Why is it important to record Missouri Baptist church history?
Those who’ve gone before us suffered a great deal as Baptists. Under the Spanish, it was illegal to preach. If you were captured in the territory that would become Missouri, then you would be imprisoned. So people would sneak into Missouri—they would come across the river—preach, then go back to Illinois and Kentucky. The early Baptists suffered imprisonment, persecution, physical injury, and confiscation of property and goods. Many of them were whipped, or flogged, or died in prison. Their suffering is our heritage. It is important that we know the price they paid so we could have religious freedom. We didn’t just happen. We have a history—a heritage. I think it is important that we try and appreciate what people went through. History provokes in many people a natural resistance. There’s no interest because it’s gone. It’s past. This is a new era. It’s the 21st century. We’re moving on. Things are so different now. There isn’t anything to learn. But I would like pastors to encourage p
