A Lively Experiment

A Multireligious Historical Overview of Rhode Island



Photo © 2003 The Pluralism Project



Caption









In 1638, Williams started the First Baptist Church in America when he re-baptized his religious followers, citing his conviction that the only true baptism was "believers' baptism." Williams, who was once an Anglican priest and then a Puritan, Separatist, and Baptist minister, eventually left the church altogether, believing that no institutionalized church could be free of corruption.



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INDEX : 1-12 • 13-25 • All


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The exterior of the current meetinghouse of the First Baptist Church in America, which was gathered by Roger Williams in 1638. This meetinghouse was erected in 1774 during the pastorate of the church's first called minister, The Reverend James Manning, also the first president of Brown University, "For the publick Worship of Almighty GOD, and also for holding Commencement in." Brown's college commencement still begins in this meetinghouse.