Thomas Coke
Thomas Coke (1747-1814)
You can hear an audio recording of this post on episode 15 of the Methodical Methodist Podcast!
Thomas Coke has been called – “The Apostle of Methodism” and “The Father of Methodist Missions.” John Wesley called him “The Flea” because he traveled around so much! Thomas Coke, was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States – along with Francis Asbury. During his lifetime, he set up the General Conference, the Book of Discipline, and the Trust Clause which states that property is not held by the local congregations, but by the denomination. He traveled to America nine times, and his love for missions is what helped make the church global.
Thomas Coke was born in Brecon, Wales on September 28, 1747, as the third and only surviving son of Bartholomew and Anne Phillips Coke. Six months before Thomas was born, the couple buried their three-year-old, first-born son, who was named after Bartholomew. Their second son had only lived a few days.
Bartholomew was an apothecary (which is kind of like an old timey pharmacist). And apparently, he gained a reputation for his medical skill. In fact, Thomas had these words engraved on his father’s memorial tablet, “His great medical knowledge was well known in this country so that very rarely did anyone under his care employ a physician.”
Thomas had a very happy childhood. He grew up in the richest town in Wales at the time. He was described as a bit of a lad, with an eye for the girls, whose enjoyment of high life was likely to shock no one who has not entirely forgotten the days of his own youth. He was a warm-hearted, friendly person, witty in conversation, his broad features made him attractive by the eager eyes and ready smile, despite a stocky figure that was later to turn to portliness. In fact, Thomas was only about 5 feet and one inch tall.
Thomas loved both of his parents and he gained an interest in medicine because of the influence of his father. Bartholomew passed away in 1773, during this time Thomas was still a priest in the Church of England – this is before he had switched over to the Methodist church – which may have been a good thing considering his father was a staunch Church of England man. His mother Anne, however, was alive when he became a part of the Methodist church, and she had really no problem with it.
On April 6, 1764, Thomas Coke entered Jesus College in Oxford University as a gentleman commoner at the age of sixteen. A gentleman commoner is basically anyone who comes from a privileged class of commoners that is required to pay higher fees than ordinary commoners at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
So, Coke attended Oxford over forty years after John Wesley had started attending there in 1720. He earned a bachelors’ degree, master’s degree, and a doctorate in civil law while at Oxford.
Then, in 1768, Coke became a Fellow Commoner at twenty-one. During this time, he was elected burgess of the borough (which is like the representative for a borough or area in England). He was also elected as a member of the Common Council in his hometown. Then a few years later, at the age of twenty-three he was elected Bailiff – which basically means that he was the Mayor. So, he was extremely accomplished, especially at such a young age.
Thomas Coke was ordained as a deacon on Trinity Sunday, 1770, by the Bishop of Oxford in the Cathedral Church of Christ. Two years later, on Sunday August 23, 1772, he was ordained as a priest by the Bishop of St. David’s in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist.
In July 1771, he was appointed as the assistant priest under the Reverend Robert Twyford in the small town of South Petherton in the district of Somerset, England. At the time of Coke, South Petherton was a town of around 1,500 people. Historically South Petherton was a market town, but now it is regarded to be a small town. But there is no doubt that Coke kept very busy in this (at the time) active town. By the following July, Coke had resigned from his mayoral duties back in his hometown because he was obviously living elsewhere.
A few years into serving this appointment, the senior priest Robert Twyford became ill. So, Coke took up the main priestly responsibilities, and was – for all intents and purposes – basically the senior priest – at least until the death of Twyford in 1776 and they appointed a new vicar to replace him.
Coke took his responsibilities very seriously. He spent hours writing sermons and often stayed up late into the night working on them. He read devotional materials and books. During this time he was introduced to the writing of a Methodist leader, John Fletcher and also John Wesley. The writings of Fletcher was, he said, “The blessed means of bringing me among that despised people called Methodists, with whom, God being my helper, I am determined to live and die.”
Coke, who was once a staunch Anglican and had absolutely no Methodists leanings whatsoever, was now becoming more and more interested about these “people called Methodists.” He began hearing Methodists preach and started rubbing shoulders with some Methodist class leaders. During this time, Coke was walking to a service one evening at a church outside his parish, and he prayed earnestly for a blessing. And then later he felt God speak peace to his soul, dispel all his fears, and fill his heart with an unspeakable joy. This moment has been labeled Coke’s conversion experience. This was the very moment when Coke said he received, “an instantaneous assurance of the pardon of sin.”
