A History Of The Rise Of Methodism In America - Media Sabda Org

A HISTORY
OF THE
RISE OF METHODISM IN AMERICA
by
John Lednum
CHAPTER 20
Frederick Circuit, the birthplace of American Methodism, had been slowly growing up from the
beginning of Mr. Strawbridge's ministry there, about 1760, and first appears under this name in 1774.
At this time Frederick county, from which the circuit took its name, embraced the counties of
Montgomery, Washington, Allegheny, and Carroll. This circuit covered all the ground that the
Methodists then cultivated in this, and in Fairfax county, Virginia. For several years it was a frontier
circuit, and the preachers who traveled it were in the back woods.
Without being able to give a minute enumeration of all the appointments that were on this circuit
at this time, we can only mention Pipe Creek, Fredericktown, Westminster, Durbin's, Saxon's,
Seneca, Sugarloaf, Rocky Creek, Georgetown, and Adams'. In this year preaching was introduced
into Alexandria, on the Potomac, and a society formed, consisting of twelve persons, one of whom
was John Littlejohn, a man of superior abilities, and who was afterwards an eloquent preacher, and
will be further noticed under the year 1777.
Frederick county has been represented as the most wealthy county in Maryland, on account of the
goodness of the soil. It was settled chiefly by the Germans, and on that account the progress of
Methodism was slow there. As a proof; after the preachers had labored and nursed Methodism in
Fredericktown, now Frederick City, for more than thirty years, they had only about thirty members.
Preaching was first established in this town in 1770, and in 1801 the first small Methodist chapel was
built in it.
In 1776 appointments in Fairfax county were embraced in Fairfax Circuit, which reduced the size
of Frederick Circuit; and in 1788 it was further reduced by the formation of Montgomery Circuit.
Mr. Gatch says, "I went to Philadelphia, where Conference commenced on the 25th of May, 1774.
At that Conference five preachers were taken into full connection -- William Watters, Abraham
Whitworth, Joseph Gerburg, Philip Ebert, and Philip Gatch. Joseph Gerburg, Philip Ebert, and Philip
Gatch, and eight others, were received on trial. These were trying times to Methodist preachers.
Some endured as seeing him who is invisible, by faith; others left the field in the day of conflict. My
appointment by the Conference was to Frederick Circuit, with William Duke, who was quite a youth,
for six months. We found the circuit to be very laborious; some of the rides were quite long, and only
one hundred and seventy-five members in the society. Fredericktown and Georgetown were both in
the circuit, but there were only a few members in each. Mr. Strawbridge and Mr. Owens lived in the
bounds of this charge. We found among the few in society some steady, firm members, and in some
places the prospects were encouraging. I had gone but a few rounds on the circuit when I received
a letter from Mr. Shadford, directing me to gather up my clothes and books, and meet him at the
quarterly meeting to be held in Baltimore. It immediately occurred to me that Whitworth had proved