Resolution of the First Northwestern Association Declaring Non-Fellowship for the Modern Mission System, 1848
A letter dated November 20, 1842, from Moses W. Darnall, to Elder Daniel Jewett, published in the Christian Doctrinal Advocate and Spiritual Monitor, reveals additional information about the early progress of the First Northwestern Association, viz: " I will proceed to give you some account of our Associational meeting, which was held at Elder Darius Bainbridge's on the first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of September last. There were four preachers present, viz., Elders Darius Bainbridge, Alexander Conlee, John P. Parsons, and Brother Moses Jones, a licentiate. The greatest harmony prevailed, our ministering Brethren appeared to be alive to a sense of their calling and all the brethren and sisters seemed to enjoy the presence of their Lord. And I assure you, that your unworthy brother's spirit was greatly refreshed during the interview. Our Association is composed of four small churches, and is called the First Northwestern Regular Baptist Association. We disclaim all connexion with or fellowship for the various missionary institutions."
This pleasant state of things began to change shortly afterward. Elder John P. Parsons apparently came to the Galena area and labored acceptably for a few years; but as early as November 1843 he accepted an appointment from the "Home Mission Society" to serve as a missionary (first, at Freeport, Ill., then at Wiota, York Prairie, Shullsburg, Apple River, Chelsea and Bloomfield, Wis.).
On November 4, 1844, Bro. Moses W. Darnall wrote to Elder Richard Newport, editor of the Western Predestinarian Baptist, as follows: Our little churches are all in peace and fellowship, but most of them appear to be in rather a languishing condition; however, the church at Lower Apple River was blest with a small ingathering the past year. Our association, which was held on the 14th, 15th, and 16th, of September last, was a meeting of great delight to the brethren and sisters who were present. The Lord by his spirit seemed to be with us cheering our hearts and strengthening the ministering brethren. The ministers present were Elders Peter Saltzman, James Craig, Alexander Conlee, Moses Jones, William Forman, James Miles, and a colored brother whose name is Henry Smith, besides brother Asel Ferguson, and your brother in Christ, the writer of these lines, licentiates."
On March 3, 1845, Elder Peter Saltzman wrote to Elder Richard Newport, editor of the Western Predestinarian Baptist, explaining some further events which had occurred within the bounds of the association as follows: "I have been two trips to the North, in the summer of 1843 and 44, to Wisconsin and the North of Illinois. The first trip, I spent about five months, the second about two. During my stay in Wisconsin the first trip, I received intelligence concerning a little band of Old School Baptists, situated at Buffalo Grove, and that they had been imposed on by the Missionary Baptists, and constituted into a church by a gentleman of that order, professing to be a Baptist of the old order." It is probable that this is a reference to John P. Parsons, who took an appointment from the Home Missionary Society at Freeport in 1843.
The First Northwestern Association minutes, dated August 5, 1848, item 9th, state: "On motion, agreed that we take up and consider an act of the Association in A. D. 1846, relative to the case of J. P. Parsons." Again, on Monday, August 7, 1848, item 5th, the minutes state: "On motion, agreed to take up the case relative to the official acts of John P. Parsons, in the Constitution of our Association." Item 6th. reads: "On motion, we declare an unfellowship to John P. Parsons, as minister of the Gospel of Christ, and his acts in the Constitution of this Association."
The Association also passed the following Resolution: "Resolved, that we believe the modern mission system to be unauthorized by the word of God, and its products are evil against the church of God, and as such we declare a non-fellowship with it in all its various institutions."
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