Readings:
Psalm 97:8-12
Numbers 11:24-30
1 Thessalonians 5:13b-24
John 17:5-13Preface of the Epiphany
[Common of a Missionary]
[For the Mission of the Church]
PRAYER (traditional language)
Holy God, who didst inspire Francis Asbury and George Whitefield with evangelical zeal through their faithful proclamation of the Gospel: Inspire us, we pray, by thy Holy Spirit, that we, like
them, may be eager to share thy Good News and lead many to Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
PRAYER (contemporary language)
Holy God, you inspired Francis Asbury and George Whitefield with evangelical zeal through their faithful proclamation of the Gospel: Inspire us, we pray, by your Holy Spirit, that we, like them, may be eager to share your Good News and lead many to Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
These Commemorations appear in A Great Cloud of Witnesses.
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FRANCIS ASBURY &
GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Evangelists, 1816, 1770
George Whitefield, also known as George Whitfield, (December 16, 1714 - September 30, 1770), was an Anglican itinerant minister who helped spread the Great Awakening in Great Britain and, especially, in the British North American colonies. His ministry had tremendous impact on American ideology. He was a very influential figure in the establishment of Methodism. He was famous for his preaching in America which was a significant part of an 18th century movement of Christian revivals, sometimes called "The Great Awakening."
Francis Asbury (August 20, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. In 1784 John Wesley named Asbury and Thomas Coke as co-superintendents of the work in America. This marks the beginning of the "Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA". For the next thirty-two years, Asbury led all the Methodists in America.
Like Wesley, Asbury preached in all sorts of places: courthouses, public houses, tobacco houses, fields, public squares, wherever a crowd assembled to hear him. For the remainder of his life he rode an average of 6000 miles each year, preaching virtually every day and conducting meetings and conferences. Under his direction, the church grew from 1,200 to 214,000 members and 700 ordained preachers.