1612-1894
(Issued by Baptist-related newspapers and magazines, 1950s-1960s)
The Baptist Heritage Press Releases Collection is located at the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives. The collection contains press releases on key Baptist events from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, as well as a series on Baptists and the Civil War and a series of special undated press releases on historic Baptist events. The stories were produced between 1955 and 1959 by the Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention to highlight significant events in Baptist history. Each release, written in the form of a contemporary newspaper article, reports on a significant event in English and American Baptist history. Together, the releases provide an overview of three centuries of Baptist life. Events include Thomas Helwys’ challenge to King James I, Roger Williams’ pursuit of religious liberty, the founding of the Baptist Missionary Society, the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a series on Baptists and the Civil War written by Arthur L. Walker. The stories were used by Southern Baptist-related newspapers and magazines in the 1950s and 1960s.
