This new 3-issue set from Christian History & Biography explores the remarkable richness found in non-Western cultures and their intensified beauty when transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Accounts of fierce devotion and prophetic faith will spark the flame of mission within you while stories of freedom and social reformation will awaken you to the extraordinary power of holistic ministry.

The Following are notes prepared by Steve Shadrach, USCWM Mobilization, which he shared at the 200th anniversary celebration of the Haystack Prayer Meeting at Williams College in August 2006:

The Haystack Prayer Meeting
History and Implications

Introduction:

Background of Samuel Mills
Born April 21, 1783 in Torringford, CT. (4th son and 7th child of Reverend Samuel J. Mills, Sr and Esther Robbins Mills). His mother consecrated him to the Lord and missions, praying “I have consecrated this child to the service of God as a missionary.” She spoke often of David Brainerd and Eliot and others.

As a 15 year old he left home to attend an academy at Litchfield and fell into despair and spiritual confusion stating, “Oh, that I had never been born! For two years I have been sorry God ever made me.” Shortly afterwards, supposedly, a pastor/evangelist named Edward Griffin in CT led Samuel to the Lord. By age 19 Mills had experienced quite a change of heart. His father observed this about Samuel: “that he could not conceive of any course of life of which to pass the rest of his days that would prove so pleasant as to go and communicate the gospel salvation to the poor heathen.”

1793—Williams College founded. This was the same time (June 1793) Carey was sailing for India. At his time in England was the same time and port that the mutineers from The Bounty were sailing back into London from Tahiti. The whole country was abuzz about the mutiny when young Carey and his family were sailing out.

1806—Even though Mill’s father and many relatives had all gone to Yale, he went to Williams—starting as a freshman in April ‘06 as a 23 year old. He was manly and neat in appearance, but “his voice was not clear, nor his eye brilliant, nor his language fluent. Unlike his father he had no wit”
His spiritual mentor Pastor Griffin spoke that spring in Philadelphia and gave a missionary message entitled “The Kingdom of Christ.” Mills came to hear him, made copies of his message, and passed them out on campus. Mills was always journaling his thoughts and prayers to God in those days. One entry stated “O that I might be aroused from this careless and stupid state, and be enabled to fill up life well! I think I can trust myself in the hands of God, and all that is dear to me; but loin to have the time arrive when the gospel shall be preached to the poor Africans, and likewise to all nations.”
He was rooming with Harvey Loomis on the second floor of the east side of West Hall, next to the stairs.

August 1806—As a result of the spiritual awakenings in New England at this time and the recruiting and challenging Mills was constantly doing, there were at least two weekly (on wed and sat) prayer meetings on campus. When it was cold they would be meet at the Bardwell house north of campus. The rest of the year they would meet outside, usually in Sloan’s Meadow under the maple trees. On this hot Saturday afternoon in August it was only Mills and four others that showed up. Normally, more would come, but the stifling heat kept some away.  The five there were: Samuel J. Mills, James Richards, Francis Robbins, Harvey Loomis, and Byram Green. They had been reading together of William Carey, his exploits and writings. This day they were speaking mainly of the spiritual darkness that engulfed Asia. Mills proposed they pray together, take action to become and send missionaries. Everyone concurred and prayed out loud except Loomis who thought it was too dangerous, and that the heathens should be civilized first, and even suggested sending Christian armies over first to subdue them.
As the rain came and the five found shelter by (or under) the haystack, they continued to pray—on their knees. Mills finished up the prayer time by rebuking his roommate Loomis, praying out loud “O God, strike down the arm, with red artillery from heaven, that shall be raised against the cross.” After singing a hymn Mills looked at the men and declared, “We can do this if we will!”

1808—These five (and a few others) formed, in a Williams dorm room, the very first missions society in North America, calling it the “Society of the Brethren.” It was a secret organization that only men who committed themselves to “go do missions among the heathen” could join. After extensive interviews, the accepted ones were allowed to read the societies’ constitution (spelled out in secret code) and then sign their name (also in secret code). They did this because they were fearful people and churches would think they were too fanatical, impulsive, unrealistic, young, and naïve to pursue and accomplish these goals.

1810—Mills finished at Williams, went to New Haven for a few months to recruit Yale students to the missions cause, and then enrolled at Andover Seminary. Gordon Hall, one of the first missionaries to leave America, went to Williams and then Andover with Mills. Hall described him as a man “without extraordinary talents, but with an energy of faith and profound benevolence” so much so that his “influence was felt to the remotest corner of this ruined world.”
At Andover Seminary, Mills, Richards, Rice, and Hall were meeting and praying together. Another young man, recently repenting from his infidelities, joined the society. His name was Adoniram Judson. These seminary students started discussing the possibility of forming a missions sending agency. Anxious to go to the field, a few of “the brethren” asked the London Missionary Society to take them on as mission candidates and pay for their mission efforts, but Mills felt that the American churches should pay their way.
Mills roomed with Timothy Woodbridge at Andover and described Mills as “an awkward figure with an ungainly manner and an unelastic and croaking sort of voice; but he has a great heart and great designs.”

