Daily AncestorBy experience
By experience in Baptist minutes means a person joined after telling the church of their conversion, usually followed by baptism, not by transfer letter.
Baptist churches received members in two main ways: by letter from another church, or by experience, meaning the person related a personal religious experience to the congregation and was then baptized.
Received by experience usually marks a first-time member. The baptism date that follows may be the only dated religious event for that person.
As seen in a recordBaptist church minutes, 1790s to 1900s
Came forward and related an experience of grace, Jos. Pettit, rec. for baptism
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "By experience." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/church/by-experience. Last checked 2026-10-03.