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Shubal Stearns
| 4765 Sandy Creek Church Road Liberty NC 27298 |
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Shubal Stearns
The potter’s house in the book of Jeremiah eloquently portrays the working of
God in our life as He shapes us for His purposes. George Whitefield was
perhaps the greatest single instrument used by the Potter used in shaping the
life of Shubal Stearns.
Following a discouraging preaching expedition to North Carolina, Whitefield
prayed that God would send a John the Baptist to preach and baptize in the
wilderness. That was in 1739; six years later in 1745 Whitefield’s preaching
would be the tool God would use to convert the man He was preparing to
answer Whitefield’s prayer. That man was Shubal Stearns
The son of Shubal and Rebecca Larriford Stearns, Shubal Stearns was born in
Boston, Massachusetts, on January 28, 1706. The Stearns family moved to
Tolland, Connecticut, while Stearns was a youth and he later married Sarah
Johnston on March 6, 1727.
Now, almost three hundred years after his birth, the fruit produced through
the faithfulness of our eternal God and the obedience of this man named
Stearns is innumerable and increasing daily. According to Church records
entitled, “History Sandy Creek: 1858-1958,” much of what we know about
Stearns as a person is attributed to Morgan Edwards, who noted that Stearns
was small in stature, personable, and sound in judgment. Edwards also noted:
The penetrating eyes noted by Mr. Lane were a trademark of Stearns. There is
a stained glass (above) in the current sanctuary that is referred to as a
representation of the “eye of Shubal.” At the time of original construction, the
design of the building allowed for natural light to flow through the stained glass,
but additions to the building closed in the space directly behind the glass and
now it no longer “lights up” as it did originally.
Shubal Stearns was pastor at Sandy Creek for 16 years until his death on
November 20, 1771. The Church records summarize the ministry of Stearns
as follows:
honey that God promised to the children of Israel. Scripture refers to it as “the
promised land,” and the journey was not without difficulties, yet Moses was
persistent and obedient to accomplish the task God had assigned him.
There was no “promised land” for Stearns, but the same God that led Moses led
Stearns, and like Moses, Stearns was persistent and obedient. By faith he
forsook the treasures of men for riches far greater and God led him to a land of
promise.
The journey for Stearns was initiated by his conviction of the futility of infant
baptism, a practice of the Congregational Church, which led him to receiving
Christ under the preaching of George Whitefield as previously mentioned.
Stearns was then baptized by Wait Palmer and later ordained. Following a
short stay in Connecticut, Stearns led a group of Baptists to journey south.
The group ventured to Virginia where they ministered for a brief period of
time. Stearns soon received word that there was a great need for preachers in
North Carolina and he felt an urgency to continue south.
Stearns, along with his wife Sarah, Peter and Hannah Stearns, Daniel and
Martha Marshall, Ebeneezer and Anna Stearns, Shubal Stearns, Sr. and his wife
Rebecca, Joseph and Priscilla Breed, Enos and Elizabeth Stinson, and Jonathan
and Rebecca Polk traveled south until they reached the location of Sandy
Creek, in what was then Guilford county. According to the 2000 doctoral
dissertation of Larry S. McDonald, “Frontier Thunder: Principles of
Evangelism and Church Growth from the Life of Shubal Stearns,” historian
William W. Barnes, said that when Stearns arrived at Sandy Creek he heard a
voice within saying, “Here I Stand,” which made it a land of promise . . . holy
ground.
Stearns was convinced it was God speaking, and he and the others with him
stopped and set up camp and God added His blessing to their act of faith. In
the first two years, the membership grew from 16 to 606! Over the next 17
years 42 churches were established and 125 ministers were called by God.
History proves Stearns’ conviction to be true, as God moved mightily at that
time and has produced fruit world-wide from this branch called Sandy Creek.
The potter’s house in the book of Jeremiah eloquently portrays the working of
God in our life as He shapes us for His purposes. George Whitefield was
perhaps the greatest single instrument used by the Potter used in shaping the
life of Shubal Stearns.
Following a discouraging preaching expedition to North Carolina, Whitefield
prayed that God would send a John the Baptist to preach and baptize in the
wilderness. That was in 1739; six years later in 1745 Whitefield’s preaching
would be the tool God would use to convert the man He was preparing to
answer Whitefield’s prayer. That man was Shubal Stearns
The son of Shubal and Rebecca Larriford Stearns, Shubal Stearns was born in
Boston, Massachusetts, on January 28, 1706. The Stearns family moved to
Tolland, Connecticut, while Stearns was a youth and he later married Sarah
Johnston on March 6, 1727.
