In an archive nestled within the quiet confines of Groton, Massachusetts, a volunteer has made a discovery that's promptly rewriting Baptist history. Jennifer Cromack, according to AP News, unearthed what appeared to be the Baptist equivalent of the Holy Grail—a 178-year-old anti-slavery scroll signed by 116 New England ministers. This document, titled “A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery,” adopted in 1847, was thought to have been lost after a copy was last seen in 1902.
The significance of this document can hardly be overstated, as it firmly places a group of religious leaders squarely against the tide of indifference or acceptance of slavery prevalent in the North at the time. This stance came about two years after slave-owning Southern Baptists had split to form their own denomination over missionary disputes, making the revealed declaration a signal of deep division and moral conviction. Reverend Diane Badger, the administrator of the American Baptist Church of Massachusetts, described the discovery as "amazing and exciting," in a sentiment echoed by Cromack, who stated, "We made a find that really says something to the people of the state and the people in the country," according to Daily Mail.
Documenting dissent in the face of an evolving national crisis, the document condemned the "iniquitous system" of slavery. Deborah Bingham Van Broekhoven, executive director emerita of the American Baptist Historical Society, pointed out the hesitancy of many, particularly in the North, to confront slavery, which they perceived as a Southern issue and hence not theirs to tackle. According to the AP News report, the document stated, "We owe something to the oppressed as well as to the oppressor, and justice demands the fulfillment of that obligation."
Now begins the task to fully assess the historical and monetary value of the document, which remarkably was found without any stains or damage. Badger aims to not only determine this but to also digitally preserve the document for wider access among American Baptist churches in Massachusetts. Her research could potentially unveil a richer context surrounding the document, as she seeks to understand not just who signed it, but crucially, who did not and why. Rev. Kenneth Young, leader of a church founded by freed Blacks in 1871, found the discovery "inspiring," highlighting its resonance with the continued struggle against racism, per the Daily Mail.
