Since March is Women's History Month, I thought I would spend a little time talking about some of the strong women of Christ I admire.
Susanna Wesley
When her husband was attending a convocation in 17ll, Susanna (the mother of John and Charles Wesley)began reading and discussing "the best and most awakening sermons" she could find to her family on Sunday nights. Others asked if they could attend and soon the little meeting grew to over 200 people--many more than attended the church services in the morning. The curate of the church wrote her husband and objected to "these irregular proceedings". It seems he was not the best preacher and was slowly killing the church. Mr. Wesley wrote her that she should get someone else to read the sermons. She replied that theere was not a man there who could read a sermon without spoiling it.
The meetings continued and the Rector protested by writing a letter to Susanna this time. She replied, "If after all this, you think fit to dissolve this assembly do not tell me you desire me to do it, for that will not satisfy my conscience; but send your Positive Command in such full and express terms as may absolve me from all guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity for doing good when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ." She never heard from him again.
These were probably the first Methodist meetings held by the Wesleys. Who knows what influence they had on John (the founder of Methodism) and Charles (author of over 1,000 poems, most of which were hymns) who were at every meeting conducted by their mother.
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