1820-1863
Robert Boyte Crawford Howell served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Nashville, from 1801 to 1850 and 1854 to 1867. During his confinement during the occupation of Nashville by the Union army, Howell wrote this history of the First Baptist Church. The original manuscript, written in longhand, was preserved by Dr. Howell’s descendants and provided to P. E. Burroughs for transcription. One of four typescript copies was made under the direction of Dr. P. E. Burroughs by his secretary, Miss Crate Tallant.
The two-volume history describes the organization of the First Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee; Howell’s leadership as pastor; the reformation controversy (Church of Christ); reorganization of the church after the split; the development of the Tennessee Baptist Convention; the missionary controversy and divisions of the church; early growth of the church; the Concord Baptist Association; Howell’s return to Virginia; leadership of pastors Samuel Baker and W.H. Bayless; the return of Howell to First Baptist; the Graves controversy and the expulsion of that faction; the impact of the Civil War on the church; and the imprisonment of the Howell by federal authorities.
