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Francis Asbury CHRISTIAN HISTORY Issue 114 Francis Asbury Pioneer of Methodism America’s most explosive church movement TAKING CAREFUL NOTES Left: Asbury carried with him everywhere a notebook in which he recorded USA attendance, donations, and his evaluations of Methodist preachers. USA EW JERSEY, N AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL Below: A statue of Francis USA Asbury stands overlooking the traffic in Washington, EW JERSEY, DC, to this day. N EW JERSEY, N IBRARY, MADISON, L IBRARY, MADISON, L NIVERSITY U IBRARY, MADISON, REW L D NIVERSITY U REW NIVERSITY D U HURCH AND C REW D HURCH AND C HURCH AND C Did you know? NITED METHODIST U HE WITHOUT FRANCIS ASBURY, THE AMERICAN T NITED METHODIST LANDSCAPE WOULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT U HE T NITED METHODIST ISTORY FOR U H HE T NO ZIP CODE NEEDED ISTORY FOR At the height of his career, Francis Asbury (1745–1816) H RCHIVES AND A ISTORY FOR was so famous that one need only write on a letter H “Bishop Francis Asbury, United States of America” RCHIVES AND A and the letter would reach him. More than a thou- ISSION ON MM O RCHIVES AND sand children are known to have been named after C A him; if you have a Frank or Francis in your family ISSION ON MM ENERAL tree, you may have Asbury to thank. He was more O G C widely recognized by the common people than any- 36 Americans), and Asbury had ordained over 2,000 ISSION ON MM O C one else from his era—including George Washington Methodist preachers, nearly all of those who were ENERAL RESS G and Thomas Jefferson. preaching at the time. Despite poor health, he had rid- P ENERAL den over 130,000 miles and preached for 45 years (an G average of eight miles per day), probably delivering NIVERSITY DEAD CATS AND SNORTING PIGS U Asbury was born in England and began his preach- more than 10,000 sermons—approximately one sermon XFORD ing career there. Bedfordshire, the circuit on which every three days. O , he preached (a circuit was a series of towns or villages INT A THE METHODIST COLLECTIONS OF N S assigned to a single preacher) was very hostile to Meth- TRAVELING LIGHT AND WITH AN OPEN HAND M A odists. Mobs frequently assaulted Methodist preachers. Asbury never married or owned much more than he THE METHODIST COLLECTIONS OF One preacher was hit on the head with a dead cat. In could carry on horseback. He told Henry Boehm, one AMERIC M ISSION FRO another house people met in a room above a pig sty of his traveling companions, that “the equipment of a M THE METHODIST COLLECTIONS OF IGGER, M to hear preaching, and a relative of one of the listen- Methodist minister consisted of a horse, saddle and W ISSION FRO ers dropped food to the pigs during preaching services, bridle, one suit of clothes, a watch, a pocket Bible, and a M SED WITH PER hoping that the pigs would make so much noise that hymn book. Anything else would be an encumbrance.” U ISSION FRO the Methodists would shut up. In the end, the Method- George Roberts, another preacher, recorded that M ists out-shouted the pigs and kept going. Asbury left New York for Boston on one trip with only SED WITH PER U three dollars in his pocket and refused to take more SED WITH PER STARTLING STATISTICS from anyone on the way. U When Asbury first came to the American colonies as a sbury heard preaching—John A 26-year-old Methodist missionary in 1771, there were SETTING THE GOSPEL FREE ents to his preachers— 600 Methodist believers on the new continent. Fewer Presbyterians, Anglicans, and members of other more MM than 1 in 800 people was a Methodist. When he died established churches would have been surprised by the HURCH WHERE SBURY CO sbury equestrian statue— Mug, pitcher, clock— C in 1816, there were over 200,000 Methodists (1 of every expanded roles for women and African Americans in A A Christian History ASBURY COMMents to his preachers—USED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE METHODIST COLLECTIONS OF THE GENERAL COMMISSION ON ARCHIVES AND HISTORY FOR THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND DREW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, MADISON, NEW JERSEY, USA Asbury equestrian statue—USED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE METHODIST COLLECTIONS OF THE GENERAL COMMISSION ON ARCHIVES AND HISTORY FOR THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND DREW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, MADISON, NEW JERSEY, USA Mug, pitcher, clock—USED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE METHODIST COLLECTIONS OF THE GENERAL COMMISSION ON ARCHIVES AND HISTORY FOR THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND DREW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, MADISON, NEW JERSEY, USA CHURCH WHERE Asbury heard preaching—John WIGGER, AMERICAN SAINT, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Issue 114 Issue he washe carrying contain must other or silver valuables. was believedaccosted men