Family Tree

Family Tree. Recommended Resources for Further Study

Books:

Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley (Zondervan, 2021)

Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History by John Dickson (Zondervan, 2021)

Why the Reformation Still Matters by Michael Reeves and Tim Chester (Crossway, 2016)

What it Means to be Protestant by Gavin Ortlund (Zondervan, 2024)

Who is an Evangelical? The History of a Movement in Crisis by Thomas Kidd (Yale University Press, 2019)

The American Evangelical Story by Douglas Sweeney (Baker, 2005)

 

Online Resources:

Gavin Ortlund / Truth Unites – YouTube Channel

The Center for Baptist Renewal – centerforbaptistrenewal.com

Podcast: 5-minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols

Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization – congress.lausanne.org

Family Tree 9. "Ten Generations: Georgia Plains Baptist Church (1793 – present)"

9. Ten Generations: Georgia Plains Baptist Church (1793 – present)

Our church has its own place on the Christian family tree. It is an outgrowth of the Baptist movement and the second Great Awakening. On October 12th, 1793, the Baptists in Georgia covenanted together to form a church (13 men, 4 women, and their families). They met in log cabins “crowded as full of people as could be crammed.” Their first settled pastor was Roswell Mears from 1807-1825, who did much to lay the foundation of the church. After many years sharing the town hall with Congregationalists, the Baptists purchased land and built their own meeting house in its current location in 1848. The first building was destroyed by fire in 1886, and a new building was dedicated exactly one year later. Over the years, our church has weathered the Civil War, world wars, economic collapses, pandemics, population changes, theological controversies, and the rapid changes of the modern world. It has experienced seasons of revival and seasons of drought. Our pastors have included Alvah Sabin, who also served in the US Congress and worked in the abolition movement, Grace Brooks, the first female pastor ordained in Vermont who served from 1919-1947, and Henry Suld, an Estonian refugee from WWII who escaped his German captors and trained for ministry in Stockholm. We have been aligned with both the mainline church tradition and the Evangelical movement, with several recent pastors coming from Evangelical seminaries. Through the leadership of many faithful pastors, the gifts and labors of so many church members, and above all the grace of God, we have for 232 years –about ten generations—maintained a gospel witness in Georgia, Vermont. May it continue until Jesus returns.

Scripture: Psalm 145

People: Roswell Mears, Alvah Sabin (1793-1885), Joseph Lorimer, Grace Brooks, YOU

“During Eld. Mears pastoral care of the church [1807-1825], God’s people were instructed from his holy word, may sinners were convicted and converted. Elder Mears possessed a peculiar faculty for religious consolation and pastoral duty and was universally respected and beloved.” – From an 1879 report

“The year 1816 was a year of the right hand of the most high, a large number were added to the church, prominent among these were those who afterward occupied “the high places of the filed” viz: Daniel Sabin, Joseph Ballard and Alvah Sabin who have spent their life in the ministry of the word.” – From an 1879 report  

“The pews were never rented, but free to all comers.”[1] – Alvah Hobart, describing the church in the mid-1800s.

 “In 1837 came the great financial panic. …the failure of the wheat crop, the removal of the deposits of public moneys from the United States Bank, one of the most disastrous and widespread panics swept over the country. Following this came a great revival of religion. As men saw their worldly goods vanish, they turned with a new interest toward the riches ‘which moth doth not corrupt nor thieves break through and steal.’” [2] – Alvah Sabin

Alvah Sabin, beloved pastor from 1828 - 1876

“Our forefathers did not fail in the task that was given unto them. Dare we not. We are living in serious times. Each of us has a contribution to make. God demands that we should be a vital witness in this community—realizing more fully our missions and purpose as a church which belongs to the Universal Church of Christ. Only by the grace of God can we accomplish this endeavor. May God Almighty help us!”  – Rev. Richard Seeley, October 25, 1962

Joseph Lorimer, pastor from 1877-1902. Born in Quebec, Lorimer grew up in Derby before coming to serve in Georgia. His wife, Myra Hale, had been raised in our church. The Lorimers were the first occupants of current parsonage, built in 1876.   

