CIRCULAR LETTER
"On the Maintenance of the Ministry" (see here)
by Elder Martin Ross, 1791
"The Messengers of the several Baptist churches belonging to the United Baptist Association, formerly called the Kehukeee Association, met at the Flat Swamp meeting-house, in Pitt county, North Carolina, October, 1791: To the several churches in union with this Association, send greeting: —
DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN:
OUR Divine Lord and Master, in the course of an indulgent providence, hath favored us with another anniversary interview, by which we obtain knowledge of the circumstances of the churches that compose this convention; and we also received agreeable information concerning the interest and growth of our adorable Redeemer’s kingdom in many other places. And it must give peculiar pleasure to every gracious soul to hear, "that he who sitteth between the cherubims has stretched forth his mighty arm, and is making a willing people in the day of his power."
And since Almighty God, in carrying on this glorious work, is pleased by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe, it therefore becomes necessary that there should be a number of preachers or ministers of the Gospel. And according to the direction of our last Association, we proceed, in our circular letter, at this time, to make a few observations on the necessary support or maintenance of Gospel ministers; although we are very sorry that there should be the least occasion to write or speak upon that subject..." [p. 83]
"Finally, brethren, those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen, do; and the God of peace shall be with you."
Signed by order of the Association,
NATHAN MAYO, Moderator,
LEMUEL BURKITT, Clerk.
Clearly the Kehukee Baptists were not Hardshell and anti-missionaries in 1791! They believed that preachers of the gospel preach a gospel that saves believers in Christ. They also believed in the church financially supporting evangelists.
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