Free Will Baptists or Free Baptists are a group of General Baptist denominations of Christianity that teach free grace , free salvation and free will . The movement can be traced to the 1600s with the development of General Baptism in England . Its formal establishment is widely linked to the English theologian , Thomas Helwys who led the Baptist movement to believe in general atonement . He was an advocate of religious liberty at a time when to hold to such views could be dangerous and punishable by death. He died in prison as a consequence of the religious persecution of Protestant dissenters under King James I .
58-728: The Smithville Seminary was a Freewill Baptist institution established in 1839 at the location of the modern Institute Lane in Smithville-North Scituate, Rhode Island . Renamed the Lapham Institute in 1863, it closed in 1876. The site was then used as the campus of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute , later the Watchman Institute , and then became the Scituate Commons apartments. It was placed on
116-572: A Quarterly Meeting . In 1792 a Yearly Meeting was organized. The "Randall" line itself split into two groups in 1835: The Bullockites, mostly under the name "Freewill Baptists", continued in Maine into the early 20th century, while the Buzzellites disappeared shortly after their founding. In 1841, Randall's Free Will Baptists merged with a similar group, the Free Communion Baptists, to form
174-522: A Civics "1776 Curriculum." In 2022, Hillsdale had schools following its K–12 liberal arts curriculum across 19 states and Barney Charter Schools in 9 states. After several decades of maintaining a semester program in Washington D.C. , Hillsdale established a permanent presence with the establishment of the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship on Massachusetts Avenue. The facility
232-435: A letter from the state Department of Education early in his presidency that said his college "violated the standards for diversity." He added, "because we didn't have enough dark ones, I guess, is what they meant." After being criticized for calling minorities "dark ones," Arnn explained that he was referring to "dark faces". He stated: "The State of Michigan sent a group of people down to my campus, with clipboards ... to look at
290-460: A library and reading room on the second floor, and a large room on the third floor which might serve as a chapel , while the other two buildings served as separate male and female dormitories . The two-mile-long Lake Moswansicut could be seen from the third-floor chapel. The buildings were designed by Russell Warren , the leading Greek Revival architect in New England in the 20th century, After
348-653: A library, a music hall, an arts center, a conference center, a hotel, and a preschool. Hillsdale College also operates Hillsdale Academy , a private K–12 liberal arts school. The college opened the classical -style Christ Chapel in 2019, in a dedication ceremony led by Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas . The campus features the Liberty Walk, a walkway lined with bronze depictions of famous politicians including George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , James Madison , Abraham Lincoln , Frederick Douglass , Winston Churchill , Margaret Thatcher , and Ronald Reagan . In
406-677: A monthly speech digest. Russell Kirk taught at Hillsdale for one semester per year beginning in 1973. Roche resigned his position at Hillsdale in late 1999 following a scandal surrounding the death by suicide of his son's wife, Lissa Jackson Roche, in the Slayton Arboretum on October 17, 1999. Hours prior to her suicide, Roche stated that she and her father-in-law had engaged in an on-and-off 19-year sexual affair. Married to Roche's son, Hillsdale Professor of History George Roche IV, Jackson Roche had been employed as managing editor of Hillsdale College Press for 14 years. President Roche denied
464-630: A new field house for its developing athletic programs, and, in 1924, chartered its chapter of Chi Omega . During the Great Depression , Willfred Otto Mauck, Joseph Mauck's son and also an alumnus, was selected as the eighth president, serving from 1933 to 1942. Throughout this era, the college struggled financially, was forced to cancel its new construction projects, and cut the pay of its faculty and staff by nearly 20%. Succeeding Mauck, Harvey L. Turner became Hillsdale's ninth president, serving from 1942 to 1952. Despite its financial difficulties,
522-560: A prominent General Baptist theologian and writer, and had signed the 1663 edition of the General Baptists' Standard Confession of Faith. The earliest Free Will Baptists in America developed from English General Baptists in Carolina, who were dubbed "Freewillers" by their enemies and later assumed the name. Two distinct branches of Free Will Baptists developed in America. The first and earliest
580-793: A request for help to the General Baptist Association in England. Though no help was forthcoming, Paul Palmer , whose wife Johanna was the stepdaughter of Benjamin Laker, would labor among these people 25 years later, founding the first "Free Will" Baptist church in Chowan, North Carolina in 1727. Palmer organized at least three churches in North Carolina. His labors, though important, were short. Leadership would descend to Joseph Parker, William Parker, Josiah Hart, William Sojourner and others. Joseph Parker
638-691: Is a member of the advisory board of Project 2025 , a collection of conservative and right-wing policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation to reshape the United States federal government and consolidate executive power should the Republican nominee win the 2024 presidential election . In 2024, Hillsdale College accepted 20.6% of undergraduate applicants, and was considered to have "Elite Admission Standards" with those admitted having an average 3.93 GPA and, for standardized test scores, having