Application: Thank God for those who have held the torch before us. Pray for our church and serve our church. We need you.




[1] Life of Rev. Alvah Sabin, Alvah S. Hobart (The Review Printing Company, 1885), p. 94

[2] Quoted in Life of Rev. Alvah Sabin, Alvah S. Hobart (The Review Printing Company, 1885), p. 68.

Family Tree 8. "Gospel People: The Modern Evangelical Movement (1925 – present)"

8. Gospel People: The Modern Evangelical Movement (1925 – present)

With roots in the Great Awakenings, the modern Evangelical Movement emerged in the 1930s as a third way between theological liberalism and strict fundamentalism. The word “evangelical” is from the Greek word euangelion, meaning “good news” or “gospel.” Evangelicalism is not a denomination, but a network of like-minded people from across many denominations. It’s a big-tent Christianity that brings together different kinds of Christians with these four commitments:[1]

1.      Conversion – “You must be born again.”

2.      Scripture – the Bible is the authoritative, infallible Word of God.

3.      The Cross – the heart of the gospel is Jesus’ atoning death on the cross.

4.      Activism – the gospel must be shared in word and deed.

Evangelicalism is now a global movement that has been a driving force for missions, church planting, and social action around the world.

In addition, the Evangelical movement has a rich tradition of biblical scholarship and intellectual activity. It has given birth to many seminaries, colleges, book publishers, and magazines.   

Scripture: John 3:16-18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-6

People: Billy Graham (1918-2018), Carl F. Henry (1913-2003), John Stott (1921-2011), Henrietta Mears (1890-1963), John Perkins (1930 -)

“Christianity is by no means the social gospel of modernism, but is nonetheless vibrant with social implications as a religion of redemptive transformation.”[2] – Carl F.H. Henry

“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.” ― Billy Graham

Billy Graham

“Make the Bible your source and your authority. Quote it frequently. Let its message be your message. Study it, meditate upon it, memorize it. Trust its promises. The Word of God itself has power.”[3]    – Billy Graham

 

“It is our duty to do all we can to introduce every generation to Christ.”[4] -Henrietta Mears

“Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it.” – John Stott

“For too long, many in the Church have argued that unity in the body of Christ across ethnic and class lines is a separate issue from the gospel. There has been the suggestion that we can be reconciled to God without being reconciled to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Scripture doesn’t bear that out.” – John Perkins

 

Application: Look back at the four commitments that define the Evangelical movement. Are you committed to these things? Is there anything you would add?  

 

 

 

 

 

 



[1] This idea comes from historian David Bebbington

[2] Carl F.H. Henry, “Dare We Renew the Controversy?” in Keith J. Hardman, ed. Issues in American Christianity: Primary Sources with Introductions (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993), 282.

[3] Quoted in video “Honoring Billy Graham,” (https://billygrahamlibrary.org/photos-videos/honoring-billy-graham/) Accessed 5/22/2025.

[4] Dr. Henrietta C. Mears (2016). “Sunday School Changes Everything”, NavPress, p. 15.

Family Tree 6. "Champions of Freedom: The Baptist Movement (1600 – 1800)"

6. Champions of Freedom: The Baptist Movement (1600 – 1800)

Beginning in the early 1600s in England, some wanted to take the ideas of the Protestant Reformation father. They sought a purer, more biblical church, marked by believer’s baptism (as opposed to infant baptism) and free from the state government. Although begun in England, the Baptist movement took hold and spread in the American colonies despite opposition from other Christian groups. The first Baptist church in America was founded in Providence in 1638. After American independence, Baptists were strong supporters of religious freedom, championing the First Amendment.

