Silas Mead and his Baptist family

In 1861, a young and energetic minister, Rev Silas Mead, arrived in Adelaide to lead the Baptists in the new colony of South Australia. He was to become a ''giant'' of the Australian Baptist story. His vision was innovative and egalitarian, deeply missional, compassionate and organisationally astute. Traces of his influence can still be seen in the churches and organisations he initiated and inspired, throughout Australia and overseas.

In 2020, a team of Baptist historians was granted access to rare family archives and have now brought Mead''s little-known story to life in this richly illustrated volume.

Widowed early, Mead had strong and loving bonds with his children until the end of his life. In an unusual approach, the writers have followed Mead''s children and grandchildren as each revealed Mead''s influence on their life paths. His great-grandson has also contributed a family reflection.

Silas Mead was a man of profound lasting influence. He was a distinguished Australian Evangelical, who displayed adaptability, being drawn into the holiness movement of his day. He championed the role of women inside and outside the churches. He dedicated his life to global mission. Perhaps his most striking memorial was the persistent moulding power of his priorities over his descendants. Mead''s ministry was almost as influential after his death as it had been in his lifetime.

Professor David Bebbington

University of Stirling

Silas Mead is one of the giants of our mission story. He models for us attentiveness to God''s leading, bold faith, a spirit of innovation and a strong commitment to the place of women in ministry. As we learn from our past, this study of Mead''s life and his descendants is a valuable contribution to our collective Australian Baptist mission story.

Scott Pilgrim

Executive Director, Baptist Mission Australia

A leading figure in the history of our movement and mission, the name Silas Mead is recognisable to many South Australian Baptists. But the scope of his story is far less known, and most would be unaware of how his faith shaped the next generation and bore fruit in the lives of his descendants. In particular, his advocacy and desire to make space for women in the life of the church is embodied in the remarkable lives of his daughters and granddaughters. This study of the Mead family should inspire all those who seek to faithfully follow Jesus in ways that unfold for generations to come.

Rev Dr Melinda Cousins, 

Director of Ministries, Baptist Churches of SA