BELYEA, JAMES GILCHRIST ABRAM (1854-1919)

BELYEA, JAMES GILCHRIST ABRAM, Baptist minister, Doaktown field, 1907-13; b. Belyea's Cove, Queens Co., N.B., 29 Jun 1854, s/o John G. Belyea and Margaret Gilchrist; m. 1st, 1877, Violet E. Bishop of Harvey parish, Albert County, N.B., and 2nd, 1901, Mary E. (Purdy) Sweet, a native of Cumberland Co., N.S.; d. Cross Creek, N.B., 29 Dec 1919.

James ("J. G. A.") Belyea was educated at Acadia University (BA 1882) and was a teacher and principal for fifteen years in Saint John, Shediac and elsewhere before he entered the ministry. Ordained in 1897, he had pulpits at Middle Sackville, N.B., Westchester, N.S., and Cavendish, P.E.I. In 1907 he accepted an invitation to Doaktown as pastor of the Baptist church there and of the churches at New Salem, Upper Blackville, and Underhill. He was "much beloved" and remained stationed at Doaktown for six years. When he left in 1913 he went to Fredericton Junction. His last church was at Cross Creek, near Stanley.

Belyea had "splendid mental gifts" and "a consistent Christian character." In his theological views he was "sanely conservative," having no place for "the vagaries of modern theological thought on the more radical side." The respect in which he was held by his colleagues was expressed through his election to a term as moderator of the New Brunswick Baptist Association. He subsequently served as secretary of that body until his death.

In 1891, Belyea and his first wife had six children between two and ten years of age living at home in Shediac. When he died in1919 he left his second wife, Mary E. (Purdy) Sweet, three daughters, and two sons.