Lemuel Haynes, 1753–1833
/
Lemuel Haynes, 1753–1833
Patriot & Pastor
Not only was Lemuel Haynes a patriot who fought for the independence of the United States in the Revolutionary war, but he was also the first ordained black pastor in American History, the first black man to receive a degree, the first black man to pastor a congregation, the first black American to be internationally published for the writing of the first abolitionist essay: “Liberty Further Extended”, and he was also the first black American to speak boldly and publicly about the degradation of slavery and how it was in direct contradiction with our nation’s platform of freedom and liberty to all.
If the church is to prosper and mature, she will need faithful men to lead and care for her. The church will need men who are sound in doctrine, whose lives are guided by the Word of God, and who are willing to defend the truth. The church will need to hold up as its ideal those who model fidelity and love toward God, men who will pour themselves out for the benefit of the Lord’s sheep. Men of this mold are gifts to the church from her Lord. In the late 1700s the Lord did indeed give such a gift to the church”