Richard Furman (Oct. 9, 1755—Aug. 25, 1825)

Eight years, to the day, after the death of David Brainerd a baby boy was born to Wood and Rachel Broadhead Furman. Richard Furman was born on October 9, 1755, in Esopus, NY. Shortly after his birth the family moved from Esopus, New York to the lowcountry of South Carolina.

As a boy, Richard was an eager learner and endowed with a sharp memory. He took a peculiar interest in poetry committing many lengthy portions to memory. His biographer recounts that he had memorized most of Homer's Illiad by the time he was eleven and that he could still recite these passages correctly in middle life. As he entered his teen years his father instructed him in mathematics and the general principles of other sciences. He was taught a bit of Latin during a short stint at a school and continued his study of this and other Biblical languages on his own.

In his fifteenth year his family moved away from the "big city," relocating to the lands on the Wateree (often called the High Hills of Santee). Upon arriving in the mid-lands the family came into contact with the evangelistic labors of the Rev. Joseph Reese. Richard Furman came under deepened conviction of his sins and condemnation "which prepared him for the discovery of the free grace and mercy of God as revealed in the gospel" (Life and Works, p. 20).

Attending a "sacramental season," he was urged to appear as a candidate for baptism. Desirous of submitting to the ordinance, he was deterred by doubt and diffidence. In great anxiety of mind, he retired to the woods, and, prostrating himself before God, obtained such manifestations of Divine love as induced him to return immediately and present himself as a candidate, at the same time saying that he had no experience to relate, but came a sinner willing to accept the free grace of the Gospel. (p. 20)

Furman gave himself to a life of devotion to his Savior. He spent his leisure time in prayer and reading the Scriptures and theology. In time he was given opportunities to preach and came to be considered "the boy-evangelist". When only nineteen years of age, he was examined, licensed and ordained as pastor of the Hills Church.

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Furman took a stand for liberty and an oath of allegiance to the United States. He made himself ready to serve in the military but was asked by Governor Rutledge to remain in the interior exerting his influence for the cause of liberty. His influence was so effective that he caught the attention of Lord Cornwallis.

As a bright and educated minister of the Gospel, Furman sought to impress the importance of learning upon his brethren. His greatest affect upon the religious scene, especially that of the Baptists, was along these lines. This is illustrated in the case of the Rev. Silas Mercer, father of Jesse Mercer, after whom Mercer University was named. At first Silas Mercer thought negatively of learning, but, in time, Furman's influence upon him turned him about to such a point that he, too, was an indefatigable promoter of education.

In an address circulated among the Charleston Association churches, in 1786, Furman articulated his burden for the church to take up the charge of Christian education. He wrote,

It is our ardent desire that the members of our churches be well established in the evidence, as well as the necessity and importance of Christianity, and that the reasonableness and consistency of its particular doctrines be well understood. We recommend, therefore, that a thirst for divine knowledge, together with a laudable desire to excel in every grace and virtue, be entertained in all your breasts. Pay particular attention to the education of your children with this view; and where it has pleased God to call any of his young servants to the work of the ministry, let the church be careful to introduce them into the line of study and improvement, and make suitable exertions to furnish them with the necessary means to this end." (p. 28)

In 1787 Furman began a thirty-seven year pastorate of the First Baptist Church in Charleston, SC. In Charleston he helped to found the Charleston Bible Society. He also served as president of the Religious Tract Society. He actively raised funds to support Carey and Marshman's efforts to translate the Scriptures and supported Luther Rice and the missionaries to Burmah (the Judsons, Hall, the Newells and Nott).

In 1814 Furman was elected as the first president of the Baptist Triennial Convention. As president of the Baptist Convention, Furman continued to press the burden of education upon his brethren. His plans were brilliant, but they did not unfold as he had intended. His original plan was for a central institution in Washington D. C. with preparatory institutions in each state, or between states. From this original plan emerged the Columbian College (now a part of George Washington University). Other institutions that grew out of this plan are Furman Institution (now University), the Mercer Institute (now University), the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and probably Newton in Massachusetts (now Andover-Newton Theological Seminary).

Richard Furman, who died on August 25, 1825, left a distinct mark upon the American Church. He was an ardent support of civil and religious liberty. He was an indefatigable promoter, not only of education, but of the Church's responsibility to carry out and provide for the education of its servants. Last, but not least, he was a passionate supporter of Gospel missions at home and abroad.

There is much more that could be said of Furman. I've dealt with some of the positive aspects and have tried to highlight his passion for education. Every man has his faults and so did Furman. I believe that he would be the first to admit that. My impression of him is that he was a man wholly devoted to a Gospel-centered ministry. He lived according to the Gospel, he preached the Gospel, he supported Gospel ministries and called the Church to take up the responsibility to do the same.

A lesson I'm taking away from this—"Support those whom God has called to labor full-time for the sake of the Gospel, be they seminary students, pastors or missionaries!"

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• Life and Works of Dr. Richard Furman, D.D. Compiled and Edited by G. William Foster, Jr. (Sprinkel Publications, 2004).
• All the above citations are from this volume. [CVBBS listed for $5.00, a GREAT value!]
  
• Rogers, James A. Richard Furman: Life and Legacy. (Mercer, 1985)
  

Richard Furman (Oct. 9, 1755—Aug. 25, 1825)