Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-15
A CENTURY'S GROWTH
naI'TIsTS OF TODAY, AND ONE
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
FIGURES FROM AN OLD BOOK.
Facts Cleaned from
John Asplund's "Anuunl Register
M the Baptist Denomination In
North Amcrica"-A Comparison.

According TO the census of 1850 the Bap-
lists in Virginia numbered S%'lSA' anu
owned church property valued at F'i'z'oS-
They had then 2,03s church organiza'ohS'
and ! ,s3S edhces. having seating Capacity
Of 6S9.69. Their number was about dou-
bic that OF the Methodists. who are Sc
cond in strength in Virginia, though the
Methodists possessed then church proper
~ valued at $3.50. s5S--over 80 per cent. OF
the value OF the Baptist church properly
In May, 1872 one John Asplund,
Swede. published at Richmond. va, III
seventy pages. small quarto. Tine An
una! Register Of the Baptist Denomina-
ton in North America; To the FIRST OF
November. 1870. Containing an Account
cf the Churches and Their Constitutions
Ministers, Members, Associations; Inelr
Plan and Sentiments. Rule and Order
Proceedings and Correspondence. Also
Remarks Upon Practical Religion. Hum
by Onered 70 the Public by John Asp
lund."
Ills preface, dated Southampton coun-
". Va. July u, 1921. Is as follows: i
have long been DESTROYS, and have waited
seyerul years. 10 see publication OF the
was sensible I could publish nothing Of
the kind without the fatigue and expense
OF travelling over the greatest part OK the
continent, yet. a. the request Of many.
have been prevailed upon 10 make me
tour Of the Baptist churches. to obtain
tho necessary Information. Win view
to this / have trg yelled about 100 miles,
IN about eighteen months. chiefly Oh foot,
and havs visited about 215 churches, and
hfteeu associations am personally ac-
1uainted with 20 ministers of our society.
so that the register may safely be de-
Iendcd upon in general, though, after al.
perhaps. a feW churches and ministers
may be omitted. 1t - probable, also,
that the number z: members in some
churches may not he exact, as some DO
not assOoiate-Others who do neglect 10
send forward their number-and some
make conscience OF umbering tho people
Having been brought up with view TO
The business Of merchandise, have been
accustomed 60 keeping accounts; dnd !
now prefer accounts or soule with their
faces set Ziopward to those which only
respect money or trade. J have natu-
raj turn fer travelling aDd I am con-
WINGED / could not better spend my time
thaa in itincratng to preach the Gospel
and to collect materials which may as
sist the future historian; and. though l
have met with many discouragements
from narrow minded persons, whose ilil0-
eral souls are not concerned for the pub
lie welfare, L appeal to the Seareher OF
Hearts that my principal design IS to
make the Raptists better acquainted with
each other. that union may more sener-
ally obtain amongst them. l design TO
open q correspondence with the several
associations, and churches that DO not
associate. that future accounts may be
more complete and correct than the pre-
sent"
lie appears. indeed TO have been pio-
neer Baptist Young Peoples Union or
ganizer. lie gives the tota! number of
Baptists in Virginia in 1870 as 30.4i3-near-
ly one-tl1rd Of the entire numbe: then
i'm North Amerlca-2oi churches, with $50
regularly ordained ministers. and liz Ii
cenuates.
MINISTER'S IN VIRGINIA.
The following IS list of the name Of
the ordained ministers I'm Virginia in 1870
as given by him, rearranged, however, in
alphabetical order, as he gives them IN
the order Of the counties in which they
were then laboring: Ephraim Abel, John
Anderson. Charles Anderson, John and Jo-
seph Anthony, Thomas Armistead John
Atkinson. Elijah Baker, Leonard Ballowe,
William Barnes, David Barrow, william
Basket Bartlett Bennett, Aaron Bledsoe,
BENJAMIN Bowles, James Bradley. John
Bransom, Benjamin Burger Thomas
Burgess William Byrd, Raney Chastain,
Lewis Chaudoin, Thomas Cheeseman,
Eleazer Clay, Charles Cobb, Benjamin
Coleman, Peter Cottrell. John and Thorn
as Courtney, John Danham, JACOB Davis,
Benjamin Dawson, Martin Dawson,