Chapter 6 - First Baptist Church of Bellingham

The Church was plunged into mourning at a time it appeared to be rising. Membership, though not high was steadily increasing. It had a settled minister who was young enough to have many years ahead and best of all, who had no need for a large salary because of his own holdings in the Town. Instead the Church was again leaderless.
 

The first recorded discussion occurred on March 26, 1762, at the home of widow Abigail Wight. It was "Voted to send to the Rev^nd M^r Ephraim Bounds of Boston with a Desier that he would send to the jersey to se if M^r Bound can get a minister to come and preach the Gospel among us in Bellingham."
 

If Rev. Bounds was willing to help, he was not successful for on October 29 it was "voted to send Ebenezer Holbrook up to the Jersey to see if said Holbrook can git a minister to be with us to preach the Gospel with us in Bellingham."
 

The prospects of finding a minister in Massachusetts Bay was not a good one. Although the Baptist Church was growing, it still did not have a large number of churches in the colony. New Jersey was a faster growing area for the Baptist faithful of the time.
 

Again the church had to rely on ministers from other towns to fill their pulpit. It was common for the Baptist ministers of the time to travel to other towns to preach. Ministers such as Isaac Backus of Middleborough, Bounds of Boston, Noah Alden of Brimfield and Rev. Hinds of Middleborough spent much time riding from town to town, visiting with other churches and preaching. Isaac Backus, perhaps the most reknown Baptist minister of the time, described in his diary the constant travel. Often he preached every day of the week for some gathering. Sometimes there were only one or two present. This circuit of ministers was used to fill the Bellingham pulpit, but it could not replace the need for their own minister.
 

By 1764, the Bellingham Church was showing signs of the wear on their congregation. Backus described his visit on Sunday June 3:
 

"I came last night, and preacht twice today at Bellingham where Mr. Elnathan Wight was minister, who died in Novr. 6, 1761, since which they have been generally destitute of preaching: and it is a dull time among them, tho' some things look encourageing. Next Mr. Smith came and preacht with a good deal of earnestness and near night Mr. Stillman and his consort came up from Boston, who discoursed very clearly about the nature of preaching the gospel of Christ."
 

The search continued without end. 1765 came with no minister. It was decided to call "a Day of fasting and Prayer in order to give a minister a Call to preach the Everlasting Gospel among us and to Call Some Elders in to assist on Said Day." Thursday, March 21 was appointed and "The Rev^nd M^r Mannin of Warren: the Rev^nd M^r Backus and the Rev^ndM^r Hinds of Midelbury to be the ministers to be with us on said Day."
 

Backus arrived on March 20 and his diary entries are the only record of this meeting.
 

"....then got in the evening to Bellingham where I met with Mr. Manning, he being also sent for to attend their fast."
 

"Thursday. Mar. 21. Elder Manning preacht in the forenoon and I did in the afternoon after which he closed with a word of exortation and prayer. Mr. [James] Mellen also was present who has often preacht to them and they seem united in requesting him to settle with them, and the state of religion looks encouraging in those parts."
 

Mr. Mellen was asked but to the congregation's regret his reply was not what they had expected.
 

"honored and beloved: I having taken in to serious consideration the call and Invitation which some time since you gave me to settle among you in work of the gospel ministry and also waited upon the Lord for the direction of his holy spirit in this Important affair I must now confes that God has by his word & Spirit & Providence made it most planly appear to me that it is my duty to leave you not out of any dislike to you but I think by ye word and Spirit & Providence of God I am called another way to labour in the vinyarde of God for the good of preacious & immortal Soules Earnistly Intreate your prayers for me that I may be founde faithfull in such an Important work & I pray God to supply your needs & to send you another sheparde that Shall take you by the hand & leade you in the way in which he would have you to walk. Thus Commending you to God and the word of his Grace . I subscribe your friend and & companian in tribulation of the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. James Mellen
 

Framingham June y^e 1, 1765"
 

Bellingham was now a regular stop on the circuit of Reverend Mr. Backus. He returned on June 29, 1765 "to administer the Lord's supper. Preacht their lecture in the afternoon." The next day he "Preacht twice and administered the Supper with a small degree of comfort. This people have been much disappointed and grieved at Mr. Mellen's leaving of 'em who is gone to settle at Brimfield."
 

While the church in the northern part of Bellingham was searching for a minister and, if Backus is to be believed, suffering greatly, there appears to have been a second Baptist Church meeting in South Bellingham. Very little was written about the church there. Because of the unsettled boundary with Rhode Island, the church referred to may have been the Ballou church in Cumberland, but probably not. There is mention in town records of such a meeting house during the latter part of the 18th century. The meeting house was later called a Universalist meeting house and was situated on what is now Wrentham Road just before Crooks Corner.
 

Backus visited this congregation on October 28, 1765 where he "Preacht in the forenoon at Deacon Cooks in the south part of Bellingham where there has been a considerable revival of religion lately and a Ch. is gathered consisting of near 30 members, and they apear now cordially to imbrace the pure doctrines of grace where arminianism has formerly prevailed."
 

The southern church did not retain its mainstream Baptist beliefs for long and faded from Backus' diary as well as mention elsewhere. The large membership may also have been the result of the lack of a minister to the north. It is very likely many of this number returned to the north church when a new minister was obtained.
 

The First Baptist Church decided again on March 26 to "give a minister a call in the worke of the ministry among us and we have agreed and appointed thirsday the Eighth day of May next to be a day of fasting and prayer to God for derection and to call in several Elders to assist us on said day. .......that Elder Isaac Backus and Elder Ebenezer Hinds of Middleborough come to our assistance on said day."
 

The invitation from Bellingham and another letter arrived in Backus hands the same day.
 

April 13, 1766
 

"One of the brethren from Bellingham ch. came last night with a request that I would attend a fast there on May 8th to seek direction about calling a minister and they have some thoughts of calling Elder [Noah] Alden. Elder Alden writes that things appear dark of late at Sunderland, but that there has been some revival at Hardwick."
 

This day of fast and prayer was more successful. Backus preached twice and then returned the following Sunday where "Elder Alden preacht in the forenoon and I did in the afternoon and then administered the Lords supper: and came and preacht in the evening at Mr. Lethbridge's in Wrentham. Elder Alden appear's solemnly engaged in divine things, and this society are in general well satisfied with him and talk of giving him a call to settle with them tomorrow."
 

A new era was dawning in the First Baptist Church in Bellingham, one that was to last over thirty years.