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John Howard Shakespeare and the English Baptists, 1898-1924

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John Howard Shakespeare and the English Baptists, 1898-1924 Durham E-Theses John Howard Shakespeare and the English Baptists, 1898-1924 Shepherd, Peter How to cite: Shepherd, Peter (1999) John Howard Shakespeare and the English Baptists, 1898-1924, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4513/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk Abstract Author: Peter Shepherd Thesis: Durham University PhD (1999) Title: John Howard Shakespeare and the English Baptists, 1898-1924 The Rev. John Ho ward Shakespeare was General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland from 1898 until his resignation on the grounds of ill health in 1924. This thesis describes and evaluates changes in the Baptist denomination in England during that period, and assesses the significance of Shakespeare's contribution. Following summaries of the history of Baptist ecclesiology and Shakespeare's personal background, the main areas of denominational reform are described. The first of these is the strengthening of the Baptist Union and the expansion of its influence, which was the major feature ofthe period up to about 1908. This presented a challenge to the Baptists' traditional congregational church polity. The second is the changing approach to the recognition and support of Baptist ministers within the denomination, culminating in the 1916 Baptist Union Ministerial Settlement and Sustentation Scheme. The third is Shakespeare's search for church unity, both within Nonconformity and between Nonconformists and the Church of England, which dominated the post-war period. The formation of the Federal Council ofthe Evangelical Free Churches, of which Shakespeare was the first Moderator, in 1919, and conversations following the 1920 Lambeth Appeal, were central elements of this search. It had significant implications for Baptist church polity. Shakespeare's approach to the question of women in the ministry, and the circumstances surrounding his resignation, are also described. A final chapter discusses Shakespeare's legacy for Baptists. The institutions he created have played an important part in the subsequent history of Baptists and Nonconformity in general. However, they failed to achieve his objective of stemming numerical decline. They also exacerbated tensions in Baptist church polity between the centralisation of denominational life and congregationalism. These tensions have been a major factor in Baptist church life throughout the present century. John Howard Shakespeare and the English Baptists, 1898-1924 by Peter Shepherd Submitted for the degree of PhD University of Durham Department of Theology 1999 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the written consent of the author an information derived from it should be acknowledged. 1 7 .IAN 2000 Contents Page Declaration and Statement of Copyright 4 Abbreviations 5 Acknowledgements 6 INTRODUCTION 8 Chapter One: BACKGROUND 17 A. The Baptists 17 1. Origins 17 2. The Evangelical Awakening 23 3. The Baptist Union 27 4. Nonconformity in Late Victorian England 33 B. John Howard Shakespeare 41 1. Childhood and Preparation for Ministry 41 2. St. Mary's Baptist Church, Norwich 44 Chapter Two: THE STRENGTHENING OF THE UNION 55 A. The Twentieth Century Fund 55 B. Denominational Development 63 I. Baptist Church House 63 2. New Departments and Societies 67 3. A New Constitution 74 4. The Baptist World Alliance 80 C. Shakespeare as Denominational Leader 86 D. Congregationalism and Unity 98 Chapter Three: THE SUSTENANCE OF THE MINISTRY 103 A. Union Recognition 103 B. The Ministerial Settlement and Sustentation Scheme 118 I. Putting the Scheme Together 118 2. Gaining Support from the Churches 137 3. Implementing the Scheme 145 c. The Union Supreme 162 Chapter Four: THE SEARCH FOR UNITY 167 A. The National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches 167 B. The Impact of the War 173 1. The United Chaplaincy Board 173 2. The Federal Council ofthe Evangelical Free Churches 188 3. Conversations with the Church of England 200 C. The Lambeth Appeal 209 D. Shakespeare and Reunion 238 Chapter Five: FINAL YEARS AT THE BAPTIST UNION 243 A. The Ministry 243 1. The Ministry of Women 243 2. Ministerial Support 252 3. Lay Ministry 256 4. Accreditation 260 5. Evangelism 267 B. Resignation 272 Chapter Six: SHAKESPEARE'S LEGACY 292 A. Shakespeare and the "Dissolution of Dissent" 292 2 B. Changes in Baptist Church Polity 305 1. Denominational; Leadership, 305 2 •' The Union 307 3. Baptist Ministry 311 4. .super.intendency 314 5. .Baptists and. Ecumenism 316 c. Conclusion 323 Appendix ·One: John; Howard. Shakespeare: some key dates Appendix Two: Baptist Union Presidents l898-l924 BIBLIOGRAPHY 332 1. Primary Sources 332 2. Secondary .Sources 336 Illustration Rev John Howa.rcl Shllk.espeare ·i11l 891 7 3 Declaration and Statement of Copyright None of the material in this thesis has ,previously been submitted for a degree in this ot any otherUnivetsity. 