Huckins James (April 8, 1807 — August 6, 1863) was an American ordained Baptist minister, the first

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...

missionary of Texas, an educator, and a church organizer.

Background

James was an orphan who was born in

Dorchester, New Hampshire Dorchester is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 339 at the 2020 census. History Originally granted by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761, Dorchester was named for Dorchester in Dorset, England. When ...

and was adopted by a local farmer at the age of six. He was baptized at the age of fourteen.

Education and career

He attended

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and studied

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. In 1840 he was sent by the American Baptist Home Missionary Society to report on the conditions there. He organized one of the first Baptist churches in

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

. He also established the first Baptist church in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

and was editor of the

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

column in Baptist banner. He retired from the Home Missionary Society in 1845 and became a member of the Domestic Mission Board of

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Chr ...

due to issues of slavery. He served as president of the Texas Baptist Association for three terms.

19th century Union

As an influential frontier Baptist minister of Texas in the 19th century, he established schools and churches. He was a member of the Union Association, Baptist Home Mission Society, and the Baptist Educational Society in Texas and was one of the trustees of

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

when the institution was established in 1845. In 1859 he left Texas for the Baptist Church of South Carolina as a

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

chaplain.

Establishment of Mary Hard-Baylor University

He was the founding member of University of Mary Hardin–Baylor in

Belton, Texas Belton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Belton is the county seat of Bell County, Texas, Bell County and is the fifth largest city in the Killeen – Temple – Fort Hood metropolitan area, Killeen-Temple metropolitan area. In 2020, the popu ...

, in 1839, where he and Rev. Williams Tryon had been sent as a missionary by the Home Mission Board in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huckins, James 1807 births 1863 deaths People from Grafton County, New Hampshire Baylor University people Brown University alumni Southern Baptist ministers University and college founders Religious leaders from New Hampshire 19th-century Baptist ministers from the United States