Mills and his team mates spread out to start “Society of the Brethren” chapters and recruit members at different campuses—to Middlebury, Yale, Dartmouth and Union. Mills was described at this time as modest, humble, distrustful of his own capacity, but had great faith in the power and purposes of God. He did not seek great things for himself and was inclined to pray and wait, but not inactively.

On June 18, 1810, Mills, Judson, Nott, and Newell (along with the approval and aid of a couple of their seminary profs) came before the General Association of Massachusetts at Bradford, MA to ask them to form a mission agency to send workers to the heathen. The leaders listened and approved of it, a board was formed, and board members selected. They met for the first time September 5, 1810 in Farmington, CT and named themselves “American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.” Several of the board members were  influential men who were presidents of colleges, including Timothy Dwight of Yale. John Jay, the first Supreme Court Chief Justice, was also on this board.

1811—The constitution and records of the “Society of the Brethren” was brought to Andover and a newer version was created in 1811 called “The Society of Inquiry on the Subject of Missions” and continued at Andover until 1979. It required each member to pledge to “keep absolutely free from every engagement which….are incompatible with the goals of the society” and to “hold himself in readiness to go on a mission when and where duty might call.” This constitution was signed by Mills, Richards, Robbins, Luther Rice, Ezra Fisk, Daniel Smead and others. It too was all in secret code because most Christian leaders thought missions was very impractical with great risk of failure with no support coming from the churches.

1812—Five missionaries were chosen to be sent out first: Newell, Nott, Hall, Rice, and Judson. Newell and Judson left from Salem on Feb. 9th. Nott, Newell, and Hall sailed from Philadelphia on Feb. 18th. Mills was not allowed to be one of the missionaries because they deemed his recruiting abilities so strong they wanted him to stay behind to send others. For 2 years, starting in 1812, Mills went to New Orleans and throughout the South and West preaching, starting bible and mission societies. Over 40 mission societies were started in the U.S in the subsequent four years.

1813-1818—In June 1815 Mills came back to New York to do inner city work and spend two years promoting the missionary cause. Besides helping to form ABCFM, he created the Foreign Mission School at Cornwall, CT that, for ten years, educated heathen youth. He helped form the United Foreign Missionary Society (under the Presbyterian Church). He formed the American Bible Society. He created the American Colonization Society because he had developed a heart for the Africans who had been captured and brought to America as slaves. He wanted to be able to free them and send them back to Africa (as missionaries) and live in a free state. One of his duties with this Colonization Society was to explore the coast of Africa to choose the sites of a colony to send American slaves back to their homeland. After talking to numerous chiefs, he embarked for America on May 22nd, 1818. Having caught cold and fever, it got worse and finally he died on June 16th at age 35. His body was thrown overboard near the coast of Africa. One historian, Lucius Smith, said of him, “few have been so indifferent to the question as to whether their work would be recognized by others. He was content, nay, preferred to work out of sight.” It was not til his death “that the world was permitted to know the extent of its obligations to him.”

1821-1878—Mills spiritual mentor, Dr. Griffith, had now become president of Williams. When numerous people were trying to give him credit for starting some of the different mission societies and strategies, etc…Griffith responded, “I here publicly declare that in every instance I received the first impulse from Samuel John Mills.”
In the 1840’s one notable student at Andover Seminary named Royal Gould Wilder had joined “The Society of the Brethren” and sailed for India in 1846 with the ABCFM.
In 1854 the Williams alumni voted to commemorate the place where the prayer meeting took place, and several purchased the property (spearheaded by the wealthy New York Christian businessman, John Tappan) and named it “Mission Park.” The monument was built in 1867.

1878—Luther Wishard appointed to be a YMCA traveling rep. He hears about the Haystack Prayer meeting, comes back in Feb 1878, gets on his knees to pray.
Royal Gould Wilder had come back from India (because of poor health) with his family, moved to Princeton, NJ and began the Missionary Review of the World. His son Robert attended Princeton, and daughter Grace attended Mt. Holyoke. Both started mission movements on their campuses and along with Wishard and John R. Mott (from Cornell) convince D.L. Moody in the spring of 1886 to hold a one month bible conference for collegiate men across the country.

1886—First gathering of the Student Volunteer Movement at Mt. Hermon, MA. 251 men from 89 campuses come.

1906—October 9th hundreds (thousands?) gather to remember the Haystack Prayer Meeting. Numerous speakers, including John R. Mott and Samuel Zwemer, deliver addresses.