John Buzzell (1766–1863) was an early proponent of the

Free Will Baptist Church Free Will Baptists or Free Baptists are a group originating from General Baptists that emphasizes the teaching of free salvation and free will. The movement can be traced back to the General Baptists in 17th century England. In 1702, Paul Palme ...

, a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

author, and a preacher. John Buzzell was born in

Barrington, New Hampshire Barrington is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 9,326 at the 2020 census, up from 8,576 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauU.S. Census website 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011 ...

in 1766. "His attainments were above average, early becoming a teacher of common schools. He along with Dr. Moses Sweat, and Rev. Rufus McIntire, founded the Old Parsonsfield Seminary, the first school of his denomination". After befriending

Benjamin Randall Benjamin Randall (February 7, 1749 – October 22, 1808) was an American Baptist minister the main organizer of the Free Will Baptists (Randall Line) in the northeastern United States. Biography Early years Benjamin Randall III was born Februa ...

, Buzzell became a Free Will Baptist and was ordained a minister in 1792. He preached extensively throughout

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. In 1798 Buzzell and his family moved to

Parsonsfield, Maine Parsonsfield is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,791 at the 2020 census. Parsonsfield includes the villages of Kezar Falls, Parsonsfield, and North, East and South Parsonsfield. It is part of the Portland-South ...

where he continued his ministry and where he helped found the

Parsonsfield Seminary Parsonsfield Seminary, which operated from 1832 to 1949, was a Free Will Baptist school in North Parsonsfield, Maine, in the United States. Also known as the North Parsonsfield Seminary, its preserved campus of four buildings is located on State ...

. Buzzell wrote extensively and co-founded the ''

Morning Star Morning Star, morning star, or Morningstar may refer to: Astronomy * Morning star, most commonly used as a name for the planet Venus when it appears in the east before sunrise ** See also Venus in culture * Morning star, a name for the star Siri ...

'' newspaper in 1826. He was first editor of his denomination's "Morning Star" paper, which position he held seven years. John Buzzell died in 1863 at the age of 96.''Memoirs of Eminent Preachers in the FreeWill Baptist Denomination'' Published by Pub. by Selah Hibbard Barrett, 1874, pg. 4

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Writings

*Buzzell, John (1827). ''Life of Elder Benjamin Randal''. Limerick, ME: Hobbs, Woodman and Co..

References

1766 births 1863 deaths Free Will Baptists People from Barrington, New Hampshire People from Parsonsfield, Maine Writers from New Hampshire {{US-Christian-clergy-stub