MONEY, MISSION AND MINISTRY
The Particular Baptist Fund, 1717–2017
By Tim Grass
Gipping Press. 98 pages. £6.00
ISBN 978 0 995 473 652
The Toleration Act 1689 granted Non-conformists freedom of worship after almost 30 years of persecution. Inevitably they emerged weakened from this experience of oppression. Not only had many of them suffered heavy fines and even imprisonment, but they were still subject to discrimination. They were excluded from the universities in England and from some of the learned professions.
The Particular or Calvinistic Baptists formed one such group of churches. While their churches were independent, it was clear that concerted action was needed to meet the challenges of a changed situation. Within a few months of the passage of the Toleration Act, their pastors and representatives met in a General Assembly in London. One of the most important things they did was to commend to their churches a fine Confession of Faith which had been composed in London some 12 years earlier. This proclaimed the doctrinal heritage that they shared with other Calvinistic Dissenters in great central areas of orthodox Protestantism. It made clear their position in the mainstream of English Puritanism. At the same time it expounded their Baptist church order. The years of persecution had not changed their identity. It was necessary, however, to make provision for the future
Places of worship
The General Assembly of 1692 urged action to establish a Fund ‘to erect convenient places to worship God in; and give your children the best learning you can bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, not knowing but that they may be blessed instruments for Christ when our work is ended. Moreover, our desire is that you would look among yourselves for some godly young men inclined to the ministry, the fund being partly intended to afford them what helps may be proper to that work’.
But these aspirations required money. It was not until 1717 that action was taken and then not by the body of churches as a whole, but by six London churches that committed themselves to the provision of a fund to help ministers and ministerial students and also to promote the planting of churches. The six churches were soon to be joined by others. The vision was nationwide, but perhaps because of necessity the control of the Fund was in the hands of the representatives of London churches. This Fund has continued until the present day and, in spite of the changes that have taken place in the wider Baptist groupings, it continues to provide help to Calvinistic Baptists with various affiliations.
Well-researched
Dr Tim Grass has produced a well-researched and well-written history of this long-established charity. He gives a careful account of its origins and then proceeds to an analytical account of its development up to the present. He acknowledges the help he received from this Fund during a doctoral research programme. I have to do the same and welcome this opportunity to commend Tim Grass’s work and to pay tribute to the help and usefulness of this ancient institution and its officers.
