McKendree Heard the Plea, “Lord SEND Some of These Preachers”
[Above: William McKendree from O. P. (Oscar Penn) Fitzgerald's Centenary cameos : 1784-1884 Public Domain / Wikimedia File:William McKendree (page 211 crop).jpg]
William McKendree became the fourth bishop of the Methodist Church in the United States. Long before that, he was a powerful, if ungainly, preacher and involved in many revivals. Here is his account of one episode in the Little Miami region of Ohio. The letter was dated this day, 10 October 1802.
People came from far to the Miami quarterly meeting. I heard of women that walked thirty miles to it, so that our congregation was very large for that new country. On the first day we were favored with the presence of the Lord in a singular manner, and I think I may safely say it increased throughout the meeting. On Sunday two young women of genteel appearance fell not far from the stand, but were presently taken off by some men (their brothers as I was informed).
Falling down was a common occurrences in the revivals of that period. (For more detail, see the story “Don’t Join Unless You REALLY Mean it Warned Brodhead” on May 18th.) McKendree accepted this as a manifestation of God at work.
The Spirit of God, like a sword, pierced one of the men, and about ten steps from the stand, he suddenly fell to the earth, together with his weeping charge, and cried aloud for mercy! The other was graciously visited in like manner; thus were four instead of two deeply engaged; this attracted the attention of many, so that there were many convicted through their means....
The last thing respecting this meeting, which I shall mention, is a case of natural simplicity which deeply affected my mind. An old woman, sitting just behind me, while brother Smith was speaking, began in a low and mournful manner, and expressed herself to the following purport:
“Lord, I have heard about these people and walked a long way to hear them. Yesterday while the man was speaking I felt very bad, and thought I should fall down, but Lord I was ashamed that the people should see me cry and fall down, so I was about to get into the woods and hide myself, for I did not know that it was the Lord. But I could not walk, I fell down among all the people, and all my shame went away! and now I am happy! bless the Lord he has converted my soul! Oh how light my heart is now, Glory! Glory to King Jesus! but oh Lord my husband is wicked, my children are wicked! and they must be converted, and there is no religion in the neighborhood. No one to tell them how to get converted! Lord send some of these preachers that have the Spirit of God in their hearts, into our neighborhood, to my house, to tell the people the way to heaven.”
The old woman’s story shows that people did indeed walk long distances to come to meetings, and that, then as now, there was a desperate need for workers to deal with souls. McKendree, already spending himself on the task, found himself inspired to work even harder.
“This prayer so affected me, that, at that time, I felt willing to preach the gospel to the poor in every disconsolate corner.”
—Dan Graves
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The Great Awakening: Spiritual Revival in Colonial America. Watch at RedeemTV
You can purchase The Great Awakening at Vision Video.
Christian History magazine has done several issues that mention eighteenth and nineteenth-century Methodist revivals. See for example CH45 Camp Meetings and Circuit Riders; CH114 Francis Asbury: Pioneer of Methodism; and CH151 Awakenings.
Other Events on this Day
- Invaders Got Sidetracked Protecting Loot So Charles Martel Won at Poiters
- WISE ELDER AMBROSE GAVE PROPHETIC ADVICE