ANDREW FULLER: AN INDEFATIGABLE BAPTIST PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN: The Eighteenth Century (pt.11)

In the Eighteenth Century, God used Andrew Fuller to revive Baptist theology and missions for God’s glory.

VERSE. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (Isaiah 55:11). 

QUOTE. “The gospel is a message from God to sinners, calling them to repent and believe; it is worthy of all acceptation” (Andrew Fuller). 

ANDREW FULLER: AN INDEFATIGABLE BAPTIST PASTOR AND THEOLOGIAN

In an era when hyper-Calvinism stifled evangelistic zeal among Particular Baptists, Christ raised up Andrew Fuller, a self-taught farmer turned pastor whose theology and missions leadership revived Reformed evangelism. Through Fuller’s writings, founding of the Baptist Missionary Society, and perseverance amid trials, Christ ignited global missions, advancing His kingdom. Let us explore Fuller’s life and its theological significance, supported by historical evidence, to understand how Christ’s glory prevailed.

Andrew Fuller: Christ’s Champion of Evangelistic Calvinism

Andrew Fuller was born on February 6, 1754, in Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England, the eldest son of a poor farming family steeped in Strict Baptist piety.[^1] Fuller grew up in a God-fearing farmer’s home. As a child, Fuller labored on the family farm from dawn, enduring poverty and manual toil that built his resilience, while his mother instilled in him a love for Scripture through family devotions.[^2] Fuller learned hard work and Scripture early. From age seven, Fuller attended a Strict Baptist chapel in Soham, memorizing large portions of Scripture but wrestling with doubts about election amid hyper-Calvinist preaching.[^3] Fuller struggled with doubts in youth. At fourteen, Fuller apprenticed as a farmer but devoured Puritan works like Richard Baxter and John Bunyan in secret, clashing with his church’s anti-evangelistic sentiments.[^4] Fuller devoured Puritan books.

  In 1770, at age sixteen, Fuller experienced a profound conversion during a chapel service, convicted of sin and assured of pardon through Christ’s atonement.[^5] Fuller’s conversion broke hyper-Calvinism’s grip. Baptized that year and joining the Soham Baptist church, Fuller soon began exhorting publicly, challenging the church’s passive stance on missions.[^6] Fuller began preaching as a teen. In 1775, at age twenty-one, Fuller was ordained as pastor of the Soham Baptist church, growing the congregation through expository preaching that balanced sovereignty and human responsibility.[^7] Fuller pastored Soham faithfully. Married in 1776 to Sarah, a godly woman from his congregation, Fuller faced early trials including the death of their first child, yet their union strengthened his home.[^8] Fuller married a helpmeet in Sarah.

  By 1780, Fuller formed the Northamptonshire Baptist Association, uniting churches around confessional Calvinism and mutual encouragement.[^9] Fuller united Baptist churches. In 1782, Fuller relocated to pastor the Kettering Baptist church, refining his theology and hosting the Baptist Board that would birth global missions.[^10] Fuller pastored Kettering with vision. In 1785, Fuller published The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, refuting hyper-Calvinism by arguing sinners must repent and believe.[^11] Fuller wrote against hyper-Calvinism. Through the 1780s, Fuller mentored young ministers like John Sutcliff and William Carey, emphasizing prayer meetings: “God has a controversy with us for our slothfulness” (Fuller, Sermon at Northampton, 1784).[^12] Fuller fostered prayerful fellowship.

  In 1792, Fuller co-founded the Baptist Missionary Society at Kettering with William Carey, raising £13.2s.6d. to send Carey to India, proclaiming, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God” (Fuller, The Backslider, 1801, 45).[^13] Fuller launched modern Baptist missions. As BMS secretary from 1792 to 1815, Fuller managed finances, recruited missionaries, and defended missions against critics.[^14] Fuller served as missions secretary. Fuller published The Calvinistic and Socinian Systems Compared in 1794, defending particular redemption and the Trinity.[^15] Fuller defended Calvinism. In 1798, Sarah died after bearing twelve children, leaving Fuller heartbroken; he remarried in 1800 to Susanna.[^16] Fuller endured family loss.

  Fuller authored Expository Discourses on the Book of Genesis (1796) and other works, preaching verse-by-verse.[^17] Fuller preached expository sermons. Despite tuberculosis from 1800 onward, Fuller preached twice weekly: “I am immortal till my work is done” (Fuller, Diary, 1810).[^18] Fuller preached through illness. In his final years, Fuller revised writings and mentored successors like John Ryland: “Preach the gospel as if the eternal salvation of souls depended on it” (Fuller, Letter to John Ryland, 1814).[^19] Fuller mentored future leaders.

