OTD in 1536, William Tyndale was executed for his work translating the Bible into English. As he was strangled and burned at the stake, his final prayer was reportedly, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” Within just a few years, English Bibles drawing heavily from Tyndale’s translation were authorized for use in English churches. Tyndale died a condemned man, but his words would soon be read throughout England, and much of his translation still echoes through English Bibles today. Want to read more? Read or listen on Audible Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God An English Voice. It's an excellent account of Tyndale’s life, translation work, and legacy. link.amazon/B044q8Adb (Paid Link)

OTD in 1783, William Carey was baptized by John Ryland Jr. in the River Nene in England. Carey had recently come to Baptist convictions and would soon become one of the leading voices calling Baptists to take the gospel to the nations. Less than a decade later, Carey and Ryland would become co-laborers in the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society. In 1793, Carey sailed for India, beginning the missionary work for which he is still remembered.

OTD in 1907, Herschel Hobbs was born. One of the best-known Southern Baptist statesmen of the 20th century, Hobbs served for nearly 25 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, and as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also chaired the committee that produced the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message, helping shape the statement of faith used by Southern Baptists for the next generation. Millions also knew his voice as preacher of "The Baptist Hour*" where he served from 1958–1976. Pastor, preacher, author, and denominational statesman, Hobbs left a lasting mark on both Oklahoma Baptists and the SBC.

OTD in 1862, William Bullein Johnson died. Johnson was one of the most significant Baptist leaders of the early 19th century. He served as president of the Triennial Convention and, in 1845, became the first president of the newly organized Southern Baptist Convention. Johnson was the only man present at the founding of both national Baptist conventions, giving him a unique place in American Baptist history. He served as SBC president from 1845 to 1851.

OTD in 1792, the “Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel Amongst the Heathen” was organized in Kettering, England. A small group of Baptist pastors gathered and collected an initial offering of just over £13, about $65 at the time, to support the cause of foreign missions. The organization, which became known as the Baptist Missionary Society, soon sent William Carey to India as its first missionary. It was a small beginning that helped launch the modern Protestant missionary movement and changed the course of Baptist missions around the world.

Booze Had the Upper Hand 'Till Jesus Saved the Day' OTD in 1974 Baptist Press reported the story of Baptist layman Loren Rumley. Rumley almost threw his life away with excessive drinking. But about two years ago, "some Baptist men started witnessin' to me, and I rededicated my life. My wife got saved and we started livin' for Jesus.

OTD in 1682, the church that would become First Baptist Church of Charleston was organized in Kittery, Maine. William Screven and Isaac Hull helped establish the Baptist congregation under the guidance of First Baptist Church of Boston. Facing opposition in New England, Screven and members of the congregation eventually relocated to South Carolina. There they reorganized in Charleston, establishing what became the first Baptist church in the South.

OTD in 1836, Luther Rice died. Rice, along with Adoniram and Ann Judson, came to Baptist convictions after being sent out as a Congregationalist missionary. After being baptized in India, Rice returned to America and traveled extensively, organizing Baptists and raising support for the Judsons and the cause of foreign missions. His efforts helped lead to the formation of the Triennial Convention in 1814, the first national Baptist organization in America. Rice spent the rest of his life traveling, preaching, raising money, and helping organize Baptists for missions and education.

OTD in 1974, Baptist Press reported that Southern Baptist missionaries were rushing to help victims of Hurricane Fifi in Honduras and Guatemala. The storm had devastated the region, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands homeless. The Foreign Mission Board released emergency relief funds, while Southern Baptist missionaries already on the field went to work providing medical care and gathering supplies. Missionary doctors and nurses treated victims, while other missionaries worked to get relief into areas cut off by the storm. All 43 Southern Baptist missionaries serving in Honduras and Guatemala were reported safe. The Baptist Press report from September 23, 1974, is a reminder that Southern Baptist disaster relief and missionary work have long gone hand in hand.

