Daniel Taylor (Baptist pastor)
Encyclopedia
The Rev Daniel Taylor was the founder of the New Connexion of General Baptists
, a revivalist off-shoot from the Arminian Baptist tradition, one of two main strands within the British Baptist
movement.
, near Halifax
, Yorkshire
. He was a coal-miner who joined the Wesleyan Methodists
in 1761, during his early twenties. Whilst never straying from Wesley’s
Arminianism, Taylor quickly tired of what he saw as Wesley’s authoritianism. By 1763, Taylor had been ordained a General Baptist
and had begun organising the ‘Birchcliffe Baptists’, an independent grouping of dissenters around Hebden Bridge
. The following year the Birchdale group built their own chapel. Taylor, a young man used to manual labour, quarried the stone himself.
Building the Chapel proved an expensive burden, so Taylor travelled on foot to Leicestershire
in search of support. Among the independent Baptist congregations throughout the east Midlands
, there was a great deal of disillusionment with the current state of the General Baptists. Traditionally non-creedal, many General Baptist congregations were becoming increasingly liberal in their doctrine, obliging the more orthodox and the more evangelical among them to reconsider their allegiance.
Taylor ministered to the Birchdale Baptist Chapel for twenty years until 1783 when he moved to a chapel in Wandsworth
, south west London
.
In 1798, the Academy of the New Connexion of General Baptists was founded in Mile End
, east end of London. In 1813 it moved to Wisbech
, Cambridgeshire.
Daniel Taylor’s younger brother, John Taylor, was also a Baptist pastor.
New Connexion of General Baptists
New Connexion of General Baptists was a revivalist off-shoot from the Arminian Baptist tradition, one of two main strands within the British Baptist movement....
, a revivalist off-shoot from the Arminian Baptist tradition, one of two main strands within the British Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
movement.
From Methodist to General Baptist
Dan Taylor was born in NorthowramNorthowram
Northowram is a village in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England that stands to the east of Halifax on the north side of Shibden valley. Southowram stands on the southern side of the valley....
, near Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. He was a coal-miner who joined the Wesleyan Methodists
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
in 1761, during his early twenties. Whilst never straying from Wesley’s
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
Arminianism, Taylor quickly tired of what he saw as Wesley’s authoritianism. By 1763, Taylor had been ordained a General Baptist
General Baptist
General Baptists is a generic term for Baptists who hold the view of a general atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader category.General Baptists are distinguished from Particular or Reformed Baptists.-History:...
and had begun organising the ‘Birchcliffe Baptists’, an independent grouping of dissenters around Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and lies 8 miles west of Halifax and 14 miles north east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the River Hebden .A 2004 profile of...
. The following year the Birchdale group built their own chapel. Taylor, a young man used to manual labour, quarried the stone himself.
Building the Chapel proved an expensive burden, so Taylor travelled on foot to Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
in search of support. Among the independent Baptist congregations throughout the east Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, there was a great deal of disillusionment with the current state of the General Baptists. Traditionally non-creedal, many General Baptist congregations were becoming increasingly liberal in their doctrine, obliging the more orthodox and the more evangelical among them to reconsider their allegiance.
Founding the New Connexion of General Baptists
In June 1770 Dan Taylor was able to bring together many of those Arminian Baptists disenchanted with the ‘Old General Baptists’ in ‘The New Connexion of General Baptists’. Well organised from the outset, the Connexion thrived, particularly in the industrial areas of the English Midlands. By 1817, a year after Taylor’s death, the Connection had 70 chapels.Taylor ministered to the Birchdale Baptist Chapel for twenty years until 1783 when he moved to a chapel in Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
, south west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 1798, the Academy of the New Connexion of General Baptists was founded in Mile End
Mile End
Mile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, east end of London. In 1813 it moved to Wisbech
Wisbech
Wisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
, Cambridgeshire.
Daniel Taylor’s younger brother, John Taylor, was also a Baptist pastor.
Further reading
- ‘The Memoirs of Rev. Dan Taylor, the late Pastor of the general Baptist Church, including diary extracts’, edited by Adam Taylor, was published after Dan Taylor’s death in 1820.
- Dan Taylor’s ‘Reasons for Dissenting from the Church of England’, as well as ‘The General Baptist New Connexion Catechism on God’ (both written in 1805), can be found in ‘Protestant Nonconformist Texts Volume 3: The Nineteenth Century’, edited by David Bebbington (University of Stirling, UK), Burlington, VT, Ashgate, 2006.