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rsr · Sep 8, 2003

I've been meaning to ask about this for a while.

Gano Chapel at William Jewell College has a painting showing George Washington being baptized by John Gano, a Baptist pastor who was serving as a chaplain during the Revolutionary War.

There are several versions; the most cogent is probably by Charles Koller:

"Warmly cherished among the records of the venerable First Baptist Church of New York City is the account of the baptism of George Washington.

The fact that the first president of the United States was baptized by immersion, by the first pastor of the First Baptist Church of New York City, has been obscured by the fact that his previous membership in a church in Alexandria, Virginia, was never disturbed.

Among the noble qualities of the "Father of our Country", there is none that we recall with deeper gratitude than his sincere piety. Born of a godly mother, christened and dedicated in infancy and reared in a godly home, he "Feared the Lord from his youth."

As a man he never forsook his private devotions or public worship, but even held services himself while in the army.

Among the many expressions of the faith of George Washington, none glows with brighter luster than his request for baptism. The war was over, the peace treaty had been signed, and General Washington was in a camp at Newburg, on the Hudson, where the signing of the treaty was celebrated. John Gano, pastor of First Baptist Church of New York City, who had served as chaplain through the war, was still with the troops expounding the Word of God.

The General had heard him preach, and had been searching the Scriptures. Approaching the chaplain, he requested baptism as taught and practiced in the Scriptures. The baptism took place quietly and simply in the Hudson River with only forty-two witnesses. But the impact of that testimony is still being felt."

(The above article was written by Charles W. Koller, president of the Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. It was published in "The Western Recorder", the Southern Baptist newsletter in Kentucky on March 6, 1958)

SOURCE: The Landmark Southern Baptist Web site
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There are some other garbled versions, some of which say the painting depicts a baptism in the Potomac.

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This is appears to be incorrect; Gano was a chaplain for New Yorkers and the time referenced would make the baptism, if it happened, as occurring in the Hudson.

But does anyone know the original source? I have not been able to find the story corrobrated by Gano or his descendants; the best I can find is a reference that attributes the story to Washington's "landlord" while he was a Newburg.

Thomas Armitage spends a good deal of time with Gano in his A History of the Baptists, but doesn't mention the story.

Is there any provenance for this account?

rlvaughn · Sep 8, 2003

J. M. Holliday, in his The Baptist Heritage, also gives this account which goes back to Koller. Only difference is that it was evidently published previously in February, 1946 in The Northern (probably a publication of the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago). If that paper could be found (assuming it is the first time Koller published the article), perhaps it would give some source.

rsr · Sep 8, 2003

I've also found a reference to the February 14, 1946, edition of the Texas Baptist Standard. Circumstantial evidence would be that the Standard was commenting on a recently published work.

I still haven't found the original, though. Thanks for the help.

J.R. Graves · Sep 8, 2003

Dear rsr,

Glad to see you are reading the LSB e-mails. I do not know a great deal more about this story other than what you already know. I do know that Ben Bogard and Bobby Sparks wrote a book entitled "President George Washington - A Baptist". This book was published by Bogard Press (The publishing arm of the American Baptist Association), but is now out of print. I have not yet read it. Also the Particular Baptist Press (http://www.pbpress.org/) recently published Volume 1 of the "Life and Ministry of John Gano". Volume 2 is to be published in the future and will continue some information on this story.

I have also heard a Baptist preacher who visited First Baptist Church of New York City say that this painting of John Gano baptizing George Washington hangs in their historical room.

rsr · Sep 8, 2003

Well, this is a puzzlement. Are there multiple copies of the painting?

rsr · Sep 9, 2003

An update:

I have come across yet another version of the story, itself even less credible.

During the same winter that Potts caught Washington praying in the snow, the Rev. John Gano, Baptist preacher, is said to have cut the ice in the river, and baptized the commander-in-chief by immersion in the presence of 42 people, all sworn to secrecy! And this has been confirmed by a grandson of the Rev. Gano in an affidavit made at the age of 83 years! But the entire story is discredited by the fact that the Rev. Gano was not at Valley Forge, and that he served with Clinton's, and not with Washington's, army. For proof, see 'Biographical Memoirs of the Rev. John Gano,' also Headingly's 'Chaplains of the Revolution.'
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Franklin Steiner, 1936

Still looking. I am trying to find an e-mail address for the First Baptist Church of New York City and have failed so far.

Mark Osgatharp · Sep 10, 2003

Our church history teacher in Seminary made a very astute observation about this question: if Washington was ever a Baptist he wasn't a very good one because no one knows for sure whether he was or not.

Mark Osgatharp

rsr · Sep 10, 2003

I tend to agree. So why does this story keep showing up?

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