GERMANNA_COLONIES-L Archives

From: John Blankenbaker <>
Subject: (371)Germanna Colonies, History of
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 07:12:56 -0400

The three hundred and seventy-first note in a series on the Germanna Colonies

In the mid-eighteenth century, the relationship between Virginia and England
was being reexamined. For example, the Anglican church in Virginia depended
upon bishops in England. This dependence created problems because it was
traditional for bishops to confirm members in the church. Without any
bishops in Virginia, one could not be confirmed in the church unless he made
the trip to England. This was totally impractical for most people who sensed
that the church wasn't responsive to their needs nor was the church serious
about it what it said. Bishops ordained pastors also. Without bishops in
Virginia, it was difficult to obtain new ministers.

The Stamp Act (1762), widely opposed in the colonies, reignited questions
about how much control was desired by Parliament. For some time, Virginia
had been moving toward more self government, independent of England. So as
the new churches developed, the Presbyterians and the Baptists, some people
felt that there was a need for Anglican bishops in Virginia to strengthen
that church. But bishops in Virginia would be under the control of the
mother church in England. Politically, having Virginia bishops would be a
move in the direction just opposite what was desired. Therefore, the effort
to establish Anglican bishops in Virginia was doomed though the argument
consumed time and effort.

Meanwhile, in the decade before the Revolution, the Baptist movement was
gaining strength. Its preachers were defying legal restrictions. The
movement spread from the western frontier regions toward the settled
Tidewater and Piedmont regions. The dissent from the established church
reached a peak with the first meeting of the Virginia Separate Baptist
Association at the Blue Run Church in Orange County on May 11 to May 15 in
1771. A writer of the times estimated that four to five thousand people were
in attendance on Sunday.

Defiance of authority was rife at the meeting. Many were in favor of
censuring anyone who had obtained a license to preach as was required by law.

The movement aroused strong hostility in the traditional sections of the
community which used legal actions and disruptive and riotous actions. These
had started by 1765 when the Separate Baptists first were called in to
preach in the Piedmont. As the movement spread into the Tidewater, the
incidents became more frequent.

The Lutheran and Reformed Churches were not the objects of the scorn of the
establishment as these German churches were recognized as legitimate. On the
contrary, the German churches were in the same position as the Anglican
church except that they did not have the power of the state behind them. The
German churches, still dependent upon their European brethren, were sluggish
and responded very slowly. Ministers were extremely difficult to obtain. It
is not difficult to see why the Baptists made a headway even among the Germans.

Some of the readers probably have ancestors who were involved in this
religious upheaval. If you have stories to relate, why not forward them to
the list here.
John Blankenbaker
Beyond Germanna
PO Box 120
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
http://www.wp.com/germanna/
http://www.concentric.net/~sgtgeorg/germhist.shtm

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