1957-Present
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Kansas City Missouri MO
Founded in 1957 Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City has two daily reminders of the life and ministry of Adoniram Judson. One of the streets in the residential area of campus is named Judson Court reminding students of the venerable missionary who is often called the Father of the Modern Missionary Movement. Housing on Judson Court consists of four-plexes with 4 students in each pod.
The other touchpoint is a painting in the president’s conference room that is signed by Adoniram Judson Jr. The painting is about 4 feet by 3 feet and depicts a winter scene probably in New England, Judson’s birthplace. A sled pulled by one horse is coming across the snow toward a bridge that crosses a frozen creek. It is a good painting and might be a scene that Judson would envision during the hot and rainy season in Burma. In the lower right-hand corner, the painting is signed Adoniram Judson, Jr.
A date on the plaque attached to the frame suggests 1811 as the year of composition though that date and the attribution are sometimes questioned. Judson left Boston in January 1811 for a trip to England to engage the London Missionary Society as this missionary sponsor. His ship was hijacked by a French privateer and Judson was taken to France as a captive until he was mysteriously released and whisked off to England. In May 1811 he was in London making his case for missionary appointment arriving back in America by mid-summer 1811. The first half of that year allowed no time for creative painting.
The second half of 1811 may have provided time to paint though there is no evidence in any of the massive materials about Judson that describes him as an artist. There is no evidence that he painted as a hobby or that he ever purchased painting supplies. July 1811 through January 1812 were days given to preparation for his calling: organizing and packing for a missionary voyage; planning the service to commission the first Congregational missionaries from America on February 6, 1812; courting Ann Hasseltine and planning for a New England wedding on February 5, 1812. 1811 was a very busy year. Did he make time to paint a winter scene in New England?
But the painting reminds us that Judson was such a popular name in the 19th century, people with less than noble intentions used his popularity to advance even unworthy causes. Thanks to Midwestern Seminary for reminding us of the high status of the Judson name across American life.