Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.Coleman, Thomas
History
Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.
Coleman, Thomas
Clergy -- England -- Northamptonshire; Independent churches -- England -- Northamptonshire; Puritans -- England -- Northamptonshire
It was soon after the middle of the last century that the present Chapel
was built, viz., in 1752; but it was not until the year 1788 that the
Church was formed and the first pastor settled. In that year Mr. Perry,
of Lavendon Mill, near Olney, was invited to take the pastoral charge
over them. He was the intimate friend and had been the fellow-labourer
of Mr. Raban, who was pastor of the Church at Yardley Hastings. They had
been connected with the Established Church at Olney; both of them had
engaged in delivering exhortations at meetings for social prayer and for
the mutual improvement of their fellow Christians who belonged to the
Church. These engagements were the means of introducing them to further
service, so that they both became pastors of Independent Churches in
these villages, which were but a short distance from their former abode.
In the records of the Church at West End, Wellingborough, it is stated
that "at a Church-meeting held October 5th, 1778, Mr. Perry, of Lavendon
Mill, who had for some time before exercised his gifts among Dissenters,
though at that time in connexion with the Church of England as by law
established, having testified his desire to join this Church with a view
to his being sent out to the ministry in an orderly way, he came, and
gave an account of his call to speak the word, the reasons that induced
him to approve of the order of Congregational Churches, and his reasons
for desiring to join with this Church. He was proposed to the Church to
join next Church-meeting." In a month from this time another meeting was
held, when "Mr. Perry gave in his experience to great satisfaction, and
then, according to former appointment, preached amongst us to good
satisfaction also; and the Church being consulted, they thought it was
plainly their duty to send brother Perry out to preach the Gospel
wherever the Lord should be pleased to call him, and concluded the next
Church-meeting should be held for that end and purpose." Then it was
unanimously agreed that brother Perry should preach wherever Providence
should call him.
It appears that Mr. Perry put himself into the hands of this Church that
they might judge of his qualifications for the ministry, with a
determination to submit to the judgment they formed. In the year 1778 it
is recorded, "we dismissed brother Perry to the newly formed Church at
Wollaston, and on May 28th he was ordained their pastor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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