"Among the early Baptist ministers in South
Carolina , one of the more influential and colorful was Edmund
Botsford (1745-1819). He was nurtured in
the faith by Oliver Hart, was a contemporary and fellow-laborer with
Richard Furman in the Charleston Baptist Association, and a
spiritual father to William Bullein
Johnson, John M. Roberts and others. He was a capable minister, an
involved worker in the Charles-ton Association, a writer and a
mentor to young ministers. Yet he is practically forgotten in South
Carolina Baptist history....This reprinting of the Memoirs of
Elder Edmund Botsford by Particular
Baptist Press will help introduce him to a new generation of
Baptists." — J. Glenwood Clayton, from the Introduction
Edmund Botsford was an English-born
immigrant to colonial South Carolina who rose from obscurity to
become a key figure among Baptists in the South. He was eulogized
for having been a "faithful minister of Christ, and highly respected
for his correct, exemplary conduct" (American Baptist Magazine,
March, 1820, p. 310). This biography has not been reprinted since
the original edition was published in 1832, though it is recognized
as an important sourcebook for American Baptist history. "Edmund
Botsford lived at a critical time in the
development of South Carolina Baptist life. He was involved in
making decisions that shaped the life of Baptists in the South for
generations." (from the
Introduction). Perhaps the most rewarding part of this volume
however, is the spiritual counsel given by pastor
Botsford in a series of letters to his
various friends.
"Mr. Botsford had a strong faith in the
Savior’s abiding presence, and he enjoyed much of the Spirit’s power
in his heart. His labors in Georgia were eminently blessed, and he is revered
as one of the illustrious and heaven-honored founders of the Baptist
denomination in that state and he has the same distinguished
position in the Baptist history of South Carolina ." (William
Cathcart, editor, The Baptist
Encyclopedia, 1881, Vol. 1, p.119).
Cloth. 251 pages. This first volume in our Charleston Association
Series has been completely retype set
and fully indexed, with 8 illustrations and a map.
