Little Pigeon Creek Baptist Church

Abraham Lincoln's family moved from the Little Mount Separate Baptist Church in Kentucky to Indiana in 1821, the same year a new church building was erected in Pigeon Creek. Abe's father, Thomas, and mother, Nancy, were strict hyper-Calvinists, as were 20% of all American Baptists of the day. This eccentric branch of the Baptist churches (called Primitive and Hard Shell) emphasized the sovereignty of God to such a degree, that freewill was denied. Although they didn't hold to fatalism, they believed that the course of history, and therefore, the actions of men were divinely superintended to fulfil a predetermined end. There was little, if any, evangelism. They believed the elect would be saved apart from preaching the gospel to the lost.

Young Abe's church attendance was sporadic as he grew older, but there is little doubt about his religious education. When his mother died and a new matriarch replaced her, morality and godliness were lived to the fullest in his home. Hypocrisy was foreign. Life reflected a spiritual perspective in all that happened.

Lincoln never claimed to be a Baptist, or Separatist, or any affiliation for that matter. But he always held to the philosophy of "Necessity," which he defined as fate. History was set in stone. God was in control. But he sometimes questioned critical events (e.g. Civil War) with "why?" He believed he was on the political stage in obedience to God's decree.

I'm relating this information after learning that my g-g-g-grandfather preached to Lincoln in the Little Pigeon Creek Baptist Church, among other preachers. Thomas Sumner, born in 1780 was a hyper-Calvinist! That is amazing to me --- not so amazing to God who "works all things after the counsel of His own will." He was most likely a fire-breathing, greatly animated sort of fellow.

I wonder what he thought about the young, lanky, show-offish, and bookish Abraham Lincoln.