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CIRCUIT RIDERS ATHESIS-PROJECT SUBMITTEDTOTHE FACULTY OF GORON-CONWELLTHEOLOGICALSEMINARY IN PARTIALFULFILLMENT OFTHE REQUIREMENTS FORTHE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY PAULA DELLCAMPBELL MAY 2015 Copyright © 2015 by Paula Dell Campbell. All Rights Reserved. Iwantto dedicatethisthesis-project and my lovefor Circuit Ridersto all the people who brought meto this point ofwritingthis thesis. • Rev. Richard Humphreywhose loveforthese earlyMethodist preacherswas contagious. • The congregations ofStaffordsville Circuit United MethodistChurch and Eggleston Circuit United Methodist Church. These arethe people who introduced meto Robert Sheffeythe Circuit Rider responsible for manyofthe United Methodist Churches in Giles County, Virginia. As apastor in the area I was expected and welcomed as amemberofthe Board forthe yearlyCamp Meetings. • Mypastorfriends that shared their appreciation fortheirfavorite Circuit Riders when they heard Iwas writingaboutthem. • Iam thankful and blessed to have myfamily and friends supportas Iwent through the process. • Dr. Garth Rosell and Dr. Robert Mayerwho madethistract enjoyable and put up with all ofourpersonality differences. Theytreated all ofus as ifwe were the most important student in the class. CONTENT ABSTRACT v INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1. FRANCISASBURY 4 2. CAMP MEETINGS: A MAJOR WORSHIP EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA 35 3. MORE CIRCUIT RIDER STORIES 38 4. CIRCUIT RIDERS WESTOFTHE MISSISSIPPI 78 5. YESTERDAY AND TODAY 87 BIBLIOGRAPHY 112 VITA 114 iv ABSTRACT From the beginningoftime there was onlyone wayfor people to learn about God. God hadto have his people goto others and share His story. Thejourneywas not easy. Manywanted to stopthem and keep God's message from beingshared. In other instancesthe travel was difficultand rough. No matterwhat the circumstances ofthe travelingorcircuit ministry, those called continue in whatthey are doing. As theywork in thistype ofministrythey knowthey are where God wants them and they are doing what God wantsthem to do. v INTRODUCTION Circuit Riding The versesofthefollowing songaresung to the tune ofBattle Hymn ofthe Republic The Choruses aresung to theirown tunes. The Circuit Riden Preacheryoust to ride acrossthe land With arifle on his saddle and aBible in his hand He told the prairie people all aboutthe Promised Land As hewent riding, singing down the trail. Chorus Leaning, leaning, safe and securefrom all alarms, Leaning, leaning, leaningon the everlasting arms. The Circuit Ridin Preachertraveled through the mire and mud Told aboutthe fireyfurnace and ofNoah and theflood Preachedthe wayto Heaven was bywater and the blood As hewent riding, singing downthe trail. Chorus There is power, power, wonderworking power In the blood ofthe Lamb; There is power, power, wonder working power In the precious blood ofthe Lamb.1 Ionly recently heardthis song and knewfrom reading about Circuit Riding Preachers howtrue these words are. Circuit Riding Preachers are people given agreat calling byGod to spread the Word ofGod to people livingin remote areaswhere there is not alocal preacher. Theyspent manyhourstravelingfrom placeto placeto dowhat they knewtheywere called to do. Theystudied God's Word, they preached, they 1Songshared byFrankBrownand MargaretWilsonofStaffordsvilleCircuitoftheUnited Methodist Church. 1 shared God's love and did whatevertheycould to spread the Good News ofGod's love and grace. Some also had special giftsthatgotthe attention ofthose aroundthem. These special giftswere also used to help people seethe great powerofGod. Myfirst introduction to Circuit riders came when Iwas achurch secretary workingwith Rev. Richard Humphrey. Rich loved Church Historyand the waythe early pastors shared theirtheological thoughts through sermons, poems, songs, and other ways of ministry. As he studied the early pastorsofthe Appalachian Mountains in 2 Southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, and Tennessee he saw something special in the writings ofJohn Adam Granade. Ihelped dothe research forthis book by goingto the libraryin Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when Iwent north to visit family in western