History: The Heritage of Our Baptist Faith

John Mason Peck became one of the first and most outstanding of Home Missionaries among the Baptists, He became awakened to Baptist views when he wondered if his new-born infant should be baptized in the Congregational church, The study of the scriptures convinced him that this should not be done. About a year after Adoniram'Hudson sailed for Burma as a missionary* the Pecks joined a little Baptist church in New Durham, New York. The first sermon he ever preached was on the Great Commission, He felt a call to minister to the people in the western part of the United States and talked this matter over with Luther Rice, As a result, he was commissioned to cover the Baptist churches of central New York to get support for his cause. In three weeks he traveled 340 miles on horseback, preached 19 times and organized many mission­ ary societies. Rice suggested that he obtain more education. He wrote, "You will need a good English education, and as much more as possible." There was only one Baptist school available for training, and this was located in Phila­ delphia. Dr. Will Iam Staughton taught Peck and four other students . Peck crowded into one year that which would seem impossible in our time. He studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Philosophy, Theology and English. Finally, he was selected by the Triennial Convention to be the Baptist missionary in the West. He took all of his belongings and packed them into a one-horse wagon, loaded his family into the wagon and started for his destination. This journey lasted from July 2b, 1817 to December 1, 1817— a total of 125 days. He was so fatigued when he came to the Mississippi that he had to be carried to shore on a stretcher. He began the first Baptist work west of the Mississippi River after this long journey. Within three years time he could count 50 schools— Day Schools and Sunday Schools— which he had established in Illinois and Missouri. He organized the Missouri Bible Society. Eventually, he founded a literary and theological seminary which was moved to Alton, Illinois, and became Shuttleff College. His Work was so successful and extensive that he was known as "the man with twenty hands." From the time of these early missionaries to the present hour, there have been many stories of courage which have been written by dedicated missionaries. These men and women have served at home and abroad for the specific purpose of reaching souls for Christ. Their lives and endeavor should be a challenge to us. They should help us see that the frontiers of 17