Four Fascinating Facts about Rhode Island
1. The official name of the state is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Despite efforts to change the name and shorten it, in a statewide referendum in 2010, 78% of voters chose to keep its historic name.
2. Rhode Island was the first of the original Thirteen Colonies to declare independence from British rule, declaring itself independent on May 4, 1776, two months before any other colony. The State was also the last of the thirteen original colonies to ratify the United States Constitution.
3. Roger Williams is considered the founder of Rhode Island. He came from England to Massachusetts as a Church of England minister. He became a Puritan, and was eventually forced out of Massachusetts because of his theology (nonconforming theology was banned in Massachusetts, to the extent that they later put to death four Quakers). He also fought with religious leaders because he insisted that whites must purchase land from the natives, rather than confiscating it by force.
After he was run out of Massachusetts, he set up a colony with religious freedom, the first one in North America, and called it Providence Plantation. This became a part of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, or what is known today as Rhode Island.
4. The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference has chosen Providence, Rhode Island as the site of its 66th Annual Family Conference. They will descend upon Warwick, near the airport, just south of the city of Providence July 21–24, 2014 for a time of fellowship, worship and encouragement.
Dr. Ed Stetzer, internationally-known author, speaker, researcher, pastor, church planter, and Christian missiologist is our special guest speaker for the conference. We will begin Monday evening, celebrating the Lord’s Table with Conference Minister Ron Hamilton and Conference President Paul McPheeters. For complete conference schedule click HERE.
2014 CCCC Annual Conference
July 21-24, 2014
Crowne Plaza – Providence (Warwick)
To register for the conference, click HERE.
