John Gano (July 22, 1727–Aug. 10, 1804) was an early American Baptist preacher. He pastored First Baptist Church New York City for 26 years and served as a chaplain in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. When the war ended in 1783, General George Washington personally asked Gano to offer a prayer of thanksgiving.
The war had forced Gano deeply in debt. He sold his property in New York, paid his debts and moved to frontier Kentucky for a new beginning.
Shortly afterwards, in 1788, he became pastor of Town Fork Baptist Church outside of Lexington. He had a good ministry there until in 1798, at the age of 72, he was thrown from his horse and seriously injured.
While recovering in bed, he suffered a paralytic stroke. Together these calamities caused him to step down from the pastorate and retire to his home in broken health.
Controversy brewing
At this same time a controversy was beginning among Kentucky Baptists.
James Garrard was a Baptist preacher and a popular lawyer in the state. Garrard County is even named after him. While serving as the second governor of Kentucky, Garrard was led to believe the theory of Arianism. This ancient heresy denied the deity of Christ and insisted that Jesus was only a good teacher.
Garrard soon promoted this heretical view throughout the Lexington area. Many Baptist churches were troubled by his teaching and the brethren seemed unsure what to do.
Then someone remembered John Gano. It was now 1803 and the 77-year-old Gano had not recovered completely from his horse fall and stroke. Elkhorn Baptist Association decided to have a meeting and Gano had to be carried to the pulpit. He preached a powerful sermon on the deity of Christ, which helped to stop the spread of Arian heresy in Kentucky.
The next year John Gano died.
If God can use Gano at this point in his life, what difference for the Lord can you make?
(Note: Many other things could be said about John Gano. He was raised a Presbyterian, but an honest study of the scriptures convinced him to become a Baptist. Because of his courageous actions during the Revolutionary War, he was nicknamed “the fighting chaplain.” His oldest son, Capt. Daniel B. Gano {1758–1849} was also a veteran of the war. Several of John Gano’s grandchildren signed affidavits that on multiple occasions they heard Daniel swear he was present when his father baptized George Washington during the Revolutionary War.)
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Ben Stratton and originally published by Kentucky Today.
