One can almost imagine the first churches encounter with the beggar at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. There were no Ministerial Alliance S.O.P.’s… No gas vouchers… no Confirmation Classes, nor was there an Evangelism Committee to carry out the year long planning… instead Peter and John found themselves thrust into ministry, if not just leading the way, but “forging” the way. The early church father’s and mother’s may have known to well that the greatest thing they could do to pioneer the faith, was to offer Christ to all.
Illustration: As America was being settled "…men of genuine greatness of character and talents were continually rising up in the western itinerancy. Samuel Parker, born in New Jersey in 1774, and converted in his fourteenth year, was a man of genius, and was called the Cicero of the western ministry. After laboring four years as a local preacher, he was received into the Western Conference in 1805. For three years he traveled in Kentucky, and in 1808 was sent to Miami Circuit, Ohio, which included Cincinnati. Here his natural eloquence attained its climax. The people thronged from great distances to hear him; his word was irresistible, and "wherever he went," says one of his contemporaries, "wondering and weeping audiences crowded about him." [10] He possessed an exceedingly musical voice, a clear, keen mind, an imagination which, though never extravagant, afforded frequent and brilliant illustrations of his subject, while his ardent piety imparted wonderful tenderness and power to his appeals. Withal, his personal appearance was striking before he became attenuated with disease, he was nearly six feet high, had a remarkably intellectual countenance, with a full forehead, and a black, piercing eye.
In 1809 he became presiding elder on a district which included Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri (And we think South Texas has big Districts). "From the White River, in Indiana, to the farthest settler in Missouri," says Finley, "did this herald of the cross proclaim the glad tidings of salvation" through four years, and "so ’mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed,’ " that the district had to be divided. Its three hundred and eighty-two members, at his beginning, had increased to more than two thousand when he left it. He continued north and west of the Ohio, with increasing influence and success, till 1815, when he was made presiding elder in Kentucky, where his great eloquence commanded general interest. In 1819 he was appointed to lead the itinerants who were extending the Church in the far southwest, on the memorable Mississippi District. They needed such a man; but his health was broken, and it seemed but an appointment to martyrdom. He was ready for it, nevertheless, and when it was announced, at the close of the Conference, in Cincinnati, " it seemed," says a spectator, "that a wave of sympathy rolled over the whole Conference."
His malady (pulmonary consumption) rapidly advanced when he reached his new field. He was never indeed able to perform any labor on the district. He sank down and died in 1819. William Winans, whom he had called out to preach, in Ohio, was now in the south, and attended him in death, and followed him to his grave, in Washington, Miss. "He died," says Winans, "not only peacefully, but triumphantly." "Love inspired his whole being, breathed from his lips, and beamed with heavenly radiance from his countenance." (1) Samuel Parker was an itinerant preacher who pioneered the faith for Jesus Christ.
No doubt early America was not just influenced by the preachers. In fact “When John Wesley’s appointed missionaries appeared in 1769 they found a movement already underway and strongly growing. The lay people were there first. That is a story many times to be repeated in history.” (3) One such layperson was Robert Strawbridge who settled colonial Maryland. “This first in a long line of Methodist mavericks…” built a log meeting house “which would be the first Methodist Church building” in Colonial America. (4)
The expansion of Methodism into Uvalde County was no doubt pioneered by lay people: Early laymen and women like the Pulliam family, A.B. Dillard and family, and Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Griner. Reading W. Black to promote the foundation of the church gave the first parcel of land for the original church building, writing in its deed “For and in consideration of the love I bear for the cause of Christ and from an earnest desire to promote his heritage on earth do give and grant and by these presents convey…” The very giving of this first parcel of land in 1858 represents the pioneering faith that has carried on to this present day.
(8:30) The early work of the laity in pioneering the faith was joined by the early circuit riding preachers. “D.W. Barnhill stated that there was no more potent influence than the circuit riders.” (5) Among those first circuit riders to Uvalde was H.G. Horton. “He wrote in 1858 “The Lord knew where Uvalde was, but I did not. I could not find it on the map, but the Bishop (Pierce) told me it was somewhere West of San Antonio.” In those dangerous times, in addition to a Bible and hymnbooks, Horton had to carry a six-shooter and a Bowie Knife.
