February 27: Today in Christian History

February 27, 1536

The First Helvetic Confession, also known as the Second Basel Confession, drafted by Heinrich Bullinger and Leo Jud, is adopted by Swiss reformers at Basel.

February 27, 1710

Mennonite Melchior Zahler is betrayed, captured, and bound in Switzerland at the instigation of a Reformed churchman. His children and possessions are taken from him and he is brought to Berne where he is sentenced to be transported to America.

February 27, 1792

Death in Cork, Ireland, of Samuel Neale, an internationally-known Quaker evangelist.

February 27, 1823

Henry Williams reaches Sydney, Australia, enroute to New Zealand as a missionary. He will be largely responsible for the success of the Church Missionary Society in New Zealand, and serve as archdeacon of the Waimate region.

February 27, 1830

Death on Long Island of Quaker leader Elias Hicks, founder of the Hicksites (a more liberal branch of the Society of Friends) that rejected creeds and taught progressive revelation. Hicks had been instrumental in ridding Quakers of slaves and in getting legislation passed that banned slavery in New York state.

February 27, 1937

Death in New England of Emily Malbone Morgan, who had founded the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross. The Episcopal Church will commemorate her as a prophetic witness.

February 27, 1996

A mob of ten thousand Muslims attacks Coptic Christian homes in Egypt’s Nile Delta.

February 27, 2003

Death from a heart attack of Tilahun Haile, an Ethiopian pastor and evangelist for the Kale Heywet Church, who had preached and taught in the local Amharic lanaguage.