What Kind of Churches

WHAT KIND OF BAPTISTS WERE THE
PIONEER CALIFORNIA BAPTISTS?

Prepared by: Robert W. Cullifer
Landmark Baptist Church
Folsom ,California.
October 24, 1997

Having spent considerable time researching the subject of early California Baptist history, this seemed to be the most recurring question. Many facts have come to light in the past decade, that while resolving some issues, created others to be examined. Is it possible for Landmark Baptists to trace their lineage beyond 1932, in California? Is there a tremendous gap of 83 years in our history or do we have an early heritage in the State of California?

If we believe in the Bible principle of Church Perpetuity, and we should ( both Matthew 16:18 and 28:20 support this position, along with a host of other Scriptures), and historical evidence is demanded to prove our stand, this question must be answered by historical fact not fancy, fact not fiction.

We are currently able to place our finger on or cast our eyes upon physical evidence that establishes an historical record of our early Baptist brethren. In reviewing this great body of information gathered, there remains much that can be done to further our knowledge in this area and help to answer many of the questions that arise. Such as: Where did they come from? How did they get here? What did they do once they got here? What were the issues of their day? How did they grow and develop as churches? What methods were employed in missionary activities? What were the hindrances they faced? Was California truly the "Land flowing with milk and honey"? Can we honestly make a connection with the Early Baptists in Faith and practice? Can these pioneer’s teach our present day churches anything? Why are we so opposed to systems for mission work, such as, Baptist Conventions and Societies?

While not beginning to address these questions or the host of others that may come to mind, we do want to briefly examine the question:

WHAT KIND OF BAPTISTS WERE THE CALIFORNIA PIONEER BAPTISTS ?

This we shall do, by examining four examples from an early day California Baptist Newspaper. The year is 1868, within a few years of the conclusion of the Civil War, 20 years after the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma. The controversy was national in scope and firmly planted in the soil of Landmark Baptist doctrine. Consider the following excerpts from THE EVANGEL of San Francisco, California:

EXAMPLE ONE:

--The First Baptist church of Newport, R.I., has withdrawn fellowship from the Second church of that city on account of the loose communion practice of the latter. This is a step in the right direction and we hope it will be followed by the remaining Regular Baptist churches in that section, one by one, in true Baptist fashion, each acting in its individual capacity, till at their next Associational gathering the Second Newport church will be found, in fact, of that class who "are not of us." The great surprise of Baptists on the Pacific coast has been that such steps have not been taken sooner. This is the church of which the erratic Rev. Charles Howard Malcom is pastor – an article of whose in the Christian Union we had occasion to criticize a short time ago. That article was enough, if there were nothing more to show that he is a "foe in the camp."

May 7, 1868

EXAMPLE TWO:

--The tendencies of open-communion are seen in the case of the Second church, Newport, to whose pulpit a writer in the Reflector says a Unitarian minister is invited, and whose invitation to the communion includes Unitarians and Universalists. And well it may, for according to the argument often used by these, the pulpit should be more restricted than the table – and if it is permitted to admit at all to the former, then much more to the latter.

We think we observe like tendencies in the editor of the Spare Hour – we do not refer to special affiliation with the denominations [sic], but a giving over of scrictness [sic] of ideas – an excusing or commending where he once would not have commended or excused.. We do not think a paper of the character and spirit of the Church Union could always have got so kindly and loving a criticism from his pen. When once the strict barriers of Gospel practices are broken through – when feeling is made a chief director at the helm there is no telling what course the ship may be steered.

May14,1868

EXAMPLE THREE:

--The Baptist Convention of Rhode Island in view of the irregular practice of the Second church, Newport, (C.H. Malcom’s) passed at their late gathering the following;

The Baptist Convention of Rhode Island in view of the irregular practice of the Second church, Newport, (C.H. Malcom’s) passed at their late gathering the following;

Whereas the 3^rd article of the constitution of the R.I. Baptist State Convention provides that "no person shall be allowed to vote at the meetings of the convention who is not a member of a regular Baptist church within this state;" and whereas questions have arisen touching the meaning and application of this clause, therefore

Resolved, That in the judgment of this convention a church inviting to the Lord’s table those who have not been baptized according to the Lord’s command, is not a Regular Baptist church within the meaning of the Constitution.

And let all churches of the denomination say, AmenAnd let all churches of the denomination say, Amen.

June 4, 1868

EXAMPLE FOUR:

THE LATE COUNCIL AT VALLEJO.

Bro. Hilton: A correspondent of the Spare Hour, speaking of the council recently convened at Vallejo, says the "First Baptist church of Vallejo was refused recognition as a Regular Baptist church simply because it had adopted, both in letter and spirit, the confession of 1689", that is the Philadelphia Confessions of Faith. This is a mistake. The Council refused to recognize the Vallejo church, simply because it is an Open Communion church. The Confession of 1689 is a good one as far as it goes. When first adopted Baptists were not troubled about Open Communion. Pedobaptists did not press them to come to the Lord’s Table, nor were they very desirous to commune with Baptists at their own Tables. Communion with Pedobaptists not being a question of the times, nothing was said about it in the Confession formed in 1689.

Moreover the churches which adopted this Confession, have uniformly restricted the Lord’s Supper to baptized believers or church members. This is the practice and has been from the beginning of all churches connected with the Philadelphia Association. The effort to make the impression that California Baptists, in refusing to receive and fellowship the Open Communion church at Vallejo, are at variance with the churches in the East, which hold to the Confession of 1689, is, to say the least, not very honest. When the church at Vallejo accepts the practice as well as the confession of the old Philadelphia churches, recognition will not be withheld by the Baptists on this coast. H.

[probably written by C.R. Hendrickson, a contributing editor]

August 13, 1868

The reader of these articles may determine for himself the kind of Baptists that came to California in the early period of this States history. These should be sufficient, to show the doctrinal position, of at least some of the early Baptists.

Among the recommended papers listed in the Evangel is none other than J.R. Graves’ paper, The Tennessee Baptist.

Into this turbulent year, on the second Sabbath of August (1868), the First Baptist Church of Surprise Valley (later known as the Lake City Church) was organized. Among the members that went into this organization was, Joshua C. Brown of the First Baptist Church of Newport, Rhode Island. It was this church, in Modoc County, California, along with the churches at Loyalton and Goose Lake, that organized on October 10, 1873, the Eastern Baptist Association. At this initial meeting, the brethren recommended The Evangel to their churches. The Evangel served as the organ for the San Francisco Baptist Association ( the oldest in the state, organized in 1850) and it was to this Association that the Surprise Valley Church sought admission in the 1869 Associational year (see Historical Sketch in 1881 Minutes of the Eastern Baptist Association or page 17 of History of the West Coast Landmark Baptist, published by the History & Archives Committee, at Arroyo Grande.)