A Handbook of Texas Baptist Biography

Never before has so much information on the lives of so many Texas Baptists appeared in one source prior to this work, one would have to examine dozens of books and visit dozens of libraries and private holding  spread across the state of Texas and beyond to acquire the information found in this one text.  One particular strength of this book may be found in Early’s excellent use of primary source material.  By doing his own research Early corrects many of the biographical errors that have been perpetuated in Texas Baptist history texts for more than one hundred years.  Whether one is doing intricate research or simply wanting to know more about the heroes of Texas Baptist past, Early’s book is a must read.

Joseph E. Early Jr., is an assistant professor of religion at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. A native of Kentucky, Early earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cumberland College, a Master of Divinity degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. He is the author of The Building of a Church: The Centennial History of South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas; A Sourcebook of Texas Baptist History, and several journal articles in the field of church history. He has two books forthcoming entitled A Texas Baptist Feud: The Hayden Controversy and Religious Life in Austin’s Colony, 1820-1836.

R.A. Baker, The Blossoming Desert: A Concise History of Texas Baptists (Waco: Word Books,                1970).

J. M. Carroll, A History of Texas Baptists: Comprising a Detailed Account of Their Activities, Their Progress and Their Achievements (Dallas: Baptist Standard Publishing Co., 1923).

Washington Anderson (January 31, 1817 - April 29, 1894): Born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Washington Anderson was the son of Dr. Thomas Anderson and son-in-law to R.H. Taliaferro. When he was eighteen years old, Anderson relocated to Hornsby’s Bend, Texas, near Austin in February of 1835. A farmer by trade, he joined the Army of Texas in 1836, and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto, where he was wounded. Returning to Hornsby’s Bend after three months of service, he was driven from his property by Indians in early 1837, and was forced to relocate to Washington County where he taught public school. Returning to Hornsby’s Bend in November of 1837, Anderson decided to move to Webberville where he lived for seven years. Anderson moved to Brushy Creek, Anderson County, in 1843, where he operated a sawmill and gristmill until it was destroyed by fire in 1845. Anderson also helped organize Williamson County in 1850. After relocating to Webberville in 1845, he was converted in 1848, and joined the Macedonia Baptist Church, where he remained until 1850. He was then ordained as a deacon at the Webberville Baptist Church by J. H. Stribbling and G. G. Baggerly. Highly influenced by Baggerly, he moved to Austin in 1852, and joined his congregation where he served as a deacon. Anderson was known as an intelligent and humble man who had an excellent grasp of the Scriptures.

Bibliography:

R.A. Baker, The Blossoming Desert: A Concise History of Texas Baptists (Waco: Word Books,                 1970).

J.B. Link, Historical and Biographical Magazine, 2 Vols. (Austin: n. p. 1892).

Matthew Thomas Andrews (April 13, 1869 - July 31, 1939): Born in McComb City, Mississippi, Andrews attended Gillsburg Collegiate Institute before graduating with an A.B. degree from Clinton College (now Mississippi College) in 1894. After being ordained to the gospel ministry by the Old Missionary Baptist Church in East Fork, Mississippi, in 1895, he successively pastored Baptist churches in Amite City (1891-1894) and Hammond (1896-1898) in Louisiana. In Texas, Andrews pastored First Baptist Marshall (1898), First Baptist Marlin (1899-1909), First Baptist Denton (1909-1912), First Baptist Hillsboro (1912-1918), First Baptist Temple (1919-23), and the First Baptist Church of Texarkana (1924-1938). Andrews was a frequent member of the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, a trustee of Southwestern and Southern Seminaries, and a trustee of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Andrews was also one of the principal fundraisers for the Tidwell Bible Building at Baylor University. He authored Growing A Soul, Comrades of the Road, Adults and the Art of Learning, and Seeing Africa Through Africans. Andrews was a delegate to the Baptist World Alliance in 1923, 1928, and 1934. He was awarded an honorary D.D. degree from Howard Payne University in 1919, and Baylor University in 1920.

Bibliography:

Baptist Standard, 21 September 1939.

L. R. Elliott, ed., Centennial Story of Texas Baptists (Dallas: Baptist General Convention of                       Texas, 1936).

New Handbook of Texas, 6 Vols. (Austin: Texas Historical Association, 1996).

Harry Leon McBeth, Texas Baptists: A Sesquicentennial History (Dallas: Baptistway Press,                      1998).

Reddin Andrews, Jr. (January 18, 1848 - August 16, 1923): Born in Lagrange, Texas, Andrews’s was orphaned when he was three years old and he spent his youth in the home of his brother-in-law, J. L. Gay. He was a member of the Confederate Infantry during the Civil War where he served as a scout. He returned to Lagrange at the conclusion of the war. He was converted in ca.1865, baptized in the Colorado River by P. B. Chandler, and joined the Shiloh Baptist Church who licensed him in 1867. He graduated from Baylor University at Independence in 1871, and was named class valedictorian. While a student at Baylor, he taught entry level classes in exchange for his tuition. His board was in the home of president William Carey Crane. Immediately after graduation, he was ordained to the gospel ministry. After studying at Greenville Seminary (1871-1873), Greenville, South Carolina, he accepted the pastorate of a Baptist church in Navasota in 1873. While in Navasota, Andrews was also associated in various  ways with churches in Millican, Hempstead, Calvert, Tyler, Lampasas, Bastrop, Goodman, Webberville, Hillsboro, Woodbury, Rockwall, and Lovelady. He was elected to the faculty of Baylor University at Independence in 1886 where he taught English Literature. Financial difficulties at Baylor led to his resignation in 1888. During this period, he also served as principal of the Masonic Institute at Round Rock (1878-1881). He was pastor of a Baptist church in Tyler, Texas (1881-1885). He replaced the recently deceased William Carey Crane as the last president of Baylor University at Independence in 1885. Due to the financial burdens Baylor faced in the 1880s, Andrews reluctantly allowed Baylor University to be consolidated with Waco University in 1885. The result of this merger was Baylor University at Waco. Rufus Columbus Burleson became president of the new Baylor University and Andrews served as vice-president. Andrews was also a member of the committee that consolidated the Baptist State Convention with the Baptist General Association resulting in the birth of the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 1886. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1889, to edit W. T. Martin’s anti-Southern Baptist Convention Gospel Standard and Expositor. Andrews returned to Lampasas, Texas, in 1890, and then moved to Belton in 1892, to help organize the Populist Party of Texas. During this period, he began to promote the idea that socialism and Christianity had the same idealistic tenets. He edited the socialist newspaper, The Sword and the Shield, in 1907. Andrews ran for governor on the Socialist ticket in 1910, but was defeated. He published a book entitled Poems in 1916. The book was composed of poems that he used during sermons throughout his ministerial career.