plan to supply every place with preaching, that there be no lack in any place." It was finally agreed to send the preachers out two and two, after the example of Jesus in Matthew 10, and it was left with the clerk to make the distribution and arrange the circuit. He did the best he could, and paired them off as follows: Joseph Chance and James Lemen; William Jones and Joseph Lemen; John Hendrickson and Benjamin Ogle; John Baugh and Robert Brazle (Brazil). David Badgley and Thomas Musick seem not to have been available owing to some difficulty about their credentials. It is interesting to note in the above list the young men who were for the first time finding their places among the preachers. James Lemen was probably James Lemen Jr. He was not yet twenty years old; his brother Joseph was two years older. They were converted the year before at a camp meeting conducted by their father, James Lemen Sr.,
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John Clark and Bishop McKendree, near the present site ot Edwardsville. Joseph united with the Richland Creek church, and James at New Design. At the time they were paired off as preachers by the clerk of the Assqciation, in session at their father's house, they had not even been licensed by their churches; though that was soon done. At the next church meeting at Richland Creek both Joseph and his father were licensed to preach, and a year afterward they were ordained together.
Benjamin Ogle was a man in middle life but a young preacher. His first sermon, at the solicitation of his brethren, was preached at this very meeting of the Association in James Lemen's house. He had long felt it his duty to preach, but had not before been able to overcome his timidity. He lived however to preach his last sermon, forty years afterward, in the same house in which he preached his first. Assuredly this is one mark of the presence of God in the church, however humble the church may be, that out of its membership he is raising up preachers of the gospel.
But the plan of circuit preaching cou1d not be made to work. At the next meeting of the Association, there came up "a remonstrance from Wood River church against sending their preachers into the circuit." In consequence of which, after discussion, "the motion concerning sending preachers "into the circuit was disannulled." The plan had two drawbacks. First, it provided preachers but not pastors. Second, it took responsibility from the churches and lodged it in a committee.
But the incident interesting as being the first attempt among us as a denomination to answer the question, "How may we most effectively carry the gospel to the destitute?" It was at least an acknowledgment of responsibility. It was the beginning of state missions in Illinois, and William Whiteside was the first mission board. And it may be a query whether in attempting to do the work through the churches and their pastors direct he was not very near the scripture plan. Other denominations may find their greatest. effectiveness in organizations above the churches; Baptists cannot. To stimulate the local church to missionary activity is the highest form of cooperative organization.
The ordination of John Baugh suggests another use to which associations have sometimes been put, but the example is followed but rarely. One of our Associations in 1831 recommended a standing commitee to have charge of ordinations, and the plan is still being tried in various places.
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In 1774 the General Association of Virginia, misinterpreting 1 Corinthians 12:28, decided that the office of apostle was intended to be permanent among the churches, and straightway proceeded to fill the office by ballot, choosing Samuel Harriss and two others to attend to ordinations and to oversee the churches. Mr. Harriss was an eminent evangelist, in the same class with Shubal Stearns, a very Paul among the churches, and not needing the ballots of his brethren. However he exercised his new authority for half a year, and then prudently allowed it to lapse, and the experiment ceased. The plan was well meant, but as barren of results as the election of Matthias to the apostolic office at Jerusalem.
Organization beyond the local church is helpful if it be for fellowship or for preaching the gospel, but let it not be an apostolate over the churches, a mistake we are very near making on our foreign mission field. Better that churches be left on their own humble resources, than that we carry them and govern them at the cost of spoiling them for Baptist churches.
All this experimenting is in harmony with our claim that scripture is our rule of faith and practice. The Bible is not a book of rules but of life and precedents. A book of rules would be too bulky to handle; the necessary indexes alone would make a volume. A necessity of life is the opportunity and power of adaptation. One learns as much by failure as by success. We agree with others that New Testament precedent is purposely simple, and that details of proven usefulness may be added to suit circumstances. But we will not allow such adaptation to share the authority of scripture. That was the rock on which the early churches lost their liberties. ================ [Edward P. Brand, Illinois Baptists -- A History, 1930, pp. 40-42. -- jrd]
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