Jump Start # 3963
1 Corinthians 1:26 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.”
Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past
The Man Who Baptized Abraham Lincoln
His name was John O’Kane and he is one of Indiana’s famous preachers from a century ago. He was born in 1802 in Virginia. He became affiliated with James O’Kelly’s reforms in Virginia. This movement has been identified by historians as the ‘Newlights.’ He moved to Ohio where he taught school and began to preach. Reading articles in Barton W. Stone’s Christian Messenger helped O’Kane understand more fully the ancient Gospel of Jesus Christ. O’Kane moved to Milton, Indiana in 1832.
For many years, O’Kane was influential in establishing churches in Rush, Fayette and Decatur counties in Indiana. He helped to organize the church in Connersville in 1833. It was here that he published a paper called “The Christian Casket.” O’Kane also established the first church in Indianapolis. This church began meeting in 1833 in a log house on Market Street. While working in Indianapolis, O’Kane was given the opportunity to preach to the legislature. He moved and preached in the Crawfordsville area from 1837-1847. In 1851, he became the field agent to sell stock in the development of a new university that brethren were establishing. It was called, “Northwestern Christian University.” We know it today as Butler University. During his first four months as the field agent, O’Kane visited about 10% of the Indiana churches and was able to raise $25,000 for the school. O’Kane became involved in a bitter argument with Alexander Campbell, who was president of Bethany College, in Virginia. Campbell felt that O’Kane was using the issue of slavery to persuade brethren to attend Northwestern instead of Bethany.
In 1859, O’Kane moved to Independence, Missouri. O’Kane had an exceptional knowledge of Biblical languages. He was considered a modern day scholar. He stood 6 feet 2 inches tall. With a deep and solemn voice, and standing perfectly still all the time he preached, O’Kane was impressive to his audiences. He was widely known for his wit both in and out of the pulpit. One such story, involved a man belonging to a denomination that said of O’Kane, “Brother, John, I used to think you were an unprofitable servant, but I think differently now.” “Indeed,” O’Kane replied, “that is precisely what I used to think of you, brother, but I have never changed my mind.” (Madison Evans, Pioneer Preachers of Indiana, pg. 337).
O’Kane preached the gospel for 56 years (27 of them were spent in Indiana). He died in 1881 and was buried in St. Louis, MO.
Now to Abraham Lincoln’s baptism. It has been passed down through the years that John O’Kane baptized Lincoln in 1860 in Springfield, IL. The story first came to light when a Mr. G.M. Weimer wrote a letter to the Christian Evangelist in 1942. Weimer, 85 years old in 1942, confessed that O’Kane had told him about Lincoln’s baptism during the Illinois State Convention. According to Weimer, O’Kane said the following: ‘On the night before Lincoln was baptized his wife cried all night. So the matter was deferred, as she thought. But soon after Lincoln and I took extra clothing and took a buggy ride. I baptized him in a creek near Springfield, IL. We changed to dry clothing and returned to the city and by his request I placed his name on the church book. It was thought best on the account of the ‘ruckus’ Mrs. Lincoln raised to keep it all to themselves.” It seems that G.M. Weimer’s letter was the only proof of Lincoln having been baptized by John O’Kane. Lincoln did know personally Gospel preachers such as James Stark and Walter Bowles. Lincoln’s father was a member of the church of Christ in Illinois. Thomas Lincoln’s funeral was preached by Thomas Goodman, another Gospel preacher. Brethren rejoiced with the idea of Lincoln belonging to the church. Historically however this story does not seem to be accurate. Lincoln was considered to be a member by the Methodists, Presbyterians, Quakers, Catholics, Universalists, Congregationists and Spiritualists. The personal character of Lincoln plus many errors within the Weimer letter truly discredit any realistic possibility of John O’Kane having baptized Lincoln.
John O’Kane, another of Indiana’s colorful preachers of the gospel from the past.
Roger
Written July, 1992