Of course, as you might imagine, some of his parishioners were upset with Coke and his Methodists leanings. In fact, one of his biggest opponents wrote – in print that his ‘embracing the dark and erroneous doctrines of Methodism’ was chiefly the result of disappointed hopes of preferment in the Church.
Coke had received his doctorate in Civil Law at Oxford by this time, but he was not able to achieve preferment in the Anglican Church. Preferment was the process where a priest moves to a “higher” role such as canon, archdeacon, dean or bishop. And, in this quote, this opponent, John Thomas, was rubbing it in Coke’s face.
On August 13, 1776, Thomas Coke rode over to Kingston St Mary in order to meet with John Wesley. Wesley had preached in Taunton and was spending the night at James Brown’s home (Not to be confused with the singer). Coke and Wesley sat around the table that evening. Early the next morning, they continued their talk and walked in the garden outside Brown’s home.
John Wesley encouraged Coke to do all the good he could, visit from house to house, omit no part of his clerical duty, and to avoid every reasonable ground of offense. Some good solid priestly advice. Coke was a bit disappointed because he was hoping that Wesley would offer him employment and invite him to travel alongside him. Coke complained that he was “still confined still to the work of a parish.”
Coke returned to his church in hopes of turning it to a Methodist parish. And again, at this time, Methodism was a movement within the Church of England. However, not many people had embraced this movement inside the church. And so, Coke created enough opposition in his church that he was eventually dismissed as their pastor on Easter Sunday, 1777. At the time of his dismissal, the congregation celebrated by ringing the church bells, hearing a sermon from their new preacher talking about the faults of their old preacher, and drinking cider in the street.
It is said that after this expulsion from his church, he went to John Wesley and asked, “What do I do now that I have no parish and no church?” John Wesley simply replied, “Why… go and preach the gospel to all the world.” As you will see by the end of this episode, no words were ever taken more literally.
By June 1777, Coke had joined Wesley and the two traveled on a preaching tour that eventually brought them to South Wales. On one occasion, while Coke was traveling from Bristol to London, one of his fellow passengers got very ill in the stage coach. Coke went to fetch some water from a nearby stream, but then he realized that the only thing he had to carry the water was his brand new clergy cassock. And so, he returned empty handed. Another man who was assisting the sick passenger said, “What, Sir, have you brought no water?” And then the man immediately ran off and returned with his hat full of water. Coke was rebuked by this man for his behavior.
Still, Coke began to dive into the Methodist Movement headfirst. Coke preached at the Foundry, at West Street Chapel, and the new chapel in City Road. But he also engaged, like John and Charles, in open air preaching. And he became a very popular preacher. Apparently, he was very enthusiastic and animated in his preaching style. Between 1778 and 1783, Coke pretty much remained in London, and during this time Wesley came to know him as quote “sound in the faith” and zealous of good works.” It seemed that Wesley had finally found the assistant that he had been searching for.
Coke was admitted to the most secret councils and John confided some very important things in Coke. Over the span of several years Coke served Wesley as his secretary and his personal representative to the various Methodist societies. Wesley valued his legal mind, and he found him to be a gifted evangelical preacher, a skilled administrator, and his most trusted companion. In 1780 Coke served as superintendent of Methodism’s London circuit. Then in 1782, Coke served as the first chairman of the Irish Conference.
But the year 1784 was a momentous year for Coke. At the age of 81, Wesley made the decision to ordain Methodist preachers. Initially, he did this in order to maintain control over American Methodism and to try to keep the American movement within the Anglican tradition. Wesley ordained Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey as deacons and then elders (which is the equivalent of an ordained priest). And then, he ordained Thomas Coke (who was already an ordained priest in the Church of England) as a superintendent. And he made plans for Coke to ordain Asbury as a superintendent as well, once he arrived in America.
On Thursday September 2, 1784 at 4:00am in the home of Dr. John Castleman, John Wesley placed hands on Coke and offer a prayer to set apart Thomas Coke as superintendent of the rapidly growing Methodist movement in America. Coke was tasked with traveling to America and to lay hands upon Francis Asbury in order to appoint him as a joint superintendent with him in the United States.
