Written for: History & Literature of Methodism I
Date Written: 11/11/2009
The
Methodist Circuit Riders
Ryan Watters
God’s Bible School and College
The
Methodist Circuit Riders
John Wesley
once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear
nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care
not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such
alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the
kingdom of God on earth.” And that is essentially what
he received in the form of the Methodist circuit
riders. It was through this brave band of men that
Methodism was strengthened and established, not only in
the motherland of England, but also on the wild
frontiers of America.
The concept of circuit originated with the revival in
England, and crossed the ocean with the first of the
Methodist lay preachers to America. A circuit is
essentially, “an arrangement of preaching points
visited at specified times by an appointed preacher.”
On the early frontier, Methodist preachers were rather
hard to come by at times, and thus the circuit was the
best way to ensure that the most people received the
broadest access to the minister. The itinerant preacher
kept a strict schedule, and arrived at a place on a set
day. The primary method of transportation was on
horseback, though some walked. And travel they did!
Hundreds of miles and countless hours were spent each
year making their way from one preaching point to the
next.
However, the Methodist circuit rider did more than
simply preach a sermon at each stop, but he also
performed weddings, preached funerals and administered
the sacrament. He was also responsible for overseeing
the Methodist societies, which were almost always
established at each point on the circuit.
And so the cycle went. Day after day, mile after mile,
the circuit rider trudged on. His was not an easy life.
As Luccock and Hutchinson state, “It was a call to
‘come and suffer’ that Wesley gave his itinerants, and,
as has been so often the case, such a call proved
exactly the one for which brave men had been waiting.
There were no salaries promised; in fact, besides such
food as the various Methodist societies gave them these
preachers were allowed only enough money to cover their
traveling expenses.”
They also
faced severe persecution at times. It was not unusual
for a Methodist preacher to be hauled off his horse,
beaten, and left along the road somewhere. The reason
you may ask? It was because Methodist preachers
preached the Gospel unashamedly, and unreservedly. They
called sin, sin, and warned people of the coming
judgment. This often did not set well with the
ill-tempered and sinful men of the new frontier. Yet
they pressed on, fearing nothing but sin and desiring
nothing but God.
But just who were these men who sacrificed so much to
establish Methodism on this wild and dangerous
frontier? I will briefly look at three of the most
prominent men: 1) Philip Embury, 2) Captain Webb, and
3) Francis Asbury.
Philip Embury is known to be one of the first
Methodists to begin work in America. He was converted
on December 25, 1752 in his home country of Ireland. He
soon joined the Methodist movement and became a
preacher and class leader. He eventually migrated to
New York City with his family in 1760, and settled into
a comfortable life. Most historians view this time in
his life as too comfortable, resulting in the loss of
his Methodist zeal. His evangelism and preaching were
essentially non-existent during this time period.
However, an event witnessed by his cousin, Barbara
Heck, caused her to plead earnestly with Embury to once
again preach and exhort the lost souls around them. She
even gathered his first congregation for him. This he
did, and before long he established a solid Methodist
society. Embury remained active throughout the early
stages of the Methodist movement in America.
The second looming figure in American Methodism is that
of the august and austere Captain Thomas Webb, an
officer in the British Army. He walked into a service
being held by Embury, and offered his services in the
Methodists endeavors. He became renowned throughout the
country for his great fervency and eloquence. He also
had a few unique characteristics that set him apart
from many preachers in that he always wore his bright
red uniform when he preached and laid his saber across
the pulpit. On top of that, he had lost an eye during a
military excursion, and so wore a green eye patch to
cover the wound.
Wesley once said of Webb, “The Captain is all life and
fire.” Webb certainly lived up to this description. He
worked tirelessly to establish Methodism on this new
frontier, and his efforts were not in vain. Some have
frowned upon Webb for his unusual methods, including
Charles Wesley. However, some historians assert that
Webb, perhaps more than anyone else, deserves credit
for ensuring the establishment of Methodism on American
soil.
Finally, we conclude with Francis Asbury, possibly the
greatest circuit rider in the history of American
Methodism. Born in England in the year 1745, this young
lad was destined to become one of the most important
leaders of the fledgling Methodist movement in America.
He was converted at age thirteen, and soon joined the
Methodists. During the Methodist Conference held in
1771, a call was made for volunteers to journey to
America and help the growing work on the new continent;
Asbury quickly replied. He set sail on September 4,
1771 on a mission that would forever change his life,
and the face of new nation. Upon arriving in America,
he quickly set about his task. As Luccock and
Hutchinson state, “He was always on the go,” and
constantly traveling from one engagement to the next.
It has been stated that perhaps he has traveled more
miles on horseback than any man in the history of the
world.And it was his tireless efforts that not only
endeared him to the hearts of the people residing in
this wild and untamed land, but also forever altered
the destiny of a new nation.
And so it
is in these great shadows that we stand today,
descendents of the monumental efforts they exerted to
establish American Methodism. May we stand in humble
gratefulness for the sacrifices they have made, and
from which we yet benefit.
Reference
Bilhartz,
Terrry D., (1984), Francis
Asbury’s America,
Zondervan, Grand Rapids: MI.
Luccock,
Halford E. and Hutchinson, Paul, (1954),
The
story of Methodism, Abingdon
Press, LaVergne: TN.
Jennings,
Arthur T., (1902), History
of American Wesleyan Methodism, Wesleyan
Methodist Publishing Association.
Smith, Larry, (2009), Personal communication, Class
lecture.
Smith,
Larry, (2009), Presentation
VI: the revival expands and defines
itself, Class
notes.
Wesley, John, (1777), Letters,
Epworth Press, London.