On this day in history, February 5th in 1736, John and Charles Wesley arrived in Georgia to serve as missionaries to Native Americans.
Both had graduated from Oxford and served in the Anglican Church. At the ages of 28, Charles, and 32, John, [1] embarked to the British colony to spread the gospel to Cherokee and Creek tribes and to serve in churches. John accepted a post as a priest in Savannah and Charles agreed to serve as a chaplain and to oversee other administrative duties for General James Oglethorpe, who led the Georgia colony. [2]
From all accounts and measures, it did not go well. [3] Charles quickly became ill and had to leave. John, in addition to his evangelism and pastoral duties, also resumed his brother’s administrative responsibilities at Fort Frederica. After less than two years in Georgia, John left in disgrace after a contentious trial commenced out of his refusal to serve communion to a woman he previously courted, who had married another man. Some thought he was vindictive towards her while he claimed she violated the policy of communicating that she would be present at communion the day before, as was the custom. [4]
On reflection John Wesley wrote in his journal, “I came to convert the Indians, but, oh, who will convert me?”[5]
That was not the end of the story. Back in England in 1738, John and Charles “were sitting in a prayer meeting in Aldersgate and they heard someone read from Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to Romans.
John Wesley described the moment as follows: ‘About 8:45 p.m. while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’ [6]
Within months, John Wesley was preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit to crowds in excess of 10,000 and saw thousands turn to Christ. Many would be overcome by the power of the Spirit as he preached. If a man was found lying in a field by police, they would smell his breath and if there was no smell of alcohol they would say, ‘He has Wesley fever.’ John Wesley rode on horseback an average of 20,000 miles per year and preached ap- proximately 40,000 sermons in his lifetime.” [7]
The Wesley brothers’ story points directly to the grace of God. After an abysmal time in America where John Wesley faced failure and disappointment, he despaired in his journal asking ‘who will convert me?’ And while seated in a church meeting in London months later, the Holy Spirit answered that prayer: God Himself would convert and transform his heart with the love of God. As Charles Wesley would later write in a hymn, God’s love truly is “Love divine, all loves excelling.” [8]
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Footnotes:
- https://www.americanheritage.com/god-man-woman-and-wesleys
- https://www.nps.gov/fofr/planyourvisit/upload/johnwesley.pdf
- https://www.nps.gov/fofr/planyourvisit/upload/johnwesley.pdf
- https://www.nps.gov/fofr/planyourvisit/upload/johnwesley.pdf
- https://www.nps.gov/fofr/planyourvisit/upload/johnwesley.pdf
- Bonamy Dobree, “Memoirs of John Wesley,” Northwestern Theological Seminary website, Accessed 6 January 2020, http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/J.Wesley-bio.pdf.
- Excerpt from a book I co-authored with Alan Frow, Rend the Heavens: A Primer for Revival Prayer
- https://hymnary.org/text/love_divine_all_love_excelling_joy_of_he