This week in 1902, Baptist missionary Joseph S. Murrow helped establish the Indian Orphans’ Home in Oklahoma. By this time Murrow had already spent more than 40 years ministering among Native Americans in Indian Territory. Arriving as a young missionary in 1857, he spent the rest of his life preaching, planting churches, training Native pastors, and helping establish Baptist institutions. He is believed to have baptized over 2,000 people in his ministry. The orphanage that bore his name provided a home and education for Native American children from tribes across Indian Territory. Murrow was one of the most important figures in early Oklahoma Baptist history, spending more than 70 years ministering in Indian Territory and Oklahoma.

OTD in 1749, the Philadelphia Baptist Association adopted its historic statement on the “power and duty” of an association of churches. It affirmed both the independence of the local church and the value of churches voluntarily working together: “Several such independent churches… may, and ought, for their mutual strength, counsel, and other valuable advantages, by their voluntary and free consent, to enter into an agreement and confederation.”

OTD in 1877, J. Frank Norris was born. The longtime pastor of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Norris became one of the best-known and most controversial fundamentalist preachers of the early 20th century. Known for his brash personality and willingness to court controversy, he was also a pioneer in church growth and built one of the largest churches in America.

OTD in 1962, Charles E. Maddry died. Maddry served for 12 years as executive secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Foreign Mission Board, now @imb_sbc. Maddry led the board through most of the difficult days of World War II and laid the foundation for postwar growth. At the time of his retirement, the board had 504 missionaries under appointment. When he took leadership of the board in 1932, it was burdened by debt during the depths of the Great Depression. Under Maddry’s leadership, the FMB worked its way out of more than a decade of debt, finally becoming debt-free in 1943. His leadership helped put Southern Baptist foreign missions on firmer financial footing for the years of growth that followed.

OTD in 1999, a gunman entered Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, during a youth rally and opened fire. About 150 people, mostly teenagers, had gathered at the church following See You at the Pole events. Seven people, four teenagers and three adults, were killed and seven others were wounded before the gunman took his own life. Those killed were Kristi Beckel, Shawn Brown, Sydney Browning, Joseph Ennis, Cassandra Griffin, Kim Jones, and Justin Ray. In the days that followed, Wedgwood's pastor, Al Meredith, spoke of the church's grief, but also of its hope in Christ: “We grieve, but not as those who have no hope.”

OTD in 2010, Kevin Ezell @kevezell was voted in by Trustees as President of the North American Mission Board.

OTD in 1635, the Massachusetts General Court banished Roger Williams for his religious beliefs, including his insistence that civil government should not control matters of faith. Williams fled Massachusetts and went on to found Rhode Island, which became a refuge for those seeking religious liberty. In 1639, he also helped establish the First Baptist Church in Providence, generally recognized as the first Baptist church in America. Long before religious liberty was protected by the Constitution, Williams was arguing that church and state should remain separate and that faith could not be coerced by the government.

OTD in 1931, Adrian Rogers was born. Rogers served as the longtime pastor of @bellevuememphis and three times as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. One of the best-known Southern Baptist preachers of his generation, Rogers also played a central role in the Conservative Resurgence in the SBC. He later founded Love Worth Finding, which continues to broadcast his preaching around the world. Rogers died in 2005 at the age of 74.

OTD in 1812, Adoniram and Ann Judson were baptized by Baptist missionary William Ward in Calcutta, India. The Judsons had left America as Congregationalist missionaries, but during their four-month voyage to India they studied the question of baptism for themselves. By the time they arrived, both had become convinced of Baptist beliefs—even though the decision meant separating from the churches and mission board that had sent them. Their change of conviction would have enormous consequences back home, helping spark the organization of Baptists in America for the cause of foreign missions.

OTD in 1832, the first Baptist church in Oklahoma was organized near present-day Muskogee. John Davis, a Creek Indian preacher who had migrated to Indian Territory the year before, joined missionaries David Lewis and his wife to organize Muscogee Baptist Church. The church began with just six members: David Lewis and his wife, John Davis, and three enslaved men named Quash, Bob, and Ned.

In 1807 the "Baptized Licking Locust Association, Friends of Humanity" was formed. It was named for Locust Creek and Licking River in the region in Kentucky.