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#1732859568505696-524: Is not of someone sinning occasionally and thus accidentally ending up "not saved," but instead of someone "repudiating" his or her faith in Christ. Thus " once saved, always saved " is rejected by the denomination. On Perseverance of the Saints from the official Treatise: "There are strong grounds to hope that the truly regenerate will persevere unto the end, and be saved, through the power of divine grace which
754-496: Is pledged for their support; but their future obedience and final salvation are neither determined nor certain, since through infirmity and manifold temptations they are in danger of falling; and they ought, therefore, to watch and pray lest they make shipwreck of their faith and be lost." Free Will Baptists observe at least three ordinances: baptism , the Lord's Supper , and the Washing of
812-610: Is the condition for salvation; hence, Free Will Baptists hold to conditional security . An individual is " saved by faith and kept by faith." In support of this concept, some Free Will Baptists refer to the Greek word translated "believeth" found in John 3:16 in the King James translation. This is a continuous action verb and can thus be read, "that whosoever believes and continues to believe shall not perish, but have everlasting life." The concept
870-599: Is the largest of the Free Will Baptist groups. Other major Free Will Baptist groups include: Hillsdale College Hillsdale College is a private , conservative , Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan . It was founded in 1844 by members of the Free Will Baptists . Women were admitted to the college in 1844, making the college the second-oldest coeducational educational institution in
928-559: The Church of England , followed Brownist notions of self-governance of local churches . The notion of free will was a systematic rejection of the Puritan movement , due to its overall religious beliefs and lack of social mobility. Free Will Baptists can be traced to General Baptists from England who settled in the American colonies in the late 17th century. The first Baptists, who originated with
986-521: The Free Will Baptist Church founded their denomination's first collegiate institution in 1844. They established Michigan Central College in Spring Arbor, Michigan , The state of Michigan incorporated the college in the following year, during which the college enrolled 25 undergraduates. The college was officially non-sectarian. Its first president was Daniel McBride Graham , who held
1044-882: The Greenville Public Library . Freewill Baptist In 1702, Paul Palmer would go on to establish the movement in North Carolina and in 1727 formed the Free Will Baptist Church of Chowan . Many Calvinists became Free Will Baptists in the 19th century. With the establishment of Free Will Baptists in the South, Benjamin Randall developed the movement in the Northeastern United States , specifically Maine , Massachusetts , and New Hampshire . From their beginning, Free Will Baptists, in common with many groups of English Dissenters and Separatists from
1102-464: The National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The buildings on the knoll were built in 1839 and comprised a large three-story central building with columns and two wings. The wings, with 33 rooms each, were separated by 20 feet from the main building and connected to it via two-story covered passageways. The central building housed classrooms, offices, staff apartments, and dining facilities,
1160-755: The 1960s. In 1962, the college's trustees adopted its own "Declaration of Independence". It affirmed Hillsdale's stance against what it called governmental control. A marker designating the college as a Michigan Historic Site was erected by the Michigan Historical Commission in 1968. George Roche III became the 11th president of Hillsdale College in 1971. During the Roche years, Hillsdale became nationally known, in part because of its withdrawal from federal and state-assisted loan programs and grants. Colleges that receive federal funding are required by law to report data on racial integration as part of
1218-680: The 19th century. While the movement in the South was struggling, a new movement rose in the North through the work of Benjamin Randall (1749–1808). Randall initially united with the Particular Baptists in 1776, but broke with them in 1779 due to their strict views on predestination . In 1780, Randall formed a "Free" or "Freewill" (Randall would combine the words "free" and "will" into a single word) Baptist church in New Durham, New Hampshire . By 1782 twelve churches had been founded, and they organized
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#17328595685051276-660: The Christian tradition have been essential to the mission of the College". It has always been open to black and female students. In 1861, many Hillsdale students joined the ranks of the Union Army during the American Civil War ; a higher percentage of Hillsdale students enlisted than from any other Michigan college. In 1869, James Calder succeeded Fairfield as president. Calder served through 1871. During his administration,
1334-778: The Free Baptists. The "Randall" line of Freewill Baptists grew quickly. However, in 1911, the majority of the Randall Line churches (and all the denominational property) merged with the Northern Baptist Convention . Those churches that did not merge and remained Freewill Baptist joined with other Free Will Baptists in the Southwest and Midwest to organize the Cooperative General Association of Free Will Baptists in 1916. Fraternal relations had existed between
