Before the Declaration was penned, a 17-year-old fought for the American cause in the Continental Army at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He continued serving throughout the Revolutionary War, including at Saratoga, Trenton, and Princeton. At Oriskany, his courage–alongside that of a fellow lieutenant–helped turn the battle, forcing the British to withdraw and preventing a major enemy victory. He made his mark in securing our nation’s freedom.

After the war, he made an even greater mark when he was called to preach. Sent by the Connecticut Congregational Missionary Society, John Spencer planted churches in western New York, mainly Chautauqua County. In 1815, he founded the Kiantone Congregational Church. While pastoring a church in Busti, Spencer died and was buried in Sheridan cemetery he had helped establish for the community. The Kiantone church remains the longest-running church in the county. With the simple yet elegant features of a classic 19th-century New England meetinghouse, the congregation still worships in the original building–now with indoor plumbing and electricity.

Not only has Revolutionary War hero John Spencer left his legacy on the church, Roger Sherman, a profound figure in American history, has his fingerprints here as well. Standing alone the only founder to sign all four of America’s foundational documents – the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Association, the Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution – Roger Sherman, a Reformed evangelical Christian, was commissioned to write the Statement of Faith for his congregation in New Haven, Connecticut. With a few modifications, Kiantone’s original confession is Sherman’s Statement of Faith for his congregation in New Haven. That church no longer exists, but Kiantone keeps on keeping on.

Kiantone is just one example. The spirit of the 1776 era also left its mark elsewhere in our county: Sherman is named for Roger Sherman; Clymer for George Clymer; Carroll for Charles Carroll; Stockton for Richard Stockton; Gerry for Elbridge Gerry; and Ellery for William Ellery.

The above figures were all signers of the Declaration of Independence and most had vibrant true faith in Jesus. They joined with others in sharing the same faith, including Benjamin Rush, Thomas McKean, Samuel Huntington, Francis Hopkinson, John Witherspoon, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Paine, George Read, Oliver Wolcott William Whipple etc.

No list of those signers would be complete without the man with the most famous signature of all: John Hancock. Before the nation’s creed was forged in the Declaration, Hancock presided over the Continental Congress, which two months earlier had adopted a compelling resolution for “a Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God’s righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon and forgiveness.”

July 4 embedded as a permanent reminder of Stars and Stripes forever followed a declaration of humility stemming from a robust religious influence resulting in the glorious birthday of our nation. Happy 250th Birthday, America!

The Rev. Mel McGinnis is a Frewsburg resident.