Francis Wayland (1796–1865) was one of the most influential American Baptists of the 19th century. He was famous as an author, theologian, educator and advocate for missionary work.
September marks the 150th anniversary of his death.
Wayland was born March 11, 1796, in New York City. His parents, Francis and Sarah Moore Wayland, emigrated from England. In 1807 his father gave up a successful leather business to become a Baptist minister.
Francis’ mother home-schooled him until he was 15. He then enrolled at Union College in Schenectady, New York, and graduated in 1813.
Pursuing theology
He studied medicine and received his license to practice but decided instead to pursue theology.
He sought a clear and convincing conversion experience. In 1816 in a revival meeting, he wrote, “Light gradually dawned upon my soul.” But his doubts continued until he heard missionary Luther Rice preach at his father’s church. “For the first time in my life,” he wrote, “I was constrained to believe that the sentiments of my heart were in harmony with the gospel, that I loved God and all that God loved and that it would be a pleasure to devote all my life to his service.”
Wayland graduated from Andover Theological Seminary (now Andover Newton Theological School) in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1816. During the next three years he tutored students at Union College.
He served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Boston from 1821 to 1826. During his tenure he helped found Newton Theological Institution.
He married Lucy Lincoln in 1825. They had two sons and one daughter. After his wife’s death he married Hepsibah Howard in 1838. They had one son.
In 1827 he became president of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, founded by Baptists in 1764. His 28-year tenure brought many changes. He improved academic discipline, formed a library and elevated scientific studies. He wrote textbooks on ethics and economics and promoted the free school system of Rhode Island.
Wayland had a strong influence on generations of American youth, including not only his students at Brown but also the thousands who relied on his standard textbooks: “The Elements of Moral Science” (1835) and “The Elements of Political Economy” (1837).
He also was a staunch supporter of temperance, anti-slavery causes, public libraries and prison and hospital reform.
He was an ardent proponent of foreign missions. In 1823 in Boston he delivered a sermon, “The Moral Dignity of the Missionary Enterprise,” which was published and distributed throughout America, making him a national figure.
In 1854 he gave a major address on missions at the annual meeting of the American Baptist Missionary Union. His 1859 pamphlet, “Thoughts on the Missionary Organization of the Baptist Denomination,” received much attention.
Serving as pastor
Wayland resigned the presidency of Brown in 1855 and served one year as pastor of First Baptist Church, Providence, America’s oldest Baptist church, which Roger Williams founded.
Wayland died Sept. 30, 1865, of paralysis caused by a stroke. He is buried in North Burial Ground in Providence.
And his legacy continues. Wayland Seminary (now Virginia Union University) in Richmond was established in 1865 to educate former slaves. The Francis Wayland Institute in Orlando, Florida, defends such ideals as liberty, property and peace. The Wayland Day lectures at Keio University in Tokyo honor him.
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