Man…does not do evil against his will, under pressure, as though he were taken by the scruff of the neck and dragged into it, like a thief…being dragged off against his will to punishment; but he does it spontaneously and voluntarily. And this willingness or volition is something which he cannot in his own strength eliminate, restrain or alter.
Martin Luther

Francis Asbury

Francis Asbury

Francis Asbury
1745-1816
The founding father of American Methodism. Francis Asbury was born in England. He was converted to Christ at the age of 13, and soon began to hold meetings. Wesley licensed him at the age of 18 as a local preacher. As he grew into maturity, he became so concerned for the colonists in America, that in 1771 John Wesley sent him across the Atlantic to minister to the 316 members of the Society who had emigrated to the New World, and also to extend the frontiers of the Methodist movement.

Asbury’s efforts to convert people to Christ prospered, and quickly Wesleyan societies spread up along the Atlantic Seaboard. After the Revolutionary War, Asbury led in the establishment of the movement in the wild, new settlements of the frontier. Annually, he rode 6,000 miles and preached from 300 to 500 sermons. He was ordained a deacon, then an elder, then a superintendent, and later a bishop.

A man of tremendous vitality and executive ability, he was a tireless worker. During his years on the circuit, he amassed a total of 270,000 miles, perhaps the greatest mileage ever compiled by a horseman. His last entry in his journal reads, “My consolations are great. I live in God from moment to moment.”