Baggs, Samuel

Samuel Baggs (1887-1968), teacher, Methodist/United Church minister, was born in Broad Cove, Bay de Verde, Newfoundland, on 24 June 1887, the son of Archibald and Janet Baggs. He married Laura Lorenzen (sp), of Garnish. They had no children. The Rev. Baggs died on 2 August 1968 in St. John's.

As a teenager, Baggs fished with his father on the coast of Labrador. After finishing school, he accepted a teaching position at Garnish. There he realized he wished to enter the Methodist ministry. He requested a position where he could teach as well as lead in religious worship; he was sent to Indian Burying Place, Notre Dame Bay. In 1912, he became a probationer for the Methodist minstry and served in the Deer Island Charge in Bonavista Bay. He attended Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, in 1914 and graduated with a BA degree in in 1917. He was ordained at Cochrane St. Church in June, 1917.

Rev. Baggs served many pastoral charges, including Newtown/Lumsden (1917-21), Bay Roberts (1921-25), Western Bay (1925-28), Freshwater (1928-30) Blackhead (1930-35), Bay Roberts (1935-1936), Channel, Port aux Basques (1936-44),Twillingate (1944-46) and Channel (1946-56).

In 1934, Baggs was elected Secretary of the United Church Conference, and in 1936, became its President.

Following his retirement from the full-time ministry in 1956, Rev. Baggs served as retired assistant minister at First United Church in Corner Brook (1956-7) and Port aux Basques (1957-62) In 1963 he moved to St. John's where he served as supply minister at Cochrane St. United Church and as summer supply at Grand Falls and Grand Bank.

Baggs was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Mount Allison University. He was an active member of the Masonic Order and was named Grand Chaplain of the Masonic Order of the English Lodge in 1967.

Created - April 29, 2013

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