History: The Heritage of Our Baptist Faith

Baptists have always been: V. A MISSIONARY PEOPLE Baptists have believed that the great commission is the marching orders to the churches: “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 1 have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age. Amen." (Matthew 28:19, 20) They further believe that the local church is the only instrument in God's Hands which can carry out all aspects of this commission. History is filled with records written by the dedication of the heroic and sacrificial men and women who have been willing, at great personal cost, to take the gospel of Christ to the ends of the world. William Carey (1761 - 1834) an extreme Episcopalian in his boyhood, became convinced that baptism was by immersion and submitted himself to this ordinance on October 5, 1783. He was ordained on August 1, 1787. Andrew Fuller preached the ordination message. His salary as a pastor was $75.00 a year. Carey had the greatest ability for foreign languages of any man of his tire. In seven years he learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, and Dutch, and did so with very little assistance. He was challenged for missions by the reading of Voyages of Captain Cook. He was burdened by an unseen Power to go and preach to them. He published a pamphlet as a consequence of his burden on the theme, "An Inquiry into the Obligation of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen." While attending a meeting of their association on May 30, 1792, he preached a sermon on Isaiah 54:2, and 3. His outline of the message is well known to all who have read anything about missionary en­ deavor. He said, "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God. He was told, however, that if God was interested in converting the heathen, he would do it quite successfully without his help. Notwithstanding the opposition a Baptist Missionary Society was formed October 2, 1792, and became the first missionary movement of modern times. Eventually, he landed in Serampore, a Dutch settlement, fifteen miles from Calcutta. A great part of his 1ife was