John William Fletcher
John William Fletcher (1729 - 1785)
You can hear an audio recording of this post on episode 43 of the Methodical Methodist Podcast!
The Vicar of Madeley –The Reluctant Saint of Methodism, John William Fletcher has often been referred to as the “First Theologian of Methodism.” He was perhaps most known for defending John Wesley’s position of Arminianism against the Calvinistic influences that were present in the early Methodist Movement. He was the man that John Wesley had hand-picked to be his successor after his death. Wesley believed that Fletcher was the only one who was qualified to act as his replacement – unfortunately, Fletcher (who was significantly younger) died 6 years before Wesley. He is an interesting character that has been largely forgotten, but his influence in Methodism should not be ignored.
From an early age, John William Fletcher, was considered a model of sanctification. In an early biography, one historian states: “From his childhood he was impressed with a deep sense of the majesty of God, and a constant fear of offending him… His filial obedience and brotherly affection were exemplary; nor is it remembered that he ever uttered one unbecoming expression.”[i] (Streiff 3).
John Fletcher was born on September 11, 1729 (I’ve seen conflicting reports. It might have been the 12th). He was from the Swiss town of Nyon, on Lake Geneva. He was the youngest child of five girls and three boys.
Apparently, he was pretty stubborn and short tempered as a child. In a letter he wrote about his childhood, Fletcher said: “I have often heard from my friends, that there never was a child prouder more passionate and stubborn than me from the cradle.”
But it seems like he had a deep and convicting conscience. He described one event when he was seven years old and he was extremely angry with one of his brothers, and he had been sent to bed early as a punishment. As he stewed in his room and then began to feel guilty for fighting with his sibling, he started to worry that he might be sent to hell and find eternal punishment. He spent the night crying and weeping, and his heart started to soften as he slowly realized that God had forgiven him. It was at that time – at seven years old – that he devoted himself to God and the church. He described this event as his first conscious experience of the love of God.
Fletcher studied in Geneva in the Faculty of Arts. There he most likely studied classical Greek and Latin authors, history, geography, Church history, Physics, Mathematics, and Philosophy. At first, Fletcher was pursuing a career in the church, but then he started having second thoughts. He broke off his theological studies in Geneva in 1747 or 1748, because he felt unworthy of serving as a minister. Another reason was that he disagreed with the prominent “Calvinistic” theology that was so prevalent in Geneva (the old stomping ground of John Calvin himself).
After some time, he changed course from theology to… (wait for it)… military studies.
So yeah… that’s a big change.
But Fletcher was greatly influenced by a number of his friends and relatives who had chosen careers in the military. His uncle and one of his brothers were serving in the military at the time.
Fletcher had geared up and was ready to serve in Germany, but a peace treaty that occurred on October 18, 1748, prevented any chance of joining an army. So, Fletcher had to return home disappointed, with his plan of serving as a military officer unrealized.
Fletcher was lost. He had no plan, no way forward. He wanted to escape his situation, and he was offered a job to go overseas as a maintenance man on a trip to Brazil in 1749. But before he started off on the journey – a super bizarre thing happened – someone dropped a pot of boiling water on his legs… And so his legs were completely scalded and scorched, and so he had to stay put and recover from this horrific injury.
When he finally recovered, his uncle (who was an officer in the Dutch army) had a post waiting for him in Holland. So, Fletcher goes, he’s super excited. But when he gets there, he just waits around in vain for his appointment, but nothing ever comes from it. And then his uncle just up and retires and pretty much leaves him high and dry. So Fletcher gives up on his military aspirations, and in 1750, he heads for Jolly Ole’ England instead!
Fletcher spoke French, but he had learned to speak English during his time in school. And while studying to improve in English at a boarding school in Hatfield Hertfordshire, he started working as a private tutor for the Hill family at the age of 23.
