04/25/2026
As our country approaches its 250th anniversary, we’re turning our focus back to the year 1776. We’ll be sharing special “History Tidbits,” exploring the life of our church during that time period, brought to you by Peter Jennings, GFC’s Church Historian.
It’s April 1776 and as the days begin to grow longer and there are signs of Spring. Farmers are looking forward to planting but are hampered by the lack of help because many men and boys have enlisted in muster rolls for three to six months of service. The names of the enlisted would all be familiar to our young congregation and while many in the militia saw some action, Lexington in 1775 for example, they mostly served guarding our coastline, expeditions to New York City and patrolling the Hudson River, often led by Fairfield’s Col. Gold Selleck Silliman. North Carolina now becomes the first colony to declare independence from England and the Revolution has suddenly shifted from a localized colonial revolution into a full-scale war for national independence. It was at this time Paul Revere made his famous ride through Lexington Mass. calling out “The British are coming” to which the Minutemen replied to the British forces upon them “We recognize no Sovereign but God and no King but Jesus”. Our West Parish is in the middle between Boston and New York, and the Churches in the area were known as a hotbed of armed rebellion against Great Britain. Like Ecclesiastes 3:1 “A time for war and a time for peace” The Black Robed Regiment was now preaching that the period for diplomacy had passed and it was time to stand our ground for independence. These were harsh times and there was little measure for soft reverie or anything that was not related to daily living and survival and yet religion provided hope for the faithful, Praise Jesus.
