Six Principle Baptist Church

Stony Lane Six Principle Baptist Church, also known as the Old Baptist Meeting House, is a historic church in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. As of 2009 it was one of the last surviving historical congregations of the Six Principle Baptist denomination and one of the oldest churches in the United States.

History

The cemetery and meeting house date to approximately 1703 when the land was deeded for use as meeting house. General Six-Principle Baptists were a denomination that developed out of the First Baptist Church in America in Providence. Rhode Island founder Roger Williams was active in both Providence and nearby North Kingstown during this period. The permanent congregation in North Kingstown was likely founded after 1664 when Reverend Thomas Baker, a member of the Newport congregation, removed to North Kingstown. The meeting house underwent major renovations in a Greek Revival style in 1842 although the original 18th century core of the building is believed to be present underneath the Greek Revival modifications. The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. As of 2009 the church still holds weekly Sunday morning services at 10:30AM, and the pastor is John Wheeler.