Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-30
C0lOttester Dailg Spp
The First Baptist Society In Worcester
Interesting Historical "Reminiscences.
From the Waterman and Reflector

interesting Historical "Reminiscences.
From the Waterman and Reflector
Previous to the year 1895 there were only
three Baptists in Worcester. In that year a
fourth was added, who, under the blessing of
God, was instrumental, after seventeen years
OF incessant labor, in organizing the first Bap-
fist church. That man was Dea. James Will
son, an English Baptist from Newcastle-upon-
lyme. There was occasional preaching at
his house during the interval from 1895 to
1872, but it made very little impression upon
the community, since in 1872 Dea. Wilson,
the sole survivor of the little company of four,
was the only Baptist in Worcester. In the
spring of 1912 Elder Caleb Green, of New
port, r. l., after having been refused the use
of the Old South church, because he was a
close communionist, preached in the house of
Dea. Wilson, and discovered that the people
In Worcester were beginning to look with
some degree of favor upon the sentiments of
the Baptists During the summer of that
year Elders John Leland, Luther Goddard,
William Bentley, David Pease, Caleb Blood,
Zenas Leonard and Thomas Baldwin preached
in the town. The first baptism took place
May 81, 1872, when Elder Bentley baptized
two converts-John NJ. Hunt and Rebecca
Parsons. This event gave occasion for the
preaching OF two sermons on the next Lords
day, by DIR. Austin, pastor of the Old South
church, in opposition to the Baptsts but the
word of the Lord prevailed, and frequent bap-
tisms followed. No church having been yet
organized in Worcester, the baptized believ-
ers were admitted into the Baptist church at
Tiverton, r. l., of which Elder Bentley was
then the pastor The little flock unanimous
ly invited Elder William Bentley to become
their pastor; and on the 1st of November,
1872, che began his labors with them. at a
salary of three hundred dollars per year, paw
able quarterly, with an annual vacation of
four weeks" The church at its formation,
consisted OF twenty-eight persons, fourteen
males and fourteen females. Eight months
before, James Wilson was the only Baptist in
town.
The church and society, at this time, hav-
ing been fully organized and admitted to the
fellowship of other Baptist churches, secured
part of the lot where the First Baptist church
now stands, and commenced the erection of a
Westinghouse. The house was completed at
an expense OF 81, 459 81, and opened for Di-
vine worship on the 23d of December follow.
ing. Thus, in the short period of eighteen
months, when the country was at war a
church Of more than sixty members, all of
whom, with one exception, were baptized
within that time, had been organized, pas
tor settled and house of worship built The
church has had seven pastors-Elders Will
liam Bentley, Jonathan Going L. A. Willard,
Jonathan Aldrich, S. B. Swain, j. D. Il.
Jones and Lemuel Moss, of whom the third,
NTH, sixth and seventh are now living. In
1913 the church united with the Warren as
ISOLATION of Baptist churches, a relation
which continued till the formation of the Wor-
cester association in 1872 During the fifty
years of her existence, this church has Goene
ed and sent forth to preach the Gospel TWEEN
ty-seven evangelists, of whom five have re-
ceiyed the honorary degree of d. D., three
have been presidents of colleges, four have
been in the foreign missionary field and one
is now the oldest living missionary, Elder
Slater, who has preached the Gospel to the
North American Indians for more than forty
years
1t is ascertained, from reliable data, that
the church and society have contributed since
1916 to missions, feeble churches, and minis
terial education, more than $1,000; for their
own places of worship more than $4,000,
and to endow schools, academies, theological
institutions and colleges, over $50, 700, indie
pendent of the ordinary annual expenses of
the church and society. The house, which
was erected in 1918 and enlarged in 1926, was
burned in 1886, and the present house was
Immediately erected at a cost of 1927, 900. In
1S41 it was deemed eXpedient to renew the
attempt first made in 1886, which the burning
of the meeting house thwarted, to form sec
ond Baptist church in Worcester. Twenty
nine brethren and thirty eight sisters were
dismissed for this purpose, who subsequently
formed the Pleasant street Baptist church,
which, in 1862, reported to the Association
more members than the First church. In
1852 twenty-hree members asked and re-
ceived dismssion for the purpose of forming
;rJ rho bo,,a