Elias Smith

Elias Smith

Elias Smith was an American preacher, medical doctor, journalist and clergyman. Smith, along with the preacher Abner Jones, founded a group of Christian Churches in New England that eventually merged with other like-minded, regional groups to become the denomination known as the Christian Connexion. Smith founded The Herald of Gospel Liberty in 1808, which he claimed to be "the world's first religious newspaper". It was not the first in the world, but may have been the first in the U.S. The Herald had two purposes: reporting news of revivals and promoting "religious liberty", by which he meant an end to tax supported churches.