Scripture: Matthew 22:15-21; Galatians 5:1,13

People: John Smyth (c. 1554-1612), Thomas Helwys (c. 1575-1616), Roger Williams (1603-1683), John Leland (1754-1841)

Concepts: Believer’s baptism, religious liberty, separation of church and state

18th century baptism service

“The magistrate is not by virtue of his office to meddle with religion, or matters of conscience, to force or compel anyone to this or that form of religion or doctrine, but to leave the Christian religion free to everyone's conscience, and handle only civil transgressions, for Christ only is the King and lawgiver of the church and conscience.” – John Smyth, first English Baptist

“…God requireth not an uniformity of Religion to be inacted and inforced in any civill state; which inforced uniformity (sooner or later) is the greatest occasion of Civill Warre, ravishing of conscience, persecution of Christ Jesus his servants, and of the hypocrisie and destruction of millions of souls.”[1] – Roger Williams

“That cannot be a true religion which needs carnal weapons to uphold it.” – Roger Williams

“Men's consciences ought in no sort to be violated, urged, or constrained.” – Roger Williams

“[The 1780s] was a time of great zeal, prayer, and effort, and the blessing of God descended in great power upon the struggling Baptist communities of the Green Mountain State. The Baptists suffered severely from the tyranny of the "standing order" at this period in Vermont, and it was only after years of persistent labor that the disabilities under which they groaned were removed, and the complete separation of Church and State was accomplished.”[2]            – A Baptist Encyclopedia published in 1881

Application: “Christian Nationalism” is a fast-growing ideology that seeks to impose its own version of the faith through government power. Not only does this threaten our democracy, but it perverts the gospel. Learn to recognize it and, as a Christian, speak out against it.




[1] Roger Williams, “The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution.” Quoted in Keith J. Hardman, ed. Issues in American Christianity: Primary Sources with Introductions (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993), 32.

[2] The Baptist Encyclopedia, 1881. <http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/vermont.baptists.tbe.html> Accessed 5/4/25.

Family Tree 5. "Recovering the Gospel: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation (1500s)"

5. Recovering the Gospel: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation (1500s)

The Roman Catholic Church of the Middle Ages had buried the gospel of salvation by faith under centuries of traditions, unbiblical teachings, and institutional buildup. One of the most egregious examples was the prolific sale of indulgences, papers given in the name of the Pope that were said to reduce time in purgatory. Starting with Martin Luther, through the tumultuous period of the Reformation the simple gospel of justification by faith in Jesus was recovered and re-centered in the Protestant movement.

Scripture: Romans 1:17; 3:21-26; Ephesians 2:1-10

People: Martin Luther (1483-1546), John Calvin (1509-1564), Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556)

Concepts: Justification by Faith, Sola Scriptura

“Night and day I pondered…Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which, through grace and sheer mercy, God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise.”[1] – Martin Luther, after wrestling with Romans 1:17

“We do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds, but by having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds.”[2] – Martin Luther

Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, protesting the sale of indulgences, October 31st, 1517

“Justification is the main hinge on which salvation turns.” – John Calvin

 “In the midst of life we are in death, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection.” – Thomas Cranmer

 

 

Application question: When you arrive at the gates of heaven, why should you be let in?




[1] Ibid.

[2] Michael Reeves and Tim Chester, Why the Reformation Still Matters (Wheaton: Crossway, 2016) p?

Family Tree 4. "The Word of God for the People of God: Bible Translation Efforts in the Pre-Reformation (1300 – 1540)"

4. The Word of God for the People of God: Bible Translation Efforts in the Pre-Reformation (1300 – 1540)

In the Late Middle Ages, many began protesting the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, calling for both moral and theological reform. During this time, the Bible was inaccessible to the vast majority of Christians and only read at the mass in Latin. The church actively discouraged Bible translation and persecuted those who attempted to do so, and yet many gave their lives for this cause.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-8; Romans 10:12-17

People: John Wycliffe (c. 1328-1384), Jan Hus (c. 1369-1415), William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536)

 “The truth of God standeth not in one language more than in another…[An English Bible] may edify the lewd people as it doth clerks in Latin…Why man we not write in English the gospel and other things dedicating the gospel to the edification of men’s souls?”[1]              – John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe, “Morning star of the Reformation”

“Truth conquers.”[2] – Jan Hus

“If God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!” -William Tyndale, responding to the criticisms of an educated clergyman

 

Application:

We are so blessed to have access to the Bible in our own language. Read it! Also, consider supporting translation efforts through organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators, so that all people can have the Bible in their mother tongue.

