First Baptist Church of Minot, Androscoggin Co, Maine by Charles Waterman. Contributed by Androscoggin Historical Society http://www.rootsweb.com/~meandrhs Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm On February 17th 1907, occurred the centennial celebration of the Baptist Church at East Auburn. This is of interest to the people of Minot, because when it was founded, a century ago, it was in Minot territory, Auburn having been set off February 24th, 1842, and its original members prominent men and women of that town. Indeed, Minot, at that time, had only recently become a town for herself, having been set off from Poland February 18th, 18o2. The first church of Poland was situated in Minot territory and so became the first church of Minot when that town went to housekeeping for herself. It was of the Congregational denomination. The Baptists very early gained a foothold in Maine, having sent missionaries to visit the frontier towns. Rev. Paul Coffin, a very noted missionary of that denomination, visited this region in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and most of the Baptist Churches in this section of the District of Maine starting at that time and the earlier years of the nineteenth century were the results of his labors. By the year 1807, there were several Baptist churches in the nearby towns, some of which had been established for fifteen or twenty years. It is evident that there were quite a little number of Baptisis in Minot by that year attending churches in neighboring towns- enough of them so that they thought it expedient to establish a church of their own. The first page of their records makes this plain : The brethren having their minds stirred up by the grace of God thought it advisable and for the glory of God to have a church of Christ constructed in Minot, accordingly met at Deacon James Perkins at a conference meeting on Saturday the 17th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven and appointed Samuel Swett to write letters to several churches for assistance to sit in council on this important occasion. Accordingly wrote to the church at Hebron, church at New Gloucester, church at Leeds, church at Livermore, church at Buckfield and church at Sumner, to lend them elders and messengers to sit in council on that important occasion on the seventeenth day of February at ten o'clock in the house of Deacon James, Perkins in Minot. By order of the Brethren, Samuel Swett. The record also tells the story of the council At an eccleastical council communed at Minot on Tuesday the 17th day of February 1807 at the house of Deacon James Perkins for the purpose of constituting a Baptist Church in that piece, first attended public worship, a sermon by Elder John Tripp from 1 Peter 1-21. Then proceeded to read the letters from the several churches applied to by the Baptist brethren in Minot by missive letters for assistance to embody a church in that place which were the following churches: New Gloucester, Elder Robert Low, Brother Goss; Hebron, Elder John Tripp, Brother James Dunham; Buckfield, Elder Nathaniel Chase, Brother William Berry; Sumner, Elder Thomas Macomber, Brothers John Briggs and Sylvanus Stephens. The brethren in Minot then voted to receive the above elders and brethren as a council to attend to the above mentioned purpose. The council then made choice of Elder Robert Low for moderator and Elder Thomas Macomber for clerk. Prayers to Almighty God for direction by the moderator. Then took the Dames of the brethren and sisters that propose to give themselves to the Lord and to one another by His will which were as follows: First Baptist Church of Minot James Perkins, Amos Harris, John Woodman, Samuel Swett, Alpheus Drake, Thos. Reckards Betsey Perkins, Isabella Harris, Lydia Millett and Sally Webster, Next to this we inquired into their views in forming into a church also read to them the article of our faith and church covenant. Enquiry was then made respecting their fellowship one with another. They then produced letters of dismission from the several churches in which they stood. Their views respecting the whole were satisfactory to the council. They accordingly unanimously voted to give them the right hand of fellowship as a Church of Christ which was done by the moderator after prayer. By the clerk the council was then dissolved. The church in Minot was then in presence of the council made choice of Brother Samuel Swett for church clerk and Brother James Perkins for deacon. A true record of the proceedings. Attest: Robert Low, Moderator. Thomas Macomber, Clerk. The church joined the Bowdoinham Association September 2, 1807, Samuel. Swett, James Perkins and Alpheus Drake being messengers, and Samuel Swett writing the letter. Samuel Swett seems to have been a prominent man in the church. He was given a license to preach April 15, 1809 an on the following July went to preach in Farmington. No regular preacher seems to have been employed until Dec. 17, 1808 when Elder May was engaged for one year. Following is a list Of preachers ,succeeding Elder May: George Ricker, Feb. 18,1810 to Sept- 15, 1838. Noah Hooper, July 20, 1838, April 14, 1841. Joseph Hutchinson, Feb. 16,1843,AUg. 2,1848. Jacob Could, Aug. 2, 1848 Aug. 2, 1849. Hiram C. Estes, May 16, 1850, Oct. 15, 1852. John Elliott, Oct, 15, 1852, Jan. 1, 1853. A. J. Nelson, Feb. 11, 1853, Oct- 15, 1855 A. H. Gould, Oct. 15, 1855, Nov. 5, 1860 A. Snider, Oct, 5, 1861, Nov. 3, 1866. N. Whittemore, Nov. 3, 1866, Jan. I, 1868. C. A. Cooke, Jan 1, 1868, Aug. 2, 1868. N. C. Everett, 1868, 1876. A. A. Ford, January 1876, January 1879. Edward S. Ufford, Jan. 4, 1879, Oct. 30, 1881. (Ufford was the author of the hymn "Throw Out the Life Line.") -- Stevens, May 1882, June 1883. C. F, Clark, January 1884, January 1885. Andrew Hooper, Jan. 13, 1885 (died April 12, 1886), James Heath, Sept. 12, 1886, Sept, 12, 1887. 13. Marshall, November 1888, Mar. 30, 1890. F. 11. Gile, May 25, 1890, Feb. 28, 1892. A. T. Lamb, Oct. 2, 1892, September, 1893. Ezra Parker, January 1894, January 1895. Since that date the pulpit has been occupied by supplies. The following rnembers have acted as church clerks : Samuel Swett, Feb. 17, 1807, July 15, 1809. Thomas Record, July 15, 1809, May 16, ISIS. lchabod Reynolds, May 16, ISIS, May 14,1842. Daniel Briggs, May 14, 1942, Oct. 15, 1855. G. H. Woodman, Oct. 15, 1855, May 14, 1881 Lovisa Chamberlain, May 14, x881, September, 1885. Wilfred C. Allen, September, 1885 (died Feb. 22, 1895), Mary Allen, Feb. 22, 1895. Prior to 1826 meetings were held on the west side of what is now Lake Auburn at the houses of the members; but in June of that year the records indicate that meetings were held on the eastern side of the lake. On August 17th, 1831, a barn was bought and remodelled into a church. In 1849 a new church was built at what is now East Auburn. This was burned Feb. 29 186o. The present church was built on the site of the old one.