I love the history of Virginia, particularly the history of churches in Virginia. I’m a twelfth-generation Virginian1, and many of my ancestors were congregants or pastors in the Commonwealth's churches.
One Virginia pastor you should know about is Elijah Craig, a colonial Reformed Baptist.
If you think you’ve heard that name before, it’s because a bourbon brand is named after him. But if that is all you know about Elijah Craig, then you’re missing out on the history of a pastor who boldly preached the gospel, was imprisoned for his faith, fought for religious liberty in Virginia and what would become the United States, started classical Christian schools, and was an avid Christian entrepreneur.
Both of my grandmothers designated me the next generation’s family historian, unloading on me a wealth of family genealogical archives.