Experience New England: To the Golden Shore Tour

If you havent heard me talk about this book already (have you been living under a rock?) then let me just quickly introduce it to you. "To the Golden Shore" is a biography about Adoniram Judson, written by Courtney Anderson. Judson was the first missionary sent out from America to another country. He went to Burma. Its an amazing book and everyone should read it. The leadership team for Christian Student Fellowship has been reading through it this trimester, and I'm really getting a lot from it.

Travis, our campus minister, decided we should take a day trip and explore some of the points of interest from the book. Most of the book takes place in either New England or Burma, and so we were able to explore quite a few interesting places! Let me share a few pictures, following with relevant quotes from the book:

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Tabernacle Congregational Church, Salem Massachusetts

"Next Thursday, February 6, 1812 by appointment of the Prudential Committee of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Messangers Adoniram Judson, Samuel Newell, Samuel Nott, and Gordon Hall are to be set apart by a solemn ordination at Christian missionaries to carry the Gospel of Salvation to the heathen. The public exercises are to be holden at the Tabernacle in this town, and to commence at 11:00am..."

-Samuel Worcester (pg 106)

Salem Harbor, Massachusetts

"It proved impossible to load the Caravan in time to sail on the tenth. She lay at the end of the Crowninsheild's Wharf- closest to the sea of all of Salem's wharves- until the 13th."  (pg 116)

Beverly, Massachusetts

"Jaunting the few short miles to Salem, as they must have done often, Adoniram and his father would not have gone far through Beverly's streets before unmistakable evidences of wealth began to appear everywhere."  (pg 21)

First Congregational Church in Wenham, Massachusetts

"In Wenham the church chose the pastor but the town employed him and paid his salary. Immediately after the church made its decision, a town meeting was held. The town voted to invite Mr. Judson to be its minister..." (pg 16)

Judson House, Plymouth, Massachusetts

"But the Judson's did not settle on this side of the Town brook. East of the brook, in the direction of the new church and the Training Green, the land rose upward into what was then known as 'Watson's Hill.' ... A crude Road in front of it, scarcely more than a wagon track, became known as 'the way to the new meeting house.' Later it was called 'the way to the Judson's house'; still later, "Judson Street"; and today, 'Pleasant Street.' The house still stands, Number 17 Pleasant Street."   (page 27)

It was a great little excursion. It was so amazing to be able to see all these places up close, places where people lived out hard decisions, decisions that cost some of them their lives as they set sail to unknown lands.  The Salem Tabernacle church even had a specific room full of all sorts of historical artifacts relating to Adoniram Judson and similar people like the Newells, Samuel Worcester, etc. I recommend this day trip to anyone with an interest of church history.