I hail from Turner and am a local pastor, ordained less than 50 miles from Lewiston at the call of the First Freewill Baptist Church of West Buxton.

Did you know that the church in Buxton was the second Freewill Baptist Church in Maine, and its founding was under the leadership of none other than Benjamin Randal?

Who was Benjamin Randal? He was the founder of the Freewill Baptist movement. I just read the Sun Journal’s articles on Bates College (May 29), and his name was not even mentioned, so I am not surprised that most people probably do not know Randal. I was really looking forward to reading the paper’s coverage of Bates College’s 150th anniversary, and was sadly disappointed that once again our media has written Christianity out of history.

I cannot blame it all on the newspaper. The president of Bates College, Elaine Tuttle Hansen, in her article barely mentioned it, either. She hinted at Bates’ “spiritual” heritage when she wrote, “In earlier years, Bates graduates most often became intellectual and spiritual guides-teachers and preachers who advanced exemplary social, civil and spiritual values.”

Spiritual values, I wonder if Ms. Hansen has ever read those early charters, bylaws, covenants, hymns and statements of faith housed at Bates’ library. It was to advance the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, whose name was left out of the article, too. I wonder if anyone considered listing his name in the “Famous Names from Bates” list. If Jesus were still on the Earth today, I wonder if Bates College would consider bestowing on him an honorary degree. It was pointed out, of course, “halfway through the 20th century Bates stopped portraying itself as a Christian college.” So possibly this might be the reason why so many associated with the college find it acceptable to erase the school’s Christian heritage.

I would not expect Ms. Tuttle, Mr. Clark, Mr. Larson and the Sun Journal to know that just two towns over from Lewiston is a local pastor from the Freewill tradition. How could you? However, did anyone consider going to the Bates College library to look at its extensive collection of papers documenting the early Freewill Baptist movement in Maine? If that was too much trouble, may I recommend a book that was written by former parishioner Phyllis P. Madeiros entitled “The Seeds and the Soil.”

The author spent many hours in Bates library reading these manuscripts and compiled them into a concise book of only 51 pages. I know she gave the library a copy of her book. If someone had looked at this book, I’m sure the person could have even set up an interview with the author, a history teacher at Bonney Eagle High School.

There is an old proverb that warns, “Do not bite the hand that feeds you.” Christianity has fed our nation in so many ways. Colby, Bangor Theological, Bates and many other colleges and seminaries were started to educate our state and our nation for the glory of God, and the proclamation of Jesus Christ. The hand of our Freewill Baptist fathers has been bitten by Bates College. Is it any wonder that “the rank that’s nagged at Bates” is “poor community college relations”? As cited in the article, Princeton Review has listed the college as having among the worst “town-gown” problems of more than 300 colleges nationwide in seven of its last 11 annual ratings.

I think of many of our great Christian truths held by those early Freewill reformers. Truths like Jesus’ words to “Love our neighbors.” Bates College represents many institutions of higher learning that are happy to remove Jesus from their campuses. I know that it was the desire of the founders of Bates College to not only set up a prep school, but that also the staff and students would represent the life and message of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Lewiston and surrounding communities.

I wonder if Bates College had continued on this course whether its ranks from the Princeton Review regarding its relationship to the Lewiston community would be different.

The Rev. Nathan C. Colson is the pastor of Turner Village Church.