JOHN AND STEPHEN GANO 281 



In 1798 he fell from liis horse, breaking his shoulder. . 

 Soon after he was stricken with paralysis. During the 

 Great Revival, 1800-1803, his speech was restored and he 

 preached, as a contemporary described it, "in an as- 

 tonishing manner." 



Consider what an influence wiis exerted by this Hugue- 

 not descendant. The territory covered by his labours was 

 larger than that of the Apostle Paul. It extended from An American 

 Connecticut to Georgia and west to the Kentucky River. 

 He was interested in all of the denominational enterprises 

 of his time. He was one of the first home missionaries 

 sent out by the Philadelphia Association, the first Amer- 

 ican Baptist chaplain, a loyal supporter of Hopewell 

 Academy and Rhode Island College. He was present en- 

 couraging the movement when the South Carolina Baptists 

 set apart the first money for the education of their young 

 preachers. From this beginning came the Southern Bap- 

 tist Theological Seminary. He gave sound Calviuistic 

 colouring to the theology of the Virginia Baptists, and 

 stirred all the churches to which he preached with mis- 

 sionary zeal. 



II 



Rev. Stephen Gano, son of John Gano, was a man of a worthy son 

 mark, whose chief work was done in Rhode Island, where 

 his ancestor Francis found refuge. Like John Gano, the 

 son possessed great personal magnetism and charm. He 

 had the French clearness of style, vividness of imagina- 

 tion, warmth of temperament, and flow of language. At 

 the same time he combined with pulj)it power executive 

 ability, and was marked by strong common sense and 

 practical judgment. He was a leader in Providence, as 

 John Gano was in New York and later in Kentucky. As 

 pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of Provi- Pastor of 

 dence — the church founded by Roger Williams, that church?^^'^* 

 great apostle of religious liberty — Stephen Gano exerted Roge^^'^ ^^ 

 a wide influence. He held this pastorate from 1793 till '^'"'^'"^ 

 his death in 1828, a period of thirty-five years. In every 



