James Madison Pendleton
Encyclopedia
James Madison Pendleton was a leading 19th century Baptist
preacher, educator and theologian.
, the son of John Pendleton and Frances Jackson Thompson. He was named for President James Madison
. When he was small his parents moved to Christian County, Kentucky
. At age seventeen, he united with the Bethel church in Christian County and was baptized.
in 1833. In his lifetime he pastored churches at Bethel, Hopkinsville, and Bowling Green
in Kentucky; Murfreesboro
in Tennessee
; Hamilton in Ohio
; and Upland
in Pennsylvania
. While pastoring in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Pendleton married Catherine Stockton Garnett in 1838. They had five children. In 1857 he became professor of Theology at Union University in Murfreesboro. Though a born Southerner, Pendleton disagreed with secession and moved north around 1862. Denison University
conferred on him the title of Doctor of Divinity in 1865. Pendelton was involved with Baptist industrialist John P. Crozer and others in founding the Crozer Theological Seminary
in Upland, Pennsylvania.
Pendleton, Amos Cooper Dayton
, and James Robinson Graves
, due to the work and influence, were known as "The Great Triumvirate" of the Landmark movement. His "An Old Landmark Reset" is considered a foundational document of this movement within the Southern Baptist Convention
. According to David Dockery and Timothy George in Baptist Theologians, "Pendleton's desire to restrict Landmark ideology to the central issue of the authority and function of the local church, his atypical Southern opinions regarding slavery, and his desire to preserve the union of the United States" led toward a breach and dissolution of the "Triumvirate" following the Civil War
.
Pendleton, Dayton, and Graves articulated and promoted landmark beliefs through their books and newspaper articles in the Tennessee Baptist. Pendleton also wrote for Southern Baptist Review.
Pendleton and Graves published a hymn book called The Southern Psalmist in 1858.
Pendleton died March 4, 1891 and is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
"The inspired writers, as if to preclude the idea of a church commensurate with a province, a kingdom, or an empire, make use of the following forms of expression, 'the churches of Galatia,' 'the churches of Macedonia'."
"What is an evangelical denomination? A denomination whose faith and practice correspond with the gospel. What is an evangelical church? A church formed according to the New Testament model."
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
preacher, educator and theologian.
Early life
James Madison Pendleton was born November 20, 1811, in Spotsylvania County, VirginiaSpotsylvania County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,395 people, 31,308 households, and 24,639 families residing in the county. The population density was 226 people per square mile . There were 33,329 housing units at an average density of 83 per square mile...
, the son of John Pendleton and Frances Jackson Thompson. He was named for President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. When he was small his parents moved to Christian County, Kentucky
Christian County, Kentucky
Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1797. As of 2000, its population was 72,265. Its county seat is Hopkinsville, Kentucky...
. At age seventeen, he united with the Bethel church in Christian County and was baptized.
Ministry
J. M. Pendleton was ordained at Hopkinsville, KentuckyHopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...
in 1833. In his lifetime he pastored churches at Bethel, Hopkinsville, and Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
in Kentucky; Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; Hamilton in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
; and Upland
Upland, Pennsylvania
Upland is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Upland is governed by an elected seven member borough council. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Upland is located at ....
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. While pastoring in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Pendleton married Catherine Stockton Garnett in 1838. They had five children. In 1857 he became professor of Theology at Union University in Murfreesboro. Though a born Southerner, Pendleton disagreed with secession and moved north around 1862. Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
conferred on him the title of Doctor of Divinity in 1865. Pendelton was involved with Baptist industrialist John P. Crozer and others in founding the Crozer Theological Seminary
Crozer Theological Seminary
The Crozer Theological Seminary was a multi-denominational religious institution located in Upland, Pennsylvania. The school succeeded a Normal School established at the site and the building's use as a hospital during the American Civil War...
in Upland, Pennsylvania.
Pendleton, Amos Cooper Dayton
Amos Cooper Dayton
Amos Cooper Dayton was a physician, Baptist minister, author, editor and educator, perhaps best remembered for his religious novels of the late 1850s and his role in the Landmark Baptist movement.-Earl life and education:...
, and James Robinson Graves
James Robinson Graves
James Robinson Graves was a US Baptist preacher, publisher, evangelist, debater, author, and editor. He was born in Chester, Vermont, the son of Z. C. Graves, and died in Memphis, Tennessee. His remains are interred in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.Though raised in a Congregational background, he...
, due to the work and influence, were known as "The Great Triumvirate" of the Landmark movement. His "An Old Landmark Reset" is considered a foundational document of this movement within the Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
. According to David Dockery and Timothy George in Baptist Theologians, "Pendleton's desire to restrict Landmark ideology to the central issue of the authority and function of the local church, his atypical Southern opinions regarding slavery, and his desire to preserve the union of the United States" led toward a breach and dissolution of the "Triumvirate" following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Pendleton, Dayton, and Graves articulated and promoted landmark beliefs through their books and newspaper articles in the Tennessee Baptist. Pendleton also wrote for Southern Baptist Review.
Pendleton and Graves published a hymn book called The Southern Psalmist in 1858.
Pendleton died March 4, 1891 and is buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Quotes
"I affirm with strongest emphasis that the independent form of government cherishes a sense of individual responsibility. These who have to decide great questions by their votes are in a responsible position.""The inspired writers, as if to preclude the idea of a church commensurate with a province, a kingdom, or an empire, make use of the following forms of expression, 'the churches of Galatia,' 'the churches of Macedonia'."
"What is an evangelical denomination? A denomination whose faith and practice correspond with the gospel. What is an evangelical church? A church formed according to the New Testament model."
Writings
- An Old Landmark Reset
- Brief Notes on the New Testament
- Christian Doctrines, a Compendium of Theology
- Christianity Susceptible of Legal Proof
- Church Discipline
- Church Manual
- Sermons on Important Subjects
- The Atonement of Christ
- The Lord's Supper
- Three Reasons Why I Am a Baptist
- Reminiscences of a Long Life