Thomas Armitage: Baptist Pastor, Historian, and Leader

Thomas Armitage (1819-1896) was a Baptist pastor, author, and leader who ministered to a single congregation—New York City’s Fifth Avenue Baptist Church—for forty years. Despite his accomplishments, he has largely been forgotten other than being noted as the author of A History of the Baptists . In addition to serving faithfully in the pastorate, he played a significant role as a leader in the American Bible Union. His English birth, his parents’ untimely death, and his Methodist rearing all made it unlikely that he would become one of the most influential Baptist pastors in nineteenth-century America. His story is, therefore, a testimony of the power of God to work in the life of a man who surrenders to His will.