Faithful in the Wilderness
John Fletcher, one of the early Methodists, was a great spiritual leader, and small town pastor. He served for 25 years as the Vicar of Madeley, until his early death.
Both John Wesley and George Whitefield preached from his pulpit. I had the privilege of visiting Madeley in April, and praying at his grave.
In his first year of the pastorate, he wrote a letter to his friend, Lady Huntington:
If my being stationed in this howling wilderness is to answer no public end as to the Gospel of Christ, I will not give up the hope that it may answer a private end as to myself, in humbling me under a sense of universal unprofitableness.
If I preach the Gospel ten years here and see no fruit of my labors, in either case, I promise to bless God, if I can only say from my heart, "I am nothing. I have nothing. I can do nothing."
He concluded the letter by adding, ". . . the number here has increased from 30 to above 100."
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Both John Wesley and George Whitefield preached from his pulpit. I had the privilege of visiting Madeley in April, and praying at his grave.
In his first year of the pastorate, he wrote a letter to his friend, Lady Huntington:
If my being stationed in this howling wilderness is to answer no public end as to the Gospel of Christ, I will not give up the hope that it may answer a private end as to myself, in humbling me under a sense of universal unprofitableness.
If I preach the Gospel ten years here and see no fruit of my labors, in either case, I promise to bless God, if I can only say from my heart, "I am nothing. I have nothing. I can do nothing."
He concluded the letter by adding, ". . . the number here has increased from 30 to above 100."
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