Baptists in British Columbia: a Struggle

BAPTISTS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: A STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN "SECTARIANISM" by JOHN BYRON RICHARDS BiA., University of British Columbia, 1952 B.D., Northwest Baptist Theological College, 1961 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of History We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA April, 1964 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. 1 further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted fay the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of History The University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, Canada. April 8, 1964. ABSTRACT It is generally agreed that Baptists represent one of the largest bodies of "sectarian" opinion. The term "sectarianism" is used in a sociological rather than a polemical or derogatory sense. It serves to indicate the basic attitude of a socially exclusive or "sect-type" religious organization as differentiated from a "church-type", or socially inclusive and accommodative, religious body. Until recently it has been an accepted procedure to explain religious diversity in purely theological terms. Since the turn of the century an effort has been made to examine the social and economic factors in religious development. The "frontier thesis" has been evoked to ex• plain sectarianism, and sociologists have tended to place all their con• clusions within the framework of environmental determinism. Such an approach appears to involve a denial of the intrinsic validity and spiritual relevance of theological ideas. It is the contention of this thesis that religious diversity among Baptists in British Columbia is to be explained both in terms of environmental influences and in terms of ideas which were "imported" from the Old World and the United States. In the Christian tradition such ideas came mediately from Western Europe, which in turn had "imported" them from Palestine. Immediately, these ideas came from the Scriptures, which were regarded by sectarians as authoritative. While the author holds to the intrinsic validity of Biblical theological concepts, no attempt is made here to substantiate this view, this task being left to the Christian apologist. Within the scope of iii. this thesis it shall suffice to demonstrate that Baptists in British Columbia were strongly influenced by the "imported1' ideas of Biblical theology and by the "imported" concepts of religious liberalism. The frontier environment was not the originator of these ideas, but gave an opportunity for the free interplay of these ideas. The net result of this interplay in British Columbia has been Baptist groups which bear a resemblance to Old World counterparts, and which, at the same time, bear the stamp of American influence and Canadian national character• istics. British Columbia Baptists are what they are because of economic, social, theological and spiritual factors. None of these factors can be completely segregated and viewed in splendid isolation. Baptist sectarianism is related not only to society but also to the ideas of the New Testament. In the British Columbia context, "the struggle to maintain sectarianism" was a struggle to maintain the sectarian interpretation of New Testament principles, in spite of the challenge of other theological ideas, in the milieu of the social and economic influences of frontier and modern society. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Source material for the greater part of this thesis has not been of easy access. Secondary sources have proved to contain many errors in fact as well as inaccuracies of printing. Primary sources are avail• able in profusion, and a significant contribution to Canadian church history has been made by/'Convention" Baptists, who have collected material at the Baptist Union Office in Edmonton, in addition to the sources available in the Canadian Baptist Historical Collection at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton. The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches has inaugurated a Historical Library in Toronto. For British Columbia researchers, these collections have the disadvantage of being outside the province. In British Columbia, the more "sectar• ian" Baptist groups have made no concerted attempt, until recently, to collect and preserve the most pertinent and valuable documents relating to Baptist history in British Columbia. The Historical Collection of the Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia is still in the embryo stage. In contrast to the disorder of documents, however, the author wishes to acknowledge the genuine interest and cooperation of many persons who have loaned materials and offered helpful information in order to research upon this project. Special acknowledgment should be given to those Baptist organiza• tions with whose history this thesis is directly involved. The Con• vention of Baptist Churches of British Columbia made valuable records available to the author, and he received complete cooperation from the X Baptist Union Office during his visits to Edmonton. The entire records and files of the Regular Baptists were made accessible. Southern Baptist leaders displayed a cordial willingness to help in the project. The writer would like to thank Dr. Margaret A. Ormsby and Dr. Margaret E. Prang, of the Department of History, University of British Columbia, for their advice and helpful criticisms during his research. Finally, he is deeply indebted to his wife, Mrs. Barbara M. Richards, for her diligence in typing the manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE 1 CHAPTER I. "SECTARIANISM" AMONG BAPTISTS 4 Analysis of Statistics Relating to Religious Division. 4 Definition of Terms Used to Describe Religious Division. 7 Explanations Which Have Been Given for Religious Division 12 The Factors of Leadership, Persecution, and Theology as They Relate to "Sectarianism" 19 "Sectarianism" in Early Christianity 24 "Sectarian" Ideas and Divisive Tensions among Baptists . 26 Summary of Events in Baptist History Which Illustrate these Tensions 32 II. THE "HIDDEN BAPTISTS" OF VANCOUVER ISLAND 38 Beginnings of the Religious Denominations in British Columbia, with Special Emphasis upon the Role of the Negro 38 The Earliest Baptists—Negro and White 47 The Organization of First Baptist Church as a Negro-White Congregation 50 Tension and Controversy in First Baptist Church 54 The Collapse of the First Baptist Congregation and Reorganization to Form Calvary Baptist Church 57 vi CHAPTER PAGE Analysis of Underlying Causes for Division among Early Baptists in British Columbia 60 III. THE YOUNG CONVENTION 65 The Founding of Early Congregations 65 Organizational Developments in the Pacific Northwest Which Led to the Establishment of an Independent Convention in British Columbia 70 The New Convention, Its Constitution and Its Boards. ... 80 The Early Struggles of the Mission Board 85 The Formation of the Baptist Union of Western Canada ... 91 Ventures in the Field of Education - Brandon College and Okanagan College 93 Rumblings of Controversy during the Pre-War Era 96 Financial Crisis and the World War Years 100 IV. THE TROUBLED TWENTIES 105 Post-War Optimism Followed by Disillusionment and Theological Dispute 105 The "Modernist-Fundamentalist" Controversy, Its General History and Its Rise within the Churches of the Baptist Union of Western Canada 107 Conflict between the British Columbia Convention and the Baptist Union, Centering in a Dissatisfaction over Brandon College 115 vii CHAPTER PAGE Concessions Granted by the Union, Including the Appointment of Brandon College Commission 123 The Disruptive Influence of "Interdenominationalism" within the "Conservative Forces" 129 The Report of Brandon College Commission 134 Repercussions of the Price Healing Campaign 137 The Committee of Ten and Its Indecisive Report 140 The Formation of the B. C. Baptist Missionary Council in 1925 145 The Final Division of the British Columbia Baptist Convention in 1927 149 V. SEPARATE LINES OF DEVELOPMENT 154 The Immediate Reaction to the Division of 1927 154 Relationships between Regular and Convention Baptists since the Division 156 Controversy within the Regular Convention before the Second World War 162 Problems of Convention Baptists during the Depression and Pre-War Period 174 The Influence of the Second World War 178 The Formation of the Baptist Federation of Canada 181 Efforts of Regular Baptists to Move toward a Wider Fellowship 183 viii CHAPTER PAGE The Southern Baptist Issue 187 The Solidifying of Regular Baptist Denominational Sentiment and Organization 192 Contrasts among Baptists 195 Prospects of Continuing Struggle 198 APPENDICES 203 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 209 PREFACE Baptist work in British Columbia suffers from no lack of diversity. Quite apart from a number of independent churches and smaller Baptist groups, the majority of the Baptists in the province are divided into five bodies. The largest of these is known as the Convention of Baptist Churches of British Columbia. Second in size is the Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia. In addition to these two main organizations there are churches in British Columbia which are affiliated with the Washington-Oregon Southern Baptist Convention. Two other major

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