Landmarks of the Baptist Faith The writer of Proverbs urged God’s people to “remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set” (Prov. 22:28). In the mid-nineteenth century this verse became the rallying cry of true Baptists who took their stands against the erosion of ancient Baptist convictions and Bible principles of that day. In 1865 J. M. Pendleton wrote an essay addressing this subject which J. R. Graves later republished in tract form under the title, “An Old Landmark Reset.” After the publication of that tract and the popularity which followed, opponents reproached these brethren and those identified with them by calling them “Old Landmarkers.” In January, 1880, Graves went further in drawing scriptural boundaries when he published his book, Old Landmarkism What Is It? Throughout the centuries, landmarks have been used to designate fixed and recognizable boundaries. Sometimes landmarks were identifiable natural geographic features and at other times they were man-made objects that were generally heavy, unmovable or driven deeply into the ground. The idea was that landmarks would survive time and tumult to designate and identify land lines so that ownership of definite property could be established. In the tradition of Pendleton and Graves, this little book identifies Baptist and Bible Landmarks in the same way. The Landmarks Dr. Gonnella writes about in this volume are ancient and sure guides for biblical belief and practice in every generation. He begins with the landmark of salvation and security, and then drives the Baptist landmark deep into the ground by sharing great truth about baptism, the Lord’s supper and the origin and nature of true New Testament churches. He adequately deals with the subject of church succession and scriptural church government, then closes by challenging twenty-first century Baptists to reset the ancient landmarks. The dedication of Old Landmarkism is fitting here. That book was dedicated to those: “Who love those principles for which our Baptist fathers for eighteen centuries suffered cruel mockings, bloody stripes, imprisonments, and martyrdoms; and are willing to be their successors as the ‘witnesses of the truth’ in this Laodicean Age of universal lukewarmness and indifferentism with respect to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, and especially the characteristic principles and policy which distinguished Baptists in the purest ages of the churches of Christ.” Dr. Larry E. Clements
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DAVID GONNELLA was born in Washington, DC, in 1951. He was born again in 1962, being led to Christ by one of his Sunday School teachers. He was subsequently baptized into the membership of the First Baptist Church of Riverdale, Maryland. Called to preach at age 16, he sought a Bible college education and received his Graduate of Theology degree at the Temple Baptist College in Orlando, Florida. This was followed by Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctor of Theology degrees from the Fundamental Baptist Theological Seminary in Youngstown, Ohio. He has held pastorates in Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and is currently the pastor of the Landmark Baptist Church in Rockdale, Texas. He has served on the faculty of a Bible college, as faculty member of one Christian school and as administrator of two Christian schools. He has been married to Elaine for 36 years. They have two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Rachel, both of whom are faithful members of Baptist churches. Bro. Gonnella has held successful Bible conferences and revivals in many churches throughout the eastern and southern United States. His preaching style is direct and doctrinal, building his messages in a systematic method that is easy to understand. |