Now, almost three hundred years after his birth, the fruit produced through
the faithfulness of our eternal God and the obedience of this man named
Stearns is innumerable and increasing daily. According to Church records
entitled, “History Sandy Creek: 1858-1958,” much of what we know about
Stearns as a person is attributed to Morgan Edwards, who noted that Stearns
was small in stature, personable, and sound in judgment. Edwards also noted:
- “Of learning he had but a small share, yet was pretty well acquainted
with books. His voice was musical and strong, which he managed in
such a manner as . . . to make soft impressions on the heart, and fetch
tears from the eyes . . . All the Separate ministers copy after him in tones
of voice and actions of body . . . His character was indisputably good,
both as a man, a Christian, and a preacher. In his eyes was something
very penetrating, which seemed to have a meaning in every glance, of
which I will give one example; and the rather because it was given me by
a man of good sense, I mean Tidence Lane.
“When the fame of Mr. Stearns’ preaching (said Mr. Lane) had reached
the Yadkin, where I lived, I felt a curiosity to go and hear him. Upon my
arrival, I saw a venerable old man sitting under a peach tree with a book
in his hand, and the people gathering about him. He fixed his eyes upon
me immediately, which made me feel in such a manner as I had never felt
before. I turned to quit the place, but could not proceed far. I walked
about, sometimes catching his eyes as I walked. My uneasiness increased
and became intolerable. I went up to him, thinking that a salutation and
shaking hands would relieve me; but it happened otherwise . . . When he
began to preach, my perturbations increased, so that nature could no
longer support them, and I sunk to the ground.”
The penetrating eyes noted by Mr. Lane were a trademark of Stearns. There is
a stained glass (above) in the current sanctuary that is referred to as a
representation of the “eye of Shubal.” At the time of original construction, the
design of the building allowed for natural light to flow through the stained glass,
but additions to the building closed in the space directly behind the glass and
now it no longer “lights up” as it did originally.
Shubal Stearns was pastor at Sandy Creek for 16 years until his death on
November 20, 1771. The Church records summarize the ministry of Stearns
as follows:
These years had been devoted to preaching, sending forth his fellow
ministers to preach, organizing churches, ordaining their ministers, and
with a proper discipline seeing that all those gathered into churches were
taught in all things that the Lord had commanded. He understood both
discipline and church government well. His greatest general contribution
was the contagious enthusiasm with which he inspired his followers to
carry the gospel into the wilderness near and far.
honey that God promised to the children of Israel. Scripture refers to it as “the
promised land,” and the journey was not without difficulties, yet Moses was
persistent and obedient to accomplish the task God had assigned him.
There was no “promised land” for Stearns, but the same God that led Moses led
Stearns, and like Moses, Stearns was persistent and obedient. By faith he
forsook the treasures of men for riches far greater and God led him to a land of
promise.
The journey for Stearns was initiated by his conviction of the futility of infant
baptism, a practice of the Congregational Church, which led him to receiving
Christ under the preaching of George Whitefield as previously mentioned.
Stearns was then baptized by Wait Palmer and later ordained. Following a
short stay in Connecticut, Stearns led a group of Baptists to journey south.
The group ventured to Virginia where they ministered for a brief period of
time. Stearns soon received word that there was a great need for preachers in
North Carolina and he felt an urgency to continue south.
Stearns, along with his wife Sarah, Peter and Hannah Stearns, Daniel and
Martha Marshall, Ebeneezer and Anna Stearns, Shubal Stearns, Sr. and his wife
Rebecca, Joseph and Priscilla Breed, Enos and Elizabeth Stinson, and Jonathan
and Rebecca Polk traveled south until they reached the location of Sandy
Creek, in what was then Guilford county. According to the 2000 doctoral
dissertation of Larry S. McDonald, “Frontier Thunder: Principles of
Evangelism and Church Growth from the Life of Shubal Stearns,” historian
William W. Barnes, said that when Stearns arrived at Sandy Creek he heard a
voice within saying, “Here I Stand,” which made it a land of promise . . . holy
ground.
Stearns was convinced it was God speaking, and he and the others with him
stopped and set up camp and God added His blessing to their act of faith. In
the first two years, the membership grew from 16 to 606! Over the next 17
years 42 churches were established and 125 ministers were called by God.
History proves Stearns’ conviction to be true, as God moved mightily at that
time and has produced fruit world-wide from this branch called Sandy Creek.
| Dr. Paige Patterson and Pastor Travis Brock kneel at the gravesite of Shubal Stearns |