The Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgia

By Edmund Jordan Hammond

"Dr. Hammond has here made a contribution which cannot fail to lead to a better understanding and a higher appreciation of the noble men who laid the foundations on which we are now building, and sacrificed for the principles which they held sacred-principles which must guide and inspire us." --Frederick T. Keeney, from the Introduction

Spanning the first two hundred years of the Methodist Episcopal Church, this fascinating volume explores the trials and triumphs of the church, with a particular emphasis on its role in Georgia.

Part one, "A Brief History of the Two Georgia Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church," covers topics including religious life in the colony of Georgia, Methodist pioneers in Georgia, and the expansion of state and church. Part two, "A Summary of the Causes of Major Methodist Divisions in the United States and of the Problems Confronting Methodist Union," continues with an examination of the reorganization of the church in Georgia, a new generation of Methodist pioneers, and even the church's future.

Originally published in 1935, The Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgia today remains a valuable historical reference. It also serves as an interesting account of one man's thoughts on the church's future, which, through the benefit of hindsight, may be checked for their accuracy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: May 30, 2000
• ISBN: 9781455608812

Book preview

CHAPTER I

RELIGIOUS LIFE IN THE COLONY OF GEORGIA

1733-1785

In 1732, the year in which George Washington was born, the last of the thirteen English colonies in America which were destined to achieve political independence under his leadership was projected. For fifty years prior to that date no new English-speaking colonies were developed in what is now the eastern part of the United States. Immigrants continued to come to America from the Old World in a steady stream, but located within the colonies already established, one of the largest of which in territorial extent was South Carolina. Charleston had been founded sixty-two years before and settlers had pushed westward as far as the Savannah River, but beyond that stream was an unbroken wilderness.

In that year a company of philanthropically-minded London gentlemen applied to the English king—George II—for a tract of land in America within which might be located a colony for debtors to be taken from English prisons and poor-houses. At that time British law imprisoned all debtors regardless of the circumstances attending their misfortune. The jails were full; their condition was unspeakable; and not only the debtors, but the nation as well, suffered under the system.

George II readily granted the request of these Londoners and conveyed to them all that portion of South Carolina between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers to their sources and westward to the south seas. This grant was, of course, indefinite, but came later to be interpreted as embracing all those portions of the present states of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi north of the 31st parallel of latitude to within twelve miles of the southern boundary of North Carolina and Tennessee. In addition to the philanthropic object of the colony, King George was anxious to extend English settlements closer to the Spanish possessions, establish forts on the southern frontier for protection of all the English colonies and divert to the English profitable trade with the Cherokee and Creek Indian nations then inhabiting the territory. For these latter reasons the crown assisted the colony financially—the only case among the English colonies in America where this was done. The tract was named Georgia in honor of the king, and James Oglethorpe was selected to head the proposed colony.

Oglethorpe sailed from England in November, 1732, with a company of unfortunates, but not criminals, recruited from English jails, and a small company of Austrian Lutherans who were fleeing from religious persecution in their native land. They reached Charleston in January, 1733, and a month later located upon the west bank of the Savannah River where the city of Savannah was founded.

The Lutherans spoke only German and brought their own minister with them. Dr. Henry Herbert, an Episcopal clergyman, accompanied the colony as rector for the English settlers. He remained only three months, however, and died upon his return voyage to England. Dr. Herbert was succeeded by Rev. Samuel Quincy of Massachusetts who served the colony from May, 1733, to February, 1736, when he desired to be relieved. Oglethorpe accordingly determined, when he returned to England for additional colonists, to secure a new minister for the parish.

While in London, Oglethorpe heard of John Wesley who was recommended to him as an exceedingly consecrated man. Wesley was then thirty-two years old. He had been a Fellow of Lincoln Inn, Oxford, for six years and was known for his studious habits and still more rigorous religious life. At first he declined Oglethorpe's invitation to accompany the latter to the New World, but finally the plea to minister not only to needy colonists, but still more to benighted Indians who had never heard the Gospel, challenged that spirit which later flamed in such evangelistic and missionary zeal and he agreed to the proposal. Benjamin Ingham, later the spiritual father of the Countess of Huntingdon, and Charles Wesley accompanied him. They landed at Savannah February 8th, 1736.

We must remember that at this time John Wesley was not a Methodist, as we are accustomed to interpret the term in connection with his life. True, he had been leader of the Holy Club which his brother Charles had formed at Oxford, and its members had been dubbed Methodists, but he did not yet possess the personal experience for which Methodism became famous. His ministry in the New World was entirely as an Episcopalian rector and a High Church-man at that. He possessed, however, many of those traits which were later to mark him as the outstanding religious leader of the Eighteenth Century, and his voyage to America brought him into contact with influences which had much to do with his future spiritual development.

