In terms of our larger missionary outreach, Baptist churches were loosely associated by being members of the American Home Missionary Society. This was prior to the Civil War. However, after the war this organization split into the Northern and Southern Baptist Conferences. Several decades ago the Northern Baptist Conference renamed itself the American Baptist Convention, in an attempt to become more inclusive. This is our present denomination – American Baptist Churches in the USA (ABC/USA), with headquarters in Valley Forge, PA. This organization is subdivided into a regional office in Dedham, The American Baptist Churches of MA (TABCOM), and into areas within the State. We are in the Judson Association (area), and have a Judson Area minister. We regularly elect and send delegates to the ABC/USA, TABCOM, and Judson Association meetings and support their outreach through our mission budget (c.f., annual reports).
Perhaps the first daughter church of our church was the Methodist Church in North Malden (now Melrose) in 1815 and the First Parish Universalist Church, some years prior to 1828. As John Sprague, shoemaker, wrote in 1812, “from this time the people began to leave the meetings” being dismissed, excluded, or restored, and dismissed to other churches. These were not happy years. After Rev. Pottle left in 1806, Rev. Bentley was pastor for one year. For the following seven years we were without a pastor. Two other pastors then served for a period of three years. After Rev. Pottle left our church in 1807, he became pastor in Ipswich. It is also possible that several members departed to the Baptist Church in Ipswich in 1806. Unfortunately, that church became extinct in 1815 (Chamberlain, 1918).
On a more positive note, in July 1871, 18 persons were dismissed to aid in forming a church in Everett, and in August 1871, 19 persons were dismissed to form a church in Maplewood, which was an outgrowth of the Sabbath School established in 1868 (anonymous, 1882). In 1872, our church voted to transfer the Maplewood Chapel Property to the Maplewood Baptist Society. Sunday School Chapels were also established on Boylston and Cross Streets, which flourished for may years. In later years our church would help to form new churches in North Chelsea and Revere (Foxon, 1979).
As the church grew during World War II, our Sunday attendance grew to 500 (Foxon, 1976), and we had several seminarians from Andover Newton Theological School, who both served and learned. These included Roger Frederickson, Philip Shearman, Donald Ellis, and many more. This association with Andover Newton lasted for several decades, and often included three seminarians at the same time. During the 1960’s our church adopted the Kampese Hospital in the Congo as a mission project, where Don Ellis and his family had served as missionaries.
After the death of Dr. Straton in 1969, a scholarship fund was started, primarily for students entering the ministry. The first award was presented to Larry Starr in 1972. Rev Starr is presently pastor of the Green Street Baptist Church in Melrose. Mary other pastors, social workers, and others have been helped by a series of scholarship funds that now exist.
Our non-denominational outreach has included being a covenant church with Habitat for Humanity, hosting a meal each week for Bread of Life, and supplying room for their pantry supplies. We also have sponsored and hosted Boy Scout Troop 603 in our church since 1910. Many other activities and alliances (Tri-City Housing, Council of Churches, etc,) should also be mentioned, as well as family relocation efforts of Cuban, and Vietnamese immigrants. more >
Go to FBC History Search
Chamberlain (1918) “The Early Baptist of Malden” in Register of the Malden Historical Society, Vol., 5. Foxon, D. L., 1979, One Hundred and Seventy-five Years of the First Baptist Church of Malden
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