An excerpt from the book by by J. Matthew Pinson (provided by Randall House Publications. Order this volume: www.randallhouse.com   CHAPTER ONE – OUR HERITAGE: FREE WILL BAPTIST HISTORY   The English General Baptists, Forefathers in Great Britain Most Free Will Baptists can trace their heritage back to Paul Palmer, who in 1727 founded the first known Free Will Baptist church in America. [1] Paul Palmer married into the Laker family, English General Baptists who had moved to America. Fully convinced of the General Baptist faith, he established a General Baptist church in Chowan County, North Carolina, in 1727. [2] Though the early churches did not use the title “Free Will Baptist,” they were commonly known as “Free-willers” and would begin to call themselves Free Will Baptists in the late 1700s. [3] The 1660 English General Baptist Confession of Faith was used by Free Will Baptists in the South until it was condensed and revised in a new confession in 1812 (later called the 1812 Former Articles). [4] The 1812 Former Articles were used in the South until well into the twentieth century. Though Free Will Baptists from a few regions had spontaneous beginnings (for example, the Randall Movement of Freewill … Continue reading A Free Will Baptist Handbook