Florida Baptist convention organized in 1854

Aug 11, 2009
JERRY WINDSOR
Special to Florida Baptist Witness

Click on image for related coverage

The Florida Baptist Convention was organized Nov. 20, 1854, in the parlor of Richard Johnson Mays near Madison. There is a historical marker near First Baptist Church on Highway 90 that gives the basic information of this event. There were 17 delegates from three associations that made up this organizational meeting—three delegates from West Florida Association, four from the Alachua Association and 10 from the Florida Association.

It was in 1820 that Fleming Bates came to the St. Mary’s River area north of Jacksonville. He became the founding pastor of the Pigeon Creek Church north of Callahan in 1821. This church became Primitive Baptist and was the first Baptist church begun in Florida. Since the church does not meet for services anymore, it is correct to say that the First Baptist Church of Campbellton, organized in 1825, is the oldest Baptist church in our state.

The early church leaders in Florida came primarily from Georgia and the Carolinas. The work was hard and dangerous. Early Baptists in Florida did not do as they wanted to, they did as they could. They faced difficulties with the environment and lived through rugged conditions. Ministers served churches at little or no pay. Missions giving was measured in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. In the early days of the convention, contributions were listed in the annual state report and many times a person was listed who gave two cents or five cents to missions.

MAYS

The Southern Baptist Convention Home Mission Board stood by Florida Baptists at crucial points in their early history, providing personnel and funds. The whole state was interested in providing “meeting houses” for pivotal places in the state. It was not unusual for money from all parts of the state to be given for building construction of a county seat town church. Baptists worked together, gave together, prayed together and worshipped together. They found that was the only way to survive a wilderness atmosphere, hostile environment, and chaotic economic times.

Florida Baptist history before 1900 offers some names that should always be remembered. William B. Cooper (1807-1878) was well educated and an important early spokesman for New Testament missions and evangelism. Richard Johnson Mays (1808-1864) was the founding father of the convention. Joshua Mercer (1788-1869) settled in Florida in 1841 and probably was the first Baptist to start a school in Florida when he began Orange Hill Academy in 1851. Joshua Mercer was the brother of Jesse Mercer for whom Mercer University was named. W. N. Chaudoin (1829-1904) was the organizational father of the convention and served as the first executive secretary of Florida Baptists (1880-1901).

Combining all the attributes of ancestry, adventure, intelligence and commitment was the inspiring James McDonald. An exciting movie could be made of his life. James McDonald (1798-1869) was born in Limerick County, Ireland. At age seven he saw his father and fourteen relatives hung in the Irish rebellion. He was raised to be a Catholic priest. He fled Ireland in 1829 and faced execution in a Cuban prison where he was saved. He became a Baptist preacher went to Georgia and then moved to Florida where he was founding pastor of the church we now know as First Baptist Church Jacksonville.

Florida Baptists owe much to men and women pioneers who honored Christ above all and gave their lives to prove it.

Jerry Windsor is executive secretary of the Florida Baptist Historical Society and retired professor of preaching at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

Email this Article Print this page