George Washington Baines

==Career==
===Baptist ministry beginnings===
[[File:George washington baines house 2008.jpg|thumb|The [[George Washington Baines House|G. W. Baines House]]]]
In 1832, he had a conversion experience{{clarification needed|date=November 2023}} in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, under the T.J. Fisher ministry.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Early|first=Joseph Everett|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EpLknrGtI7gC&pg=PA50 |title=A Texas Baptist History Sourcebook: A Companion to McBeth's Texas Baptists|date=2004|publisher=University of North Texas Press|isbn=978-1-57441-176-8|language=en}}{{page needed|date=January 2024}}</ref> He was baptized in Salem Baptist Church at the age of 25, and in 1834 he became licensed to preach by the Philadelphia Baptist Church of [[Tuscaloosa County, Alabama|Tuscaloosa County]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7vZkoiIPkq4C&pg=PA159 |title=Boone Co, AR|date=1998|publisher=Turner Publishing Company|isbn=978-1-56311-423-6|language=en}}</ref> He was ordained by the Grant's Creek Baptist Church on August 7, 1836. His father was among the signers of his preaching license and certificate of ordination.<ref name=Ballard/>

===Political career in Arkansas===
In 1837, he settled in [[Carroll County, Arkansas]], moving in an effort to recuperate from his recurring [[dyspepsia]].<ref name=TSHA/> He lived along [[Crooked Creek (Arkansas)|Crooked Creek]], about two miles southwest of present-day [[Harrison, Arkansas]], the area today lies in [[Boone County, Arkansas|Boone County]]. After settling in, he resumed his religious calling, helping to establish three churches, where he then preached. He also served as a missionary for the Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. In 1842, Baines was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[Arkansas House of Representatives]], representing Carroll County from November 7, 1842, to February 4, 1843. As a representative, Baines was a member of several select committees, including one to create [[Newton County, Arkansas|Newton County]].<ref name=Ark>{{cite web|last=Polston|first=Michael D.|url= https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/george-washington-baines-17982/|title=George Washington Baines (1809-1882)|website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|date=June 19, 2023|access-date=November 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>Arkansas Biennial Report of the Secretary of State John W. Crockett, Tunnah & Pittard, 1903, Fourth Legislature Held November 7, 1842-February 4, 1843, pg. 123-124</ref>

Baines baptized more than 100 people in Arkansas, where he lived for seven years, before moving to [[Mount Lebanon, Louisiana]], with his family in July 1844.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baines Family Collection, Inclusive: 1807-1912, undated; Bulk: 1855-1882; 1896-1899|url= https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/164145.pdf|website=Baylor University|access-date=January 20, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180527234144/https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/164145.pdf|archive-date=May 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Baylor University===
Baines moved to [[Huntsville, Texas]], with his family in 1850. In Huntsville, he was the pastor for [[Sam Houston]].<ref name=LBJPresidentialLibrary>{{cite web|url= https://www.lbjlibrary.org/life-and-legacy/the-man-himself/lbj-and-religion|title=LBJ and Religion|publisher=[[Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum]]|accessdate=January 20, 2024}}</ref> He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Baylor University from 1851 until 1859.<ref name=BU/> Baines, working almost singlehandedly, established the ''[[Texas Baptist (1855–1861)|Texas Baptist]]'' in 1855 in [[Anderson, Texas]].  He arranged the printing of the paper with R. A. Van Horn, publisher of Anderson's ''Central Texian''. A former Baylor University professor, J. B. Stiteler, joined Baines as assistant editor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stone Jr.|first=William J.|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-baptist-1855-61|title=Texas Baptist [1855–61]|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|work=The [[Handbook of Texas]] Online|accessdate=January 20, 2024}}</ref> Baines became the first editor of the first Baptist newspaper in Texas, the ''Texas Baptist'', while a member of the Board of Baylor. After [[Rufus Columbus Burleson]] departed the presidency of Baylor University for [[Waco University]], Baines was appointed president by the Board, until they could find a suitable replacement for Burleson and before the start of the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=BU/> On July 27, 1861, Baines was awarded with an honorary Master of Arts degree by Baylor University.<ref name=TSHA/> After his first year as president, the trustees found it difficult to find anyone to lead the financially-plagued university, and asked Baines to continue as president.<ref name=BU>{{Cite web|title=George Washington Baines, Baylor President, 1861-1863|url=https://about.web.baylor.edu/person/george-washington-baines|website=Baylor University|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Health issues forced him to resign from the position in 1863. Shortly after leaving Baylor he moved to [[Fairfield, Texas]], where his wife and youngest son died.<ref name=TSHA/>

===Death===
He devoted his life as a Christian leader; even with his chronic dyspepsia, he was a field agent of the [[Baptist State Convention]] for several years. After the death of his second wife in January 1882, he lived with his daughter Anna in [[Belton, Texas]]. G. W. Baines died on December 28, 1882, of [[malaria]], a day before his 73rd birthday. At the time he was a pastor at [[Salado, Texas|Salado]].<ref name=TSHA/>