1778 - Henry Alline, the “Apostle of Nova Scotia,” assists in the formation of a Baptist Church

Henry Alline (1748-1784), a key figure in the emergence of the New Light movement, influenced the development of what would become Baptist congregations in Nova Scotia. His evangelical preaching reached both settler and Indigenous audiences, though primarily the former. Although Alline himself was a Congregationalist, many of his followers gravitated toward Baptist views. The New Light emphasis on adult conversion led to questioning infant baptism. Some congregations began practicing believer’s baptism by immersion. Alline taught that churches should be self-governing and autonomous – an idea compatible with Baptist ecclesiology. His style inspired itinerant preachers who eventually organized Baptist churches. Some New Light congregations became Free Will Baptists while others joined with Particular (Calvinistic) Baptists arriving from New England after the Revolution. Alline helped residents of Cornwallis (now Kentville) and Horton form a Baptist Church.

Bell, D.G. “Henry Alline and Maritime Religion.” The Canadian Historical Association Historical Booklet, no. 51 (1993), 1-27. 

Photo Credit: “ALLINE, HENRY,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography, accessed December 15, 2025, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/alline_henry_4E.html?revision_id=30815