Background
Hayden was born in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. on April 7, 1839. He was the son of Allen and Nancy McLendon Hayden.
leader pastor teacher newspaper publisher
Hayden was born in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. on April 7, 1839. He was the son of Allen and Nancy McLendon Hayden.
After service in the army of the Confederate States of America, he served as a pastor and teacher in Louisiana. He came to Texas in 1874. He pastored churches in Paris, Galveston, and Dallas.
He purchased the newspaper Texas Baptist from Robert Cooke Buckner in 1883.
After this consolidation, Hayden purchased the other newspaper, J. B. Link"s Texas Baptist Herald, and changed the name to Texas Baptist and Herald. J. Frank Norris bought the paper in 1907 and it was no longer published after 1908.
Hayden and others became convinced of financial mismanagement on the part of the corresponding secretary of the Convention and other improprieties associated with the missions board. Through his newspaper he waged war on those activities he thought improper.
Hayden was denied a seat as a delegate at the 1897 State Convention, and was eventually expelled from lieutenant
This controversy led to the formation of the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas (see Baptist Missionary Association). This association was formed against the advice of Hayden, who wanted to continue the fight within the Convention. Hayden sued over his unseating, which resulted in two hung juries and two victories.
Though the victories were appealed, the court actions ended in 1905, when J. B. Cranfill made an out of court settlement and paid $300 to Hayden.
Samuel Augustus Hayden died in Dallas, Texas on October 10, 1918.