Why Christmas Evans became a Baptist

The Bible makes Baptists: the Story of Why Christmas Evans became a Baptist

Christmas Evans, a Welsh Baptist preacher, was born on Christmas day in 1766. He preached fervently and effectually to the Welsh people from about 1787 until his death in July 1838. He gives the following account of how he became a Baptist.

"A person of the name of Amos had left the (Presbyterian) church at Llwynrhydowen, and had been baptized at Aberduar. He came to see me, and I began to assail the Anabaptist heresy, as I had been accustomed to consider it. But Amos soon silenced me. I attributed my defeat to my ignorance of the New Testament, and therefore began to read from the beginning of Matthew, to prepare myself for the next interview. Having read the New Testament through, I found not a single verse in favor of Paedobaptism (i.e. baptizing infants). I met frequently with passages in the Old and New Testaments referring to the circumcision and naming of children, their bringing up in the 'nurture and admonition of the Lord,' etc. but with none making any mention of their baptism; while about forty passages seemed to me to testify clearly for baptism on a profession of faith. These scriptures spoke to my conscience and convinced me of the necessity of personal obedience to the baptism which Christ had ordained. After a little struggle between the flesh and spirit, obedience and disobedience, I applied to the Baptist church at Aberduar. I was cordially received, but not without some fear on my part that I was a rank Arminian still."

This took place in the summer of 1787, four years after his conversion. At age twenty, he was baptized in the river Duar by Timothy Thomas.

(From The Baptist Waymark March-April 1996 via Christmas Evans by B. A. Ramsbottom, p. 24)