 




[1] Quoted in video, “William Tyndale’s Death is Not What You’ve been Told” by Gavin Ortlund. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DetuTE_XCo&t=798s> Accessed 4/24/25.

[2] Quoted from <https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/the-tragic-trial-and-death-of-jan-hus-11633059.html> Accessed 5/27/25.

Family Tree 3. "Lights in the Middle Ages: The Monastic Movement (500 – 1300)"

3. Lights in the Middle Ages: The Monastic Movement (500 – 1300)

In 530, Benedict of Nursia created a template for monastic life centered around prayer, work, and communal living, that served as the basis for over 37,000 Benedictine monasteries across Europe and inspired many other monastic orders. Throughout the “dark ages,” these monastic communities preserved and advanced the faith. Monks evangelized Europe and meticulously copied the Bible. In addition, Monasteries built culture: they were centers of education, agriculture, trade, and technological innovation.

Scripture: Mark 12:30-31; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

People: Benedict of Nursia (480-547), Alciun of York (735-804), Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Benedict of Nursia

“The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love.[1] – From The Rule of St. Benedict

“The love of Christ must come before all else.”[2] – From The Rule of St. Benedict

 

“O Lord our God,

grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart,

that so desiring we may seek and find you;

and so finding you we may love you;

and loving you we may hate those sins

from which you have redeemed us;

for the sake of Jesus Christ.”[3]

– Anselm of Canterbury

Monks at work

“Monks for more than a thousand years sustained what was most noble and most Christ-centered in the church.”[4] – Mark Noll

 

Application:

How can our church be an outpost of the gospel in our own “dark ages” of loneliness, addiction, despair, and spiritual poverty?

 

 




[1] Timothy Fry, Ed. The Rule of St. Benedict in English (Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 1980), 18.

[2] Ibid, 12.

[3] https://acollectionofprayers.com/tag/anselm/page/2/

[4] Mark A. Noll, Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (Baker, Grand Rapids, 1997), 104.

Family Tree 2. "Atanasius Against the World (300's)"

2. Athanasius Against the World (300s)

After Emperor Constantine granted favored status to Christianity, persecution tapered off. Instead, the church began to face division from within. A popular teaching called Arianism held that Jesus was a created being, not the eternal Son of God. One pastor/bishop named Athanasius from Alexandria, Egypt, did much to defend the truth. The Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381 gave us the Nicene Creed. In this period, the church continued to clarify important doctrines like the Trinity and the divine-human natures of Christ.

Scripture: John 1:1-18

People and events: Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373), Council of Nicaea (325), Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.”

-From the Nicene Creed

 

“The results of the incarnation of the Savior are such and so many, that anyone attempting to enumerate them should be compared to a person looking upon the vastness of the sea and attempting to count its waves.”[1] -Athanasius of Alexandria

“For you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.”[2] – Augustine of Hippo

 

Application:

Consider what an awesome Savior you have in Jesus. What modern heretical teachings diminish his person or work?


[1] Athanasius, On the Incarnation. Ch. 54. Available at <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2802.htm> Accessed 5/27/25.

[2]Augustine, Confessions. 1.1

Family Tree 1. “Brave Misfits (AD 70 – 300)"

For the first 250 years of its history, the church was a persecuted minority in the Roman Empire. Many suffered martyrdom for their faith. Yet through their countercultural witness of love for each other, service to the weakest of society, bravery in the face of persecution, and the compelling gospel message they preached, the Christian movement spread. Historian Robert Wilken estimates that in the year 150, there were about 50,000 Christians alive, and by 300, there were 5-7 million Christians.[1] Arguably, the church was healthiest in this period when it had no worldly power or wealth.