'if'he c0pyright ofthis thesis tests With the author. No quotation from it shoul<l be published without 'his prior written consent and information derived from it should' be acknowledged. 4 Abbreviations B: Baptist. BHS: B~ptist Historical Soci~ty. BQ: Baptist Quarterly. BT: Baptist Times andPreemcin (ptiot to 1898 Freeman). BlJ: ,Baptist Union~ BUGB: BaptistUnionofGreat, Britain. BU6BkBaptist UnionofGreatHcitain and Ireland. BW: British Weekly. BWA: Baptist Wmld ~lliance. BWL: Baptist Wt:>mert's League. CW: Cl:mistian World FCEFC: Federal Council1 .of,the Evangelical! Free Churches. HB: Baptist Handbook. LPL: Lambeth Palace Libt'ary. NCEFC: National Council ~of the Evangelical Free Churches. SPCK: Society for PF0tnoting Ohristiart.Knowledge. 5 Acknowledgements During the course of my research I have been helped financially by the Dr. Williams's Trust, the Baptist Union of Great Britain Scholarship Fund and the Particular Baptist Fund. I have also received practical assistance in the form of accommodation from Regent's Park College, Oxford, and several friends and relations, including Priscilla, Myrtle, Reg and Brenda. I have been indebted to the generous co-operation and assistance of several libraries, including the Dr. Williams's Library, the House of Lord's Record Office, the City ofNorwich Archives, the Lambeth Palace Library, the British Library newspaper collection and the libraries of Spurgeon's College, St. John's College, Cambridge, and St. John's College, Durham. I am particularly grateful to Mrs Susan Mills of the Angus Library, Regent's Park College, who has enabled me to make the most of the very limited time available to me on my trips to Oxford. A number of other individuals have given their time to help me, including the late Sir William and Lady Shakespeare, Mr. Ken Hipper, archivist at St. Mary's Baptist Church, Norwich, and my supervisor at Durham University, Dr. Sheridan Gilley. I have undertaken this research on a part-time basis, while continuing to be minister of Middlesbrough Baptist Church. The church has been wonderfully generous and supportive throughout the past five years, allowing me time to study and write, and I am very grateful to the deacons and members for this. Any fruit that may come from the outcome is in large part due to them. I have also, during these years, been a husband, and father to five growing children. I am afraid I have been a bore at times. My family's tolerance and interest have been wonderful. They have generously backed me from start to finish. The project has been demanding of money, energy and time, and I am conscious that they have given at least as much as I have. Without the love of Rita and the children I could not possibly have seen it through to a conclusion. Peter Shepherd 6 Rev. John Howard Shakespeare, aged 34 (from the Baptist Magazine, September 1891) Introduction JOHN HOW ARD SHAKESPEARE AND THE ENGLISH BAPTISTS, 1898-1924. INTRODUCTION. The main purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the work of John Howard Shakespeare, the leading figure in English Baptist church life during the first quarter of the twentieth century, and to explore his place in the history of the Baptists. He made a vitally important contribution to the development of his own denomination, and also played a significant role as a leader of Nonconformity as a whole, particularly with regard to its relations with the Church of England. His importance to Baptists is the primary concern of what follows, but I have also given attention to his wider significance in English church life. Shakespeare was appointed Secretary ofthe Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1898, and remained in that position until poor health enforced his retirement in 1924. His personality was a dominant feature of Baptist life from the beginning of the century. In the immediate post-war years he was also, as architect and first Moderator of the Federal Council ofthe Evangelical Free Churches, a leading figure within English Nonconformity. His influence continues to be felt to this day through the institutions with which he is associated, especially the Baptist Union and the Federal Council. He was described by a contemporary as "the maker 8 Introduction 1 of the Baptist denomination" , and by another commentator as "the architect of the 2 Baptist Union as we know it" .
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