1392-561: The General Baptist persuasion. By the end of the 18th century, these churches were commonly referred to as "Free Will Baptist", and this would later be referred to as the "Palmer line of Free Will Baptists". The churches in the Palmer line organized various associations and conferences, and finally organized a General Conference in 1921. Many Baptists from Calvinistic Baptist backgrounds, primarily Separate Baptists , became Free Will Baptists in
1450-854: The Northern and Southern Free Will Baptists, but the question of slavery , and later the Civil War , prevented any formal union until the 20th century. On November 5, 1935, representatives of the General Conference (Palmer) and the Cooperative General Association (a mixture of Randall and Palmer elements west of the Mississippi) met in Nashville, Tennessee , to unite and organize the National Association of Free Will Baptists . The majority of Free Will Baptist churches organized under this umbrella, which remains
1508-663: The Republican Party led to the invitation of several notable speakers on the campus, including Frederick Douglass (who visited the school on two occasions) and Edward Everett , the orator who preceded Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg . On August 8, 1860, Hillsdale conferred its first degrees. On March 20, 1863, the Michigan legislature formally legalized Hillsdale's change of name and location. Hillsdale no longer has any denominational affiliation but, according to its website, "the moral tenets of Christianity as commonly understood in
1566-690: The Reviewing Authority rejected Hillsdale's arguments and the ALJ's decision, ruling that HEW could require Hillsdale to sign the Assurance of Compliance as a condition of its students receiving federal financial assistance. The college appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ; in 1982, the Sixth Circuit ruled that government aid to individual students could be terminated without
1624-810: The Rhode Island Association of Free Baptists. At the time, the Free Baptists already had two academies, one in New Hampshire (the New Hampton Institute ), the other in Maine ( Parsonsfield Seminary ), and the Rhode Island Baptists desired to have one of their own. Reverend Hiram Brooks was asked to start the school, and raised $ 20,000, all of which he put toward buildings. The entire commitment of these monies to brick and mortar rather than an endowment fund may have caused financial difficulties for
1682-519: The Saints' Feet , a rite occurring among some other evangelical groups but not practiced by the majority of Baptist denominations. Free Will Baptist congregations hold differing views on eschatology , with some holding premillennial and others amillennial views. Churches advocate (voluntary) tithing , totally abstaining from alcoholic beverages , and not working on Sunday, the Christian Sabbath . The National Association of Free Will Baptists
1740-633: The US affirmative action student loan program. Hillsdale announced that it refused to do so, and the college's trustees instead stated that the institution would follow its own non-discrimination policy and "with the help of God, resist, by all legal means, any encroachments on its independence." During Roche's presidency, the college dramatically increased its endowment, established the Center for Constructive Alternatives, and hosted prominent national speakers, including Ronald Reagan . It also began publishing Imprimis ,
1798-750: The United States. Hillsdale's required core curriculum includes courses on the Great Books , the U.S. Constitution , biology, chemistry, and physics. Since the late 20th century, in order to opt out of the US government's Title IX requirements, Hillsdale has declined government financial support. Instead, Hillsdale depends entirely on private donations to supplement students' tuition. Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other Members of
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1856-719: The Van Andel Graduate School of Government on its DC campus offering an M.A. in Government. In 2022, Hillsdale founded its Graduate School of Classical Education offering an M.A. in Classical Education. In 2013, Arnn was criticized for remarks about ethnic minorities he made while testifying before the Michigan legislature against the Common Core curriculum standards. Expressing concern about government interference with educational institutions, he noted having received
1914-461: The alleged affair, but was suspended by the College on November 1 and resigned his post on November 10. Due to Jackson Roche's suicide and the ensuing scandal, the college's reputation suffered. Larry P. Arnn has served as president of the college since 2000. Hillsdale's K–12 Initiative developed a full liberal arts K–12 curriculum for use in the charter schools and its private school in Michigan, Hillsdale Academy. In 2021, Hillsdale K–12 released
1972-407: The close of the renamed Lapham Institute, the campus became the site of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute from 1902 to 1919 and, eventually, the Watchman Institute in 1923. The site became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The buildings were also renovated in the 1970s and converted into apartments known as Scituate Commons. Smithville Seminary was founded in 1839 by
