This week in Christian history: John Eliot baptized, trailblazing black bishop dies

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, July 31, 2022

John Eliot baptized – Aug. 5, 1604

This week marks the anniversary of when Puritan missionary John Eliot, best known for his extensive evangelism efforts among Native Americans, was baptized at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Widford.

A native of Widford, Hertfordshire, England, Eliot moved to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1631 and later became known as the “Apostle to the Indians” for his mission work among local tribesmen.

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“Eliot learned to speak the Wôpanâak language fluently, and with the help of a Native American named John Sassamon, he translated the Bible into that language,” explained the Museum of the Bible.

“Tensions between Native Americans and English colonists erupted, leading to King Philip’s War in 1675. By the end of the war, nearly all copies of the Wôpanâak-language Bible were destroyed.”