Timothy Dwight (1752-1817), a distinguished Congregational minister and educator, was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. His mother was the daughter of Jonathan Edwards. He entered Yale College at the age of 13 and, graduating four years later, became a tutor; which position he resigned in 1777 to become a chaplain in the Revolutionary army. He later became a pastor in Greenfield, Connecticut and, in 1795, was elected president of Yale College. He remained in this position until his death. His evangelical faith coupled with his prominent position at Yale influenced many young ministers during and after his lifetime.
Yale
Beecher, Lyman
Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) was born at New Haven, Connecticut, the descendant of one of the founders of the New Haven colony. In 1797 he graduated from Yale, having studied under Timothy Dwight. He preached in Presbyterian and Congregational churches in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York before accepting the pastorate of the Second Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati. Here he became president of the newly established Lane Theological Seminary. He was a well-known opponent of Unitarianism, an eloquent preacher, an advocate of temperance, and the father of seven sons who became Congregational ministers and two daughters who became famous writers, especially Harriet who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. His style of preaching and the causes he fought for influenced preachers for several generations.
Brainerd, David
David Brainerd (1718-1747) was born in Haddam, Connecticut. At the age of 14, he was orphaned. He studied for nearly three years (1739-1742) at Yale but was expelled for criticizing the spiritual depth of one of the tutors. He prepared for the ministry and became licensed to preach in 1742. Early in 1743, he decided to devote himself to missionary work among the Indians. Supported by the Scottish Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, he worked first at Kaunaumeek, an Indian settlement near Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and later among the Delaware Indians in Pennsylvania (near Easton) and New Jersey (near Cranbury). His frail health and tireless efforts as a missionary led to his early death. He died at the home of his friend, Jonathan Edwards, in Northampton, Massachusetts. His Journal was published in two parts in 1746. In 1749 Jonathan Edwards published An Account of the Life of the Late Reverend David Brainerd, which has become a missionary classic. His brief but inspiring life and his writings have roused countless young people to dedicate their lives to mission work.