Like other conservative Christians in the modern era, Free Will Baptists have tended to downplay the importance of history, giving greater attention to affirming themselves as a New Testament church. While it is laudatory to establish ties with primitive, biblical Christianity, it also is essential that God’s people recognize that He continues to work with them in history.
Of course, the greater tragedy is that lack of interest in history results in the loss of historical documents and data from which history can be reconstructed. Denominations with little interest in their past also have little interest in conserving materials that will tell later generations their story.
Thankfully, Free Will Baptists have begun to be excited about their past and historical collections have been started by individuals and by denominational educational institutions. At last the denomination has recognized the importance of its history and the collection and preservation of earlier documents has been given the attention it deserves.
Although many documents have been lost and cannot be recovered, many more are waiting to be discovered. Why not make it your personal project to locate one valuable document relating to the denomination’s history. State archives, state court records, state tax rolls, family attics and basements, family Bibles, local and regional church records all offer the possibility of discovery—hidden treasures that can be invaluable in the study of the denomination’s history.
About the Writer: William F. Davidson was professor of Church History at Columbia International University, in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Davidson is an alumnus of Peabody College, Welch College, Columbia Bible College, Northern Baptist Seminary, and New Orleans Baptist Seminary. The Ayden, North Carolina, native also served as pastor of Free Will Baptist churches in Kentucky and Virginia.