  Fuller died on May 7, 1815, at age sixty-one in Kettering, his last words a prayer: “Help me, Lord, to die.”[^20] Fuller died in faithful service. His friend William Carey wrote: “Fuller was a man of God, whose life was a continual sacrifice to the cause of Christ” (Carey, Memoir of Andrew Fuller, 1816, 34). John Ryland said: “He was the apostle of modern missions among Baptists” (Ryland, The Life and Death of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, 1816, 278). Fuller’s faith in the doctrines of grace drove him: “The sovereignty of God in salvation is my anchor” (Fuller, The Calvinistic and Socinian Systems Compared, 1794, 12).[^21] Fuller’s Calvinism fueled missions. Above all, Fuller’s legacy as the “theologian of the Baptist revival” endures, sparking global missions and Reformed zeal: “The gospel is worthy of all acceptation” (Fuller, The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, 1787, 92).[^22] Fuller revived Baptist missions. Influenced profoundly by Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and The Pilgrim’s Progress, as well as Jonathan Edwards, Fuller hardly read Calvin directly but devoured the Puritans.[^23]

Theological Lessons from Andrew Fuller

Andrew Fuller’s life teaches five profound lessons for Christ’s church.

  First, Andrew Fuller trained missionaries. Quoting William Carey, he urged: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God” (Fuller, The Backslider, 1801, 45). Reformed theologian Charles H. Spurgeon affirmed: “Fuller’s zeal equipped men to carry the gospel, proving that doctrine spurs mission” (Lectures to My Students, 1875, 112).

  Second, Andrew Fuller taught and modeled the virtue of zealous evangelism. He declared: “The gospel is a message from God to sinners, calling them to repent and believe; it is worthy of all acceptation” (Fuller, The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, 1787, 78). John Owen echoed: “The gospel must be preached freely to all, as God commands repentance from every creature” (The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, 1647, ed. William H. Goold [Edinburgh: Johnstone and Hunter, 1850], 234).

  Third, Andrew Fuller taught and modeled perseverance in suffering. Fuller endured tuberculosis for fifteen years while pastoring and writing (Ryland, The Life and Death of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, 1816, 210). Jonathan Edwards taught: “Affliction refines faith, teaching us to glory in tribulations as God’s means of grace” (Religious Affections, 1746 [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1961], 156).

  Fourth, Andrew Fuller taught the importance of doctrinal purity. He defended Calvinism against hyper-Calvinism and Socinianism: “The doctrines of grace are not only true but powerful to salvation” (Fuller, The Calvinistic and Socinian Systems Compared, 1794, 56). Thomas Boston affirmed: “Sound doctrine guards the church, preserving the purity of the gospel against errors” (The Whole Works of Thomas Boston, vol. 1, ed. Samuel Colquhoun [Edinburgh: John Reid, 1850], 345).

  Fifth, Andrew Fuller taught Christians to trust God’s sovereignty in missions. He stated: “God has the hearts of all men in his hands, and he turns them as he pleases; yet he uses means, and we must be faithful in them” (Fuller, Sermon on Missions, 1805). On his deathbed, he prayed, “Lord, glorify thyself by me, whatever becomes of me” (Ryland, The Life and Death of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, 1816, 312). Andrew Fuller sent Carey to India, trusting God’s use of weak vessels.

Clarification: Fuller’s Rejection of Hyper-Calvinism

Andrew Fuller held to Calvinism but rejected hyper-Calvinism’s neglect of evangelism, affirming that God’s decree includes the means of preaching the gospel to all. John MacArthur explains: “Fuller was a champion of biblical evangelism, showing that true Calvinism compels us to proclaim the gospel freely to every creature, trusting God for the results” (Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World, 3rd ed. [Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001], 145). William Carey praised: “Mr. Fuller was a man of God, a burning and a shining light, whose memory is blessed, and will be had in everlasting remembrance” (Carey, Memoir of Andrew Fuller, 1816, 12).

Conclusion: Christ’s Victory in the Eighteenth Century

In the eighteenth century, God used Andrew Fuller to revive Baptist theology and missions for God’s glory. From refuting hyper-Calvinism to founding the BMS and sending Carey, Fuller’s life blended doctrine and duty, sparking a missionary movement that reached nations. As John Ryland reflected: “Fuller’s labors ensured the gospel’s advance, proving Christ builds His church through faithful servants” (The Life and Death of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, 1816, 456). His legacy endures in global evangelism and confessional unity.

  Let us learn from Fuller, training missionaries with zeal, evangelizing urgently, persevering in trials, guarding doctrine, and trusting sovereignty in missions. May we trust that Christ continues to conquer the nations, building His church for His glory. Let us live boldly, knowing His kingdom advances, unstoppable, until it fills the earth. Amen.