2030-583: The college built a new library, had an undefeated and untied football team in 1938, and celebrated its centennial in 1944, when more than 1,000 alumni returned to campus for the commencement ceremony. J. Donald Phillips next assumed the presidency, holding the position from 1952 to 1971. During his administration, Hillsdale constructed the Simpson and McIntyre Student Residences in 1966. In these years, Hillsdale began to resist federal civil rights regulations, particularly concerning affirmative action , enacted in
2088-672: The college community and an early and outspoken advocate for women's suffrage , Mauck served for two decades. One of the women's dormitories is named after Mauck.In 1907, the college amended its Articles of Association, no longer requiring the president and trustees to be Free Will Baptists . This led to a decline in the theological department's prestige but an increase in the number of Christian denominations represented on campus. William Gear Spencer succeeded Mauck as president, serving from 1922 to 1932, when he departed to lead Franklin College . Under Spencer, Hillsdale acquired its 14-acre Slayton Arboretum, built new dormitories, constructed
2146-529: The college grew in size and in 1891, the Chicago Herald wrote, "Hillsdale has a college second in standing to no denominational college in the country." In 1900, Hillsdale ceased grazing livestock and removed the agrarian fence circling the campus. It began an era of institutional growth and professionalization. In 1902, Joseph William Mauck became the college's sixth president, the first Hillsdale graduate to return as president of his alma mater. Beloved by
2204-507: The college of performing "phony investigations" and then blaming them "for being raped". The lawsuit points to Hillsdale's policy of not accepting government funding "to avoid its obligations under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ", and accuses the school of putting its students at an "unusually high risk of sexual assault because Hillsdale fails to have or enforce policies that prevent sexual assault". Hillsdale College
2262-714: The colors of people's faces and write down what they saw. We don't keep records of that information. What were they looking for besides dark ones?" Michigan House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel condemned Arnn's comments, calling them "offensive", "inflammatory and bigoted", and asked for an apology. In response, the college issued a statement apologizing for Arnn's remark, while reiterating his concern about "state-endorsed racism", as Arnn called affirmative action. In 2019, S. Prestley Blake donated his former home, an exact replica of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello , in Somers, Connecticut to Hillsdale College. In May 2021, Hillsdale dedicated
2320-421: The commercial school opened, a theological department was established, and the college enrolled around 750 students. He resigned to become president of Pennsylvania State University . Hillsdale's first president, Daniel McBride Graham, returned for a brief second term in 1871, notably rebuilding the campus after the catastrophic "Great Fire" of March 6, 1874. DeWitt Clinton Durgin, a Union College alumnus,
2378-406: The early 1980s, a controversy over the school's admissions practices threatened federal student loans to 200 Hillsdale students. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other education program that receives federal money. The federal government required colleges where students received federal funding to document their compliance with Title IX, but Hillsdale refused, arguing that
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2436-466: The government could not deny federal funds to its students because the college received no direct federal funding and there was no allegation of actual sex discrimination. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) sought to terminate federal financial assistance to Hillsdale's students; an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) denied HEW's request in 1978, and both HEW and Hillsdale appealed to HEW's Civil Rights Reviewing Authority. In October 1979,
2494-402: The institution, as it was unable to support itself through tuition revenue. The first principal was Rev. Hosea Quimby , who had come from the Maine academy to serve at Smithville. Quimby worked for the school, even buying the property when financial trouble struck, until in closed temporarily in 1854 with only 20 students (in 1845, it had an enrollment of over 300 representing 7 U.S. states). It
2552-453: The largest of the Free Will Baptist groups to this day. Free Will Baptist congregations believe the Bible is the very word of God and without error in all that it affirms. Free Will Baptist doctrine teaches that God desires salvation for all and sent Jesus to die for everyone. Still, Free Will Baptists believe God has given man the freedom of choice to accept or reject Christ's sacrifice. Faith
2610-569: The middle 50% scoring 1360-1520 on the SAT , or having the middle 50% scoring 30-34 on the ACT . In 2024, Hillsdale was ranked 39th out of 211 ranked "National Liberal Arts Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report . The Princeton Review ' s The Best 384 Colleges 2023 ranked Hillsdale as first for "most engaged in community service," seventh for "students love these colleges," eighth for "professors get high marks," and thirteenth for "students study
2668-475: The ministry of Thomas Helwys near London in 1611, were General Baptists. That is, they believed that the atonement of Jesus Christ was "general" (for all) rather than "particular" (only for the elect). It shares a common history, name, and an acceptance of the Arminian doctrine . Benjamin Laker was an English Baptist who arrived in colonial Carolina as early as 1685. Laker had been associated with Thomas Grantham ,
