Long May Thy Servant Feed Sheep

Benjamin Beddome (1718-1795) was an eighteenth-century English Particular Baptist pastor. He was well-known in his day as an eminent minister, exceptional hymnwriter, and effective preacher; accordingly, he received invitations to pastor more prominent churches in Bristol and London. Beddome, however, chose to remain in the more obscure station of Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds of England, where he pastored the same church for fifty-two years. After his death in 1795, his influence continued through the publication of his sermons, hymns, and catechism. Today, however, the Bourton pastor has largely been forgotten by evangelical Christians. This study constructs the pastoral theology of this useful minister and retrieves wisdom for the contemporary church and its pastors.