After John Wesley commissioned Thomas Coke, the two men stood at the pier and, as the boat departed, Wesley said to Coke, “Offer Them Christ, Thomas.” This parting words of encouragement helped to prepare him for the task he would take on in this new role.
In November 1784, Asbury and Coke met with a few other preachers at Barratt’s Chapel (just south of Dover, Delaware) and they decided to call a general conference in Baltimore. The Christmas Conference of 1784 took place on Christmas Eve at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore, Maryland.
During this Special Christmas Conference, 65 of the 85 active itinerant preachers voted unanimously to create an independent church that was free of its connection to the Church of England. They also elected Coke and Asbury to serve as the superintendents of the new body.
During this Conference, on the first day Thomas Coke ordained Asbury as a deacon, the next day as an elder, and the day after that, as a superintendent. And then, Coke preached a sermon on Revelation 3:7-11 to mark this special occasion.
The American Methodist Connection had now transformed into the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Thomas quickly began to familiarize himself with the American landscape, and he soon became aware of the dangers that face Methodist circuit riding preachers. Especially while traveling through the south from Alexandria, Virginia. He writes about that experience saying:
“I found that I had two streams to pass. The first I went over without much danger: but in crossing the second, which was very strong and very deep, I did not observe that a tree brought down by the flood, lay across the landing-place. I endeavoured, but in vain, to drive my horse against the stream, and go round the tree. I was afraid to turn my horse's head to the stream, and afraid to go back. In this dilemma I thought it most prudent for me to lay hold on the tree, and go over it, the water being shallow on the other side of the tree. But I did not advert to the danger of loosening the tree from its hold. For no sooner did I execute my purpose so far as to lay hold of the tree, (and that instant the horse was carried from under me,) but the motion that I gave it loosened it, and down the stream it instantly carried me. Some distance off, there grew a tree in the middle of the stream, the root of which had formed a little bank or island, and divided the stream; and here the tree which I held was stopped. Instantly there came down with the flood a large branch of a tree upon my back, which was so heavy, that I was afraid it would break my back. I was now jammed up for a considerable time (a few minutes appeared long at such a season) expecting that my strength would soon be exhausted, and I should drop between the tree and the branch... It was an awful time! However, through the blessing of my Almighty preserver, (to whom be all the glory,) I at last got my knee, which I long endeavoured at in vain, on the tree which I grasped, and then soon disengaged myself, and climbed up the little bank. Here I panted for breath for some time: and when I recovered, perceiving the water between the little island and the shore not to be very deep, or very strong, I ventured through it, and got to land. I was now obliged to walk about a mile, shivering, before I came to a house. The master and mistress were from home, and were not expected to return that night. But the principal negro lent me an old ragged shirt, coat, waist-coat, breeches, &c. and the negroes made a large fire, and hung my clothes up to dry all night... At night I lay on a bed on the ground, and my strength having been so exhausted, slept soundly all the night. Thus was I wonderfully preserved, and I trust shall never forget so awful, but very instructive a scene.”
But, while traveling through Virginia, Coke became keenly aware of the evils of slavery. The Conference of 1780 had passed a resolution condemning slavery as contrary to the laws of God, man and nature, hurtful to society, and contrary to the dictates of conscience and pure religion. However, the sin of slavery was still alive in the south.
Together, Coke and Asbury advocated for the emancipation of slaves, and they were vocal about the evils of slavery. On May 26th, Coke and Asbury visited with George Washington at Mt. Vernon to discuss the issue of slavery. In his journal, Coke writes about this experience saying,
“The general's seat is very elegant, built upon the great river Potomank; He received us very politely, and was very open to access. He is quite the plain country gentleman and he is a friend to mankind. After dinner we desired a private interview, and opened to him the grand business on which we came, presenting to him our petition for the emancipation of the negroes, and intreating his signature, if the eminence of his station did not render it inexpedient for him to sign any petition. He informed us that he was of our sentiments, and had signified his thoughts on the subject to most of the great men of the State: that he did not see it proper to sign the petition, but if the Assembly took it into consideration, would signify his sentiments to the Assembly by a letter. He asked us to spend the evening and lodge at his house, but our engagement at Annapolis the following day, would not admit of it. I was loth to leave him, for I greatly love and esteem him and if there was no pride in it, would say that we are kindred Spirits, formed in the same mould. O that God would give him the witness of his Spirit!”
