Barnas Sears

Barnas Sears ( born November 19, 1802 in Sandisfield, Massachusetts, † July 6, 1880 in Saratoga, New York) was a Baptist theologian who has taught in the U.S. and Germany. Under his leadership in 1834 constituted the first German Baptist church, almost all continental European Baptist Church became the nucleus.

Life

Barnas Sears received his theological education at Brown University ( Providence / Rhode Iceland ) and at the Newton Theological Institute. After a time as a parish pastor, he habilitated in Hamilton as a professor of linguistics. Guest professorships led him in 1834 to France and Germany. Here taught at the University of Halle.

During this time, Sears was through the agency also contacted the Hamburg circle that had formed around a native of Varel merchant Johann Gerhard Oncken. On April 22, 1834 baptized Barnas Sears Oncken and six other members of his circle. Finally, constituted under his chairmanship, the first German Baptist church, which became the nucleus of the Continental European Baptist. In memory of this event Oncken gave his son William the nickname Sears.

After returning to the United States, Sears 1836 was appointed professor of theology at the Newton Theological Institute, and was shortly thereafter until 1848 also its rector. After that he worked in the education of the State of Massachusetts, to the Brown University in 1855 appointed him to its fifth president and professor of ethics.

From 1874 to 1877 Barnas Sears was also president of the American Baptist Missionary Union and supported in this function especially the community structure of the German and European Baptists.

Works (selection)

• The Life of Luther; with Special Reference to its Earlier Periods and the Opening Scenes of the Reformation, Philadelphia 1850