History
Quinton Baptist Church was the outgrowth of Sunday school work started in May 1876 by Morris G. Fowser, assisted by Samuel Patrick, William Shimp, William Hancock, Rebecca Patrick, and Margaret Fowser. The work was started in Beasley’s Neck School House for the neighborhood children. Morris Fowser interested entire families into coming, and Quinton was soon represented in the Sunday school by the Shimps, Smiths, and Patricks. Morris Fowser was elected superintendent and held classes in the Beasley’s Neck School until the weather began to get cold. They then voted to move their Sunday school to the Quinton School House, located where Quinton Fire Hall now stands. This was done in September 1876.
There was need for a better library, so a fair and festival was held, which enabled them to procure a more adequate one. They had no organ, but Miss Amanda Perry offered to loan them one if Mr. Fowser would get it to and from the school house. Every Sunday, Mr. Fowser would start out from his home in Beasley’s Neck, with his market wagon loaded with the nearby families. He would drop them off in Quinton, go back to the Perry home, load up the organ, and get to Quinton in time to start the services. After the Sunday school session, he would load the organ and return it, then go back after his family and return them home. He did this for a long time, until they were able to raise funds to purchase an organ of their own. The First Baptist Church of Salem gave them an additional boost by the donation of their library.
The Lord prospered them and in due time, the building that currently serves as our Fellowship Hall and Education Building was started.
During Mr. Fowser’s fourteen years as superintendent of the Sunday school, preaching services, which resulted in a number of conversions, were conducted at the close of the Sundays school session.
It soon became apparent that a chapel was necessary, so a group of Sunday school members met at the home of William Shimp in January 1889 to organize a chapel society. Thirty-two members were enrolled at the first meeting, and $3.49 in dues was collected.
On June 15, 1889, the first public subscription was taken for the chapel fund. In October of the same year, there was enough money on hand to begin work, which was finished and ready for use by February 1890. Land in the middle of Quinton and Marlboro Turnpike from Dave P. and Francis R. Smith of Camden, NJ, was sold to Josiah T. Harris, in trust of the township, on April 18, 1889, for $325.00, for a group known as The Baptist Chapel Society of Quinton, NJ. Certificate of incorporation was filed for Quinton Baptist Church on March 15, 1890, but was recorded in May 1893. A second tract of land was purchased from Clinton and S. Grace Kelty of Salem, NJ, by Quinton Baptist Church trustees for $30.00 in 1891. A third tract of land was purchased from David P. and Francis R. Smith by Quinton Baptist Church for $300.00 in 1892. A fourth tract of land was purchased from Clinton and S. Grace Kelty and Lewis H. and Flora Ayars by the trustees of Quinton Baptist Church for $1.00 in 1894.
On March 5, 1890, a meeting was held for the election of officers. The meeting was called to order by Samuel Patrick. John Anderson was elected chairman and Josiah Harris was elected clerk. They then proceeded to elect officers. The deacons elected were: John Anderson, Morris G. Fowser, Joseph Powell, Samuel Patrick, John Robinson, Samuel L. Kelty, and Peter Pierpoint. Trustees elected were: Alexander Hall, William R. Hackett, Peter Shimp, James B. McAllister, William Radal, Mulford Lounsbury, and Benjamin Irelan. Collectors elected were William Fowser and George Pierpoint. Ushers were Chauncy Patrick and Joel Mills.
On March 12, 1890, a council was convened to consider the possibility of recognizing the new fellowship as a regular Baptist Church. Forty-nine delegates from churches in the First Baptist Association (First and Memorial Baptist in Salem, Canton, Alloway, and Pearl St. and First Baptist in Bridgeton, Cedarville, Woodstown, Woodbury, and Pittsgrove) formed the council which met on this day. In the formation of the Quinton Baptist Church, the following churches granted letters of permission: First Baptist and Pear St. in Bridgeton, First Baptist and Memorial Baptist in Salem, Canton Baptist, and Alloway Baptist Churches. Also on this day, the members of Quinton Baptist Church dedicated their house of worship to the Lord. The forty-nine original members of the church declared to the council its adoption of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith, as well as statements concerning its present encumbrances and its future prospects. The council then voted that the members represented in the letters be recognized as a regular constitutional Baptist Church.
Having been recognized as a regular Baptist Church, they adopted the first church covenant.
From the small group of forty-nine, the church grew to a membership of 82 within one year. By 1926, the membership had grown to 240. The membership at the end of 1964 was over 200. As late as 1997, the church membership stood at 264. The church stands today, as it did over 100 years ago, as a memorial to those forty-nine charter members who saw a vision of a work that would bring salvation through Jesus Christ to many people.