(11:00) The early work of the laity in pioneering the faith was joined by the early circuit riding preachers. “D.W. Barnhill stated that there was no more potent influence than the circuit riders.” Among those first circuit riders to Uvalde (appointed several times) (3) was the legendary Andrew Jackson Potter. “At various times he (Potter) headquartered at Bandera, Kerrville, Uvalde, Mason, Brady, and Boerne. The twelve years spent on the Kerrville circuit found him preaching in homes, churches, camp meetings, saloons, and fort chapels. Potter frequently carried a gun, which was occasionally propped against the pulpit and was a useful symbol as he faced down drunken crowds of hecklers. He established a circuit at Fort Concho in 1880 and preached the first Methodist sermon at the site of future San Angelo. As a circuit rider, Potter rode an estimated 2,500 miles annually. He preached with great enthusiasm and made special appeals to the rougher elements. He earned the sobriquet "fighting parson," according to his son, T. W. Potter, "because he stayed when other preachers had been scared away." (Bishop, I’m not exactly sure if that is a reference to Indian’s or Church Council Meetings).
Many faithful people have help to lead Methodism in Uvalde County for the last 150+ years. But that brings us to today. We are living on the border of a new frontier, not just the next 150 years, but the border of a rapidly changing world. We are living on the border of how to reach immigrants. We are living on the edge of a frontier in which multiple generations of families are now un-churched. In the circuit riding of today we must find new ways or reaching the far out destinations in which the settlers have wandered. New pioneers of the faith must emerge to carry on the life-changing and historic work of the Church.
In ministry I am often perplexed by the high number of individuals coming to the church for only financial needs. In fact just after arrriving in Uvalde the Ministerial Alliance wrestled with paying a $2,200 Motel bill. Though, it might not really be any more than Peter and John faced in those early days of the church. But we can learn from Peter and John about the real value of pioneering ministry. When Peter is confronted with the most common demand of ministry; the need for money, yet he has only one thing to offer “Silver and Gold have I none, but what I have I give you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”
The one and only relevant thing that we the Church ever have to offer is Christ! Silver and gold have I little. Actually gold have I none! Silver have I little, but the power of the cross of Christ I give you.
Illustration: As John Wesley rode across Hounslow Heath late one night, singing a favorite hymn, he was startled by a fierce voice shouting, “Halt,” while a firm hand seized the horse’s bridle. Then the man demanded, “Your money or your life.
”Wesley obediently emptied his pockets of the few coins they contained and invited the robber to examine his saddlebags which were filled with books. Disappointed at the result, the robber was turning away when evangelist cried, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The robber, wondering at this strange call, turned back. Then Wesley, bending down toward him, said in solemn tones, “My friend, you may live to regret this sort of a life in which you are engaged. If you ever do, I beseech you to remember this, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.’” The robber hurried silently away, and the man of God rode along, praying in his heart that the word spoken
might be fixed in the robber’s conscience.
Years later, at the close of a Sunday evening service with the people streaming from the large building, many lingered around the doors to see the aged preacher, John Wesley. A stranger stepped forward and earnestly begged to speak with Mr. Wesley. What a surprise to find that this was the robber of Hounslow Heath, now a well-to-do tradesman in the city, but better still, a child of God! The words spoken that night long ago had been used of God in his conversion. Raising the hand of John Wesley to his lips, he affectionately kissed it and said in tones of deep emotion,
“To you, dear sir, I owe it all.”
Wesley replied softly, “Nay, nay, my friend, not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ which cleanseth us from all sin.” (6)
The most important thing is the pioneering of faith… the reaching of people with the one sure and certain thing that we have to offer – Jesus Christ! Pastor Phil Corbett of the Corrigan AOG (East Texas) (currently in their second year of revival) has as his motto:
It’s got to begin somewhere, why not here!
It’s got to begin in someone, why not us!
It’s got to begin sometime, why not now! (7)
The pioneering of faith for the next generation has got to begin somewhere. It has to begin in someone. And it has to begin sometime. Why not now? Why not in you? We celebrate 150 years of ministry, but we cannot rest on the laurels of yesterday’s pioneers but must take the one thing we have to offer to the world. Who will pioneer of the western frontiers and take the name of Jesus to the frontiers we call Schools. Who will take the one thing we have to offer to families?
(1)http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyctr/books/0201-0300/stevens/0244-4609.htm (HISTORY
of the METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (in the United States of America) To Wit: Methodism in the West © By Abel St
(2)http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/PP/fpo28_print.html
(3)The Story of American Methodism, Frederick A. Norwood, p. 69
(4)The Story of American Methodism, Frederick A. Norwood, p. 66
(5)Quoted from Uvalde Leader News article, quoting Bobbie Fly.
(6)John Wesley’s Journal (taken from http://newhopefw.org/documents/DevelopingAPassionthatWillTurntheWorldUpsideDown.pdf )
(7)The Corrigan Revival website: http://corriganrevival.org/
