At first, nothing seems unusual about the pews, aside from looking a bit more aged than most.
But if the pews could talk.
If they could talk, then they could tell a story of how appropriate it is that three of them — “Judson Pews” — have been placed at Baptist institutions in Alabama.
The mahogany pews, handcrafted by a church member in 1812, were donated by First Baptist Church in Salem, Mass., which is known as “Judson’s Church” for missionaries Adoniram and Ann Judson.
One pew each was recently placed at:
- The national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) headquarters in Birmingham,
- Ramsay-McCrummen Chapel on the campus of Judson College in Marion and
- First Baptist Church, Guntersville, in Marshall Baptist Association.
Rosalie Hunt, a member of First, Guntersville, and biographer of the Judsons, shared why the pews are so important to Baptist life.
“Adoniram and Ann Judson were America’s first foreign missionaries of any denomination,” Hunt said of the couple who pioneered missions work in Burma (now Myanmar) in the 19th century.
“[T]hey were basically the reason that Baptists organized as a denomination,” she said. “They are tangible reminders of the missions heritage of Baptists. It’s a reminder so we can pass on to the next generation and say to them this is how we began as a denomination.”
The Judson Pew donated to WMU has been placed alongside other historical items in the Frontier America Room, which showcases items that represent Baptist missions roots and history.
“WMU has been blessed to be the recipient of many gifts from missionaries throughout the years that are on display around our building,” said Wanda Lee, executive director of national WMU. “We are honored to have this gift that reminds us of the first Baptist foreign missionaries from the United States, the Judsons, who devoted their lives to missions so many years ago.”
Another pew is at Judson College’s chapel, where students participate in weekly worship services, because the school is named for Ann Judson. “We are most grateful to the First Baptist Church of Salem for granting a piece of history to Judson College,” said President David Potts. “The pew will serve as a reminder of the generous people of Salem who were the first Baptists to support Ann and Adoniram Judson in Burma.”
The third pew is located at First, Guntersville, because of Hunt’s initial efforts to secure one for the WMU and her interest in the Judsons. She is also a former missionary herself who served for more than 30 years in Asia with her husband, Bob.
A fourth Judson Pew is being donated to Judson University in Elgin, Ill., which is named for Adoniram Judson.
Hunt explained that the pews original home of First, Salem, Mass., has been referred to as Judson’s Church for almost 200 years because of its support of missions work by the Judsons.
She said the church is also remembered for its ties to the Judsons because of Sarah Hall, who became Adoniram Judson’s second wife after the death of Ann Judson. Hall taught Sunday School there and married George Boardman in the sanctuary before the couple moved to Burma to assist the Judsons.
Following the disease-related deaths of Ann Judson in 1826 and Boardman in 1831, Hall and Adoniram Judson married in 1834.
Hunt became interested in the Judsons in 2000 after her first visit to the church, eventually writing a book, “Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy.”
“I became fascinated with the church and all of its ties with the Judson story,” she said.
In April 2007, WMU sponsored a Judson Heritage Tour to New England to explore the places that were vital to the Judson history. Hunt, who led the tour, learned that the church was relocating because the government wanted its property. From there, the idea about donating the pews developed.
Hunt is unsure how many pews were in the church but estimated there were 200. She said it’s uncertain what the church will do with other pews but it will not be able to house all of them because it is moving to a smaller building.
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