This week in Christian history: Isaac Backus born, near-death experience recanted

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, January 07, 2024

Isaac Backus born – Jan. 9, 1724

Isaac Backus (1724-1806), was a prominent Baptist minister from New England who campaigned against state-sponsored churches. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when Isaac Backus, a Baptist minister in Puritan New England known for his opposition to state-sponsored churches, was born in Norwich, Connecticut.

Backus became a born-again Christian during the Great Awakening and is credited with founding the Baptist church in Middleborough, Massachusetts, in 1756, serving as its lead pastor for decades.

A staunch proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state, Backus successfully lobbied the Continental Congress in the 1770s on behalf of these causes.

This issue was a personal one for Backus, who, as a Baptist, found himself being forced to pay an “ecclesiastical tax” to benefit Massachusetts-supported Puritan churches.

“Many people were even imprisoned because of failure to pay the tax, including several members of Backus’ own family,” explained Leroy Seat of Baptist News Global in 2014.

“But it was the freedom of religion and separation of church and state established in Rhode Island by [Roger Williams] and then bravely backed by Backus over 135 years later that became a part of the U.S. Bill of Rights ratified in 1791.”