who that by the packages themloaded horse. on Asbury’s across the Allegheny Mountains McKendree, to and he was assignedPreacher Young carry to Jacob the items his Bishop William successor, McKendree (1757–1835). When Asbury died, left he his books and to papers TREASURES INSADDLEBAGS Allen, shortly before his mused: death, cated and such wealthier, times and grew places fewer. mainline as Methodism’s cally, grew sophisti more and in preached. even Ironi public, believers, prayed times and both where places groups exhorted fellow were Methodism—there of branches American African found to and James Varick chains “My 21) (see p. fell off,” worshipers ledagainst both Richard “African” Allen thiscomplicated—discrimination support was always Methodistservices, ineven mixed gatherings. Though MOMEN ready forhisclose-up appears onthreepiecesofpottery. representing theirfoundersinart course ofhislife. Asbury firstheardMethodistspreach. West thousands. is be to awfully It feared that the sim beneficialproved thousands to and ten times therein. and desire walk to ask the for way, would good old plineWe is was. from altered it what considerably to the world and the theto fashions world thereof fading], andyears [is that ago they conform more plicity the of Gospel that was among them fifty Along the way on anAlongthe isolated way part theof trail, Young I am well convinced that the Methodist has B romwich, in T OUS SERMONS E ngland’s WestMidlands,Francis Right: Above: At All . H Methodists loved ere JohnWesley S I t changedthe aints’ Churchin . The disci The - - - - Francis Asbury and the Methodists Some material of this was adapted from P The two bandits galloped off without stealing athing. seenhave and heard him house.” preach in father’s my “Is Bishop Asbury askeddead. “I the robber. dead?” was now who belonged Bishopand to Asbury, luggage replied that carried he that but his valuables no horse Young here.” tiful seem it plenty of have to You there? One the of robberssaid scoffed, plen Young. “Is money They asked him hadfrom. he where come “Baltimore,” Washington, A statue Asbury of on his horse stands this to in day name, the statue bears these inscriptions tribute: of as the one of Besides builders Asbury’s our of nation.” remarked in his speech that Asbury entitled “is rankto Calvin President by who and over presided Coolidge, attended aceremony thousands by at in people of 1924 was dedicated It and Wilmore, Kentucky.) Jersey, New Streets.16th (Similar statues also stand in Madison, ROPHE and settlements from 1771 to 1816 greatly pro and settlements 1816 to from 1771 find them in our Christian civilization. gion in the American republic. andmoted reli patriotism, morality, education, His continuous journey through cities, villages, The the of road. prophet long seek Ifthe you for results his of will laboryou T ANDBUILDER DC, at the at corner Pleasant Mount of and C H by John Wigger. American Saint: - - - 1 Editor’s note They pray the most, they preach the best. in small groups, encouraged by boisterous camp meet- They labor most for endless rest; ings, and singing its way across the nation to vigorous I hope my Lord them will increase. tunes, the movement spread like a sanctified brush fire. And fill the world with Methodist. As it grew, however, the fire was directed and con- The world, the devil, and Tom Paine trolled—perhaps even domesticated. Pastors who Have tried their best but all’s in vain. settled in large city churches replaced circuit-riding They can’t prevail, the reason’s this: preachers. Outdoor worship moved inside to elegant The Lord defends the Methodist. Gothic churches with carpets, trained choirs, and pews (Methodist song, c. 1813) rented to the well-to-do. Methodists gained access to powerful politicians and wealthy backers. I HAVE TRIED for much of my life to understand Still, the church maintained a reforming energy— Methodists. especially through the temperance movement. Speeches, My youth was spent navigating the waters of United marches, writings, songs, and the labors of count- Methodism in the 1970s. By then it resembled the aver- less Methodists powered the fervor for total absti- age American mainline denomination: large churches, nence from alcohol that swept late nineteenth-century multiple seminaries, settled long-term pastors, exten- Protestantism. Even in my own childhood, Methodists sive music and youth programs, and an honored place clearly stood for the idea that, when faced with social in American political life. problems, churches need to roll up their sleeves, wade It was not until I attended graduate school with in, and get to work. the purpose of studying my own tradition that I truly While no longer United Methodist, I am still a his- realized that Methodism’s beginning in America was torian of Methodism and have even published a book many things I had not expected: rowdy, ecstatic, sacra- about why Methodists use grape juice in Communion.
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