Chapter 6 - First Baptist Church of Bellingham

Prior to 1736, Baptists journeyed to Boston or Swansea (spelled Swansey at the time) for services. Many made near weekly pilgrimages to Swansey for all day meetings. Traveling by horseback and wagon over 30 miles of dirt roads, the worshippers must have spent a full day of the week traveling and attending services.
 

By 1736 seven Bellingham residents had been baptized in Swansea.
 

"This is to Certifie that the following parsons were Baptized upon profession of their faith viz: William Hayward, Nicholas Cook, John Thomson, Eleazer Hayward, Samuell Hayward, Ebenezer Hayward, Joseph Partridge, all inhabitance of Bellingham.
 

"the Last of these parsons was Baptized Sep^tm 21. 1736 and all the other sometime before and have had the advice of the old Church in Swanzey to assembel to gather on the Lords Days and do come down to Swanzey as often as they can attend it to Communicate with the Church and as often as they can procure a minister to preach to them they are careful to do it.
 

Attested by me Samuel Maxwell, Minister
 

Jonathan Kingsley, Deacon
 

Swanzey January 13, 1736
 

The long journey and the desire for their own church led on October 6, 1737 to a petition for their own "October 6, 1737 Att a Church meeting of the old Church in Swanzey the desire of the Brethren Dwelling in Bellingham to form themselves into a church state was communicated to the church by their Elder which motion of theirs was approved of.
 

Witnes my hand
 

Samuel Maxwell"
 

On November 23, 1737, fifteen men met in Mendon and signed the first church covenant. This first church document is a remarkable profession of faith. It provides a view of the early Baptist thinking in Bellingham.
 

"Wee who have hereunto set our names being in some measure made sensible of our sinful and miserable condition by nature do solemnly profess our deep humiliation for our many sins and adore the full Grace of God in translating us (as we hope) out of the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ to partake with all them that are sanctified of the privuledges of his house and Kingdom and being in some measure made willing to be conformed to Christ do now in the presence of God give up our selves to the Lord in his Everlasting covenant of free grace taking our Lord Jesus Christ to be our great high priest to justifie and sanctifie us and our prophet to instruct and teach us and our King and Lord to govern and rule uis according to his own Laws and ordinances that we may do his will and serve him in our generation and now after solemn and serious looking to God by humble prayer we do with harts and hands Lift up to him offer our selves this Day as so many living sacrifices and being satisfied it  is our Duty to walk in all his ordinances and to submit to our Lord Jesus Christ we do Solemnly join our selves together in a vizible Gospel Church Relation both to Jesus Christ our head and as one another as Brethren Engaging in the strength and help of his Grace to attend all the Duties that are required of us in this Relation and to Exercise and submit to the Discipline of Christ in his Church and do therefore now promise by the help of Christ (1) that we will walk in all holiness and humility and Brotherly love (2) that we will watch over one another and warn and admonish one another in all meekness according to the Rules which Christ hath left us and to Bare one anothers Burdens and to pray with and for one another (3) that we will strive together for the truth of the Gospel and the purity of Christ ordinances and will avoid all Causes of Division (4) that when it shall please God to provide a paster for us we will Endeavour to do our Duty toward him and according to our ability to communicate to him and that we will then meet together on the Lords day this is to be understood the first days of every week and at other times as we shall agree for the worship of God and the Edification and Comfort of one another those and all other Gospel Duties we purpose to attend and perform Depending upon the Grace and assistance of our Lord Jesus Christ hoping that God will accept us in him and this our free will offering though of ourselves unworthy imploring Gods assistance and acceptance through the merits and mediation of our LOrd Jesus Christ to join with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory now and forever Amen: Signed at Mendon the 23 Day of the Eleventh month in the year of our Lord Christ 1737
 

Jonathan Thomson Joseph Wight
 

Of the fifteen men who signed the 1737 covenant, five had also signed the petition for incorporation of the Town of Bellingham in 1719. (Nicholas Cook, Samuel Hayward, Eliphelet Holbrook, John Thomson, and Samuel Thomson).
 

The records of the First Baptist Church in Bellingham go back to its very beginning. Although sparse at times, the recording of events began with a book called "Bellingham in the year 1737, Baptist Church Book to Keep Church Records". Handwritten, it provides a history of the church through its formation and growth. Subsequent books continue this record showing the church in its high times and low ebb. The ability of the church to survive often seems to be its greatest strength.
 

The first recorded business meeting of the Church was on February 23, 1738 at the Bellingham home of John Thompson. The latter was elected the first church moderator. Eliphelet Holbrook was chosen "Book keeper to Enter Church Notes" and Nicholas Cook was voted the first Church deacon.
 

Brother Holbrook was not an avid note taker. The next entry in the "Church Book" was in 1742, when
 

"Bellingham September the Second-----------1742
 

"the Anabaptist church legally asembled and meet at the House of Brother Eliphelet Holbrooks and Chosen Brother Eliezer Taft moderadoor for said meeting. att said meeting wee proceed in order to choos a man amongs us to call a Church meeting and to order and to rule as a head among us untill wee are otherwise provided. at the above said meeting wee proceeded and made choise of Brother Joseph Wight to be our head as afore said."
 

The Bellingham church was the fourth to be formed in Massachusetts after the First in Boston, First in Swansea and one in South Brimfield. By 1740 there were four more (Rehoboth, Sutton, Leicester and West Springfield).
 

The Church met at the homes of its members in the beginning. The religious meetings were likely presided over either by the Deacon or by Joseph Wight, its elected head. At times ministers from other parishes visited. Reverend Jeremiah Condy of Boston visited at least twice in 1742 and 1743 and Reverend Moulton of Brimfield in 1743. These visits were not only opportunities to worship but a time to undertake the work of the church that could only be done by a minister. Baptisms were reserved for these times. Several of the baptized were female, the first mention of women in the church books.
 

Women were not participants in the governing of the Church anymore than they participated in the town or colonial government. The Church was far ahead of the secular areas in recognizing women and providing them a role, but it was still many years in the future.
 

During the 1740's, neither the town parish nor the Baptist Church had a minister. Neither was large enough or wealthy enough to support their own. Members of both churches may have looked to each other for support. The desire for spiritual guidance was stronger than any differences in their religious beliefs. A letter sent by the Baptists in 1743 was friendly and compromising but unanswered.
 

"Bellingham, June the 24^th 1743
 

We the Antepedo Baptist Church in Bellingham upon the Desier of the pedobaptist Church in the same Town. Concerning your settelling a minister you say you are not able to maintain a minister yourselves without wee will come in and joine with you. So far wee are willing to joine with you that is by subscription and when one year is out and then what to give the next year and so on untill the time shall come that we shall have one to settel over us in the gospel of our own Denomination provided that you can git Mr Reed or Mr Biriam either one of these two before mentioned and as near as we can be our part toward his suport as aford sd provided that we may have one of our owne Denomination to come four times in a year to Administer the word and ordinances to us provided that you will contribute to him to his suppor with us.
 

"Furthermore we are willing to give something to encorage either one of the above mentioned parsons to be your minister besides the subscription towards supporting him to preach the word of God to you and to us above mentioned where unto we have sett our Names
 

Maintenance Encouragement
 

Total 35 - 10 - 0 43 - 10 - 0 total
 

"these of us that have sett our names would have this what we have Subscribed to be understood to be in the old tenner."
 

Religious debate was not a problem in Bellingham. The Baptists were willing to set aside their own differences in order to obtain a minister within the Town. This overture was not accepted. Neither town nor church records indicate the reaction to this proposal.