Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-08
Wednesday, April 8, 1908.
Names First Baptist Minister.

ago upon the coming celebratlOn OF
the 225th anniversary Of the Baptist
church at Charleston, S. c., the old
est Baptist church in the South, and
upon the item going the rounds in
connection with the coming celebra-
tim stating that the church was
founded In 1883 by Rev. William
Screven who went to that place with a
party of settlers from Maine. We ex-
pressed wonder that Mr.. Screven
should have gone at that time from
the struggling settlements along the
Maine coast where there was album
dant opportunity for ministerial Ia
bors. to such far region as South
Carolina was then regarded.
The reason for his departure from
Maine is made plain in the pages OF
Henedict's General History of the
BAPTIST Denomination published in
l847, which a friend has kindly placed
in our hands. The reason is found IN
the religious intolerance in that day
in New England, the intolerance and
despotism of the Puritan officials OF
Massachusetts who then exercised au-
thority over Maine. William Screven
was 4 native of England and a citizen
of Kittery, and although not trained
as clergyman he was man OF more
tn1 ont
devout and pious he became the lead
er Of the worship in the little company
of Baptists living in that town. The
nearest Baptist church was that at
Boston and with this church the Kit
terry Baptists united. The Boston
church licensed Mr.. Screven to preach
and lie accordingly began his work,
but when the Kittery Baptists at
tempted to form a church of their own
intense opposition was aroused among
the people of the town led by the
magistrate and the established minis
ter.
According to the historian Islander
Gus abuses were now to be endured by
the Kittery Baptists." Mr.. Screven
and those who worshipped with him
were repeatedly summoned before the
magistrate and fined, they being re-
garded as religious fanatics and their
doctrines and influence as deleterious
to the welfare of both society and re-
lgion." The small fines did not
destroy the zeal of the Kittery Bap-
lists Mr. Screven was put under
bonds for good behavior and then fined
10 pounds for "his rash and inconsid-
crate words tending to blasphemy."
Says the historian, "Storm and vio-
lence, oblOquy, fines and imprison-
ment were now experienced by this
little band of disciples. AS the result
of a long cherished and well organized
religious intolerance, venting itself in
vehement and impassioned persecu-
ton, these humble Christians became
dsleartened and overcome. In less
than one year from it's organization, in
1852, the church was dissolved and the
members scattered like sheep upon the
mountains. To avoid the embarrass-
ments of clerical oppression and fur
Their litigations, to shun the evils OF
slander and caiumny, MIR. Screven ac-
ccmpanied with his family. and some
of his suffering brethren. left the
province of Maine, removed to South
Carolina, where he gathered a Baptist
church, which subsequently became a
fiourishing society,""
Thus, as the result of Puritan intol-
erance which is hard for us in these
Goth century days to conceive of, the
first attempt to establish Baptist
church in Maine ended in failure and
thus it was that a little party of
Maine people went to South Carolina
and established at Charleston the first
Baptist church in the South, the one
whose 225th anniversary is to be cele-
brated during the present year. Mr..
Sereven died at Charleston in 1913 at
the age of 81 years. His wife was a
kitttry woman, Bridget Cults, and
they had good old fashioned family
of IL children. From the dissolution
OF that church at Kittery and the de-
parture of Mr.. Screven and his breth-
rem to the more hospitable and toler-
ant South, there was no worship by
Eapti,sts in Maine for period of near
~ century. The later growth and
prosperity of this great denomination
In our State is not a part of this story,
but the Baptists of Maine may well
honor the memory of William Screven
ard they certainly should be repre-
sentcd at this years celebration at
Charleston.
An Illinois newspaper is said to have
,,oad a ,,icfY,ro Of Mark Twain for