It was while working for the Hill family that Fletcher heard the name “Methodist” for the first time. Fletcher had come across a poor woman in need. He had saddled up a horse to go and help the women, but another lady told him not to go. She said, “People will say that we have got a Methodist preacher with us.” Fletcher asked what she meant by that. She told him who the Methodists were. Fletcher responded that he would be one of them if there were really such a people in England.
The Hill family tolerated Fletcher’s religious piety, but the idea of him adopting Methodist practices was a ludicrous thought. Nevertheless, Fletcher immediately sought out these people called Methodists. He attended Methodist services, listened to Methodist preachers, and joined a Methodist society. At this point the Methodist movement was only about fifteen years old and had already grown a developed quite a bit throughout England.
Around this time, Fletcher went through a significant conversion experience. He had struggled with the notion that God was angry, wrathful, and full of judgment. He would have nightmares about going to hell. Eventually he came to feel an assurance of God’s mercy and grace. About seven months after feeling this assurance of salvation, Fletcher wrote an extensive Covenant with God. It goes on for about 98 lines. I’m not going to read it right now, but it is worth checking out if you are interested!
Fletcher began to seek John Wesley’s advice about whether or not he should seek ordination, saying: “As I look upon you as my spiritual guide, and cannot doubt of your patience to hear, and your experience to answer a question, proposed by one of your people, I freely lay my case before you.”
Unfortunately, we do not have Wesley’s reply, but it is assumed that it must have been positive, because John Fletcher was ordained a deacon on March 6, 1757, by James Beauclerk, the Bishop of Hereford in the Anglican Church. Then, just a week later, on March 13, he was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Bangor. Then, the following day, on Monday March 14th, Fletcher was installed as the curate in Madeley, Shropshire which was about ten miles from the Hill family’s estate. He was essentially the assistant priest to the Rev. Rowland Chambre.
Almost immediately, Fletcher began assisting John Wesley and the Methodists. Wesley had been ill, and Fletcher had stepped in a few times to help him. John Wesley writes about this saying: “Mr. Fletcher helped me again. How wonderful are the ways of God! When my bodily strength failed, and none in England were able and willing to assist me, he sent me to help from the mountains of Switzerland! And a help meet of me in every respect; where could I have found such another?”
Charles Wesley had also become very good friends with Fletcher. In one letter, John Fletcher wrote to Charles saying: “I sense that I do not deserve your advice, much less the title of friend which you give me: you are an indulgent father to me, and the title of son would fit me much better than that of brother. You ask me if I can confidently commend you to the mercy of God. O yes, I can, and I feel in relation to you what I do not sense for myself.”
Fletcher continued his involvement with the Methodists. Then, on October 4, 1760, he was officially nominated as Vicar of Madeley. John Wesley was completely against this decision. He was afraid that the solitude of Madeley would become too much of a temptation for Fletcher. Wesley wanted to keep him as a close colleague and advisor in London. By this time Charles Wesley had retreated to Bristol and was living life as a family man. John Wesley saw Fletcher as someone who might act as a partner in leading the people called Methodists. In fact, John Wesley was prepared to offer Fletcher joint leadership alongside himself and was even ready to take second place under Fletcher!
But Fletcher took the position as the Vicar of Madeley. It is estimated that there were around 1,000 to 1,500 people in the parish at the beginning of his ministry there. But it didn’t take long for the people in his parish to criticize his Methodist preaching style. He was very active, offering communion and multiple sermons a week. He tried to preach to the whole population – traveling around – going to where the people were. But he upset some folks in the church when he preached against drunkenness after people were drinking wine at the annual fair in Madeley. It seems like his time there was full of highs and lows. But Fletcher took on a role as President of Trevecca, a college that was opened on August 24, 1768. This was meant to be a place of theological training – funded and supported by a rich Countess – a Methodist woman named Lady Huntingdon.
Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791), Friend and benefactor of the Methodist movement
But around this time there were growing tensions in the Methodist Movement – particularly around Wesley’s criticism of Calvinist Methodist clergy. John Fletcher took on a vital role in this debate. (You can find out more about the Calvinist branch of Methodism in episode 37 about George Whitefield).