On the same ship which brought Wesley to the New World was a company of Moravians. These simple German Christians possessed a peace and triumph in their religious experience for which Wesley yearned and was seeking by ascetic means. Through frequent conversations with them the young rector learned the doctrine of free justification by faith alone and of the witness of God's Spirit to personal acceptance with Him. It was not until his later return to England that Wesley entered into a personal experience of the truth of these doctrines, but the Methodist movement owes an exceedingly large debt to these humble and sincere Moravians.

Wesley entered upon his work in Georgia with great ardor. There were probably then about three hundred white settlers in the colony. The larger number were English, but there were also a few Jews, Scotch Highlanders and French besides the Germans already mentioned. The Germans located in a settlement of their own about twenty miles from Savannah. Oglethorpe located at Frederica so as to be closer to the Spanish frontier and better able to guard against attack from that quarter. Charles Wesley was his chaplain and secretary.

John Wesley located at Savannah and was rector for the parish. He read prayers each Sunday at five in the morning. At eleven he preached and celebrated holy communion. In the afternoon, he conducted a catechism class—probably the first Sunday School in the world—after which he preached in French. Throughout the week he visited and enforced rigorous discipline upon both himself and his flock.

But the colonists, who in most cases had possessed nothing when they embarked for the New World, were more interested in acquiring property than they were in religion, especially the rigid sort that Wesley espoused. He would converse upon nothing but religious subjects; their talk was of bullocks, he complained. He endeavored to interest the Indians, but without success. Despite prayers, self-denial and hard toil, his ministry was largely a failure. Criticism of the rector became common and he had but eighteen communicants when he repelled one of these.

This communicant was a Mrs. Williamson who as Miss Sophia Hopkey came to Georgia in the same ship with Wesley. She was an attractive girl and a niece of one of the prominent men in the colony. Wesley thought her a sincere seeker after a holy life and spent much time in her company so that he became attached to her. Her affection for him was probably not very deep, but she seemed not adverse to marrying him. The Moravians, however, thought her unsuited for a rector's wife and so advised Wesley when he sought their opinion after arrival in Savannah. With him everything was secondary to his religious life, so he immediately ceased paying attention to her and she soon afterward became Mrs. Williamson.

Later, as criticism of the rector became wide-spread and some of the things said were both harsh and untrue, Mr. Wesley attributed their origin to Mrs. Williamson and passed her by at communion as unworthy to partake. This course thoroughly angered the lady and her friends, and her husband and uncle took the matter to the courts. Wesley was now entirely disillusioned concerning the New World and the prospects of its response to his appeal. Accordingly, he resigned his parish and returned to England whither his brother Charles had already gone. The Wesleys never again visited America and it was almost fifty years before one of their followers was to preach the Gospel of Arminian Methodism in Georgia.

But the one colony in the New World which had the distinction of having received personal ministry from the Wesleys was not to wait fifty years for Methodist preaching. As the vessel bearing John Wesley approached England, another vessel outward bound was bringing to Georgia one of the most remarkable men ever connected with the Methodist movement. George Whitefield had been a bar-tender when he became awakened, went to Oxford to study for orders and became a member of the celebrated Holy Club. He came into an experience of definite acceptance with God earlier than did Wesley but espoused Calvinism in theology and never belonged to Wesley's societies. His predestinarianism, however, never destroyed his personal affection for the Wesleys nor interfered with the success of his evangelism.

When Whitefield arrived in Savannah, his evangelistic style of preaching contrasted so vividly with the rigid ministry of Wesley as to secure him an immediate welcome. He remained in Georgia several months and then returned to England for orders and to raise money for an orphanage—Bethesda—which he planned to found. This orphanage was begun in 1740 and became internationally famous. Whitefield made seven visits in all to the New World and preached with remarkable success from New England to Georgia. But, though possessed of a greater power to move men than had Wesley, he possessed none of the latter's genius for organization. Wesley formed his converts into closely supervised classes and societies under a directing conference so that today his spiritual followers number twelve millions. Whitefield conserved no results and it would be difficult today to appraise his permanent influence. Many of his converts went back to the world; some went into the Presbyterian Church, and others later found their way into the Wesleyan Societies.

Some of the trustees of the early colony of Georgia were Dissenters, so there was no established Church under their regime. Religious toleration was extended to all except Roman Catholics. In 1755 the Trustees surrendered the colony to the Crown and the Church of England became the established church. The colony was divided into parishes, but there were only three churches: one in Savannah, one in Augusta and one in Burke County. During the Revolution the field was entirely abandoned by the established Church and no Episcopalian minister seems to have visited Georgia for twenty years thereafter.

