A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org

He made note of the many changes that had taken place in the town since he was there thirteen
years before, when he had preached the first Methodist sermon in an old vacant house in the outer
edge of the city. There were now two congregations with houses to worship in and comfortable
homes open for the traveling preachers. The Conference began and ended in great peace. Mr. Lee
then passed on into Georgia, where he spent twenty-seven days and was much pleased with the new
country. "I have seldom seen a new country I liked as well as Georgia." Most of the people where
he visited were from Virginia. He traveled through several counties, going as far south as the
boundary line between Georgia and Florida. From there he turned north, to be at the Conference at
Salem, Va., April 9. He preached at this Conference with much power, and was followed oftentimes
by Bishop Asbury in exhortation. He was from this time on constantly with the bishop, holding
Conferences, acting sometimes as secretary to the Conference, preaching and doing all the work of
a bishop except to ordain preachers, until the meeting of the General Conference, in Baltimore, on
May 6, 1800. He went to the Conference with high hopes and a holy desire for the office of bishop.
This writer thinks that if there ever was a man who had a right to expect to be elected to this high
office, it was Jesse Lee.
When Bishop Asbury called him, in 1797, to become his traveling companion and assistant, he
also suggested a way by which the Conferences might elect three men to the office of bishop, one
of whom was Mr. Lee. He appointed him, and two or three Conferences did the same, as Mr.
Asbury's assistant and companion; and for almost three years he filled the place of a bishop.
Furthermore, he was a much-talked of man for the place -- he was a native of Virginia, perhaps the
best-known man in the connection, one of the best preachers, and a man of splendid executive
ability. He was by constitution and temperament specially fitted for the work of a pioneer bishop.
The other man mentioned for the place was Richard Whatcoat, who had been in America only
sixteen years.
The day of election arrived, and it seems that, from some cause or other, there was much
excitement. The first ballot showed a scattering vote, the second was a tie between Richard Whatcoat
and Jesse Lee, while on the third ballot Richard Whatcoat was elected by a majority of four. From
the information we gather concerning what had gone on for several years and at this Conference, we
are constrained to say that this disappointment crushed Mr. Lee, and that he never again attained to
the heights which he had reached before his defeat. We do not desire to be understood as saying that
the days of his usefulness were over, for that was not the case; but the fiery zeal of this once flaming
evangel of the gospel began to smolder. He can tell the story in his journal, as follows:
May 13th. There was some uneasiness in the mind of some of the preachers respecting a report
which had been circulated, by some person or persons, in order to prevent my election to the bishop's
office. The report was this: That Mr. Asbury had said that Brother Lee had imposed himself on him
and on the connection, for eighteen months past, and he would have gotten rid of him long ago if he
could. They came to me about it, and I told them I did not believe Mr. Asbury said it; but if he had
reported it, I could prove to the reverse. So I went to Mr. Asbury about it. He denied it, and said he
wished me to consent to travel at large in the future, and to attend the Conference. I told him I
despised the idea of doing anything out of resentment, and that I had two things in view respecting
my manner of traveling -- one was the peace and happiness of my own mind, and the other was the
good of the Church and Methodism at large -- and that I had but little expectation of complying with