In this debate, Fletcher clearly took the side of John Wesley. He picked up his pen and began writing in favor of Arminianism – this idea of free will. Fletcher often addressed the false claims that were hurled at John Wesley. Fletcher really became a theologian – upholding Arminian doctrines and speaking out against Calvinism. He also wrote about Entire Sanctification and is really credited for the development of the Pentecostal theology in early Methodism. John Wesley and John Fletcher really influenced one another in their writings, and Fletcher really became a systematic theologian for Methodist theology.
By 1770 John Wesley was nearly seventy years old. Ten years earlier, Wesley had asked Fletcher to take over the leadership of the Methodist Movement, but Fletcher had declined. Wesley knew that he was getting old, and he wouldn’t be around forever. Wesley offered the invitation once again – and again, Fletcher declined. Again, three years later, in 1773, Wesley called upon Fletcher to become his successor.
Wesley wrote to Fletcher saying: “But has God provided one so qualified? Who is he? Thou art the man! God has given you a measure of loving faith and a single eye to His glory. He has given you some knowledge of men and things, particularly of the whole plan of Methodism. You are blessed with some health, activity, and diligence, together with a degree of learning. And to all these he has lately added, by a way none could have foreseen, favor both with the preacher and the whole people.”
Fletcher did not want to take leadership of Methodism. He would really rather be a co-worker to Charles Wesley whom he thought should take charge. Still, John Wesley persisted as his health continued to decline in his older age. In 1776, however, Fletcher did agree to at least accompany Wesley on his travels.
But Fletcher began to have some health problems of his own. He had issues with his voice. People in his church would remark at how abnormally quickly he had aged. By 1778, at the age of 48 years old, Fletcher was seriously ill. He traveled to Southern France with the hope that the mild climate would help improve his health. He spent about three years in Nyon – resting and trying to improve his health – while still taking different trips here and there to preach.
In 1781, Fletcher returned to England, and he picked up a correspondence with a woman he had met thirty years early, Mary Bosanquet. Mary was a woman who had convinced John Wesley back in the early 1770s to allow women to preach. So, Mary was one of the first woman preachers authorized by John Wesley to preach in public.
Mary Bosanquet Fletcher
John Fletcher had liked her and admired her since they had first met. In fact, around 1776, Fletcher had actually stayed at her house so that she could act as his nurse when he was in particularly poor health. They had corresponded several times over the years. And they finally admitted their feelings to one another.
And on November 12, 1781, Mary Bosanquet and John Fletcher were married in Batley church. They were great partners in marriage and in ministry. Mary often traveled with John and took care of him as his health continued to decline
In 1783 they traveled to Dublin so that John could preach and visit the Methodist classes and prayer meetings there. And then, in 1784, John went to the annual Conferences of the Methodists – there he preached several times and assisted Wesley in distributing the Lord’s Supper.
Sadly, by the end of 1785, Fletcher’s health had taken a turn for the worse. He had caught a cold and was very weak. He had a very high fever and very little energy. His voice grew weaker and weaker. His body was covered in spots. And then, during the night of Sunday August 14, 1785, John William Fletcher died at the age of fifty-six. The funeral took place three days later and was led by an old friend Reverend Hatton.
On November 6, 1785, John Wesley held a memorial service for Fletcher in London. In his sermon he said: “Many exemplary men have I known, holy in heart and life, with fourscore years. But one equal to him I have not known – one so inwardly and outwardly devoted to God. So unblameable a character in every respect I have not found either in Europe or America. As it is possible we all may be such as he was, let us endeavor to follow him as he followed Christ.”
In 1786, John Wesley penned the only biography he ever wrote – it was called Life of Fletcher. And John William Fletcher became known as the Saint of Methodism.
NOTES
[i]. Patrick Streiff and G.W.S. Knowles, Reluctant Saint?: A Theological Biography of Fletcher of Madeley (Peterborough: Epworth Press, 2001), 3.