The German Christians who came to Georgia preserved their faith. But they also preserved their native speech so they secured no converts from among the English. Also, the greater number of German-speaking immigrants who came to America during the Colonial period settled in Pennsylvania, so the Lutheran Church made little growth in Georgia. One such church in Savannah, one at Ebenezer and one in Goshen were all that existed in the state in 1785.

The first Presbyterian colony to come to Georgia located near the mouth of the Altamaha River in 1735. It is known that they had a minister, but there is no record of their ever building a church and the colony evidently scattered. The first Presbyterian Church in Georgia of which there seems to be an authentic record was founded in Savannah in 1760. Before that date, however, a colony of Presbyterian dissenters located in Jefferson County and a colony of English Congregationalists migrated first to New England, then to South Carolina and finally to Georgia where they built Old Midway Church. This church is not far from Savannah and is nationally known. Within its walls many famous meetings have been held and within the adjacent graveyard two signers of the Declaration of Independence and seven Governors of Georgia lie buried.

In 1773 Sir James Wright, then royal Governor, purchased from the Indians a large tract of land situated west and northwest of Augusta. This was settled by emigrants from South Carolina and Virginia, among whom came Daniel Marshall, Edmund Bottsford and Silas Mercer—Baptist preachers, who labored zealously so that in 1784 the first Baptist Association in Georgia was organized with six churches, three of which, however, were in South Carolina.

Thus by the year 1785 there were in Georgia only twelve churches: three Episcopalian without ministers, three Lutheran, two Presbyterian, one Congregationalist and three Baptist. The total membership of these churches could not have been more than five or six hundred while the Colony numbered 80,000 population, exclusive of Indians. The Colony was a sovereign State, the United States Government not yet having been permanently organized; but it had all the characteristics of a vast wild frontier. Into this difficult field Methodism was now to enter and contribute its part toward the transformation of what was almost an unchurched wilderness.

B

CHAPTER II

METHODIST PIONEERS IN GEORGIA

1785-1800

John Wesley reached England upon his return from America on February 1st, 1738. The same year, on May 24th, he experienced that strange warming of the heart, to which he refers in his Journal, and soon afterward began the organization of United Societies for the promotion of Scriptural holiness. The members of these societies came to be called Methodists and their number increased rapidly, not only in England but in other parts of the British Isles, despite ridicule and persecution of opponents and the strict discipline of their founder. For nearly thirty years, however, no Wesleyan Methodist preacher visited America.

In 1764 Robert Strawbridge, an Irish Wesleyan immigrant, began preaching and organizing Methodist Societies in Frederick County, Md. In 1766 Philip Embury, also an Irish local preacher, under the inspiration of Barbara Heck, began preaching in New York City and organized a society since known as The John Street Church. Soon afterwards Robert Williams began a similar work in Virginia. In 1769 John Wesley sent over two preachers from the British Conference; Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmor, and in 1771 two others, one of whom was Francis Asbury. The latter was made Mr. Wesley's Assistant in 1772 and was destined to become to American Methodism what Wesley himself was to Methodism in the old world. The work grew despite the difficulties of a frontier country, political agitation and war, until at the close of the American Revolution there were about eighty Methodist preachers and fifteen thousand members in Methodist Societies in the United States.

During the War all the English preachers except Asbury had returned to Great Britain. He continued in America, traveling amid difficulties, sometimes suspected by the Revolutionists, but always loyal to his work and neutral in the strife. Following the Treaty of Peace in 1783 by which England recognized the independence of the United States, Mr. Wesley saw that some different arrangement must be made for the American Methodist Societies. Being independent politically, the American people did not wish to be governed ecclesiastically from abroad. Also, the early Methodists on both sides of the Atlantic had been accustomed to receive the sacrament from the clergy of the Episcopalian Church. Now there were so few of these, owing to the exodus during the War, that whole sections of the country for hundreds of miles were without the sacraments.

The Methodists of America had appealed to Mr. Wesley for advice in their extremity and he met the emergency by ordaining, with the assistance of other elders, Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey as elders and by setting apart Thomas Coke, LL.D., a presbyter of the Church of England, to be a General Superintendent over work in this country. He also commissioned Dr. Coke to ordain and set apart Francis Asbury to be a Joint General Superintendent with himself. Wesley also prepared Articles of Religion and a ritual, both condensed from the Book of Prayer of the Church of England, for the new Church which he suggested they should organize.

Coke and his companions reached America in November, 1784, and