The Ohio Independent Baptist, February 2003

The Newsletter Promoti,1g Interdependence Among The Ohio Association ofReguuir Baptist Churches Vol. 76 No. 1 February 2003 THE OHKO K DEPE DE T IB • 10, I t l1 1 as hope that moved people across the Atlantic and to this CounflJ' and hope that continued to push p eople West. It was hope that 111oved people across the Appalachians and into the North1vest Territory north ofthe Ohio River. Ancl hope found a ho,ne in Ohio, as in n1any other places across our country . In celebration ofOhio · current Bicentennial, the next six issues ofthe OlB 1A 1 ill fea ture sonze ofthe event '. place , or p eople whose hopes and dreams rnade Ohio 1vhat it is todaJ '. A House Of Hope n a bluff high above the Ohio River, o erlooki ng the growing town of Ri pley, it the Rankin Hou e, buil t by Pre byteri an 1n in i ter. John Rankin, an avid abolitioni t. Born in Tenne ee in 1793, John Rankin moved fir t to Kentucky to begin hi preaching career. ln 1822, he pron1ise u politica l or . ocia l f reedon1. a. i ,nportant a tho e I ibcrties are to all of us. Rather it pron1i ·es us a . piri tual freedo111 that beco1n e the bas i: for al I othe r fo rn, ~ of true freedon1 \\ c enjoy in thi. life . It pron1isc: a leve l of frecdon1 tha t carrie: u~ beyond thi ~ earth ly scene into a wonderful eternit y. And we need that ki nd o r pron1 i~e ~ We all are en. Javed to real taskn1as tcr~ - ~in and atan. Regard !~~~ or ~ our ethnic bac kgrou nd or ~ocial : Latu~. \\ e are a II s la\ es to sin . Jc,u, Hi,n-.,clf ~a iu . ' ' l', 10'\ l as~un: dI\ . I - \a \ LO \ O ll . - . \ \ ' h OC\'Cr and hi . wife. Jean . moved the ir growi ng famil y across the Ohio River to Lhe free state of Ohio, \Vhere he began hi 44-year n1in istry at the Presbyterian Church in Ripley, Ohi o. Just three year. later, in 1825, he bu ilt thi . house on ·'Libe11y Hill" o erlooking the river, hon1e to th irteen childrcn and hope to many who found refuge there. Rankin House high on a bluff L' Olllnlll ~ \Il l I \ a ~la\ t' or ,in" (John X:J-1-) " l ~hlHH.!.h \ 1Jll With it~ prox iinit) to the The Rankin House, Ripley, Ohio ri er and it s O\.vncr's fi erce opposition l<) sla cry, the l{ank.i n ho,ne becan1c one of the first '-. tops on the ndcrground Railroad . I~ac h c cni ng r~cvcrcnd Rankin \\ ould pl ace light, in the w1ndov. \ facing the river; tho\e li ght\ pro\ 1ded the guidance and cncouragen1ent C\Capi ng slave~ needed to cro\\ the ri ve r and to n1akc good their bid for freedon1. he li ght\ \ tgnaled th, , hou1.,c on the hill to be a "hou\c <> I hope." J:;-ron1 the J 82()\ 1 h1l>ugh the 185(), al n1o~L 2000 luve~ t:f(>ssed the Ohio J~i , er f ronl Ke111uck) and found refuge in the John l{ ank1n hon1c. 'f he} \\ould cl 1111b the v. ooden ··stairs to f 1 ect.10 111'' leading to h1 .., I 1 <>nt door. 'J'hc J{anki n fa111 il) \\ as thankful t<l have nc, er lo'-. l a •• tt J>assengt.: r. In a ~ii nilur \VH), there ren1ai ns a ··11ou~e o f hope" f<,r all the hu1nan I ace . ' rhis house ot hope Ll o~s no t Rankin House overlooking the Ohta River - . \\ Cre \ l c.l \ t'\ of ~i n ' ' i " l hL' \\ a\ })._1uJ . de~cri bcd peopl e he fore t hL') \\ L' l'l' ,.1\ t'd (Ron1an, 6: 17). John ,a id. ··' f' ht' \\ Ill lit' \VOrld lie-., ll lldl' I' thL· \\\ a\ ol till' \\ IL' kt•d - one" ( I John 5: l 9L Thanklull ) the \\,I) to t'tn.1nc 1p.llHHl I rn ll l OU r (.)\\ ll \ l I) ru l bond.I ~t' I\ not '- an .. undL' I ground.. tl ll)\ t'tllt'llt. ()u1 ... 14ord Jt'" ll " ( ' ht , ... 1 \\ ., ... t ' t llt' t I it'd burit·d. and tt'\ll l tt'L' l t'd \t'f) publtL·I~ •\ I l ht' L' I\)'" I It• L' ll t ll fl . ti I t h L' "1 ll l h, ll , ta I n L' d u, . I It' t' .1 n t' t' 11 t• d t 11 t' l.1 \, that ,tuud dt!,t1tl,L ll\ , .111d I It• t'hlhht•tcd ... S.ll .l ll \\ l lll h.1d ll'\ Ill ht, l I llt'I L' 1 u t L' ht', ( C 'uh,,, 1.1 n" ~ I I I " l I I l.· \L,tnd" \\ 1Lh t)pl'll .11111" hl't'l-.\)lllll~ u, to t'\llllt' Lt) l't',tl It t't'dlllll ~ c. 0111111 I h ( I I h /\!, l -'