Luther Rice (25 March 1783 – 27 September 1836) was an American
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
minister who, after a thwarted mission to India, returned to America where he spent the remainder of his career raising funds for missions and advocating for the formation of a unified Baptist missionary-sending body, which culminated in establishment of the Baptist
Triennial Convention
The Triennial Convention (so-called because it met every three years) was the first national Baptist denomination in the United States. Officially named the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America ...
(which later split with the formation of the
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...
). He also raised funds to establish The Columbian College (now
The George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, presid ...
) in Washington, DC.
[Guide to the Luther Rice Papers, 1812-1832]
Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University
Biography
![Nat-bap-windows](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Nat-bap-windows.png)
Luther Rice was born March 25, 1783 in
Northborough, Massachusetts
Northborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The official spelling of the town's name is "Northborough," but the alternative spelling "Northboro" is also used. The population was 15,741 at the 2020 census.
History ...
to Amos Rice and Sarah (Graves) Rice. As a young man at
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...
he became part of a group of young ministers and aspiring missionaries who called themselves "the Brethren." (The group became famous for the "
Haystack Prayer Meeting
The Haystack Prayer Meeting, held in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in August 1806, is viewed by many scholars as the seminal event for the development of American Protestant missions in the subsequent decades and century. Missions are still suppo ...
," although Rice was not present that day.) He sailed to
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in February 1812 with
Adoniram Judson as a
Congregationalist missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
and met with English Baptist missionary
William Carey. However, after both Rice and Judson became
Baptists
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
; Rice returned to America to break ties with the Congregationalists and to raise support for Judson's work from the Baptists. Rice worked to unite Baptists in America to support foreign missionaries which resulted in the organization of "The General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in United States of America, for Foreign Missions," (also called "the
Triennial Convention
The Triennial Convention (so-called because it met every three years) was the first national Baptist denomination in the United States. Officially named the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America ...
") in 1814. Also in 1814, Rice was awarded an honorary doctorate by then Baptist-dominated
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
in partial recognition for his contributions to missionary work undertaken through his Baptist denomination. He spent the rest of his life garnering support for missionaries and Baptist work, traveling across America by horseback to raise funds and awareness for Baptist missions.
Rice also founded Columbian College in 1821, the original unit of
The George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, presid ...
(GW) in Washington, D.C. He served as the treasurer of Columbian College from 1826 until his death, September 25, 1836 in
Saluda, South Carolina
Saluda is a town in Saluda County, South Carolina, United States, along the Little Saluda River. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saluda County.
Geography
Saluda is located at (34.003131, -81.771691).
Accordi ...
while traveling through the Southern United States raising funds for the missions and seminaries that he founded.
He was interred at Pine Pleasant Cemetery, Saluda County, South Carolina.
Although his life was not without controversy, Rice's contribution to the support of missionary work was invaluable in the early years of the Triennial Convention. During Rice's lifetime, the Triennial Convention's membership grew from 8,000 to 600,000, and the convention supported 25 missions and 112 missionaries. By the time of his death, 15 Baptist universities and colleges had been formed.
Luther Rice College & Seminary
Luther Rice College & Seminary is a private Baptist college and seminary in Lithonia, Georgia. Through the college and seminary the institution offers bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees in leadership, counseling, apologetics, Christian world ...
founded in 1962 and located in
Lithonia, Georgia
Lithonia (, ; AAVE: ) is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The city's population was 2,662 at the 2020 census. Lithonia is in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
"Lithonia" means "city/town of stone". Lithonia is in the heart ...
, USA, was named after Luther Rice in recognition of his work in the Baptist missions and seminary education.
Genealogy
Luther Rice was a direct descendant of
Edmund Rice
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
, an English immigrant to
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
, as follows:
* Luther Rice, son of
:* Amos Rice (1743 – 1827), son of
::* Jacob Rice (1707 – 1788), son of
:::* Jacob Rice (1660 – 1746), son of
::::* Edward Rice (1622 – 1712), son of
:::::*
Edmund Rice
Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector".
Persons named Edmund include:
People Kings an ...
(1594 – 1663)
Notes
External links
Furman University's Special Collection on Baptists''Baptist Identity and Christian Higher Education'', monograph by Donald D. Schmeltekopf and Dianna M. VitanzaGuide to the Luther Rice Papers, 1812-1832, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, Luther
1783 births
1836 deaths
People from Northborough, Massachusetts
Baptist missionaries in India
Baptist missionaries from the United States
George Washington University faculty
Williams College alumni
University and college founders
19th-century Baptist ministers from the United States
George Washington University trustees
American expatriates in India