Baptist Church in the Great Valley
Historic Baptist church in Devon, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Baptist Church in the Great Valley is a historic American Baptist church in Devon, Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania.[1]
| Baptist Church in the Great Valley | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | 945 North Valley Forge Road Devon, Pennsylvania 19333 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Website | bcgv.org |
| History | |
| Founded | 1711 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 1805 |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor | Rev. Rebecca Driscoll Mygatt |
Description and history
Invited to settle there by William Penn, sixteen Welsh Baptists and their families founded the congregation on April 22, 1711. Preceded by a smaller log meetinghouse built in 1722, the current stone church building was erected in 1805. It is the third oldest Baptist church in Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania state historical marker was placed at the location in 1951.[1][2][3]
The church figured in the region's involvement in the American Revolutionary War. Like most of his parishioners, Reverend David Jones was an ardent Patriot and served as a Continental Army chaplain. British troops under General William Howe plundered the church and parsonage in September 1776, carrying off clothing, dishware, tools, and a Bible.[2][4][5]
Its first congregant of color, Harry Coats, joined the church in 1762. A schism occurred in 1841, when following the resignation of abolitionist pastor Leonard Fletcher in 1840, a group of antislavery parishioners withdrew to form their own congregation in nearby Radnor.[1] In 1820, women received the right to vote on "all questions that may arise in the church."[4]