Pennsylvania. Imade some copies ofJohn's hymnsthat were stored on microfichethere. "The Reverend ThomasS. Hinde, an itinerating PreacherofKentucky, included thirty-fourofGranade'shymnsin his hymnal, The Pilgrim'sSongsterof1815,,,3 Granade'sspecial giftwas his abilityto put histheology in song and poem. Afterthis initial introduction to an early Circuit Rider, Ihad the honorofbeing exposed to more and more information aboutthese greatmen. My next exposure came when Iwas in seminaryand had the opportunityto learn aboutJohn and Charles Wesley, FrancisAsbury, and others. Ineeded to write apaperforone ofmy United Methodistclasses. Ichose Circuit riders because Ihad fallen in love with them as I read abouttheir devotionto the callingGod put on their lives andthe desireto bring as many 2ThisistheareaofTheHolston ConferenceoftheUnited MethodistChurch. 3RichardA. Humphrey,introductionandCompilation,HistoryandHymnsofJohnAdamGranade, Holston'sPilgrim-Preacher-Poet(Emory, VA: Emoryand HenryCollege, 1991),3. 2 people as theycould to the verysame love ofGod thattheythemselves had. They seemed to thinkthatthe obstaclesthey encountered were partofthejob. They looked atthe blessings of beingsaved from harm and the grace ofGod givingsalvation tothose that accepted thatgift. Theytalked about all ofthis as part oftheirwork but nothing more. They knewtheywere instruments ofGod usingthe gifts He had given them. 3 CHAPTER ONE FRANCISASBURY We cannotgo intothe topic ofCircuit Riders without beginningourstorywith one ofthe most recognized men associated with this topic. His name is FrancisAsbury. He is perhapsthe best known Circuit riders in American History. Many admire him but fewwould have wanted to live alife like his. It was not an easy life but alife lived for the Lord. He was not raised by believingparents so did not start out believing in God. FrancisAsbury's EarlyYears in England His parents were uneducated people who worked hard but never had much. Mostofthe time the family lived in acottage owned by hisfather's bossorthe company hisfather worked for. His own education was limited. He quit school at an earlyageto go to work. The life ofalaborerwas the type oflife hewas with. Asbury started working for awealthy but ungodlyfamily in the parish. This lasted for ashorttime before he leftto learn atrade. This was something elsethat was familiarto him. Being aservant and apprentice atthe age ofthirteen orfourteen was acommon practice at thattime. Here he was, ayoung man being raised asthe son ofacommon laborer and working as an apprenticefor ametalworker. He was familiar with the lives ofworking 4 class people. He had acommon school education, butit and his knowledge ofthe workingclass served him well when he started in ministry.l His religious experience came overyears. Afterthe death ofhis sister, his motherbecame depressed. That brought herto the point ofseekingspiritual help for healing and dealingwith hergrief. Asburywas aboutthirteen yearsold when atraveling shoemakercame to theirarea. Hewas aBaptist and spoke wordsthattouched Asbury's soul. He knewthere was somethingmoreto religion and started adiscipline ofprayer morningand evening. Atthe sametime he started readingthe Anglican sermonswas influenced by Methodism. He also read othergood sermons includingsome written by George Whitefield. These messageswere so influential to hisspiritual lifethat he realized he was readyto step out in faith knowingthat this could bring persecution into his life. Many Methodistswere treated badlywith vandalism and beatings. Asbury's mother realized Franciswas interested in spiritual growth and directed him to attendinga Methodist Meeting. The preachers atthat meetingwereJohn 2 Fletcherand Benjamin Ingram, both members ofthe Oxford Methodists. He did not fully understand all that was beingpreached butthe effectithad on the peoplewas impressive. Hewas not impressed with the sermons but realized the preacherswere not readingtheir prayersfrom aprayer bookor readingtheir sermonsfrom asermon book. The people were devout and enthusiasticabouttheirfaith. This was not a familiartype ofchurch, itwas better. 1JohnWigger.AmericanSaint:AsburyandThe Methodists, (Oxford, UK:Oxford University,2009), Kindle. 2ThegroupwasstartedbyCharlesandJohnWesleyandtheirfriendswhentheywereatOxford. 5