"strive not about words to no profit"
(II Tim. 2: 14
Brother and Reverend Ken Mann, blog contributor, queried, in my recent post on John Leland, about Leland using the word or title of "reverend" when he wrote a letter to a fellow preacher. I made comment to his comment and stated that I did not know the history of using that term among Baptists but did know that many Baptists have objected to it, some vehemently, as the Hardshell Baptists, and that I thought it was straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, especially in their case, or was making mountains out of molehills.
When brother Mann raised the question about the origin and history of this word's use among Baptists, I at first thought in my mind how I knew I had seen other old Baptists (of the 17th and 18th centuries and later) use the term in their writings and correspondence. So, I decided to do a Google search and turned up some information I wish to share with our readers and whoever in the future may find this web page.
"reverend, the ordinary English prefix of written address to the names of ministers of most Christian denominations. In the 15th century it was used as a general term of respectful address, but it has been habitually used as a title prefixed to the names of ordained clergymen since the 17th century."
Thus, as I stated in my comment to brother Mann, women are to reverence their husbands and call them lord, which was a show of respect.
I then found this article, titled "WHAT TITLE SHOULD MINISTERS USE?" by Elder H. C. Vanderpool, Th. D., of Hendersonville, TN (See here). I will cite from this article now. In it he also cites from a paper by fellow minister F. R. Bingham, pastor of Jordan Baptist Church in Illinois, and Editor of the Baptist Instructor. I recommend that the whole article be read. Here are some excerpts that reflect my view.
Says Elder Vanderpool (emphasis mine):
"A few days ago I received a phone call, and a friend of the caller wanted me to send him the history of the Southern Baptist Convention, and when they began to use the title "Reverend" for ministers.
First, the S.B.C. was organized at Augusta, Georgia in 1845. The information on it is found in Twentieth Century Baptists, pp. 308-322. This will also be in Twentieth Century Baptists - Volume Two, which I hope to have written, printed and ready for distribution in the Fall of 1996.
The truth is, Baptists were using the name "Reverend" 150 years and more before the S.B.C. was organized. The convention did not begin that title, but those we call Old Time Baptists (The oldest ones in America) began the use of that title.
The Philadelphia Baptist Association was organized on the 27th day of the 7th month, on the 7th day of the week in the year 1707 (which would be July 17, 1707). All our true Baptists today trace our history back through that Association. The ministers of those days were well educated and most of them were called "Reverend" or "Doctor". Some used "Brother". These titles were used for almost a century, and on their records for 1790, they began to use "Elder" along with the other titles. So, "Reverend" was used over a hundred years back into the Baptists before coming to America; before they used the title "Elder."
Note: I doubt all Baptists will agree with the statement "all our true Baptists today trace our history back through" the Philadelphia Association.
Wrote Vanderpool:
"In the History of the Philadelphia Association, pp 254-255, "Elder" was used along with "Reverend," "Brother," and "Doctor." All four titles were used on these two pages."
"When I began to prepare this material for the Brother who had asked for it, I remembered that Brother F. R. Bingham, pastor of Jordan Baptist Church in Illinois, and Editor of the Baptist Instructor, had written an article on this subject. I found the Article in the Baptist Banner files of July 1968, over 27 years ago. I agree with Pastor Bingham, and wish our people, especially our preacher Brethren would study their Hebrew and Greek and find out the truth before becoming so critical of what actually is the truth in God's Word."
"I have never preached out of any Bible except the King James Version. However, the Bible was rewritten and revised 14 times before the King James Version was written in 1611. So, Baptists preached out of other versions over 1600 years before the KJV was written."
This comment is a little off the subject, but I think the purpose is to caution Baptists about speaking too rigidly about traditions within our Baptist family. I do agree with his comment, however.
Wrote Vanderpool:
"Now here is the article by Pastor Bingham which I agree with:
SHOULD A PREACHER BE REFERRED TO AS REVEREND?
by Pastor F. R. Bingham
"The other day I received a communication from a brother who objected strongly to being addressed as "Rev. (so and so). He said, "I am not a reverend." I have heard this objection for all the years of my ministry (35 of them) from various preachers, and almost as if it were sinful and blasphemous for a minister to use this title. The objection is always based on Psalm 111:9, where it said "....Reverend is his name," meaning, of course, the Lord. And this would mean for anyone else to use this name is to appropriate unto himself the name of deity, with the identity of being God."
"But there have always been those who strain at gnats and swallow camels; who are pharisaically hyper-critical of others over little things of no real consequence after all; and I suppose there will always be such among us."
This article by brother Bingham was published in the Baptist Banner, July 1968, of which Elder H. C. Vanderpool was Editor.
It is interesting that brother Bingham saw what I later also saw, how it was a case, many times, of straining at gnats and swallowing camels.
Bro. Stephen. how well I appreciate your esteemed address to me as "Reverend" lol. I agree that at times we Baptists swallow a camel when trying to strain a gnat. I too have read many times the writings of early Baptists and the times they used the term "reverend", but for whatever reason the question did not click with me until I read your article. If we are to be honest, almost all titles ascribed to Christ, are also ascribed to men held in high esteem, such as "shepherd, lord, king, priest, prophet, elder" etc. In fact those terms were ascribed to men BEFORE our English bible came to be. Those titles already applied to men in high positions, and since they were the "highest" words the English language had, they had to be used of Christ. Of course He is the highest, hence terms like "King of kings and Lord of lords". I have read the article you mentioned in its entirety. It is quite interesting. Obviously Elder Vanderppol must have been a landmarker, since he states "Baptists preached out of other versions over 1600 years before the KJV was written." He must have believed Baptists existed from AD 33 to 1611. Also interesting is that he states all "true Baptists" trace their lineage from the Philadelphia Association, especially since he was not predestinarian in his theology. Would love to have a chat with him about what he believed about the origins on non predestinarian Baptists in America, since he was one of them. I did some checking and all the churches in his association use the New Hampshire Confession, and this confession was used as the starting point for the Baptist Faith and Message of the SBC. Most of the churches in that association practice footwashing, but not all, it isnt a test of fellowship. Also of note is the fact that those churches happily cooperated with Methodists and Presbyterians (especially the Cumberland Presbyterians). I have often wondered how some Landmark Baptists happily cooperated with others, even while holding that they are the only "true" church. I suppose that since Baptist theology teaches salvation does not come thru a church, that even tho they were landmarkers, the salvation of sinners trumped everything else. In fact, some of their elders were saved in revivals held in Cumberland Presbyterian churches. Gonna dig into more of their history. Thanks for bringing this to light!
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