One of the unexpected blessings of researching early Florida Methodism has been discovering not only the stories of the circuit riders, but also those who quietly served alongside them. History has preserved much about John Slade’s ministry, yet it says comparatively...
Joseph woke up as a prisoner but before the day was over, he would stand before Pharaoh. For years, Joseph had waited. He had been betrayed, falsely accused, forgotten, and confined. There was no indication when he woke up that morning that this day would be any...
As I’ve continued researching the early days of Florida Methodism, I’ve become increasingly convinced that history is often shaped by people whose names are largely forgotten. We tend to remember the circuit riders like John J. Triggs and John Slade, and rightly so....
As I've continued researching the lives of John J. Triggs and John Slade, one thing has surprised me more than anything else. When the Methodist Episcopal Church appointed these men to the Alapaha Mission, they were not sending them to an established church or even to...
Waiting has never been one of my strengths. Like most people, I enjoy seeing progress. I like when prayers are answered quickly, problems are resolved, and doors open without long delays. Yet as I look back over my life, I’ve come to realize that some of God’s...
I think that one of the greatest misconceptions in the Christian life is the idea that obedience always leads to immediate blessing. Sometimes we assume that if we are faithful to God, everything else will naturally fall into place. Joseph's story reminds us that...
We live in a time when character often seems to be in short supply. Every week brings another story of a leader who compromised, a public figure whose private life was exposed, or someone who sacrificed integrity for pleasure, power, or personal gain. Our culture has...
Forged in Steel, Called to Holiness The Life and Legacy of Rev. Louis W. King and the Clinton Camp Movement Chapter 1: A Steelworker Called by God In the final decades of the nineteenth century, Pittsburgh was a city shaped by fire. Day and night, the furnaces glowed...
Over the past several years, I have found myself drawn deeper into the story of early Florida Methodism. The more I read, the more I appreciate that the movement was built, not by famous men seeking recognition, but by faithful servants who simply answered God's call....
A few weeks ago, I introduced you to John J. Triggs, one of the earliest Methodist missionaries assigned to the Florida frontier. Triggs helped open the door for Methodism in a land of swamps, forests, scattered settlements, and endless miles of wilderness. But God...