2726-847: The most." The most popular undergraduate majors, based on 2021 graduates, were: As of 2022, the college offers three graduate programs: the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, offering both an M.A. and a Ph.D. program in Politics; the Steve and Amy Van Andel Graduate School of Government, based in Washington, D.C., and offering an M.A. in Government; and the Graduate School of Classical Education, offering an M.A. in classical education. Hillsdale's 200-acre (81 ha) campus contains multiple instructional and office buildings, 13 residence halls, seven fraternity and sorority houses , an athletic complex,
2784-562: The new Lapham Institute was named. In addition to its connections to what would later become Rhode Island College , the school had connections to Bates College in Maine , another Free Baptist institution. Its first principal, Benjamin F. Hayes , was called to a professorship at Bates, and his successor, Thomas L. Angell , was also called to a professorship there after two years as principal in North Scituate. George H. Ricker then took over as principal for seven years before being called to Hillsdale College in Michigan in 1874. His successor
2842-439: The office from 1844 to 1848. Edmund Burke Fairfield assumed the school's presidency in 1848, and in 1850 the college was chartered to confer degrees. Black students were admitted immediately after the college's founding, and the college became the second school in the nation to grant four-year liberal arts degrees to women . Outgrowing its space, in 1853 the school moved to Hillsdale, Michigan, in part to have access to
2900-460: The property as the Blake Center for Faith and Freedom. In November 2021, Hillsdale purchased land in Placer County , California for nearly $ 6M with plans for a new educational center. The college is at the center of a political dispute about the K12 education, since it regards "history as politics by other means". In October 2023, two female students sued the college after reporting instances of sexual assault from male students. They accused
2958-513: The railroad that served the city. It received financial support from residents who wanted to develop the 20-year-old town. Construction was completed and the school reopened as Hillsdale College in 1855. Fairfield led Hillsdale from 1848 to 1869. In 1854, he attended the first convention of the new Republican Party with Ransom Dunn in neighboring Jackson, Michigan . Fairfield was elected lieutenant governor of Michigan. Hillsdale's early anti-slavery reputation and pivotal role in founding
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#17328595685053016-443: The state's Education Commissioner re-established the Rhode Island Normal School and cut program funding for other institutions. In 1863 the school changed hands and changed its name after a minister and former professor at the school, returned in 1861 to find much of the campus dilapidated and in disrepair. With the Free Baptist Association unwilling or unable to help, William Winsor recruited Congressman Benedict Lapham , after whom
3074-405: Was Arthur G. Moulton, a trustee of Bates, who died just over a year after taking the position. He was followed as principal by W.S. Stockbridge, under whom the school finally closed in 1876. William Winsor was the last benefactor of the institute, and when no one replaced him, the school went bankrupt without an endowment to support it. In 1883 Winsor donated the library of the Lapham Institute to
3132-492: Was dedicated on Constitution Day 2010. Ginni Thomas , wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas , ran the Washington center's speaker series at this time. In 2015, the Boyle Radio Studio at the Kirby Center was dedicated. In 2012, Hillsdale founded the Van Andel Graduate School for Statesmanship on its Michigan campus offering both an M.A. and PhD in Politics. Its first M.A. students graduated in 2014, and its first PhD students graduated in 2018. In 2020, Hillsdale founded
3190-432: Was part of the organization of the Chowan church and ministered among the Carolina churches for over 60 years. From one church in 1727, they grew to over 20 churches by 1755. After 1755, missionary labors conducted by the Philadelphia Baptist Association converted most of these churches to the Particular Baptist positions of unconditional election and limited atonement. By 1770, only four churches and four ministers remained of
3248-443: Was president from 1874 to 1884. In 1878, the Hillsdale Herald was published, becoming the second oldest college newspaper in Michigan, behind Kalamazoo College 's The Index . This paper later merged with another college paper to become The Collegian . In 1884, Spencer O. Fisher became the first Hillsdale alumnus elected to Congress. George F. Mosher served as president of Hillsdale from 1886 to 1901. During this time,
3306-483: Was revived the next year when Quimby rented the property to a Samuel P. Coburn, who became principal, and enrollment again reached over 100 that year. The property was sold to Reverend W. Colgrove in 1857, who operated it for another two years before it closed again, this time for three years. The site of Henry Barnard ’s first Rhode Island Teachers Institute in 1845, the school began giving normal instruction for teachers with public funding in 1867, but ceased in 1871 when
3364-400: Was the General Baptist movement described above, known as the Palmer movement in North Carolina, from which the majority of modern-day Free Will Baptists have their origin. The later movement was the Randall movement, which arose in the late 18th century in New Hampshire. These two groups developed independently of each other. In 1702, a disorganized group of General Baptists in Carolina wrote
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