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William Gadsby: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Williamgadsby.jpg|thumb]] | |||
'''William Gadsby''' (1773-1844) was the key founder of the [[Reformed Baptist]] [[denomination]] known as the [[Strict Baptists|Strict and Particular Baptist]] movement in [[England]]. | '''William Gadsby''' (1773-1844) was the key founder of the [[Reformed Baptist]] [[denomination]] known as the [[Strict Baptists|Strict and Particular Baptist]] movement in [[England]]. | ||
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Gadsby was also known for his social activism, [[Hymns|hymn]] writing and nature-centred form of [[Christian socialism]]. | Gadsby was also known for his social activism, [[Hymns|hymn]] writing and nature-centred form of [[Christian socialism]]. | ||
===Early life=== | |||
Gadsby's early life was filled with hardship. He was one of the eldest in a very poor family of 14. He grew up in Attleborough, [[Warwickshire]] and started work at 13. Despite a brief education at a Church school in Nuneaton, he soon forgot how to read. | |||
After a dramatic [[conversion]] experience, he decided to give his life up to [[Jesus Christ|Christ]] and began to preach at a barn in the Town of Hinckley, where he was systematically harassed by thugs. On one occasion, they stole his [[pulpit]] and attempted to sink it in a nearby by river but could not even after they had filled it with rocks. Eventually they exclaimed that the [[devil]] must be in it for they couldn't sink the man or his pulpit.<ref>Gospel Standard Trust Publications - William Gadsby</ref> | |||
===Later life=== | |||
After leaving the barn in Hinckley, Gadsby became a pastor in [[Manchester]], where he expanded the Strict Baptist movement, founded over 40 chapels, and championed social justice. He was a prominent figure in Christian socialism and a vocal critic of the [[Church of England|established Church]], influencing both theology and politics through his activism and preaching. | |||