Scripture: Matthew 5:11-16

People: Polycarp of Smyrna (69-155), Perpetua (c. 182-203), Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 125-c. 202), Ignatius of Antioch (died c. 140)

“For eighty-six years I have served him, and he has done me no evil. How could I curse my king, who saved me?” – Polycarp of Smyrna, when asked to deny his faith in Jesus and offer a sacrifice to the Roman Emperor

“I am unable to call myself other than what I am, a Christian.”[2]                – Perpetua, when awaiting execution and pressed by her father to recant her faith.

“Now do I begin to be a disciple of Christ, and care for nothing in this world, that so I may find Jesus. Let fire, or the cross, or wild beasts, or the breaking of my bones, or the cutting of me to pieces, or the shattering of my whole body, yea, all the tortures of the devil - let them all come upon me, only let me enjoy my God.”[3]         – Ignatius of Antioch

 “…slaves, women and little children…wool workers, cobblers, laundry workers, and the most illiterate country bumpkins, who would not venture to voice their opinions in front of their intellectual betters.”[4]       – Celsus, a 2nd century Roman writer, mocking Christians for teaching the lower classes

Application:

How does following Jesus make you “salt and light” in your circles of influence? Have you experienced insults or persecution for being a Christian?



[1] Class notes from Scott Manetch at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, September 2009.

[2] Passion of Perpetua and Felicity III.1-2. Available at <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0324.htm> Accessed 5/27/25.

[3] Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Romans, V. Available at <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0107.htm> Accessed 5/27/25.

[4] Celsus, On The True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians. Translated with a General Introduction by R. Joseph Hoffmann. Oxford University Press. New York, 1987. pp.72-73

 

Family Tree: Church History Sermon Series 2025

Artwork by Lindsey Johnson

Artwork by Lindsey Johnson

“One generation commends your works to

another; They tell of your mighty acts.”

– Psalm 145:4

“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

– Psalm 33:11

“Therefore, every teacher of the law who has

become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven

is like the owner of a house who brings out of

his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

– Jesus, Matthew 13:52

“There is nothing that the modern church

enjoys that is not a gift from previous

generations of God’s people.” – Mark Noll

Introduction

In this 9-part sermon series we traced our spiritual genealogy through church history. We focused on key events, figures, and turning points that got us to where we are today as Protestants, Baptists, and heirs of the Modern Evangelical movement.

Hopefully, learning about our Christian history has produced:

·         A greater sense of our connection to the broader Christian family and our particular place in it

·         More appreciation for our own Christian tradition and more openness to others

·         Gratitude for the faithfulness of previous generations

·         Wisdom to learn from the errors of the past

·         Humility about our own errors and blind spots that future generations will see more clearly

In this series, I chose to focus more on the positive aspects of our Christian history. But church history is complicated and messy. There is much to celebrate and much to lament. There aren’t always clear “good guys” and “bad guys.” Sometimes our heroes disappoint us and the villains surprise us. The many branches of the Christian family tree represent both a beautiful fullness (“catholicity”) of the church through the ages, and they also represent unnecessary division in the body of Christ.

In each section I summarize the main theme of the sermon and reference the accompanying Scripture passage. Then, I include important people and/or events referenced in the sermon (and a few extras to look up on your own!). Finally, there are quotes from people in this time period, and an application to consider.

A big thank-you to Lindsey Johnson for her wonderful artwork on the cover. She based it on a rough sketch that I gave her, which is by no means a complete picture of Christian denominations, nor is it totally to scale. But hopefully it will help you see the big picture of the growth of Christianity through the ages, and make sense of where some of the Protestant denominations came from. Any inaccuracies or errors are mine.

We covered only a tiny fraction of the story of Christianity. I encourage you to continue learning on your own, perhaps starting with a time period or person that piqued your interest. At the end of this booklet are recommended resources for further study.

Above all, let us trust, worship and serve Jesus, the Lord of the Church, who has remained faithful to his people for 2,000 years.

 

-Pastor Tyler

June 1st, 2025