Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/258

 198 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOUEI tory were very strong. American settlers who lived in the Northwest territory and who owned slaves found that in order to continue holding them they must give up their home- steads and seek another territory after the passage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Many of these men crossed the ilississippi river to Upper Louisiana ; others came because they were attracted by the ease with which land might be secured from the Spanish gov- ernment, and still others were moved by the love of adventure and of a free life in the open which characterized so many Americans in the early period of history. These motives were very strong and they induced many respect- able, honest and upright people to give up their homes and to take up their residence in what is now IMissouri. These people no doubt felt the deprivation of religious service and experience. That they still meditated on religion and wished for an opportunity to exercise it openly is made evident by the cordial reception which was given to the few Protestant ministers who, in spite of the proclamation of Spain, made their way into the territory. In the life of John Clark, which was no doubt written by John Mason Peck, it is clearly set out that the American families were very glad indeed to receive Clark into their homes and to listen to him as he read and preached, and were re- joiced at an opportunity to hear the Gospel in their new territory and according to their own beliefs again. It seems that the first Baptists in Missoiiri were Thomas Bull, his wife and mother-in- law, Mrs. Lee. They moved to the Cape Gir- ardeau district from Kentucky in 1796. They were followed, in 1797, by Enos Randol and wife, and the wife of John Abernathy. For a number of years they lived without any re- ligious services, except such as they held at private houses. At one time they were in fear of being required to leave the province on account of their religious belief, but Lori- mier was favorable to them and they con- tinued to reside here. Elder Thomas John- son, of Georgia, was perhaps the first Baptist minister who preached in Upper Louisiana. He was a resident of Georgia. He came to the Cape Girardeau district on a visit in 1799, and while there he preached. He per- formed the first non-Catholic baptism west of the river. He baptized Mrs. Ballou in Ran- dol 's creek. In 1805, Elder David Greene, a native of Virginia, but at that time a resi- dent of Kentucky, came to the district. Greene preached, first, about the settlements near Commerce. He organized a church in Tywappity bottom in 1805. This was the first Baptist church in Louisiana. It had only some six or seven members and soon dis- banded. Elder Greene, after a visit of some months, returned to Kentucky. He was im- pressed, however, by the importance of the field in Upper Louisiana and came back to the Cape Girardeau district in 1806. He resided in the district with his family until the time of his death in 1809. On July 19, 1806, Elder Greene gathered together the Baptists near Jackson and or- ganized a church which was called Bethel. It is not definitel.y known just where the organi- zation took place, but it is believed to have been made in the house of Thomas Bull. This church so organized was the center from which sprang the large number of early Bap- tist churches in Missouri. The members who took part in the organization of the church were David Greene, Thomas English, Leanna Greene, Jane English, Agnes Ballou, Thomas Bull, Edward Spear. Anderson Rogers, John Hitt, Clara Abernathv, Katherine Anderson,