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A Noble Company, Volume 5, subject 15 is Richard Furman.

28th Sep 2014

The 15th subject in A Noble Company, Volume 5, is Richard Furman (1755-1825). He was born to descendants of the English Puritans not far from the city of New York. He was still an infant when he and his parents removed to South Carolina. Young Richard showed an unusual aptitude for memorization and other learning skills. After his conversion as a teenager, his earnestness in sharing the gospel led to his becoming known as “the boy preacher.” He eventually became pastor of the church at High Hills of Santee and from there went on to the First Baptist Church of Charleston, where he would minister from 1787 until his death. In addition to his concern for the lost, Furman had a great burden for the education of Baptist ministers. He played a crucial role in the formation of the General Missionary (or Triennial) Convention at Philadelphia in 1814, being elected its first president. Furman ended his ministry much as he had executed it, with an eye toward God and a heart for God’s people. David Benedict wrote of him, “I do not know of any one in the Baptist ranks, at that time, who had a higher reputation among the American Baptists for wisdom in counsel, and a skill in management, in all the affairs of the denomination.”