Coke and Asbury made a stand against slavery, they threatened slaveholders with excommunication, and presented this antislavery petition to President George Washington at Mount Vernon. But in the end, Coke and Asbury had little success in their efforts to eradicate slavery.
Another project that Coke and Asbury joined together on was the formation of a Methodist College which was named “Cokesbury College.” Unfortunately the college burned down – and then was rebuilt. But then it burned down a second time, and unfortunately, that was the end of the college.
Coke decided to travel back to England, and he arrived back just in time for the Conference of 1785. Coke had arrived to a Methodist Connection that was in the midst of conflict. John had ordained Coke and people started taking sides on the matter. Many folks agree with Charles Wesley who was adamantly against John ordaining Methodist preachers outside of the Church of England. And a lot of animosity was directed toward Coke. For example Charles Wesley wrote a cutting hymn against Coke which said…
“A Roman emperor ‘tis said,
His favorite horse a consul made;
But Coke brings greater things to pass,
He makes a bishop of an ass.”
Despite the tension in British Methodism, John Wesley ended up ordaining three more lay-preachers to administer the sacraments in the Conference of 1785. Coke soon found himself conflicted – living in two worlds. John Wesley could not completely spare him to permanently stay in America. So, Coke spent a lot of time traveling back and forth. This is what earned him the nickname “The Flea.” He traveled to America every two years. He would spend the early months of 1787, 1789, and 1791 visiting in the American societies and attending annual conferences as he traveled.
On the way between England and America, Coke would often stop and visit in the West Indies on the way. All of his work also earned him another nickname, which was, “The Father of the Methodist Missions.” In 1786, he authored a pamphlet entitled, An Address to the Pious and Benevolent Proposing an Annual Subscription for the Support of Missionaries which was the very first Methodist missionary tract. He had originally intended to establish missionaries in Nova Scotia, but a gale force wind caused him to land in Antigua, West Indies, instead. Coke found some incredible opportunities in the West Indies. The British Colonies stationed there allowed him to find good connections and this missionary effort became an important passion thorughout his life.
On one visit to America, Coke brought news from John Wesley that Asbury was to appoint Richard Whatcoat as a joint superintendent with him. Asbury and the other Methodist preachers in America bucked back against Wesley’s attempt to maintain control of American Methodism. This was perhaps also Wesley’s attempt to try and backtrack – he never intended for the American movement to form into a new church. But the American Methodists had formed this new church – The Methodist Episcopal Church, and they believed that they should have the authority to appoint their own superintendents. Coke was pressuring American Methodists to follow Wesley’s orders, but the preachers were resistant
And this, of course, created tension and animosity between Asbury and Coke. In the end, the American Conference decided not to ordain Richard Whatcoat as a joint superintendent. Ultimately, this event helped to solidify and strengthen Asbury’s authority as a leader of the Methodist Church.
Asbury was also upset because he was expected to adjust his own schedule to meet the needs of Coke. Asbury writes about this in his journal saying, “The arrangement of these conferences as to time and place to be fitted to the Doctor’s (Coke’s) movings was the only cause of swelling of old Daddy Wesley and me. I have been prevented from visiting some circuits that have been formed 3 or 4 years that have wanted my pastoral care; and as we are now fitted to meet the Doctor’s coming I can only see these once in two years, whereas if I was wholly at my own disposal I should see them all in the space of 12 or 15 months.”
In the end, we see that Asbury eventually gets his way on this matter. Coke, however, had failed to maintain authority in American Methodism – perhaps due to his constant travel schedule. Asbury insisted on episcopal authority, and Coke had failed to do the same.
Coke, along with another rouge preacher named James O’Kelly, began to conspire behind Asbury’s back. Asbury had formed a Methodist Council to oversee the expansive church and make decisions on behalf of the overall church. O’Kelly disagreed with this model and Thomas Coke sided with O’Kelly. Little did O’Kelly know - Coke had ulterior motives. He only sided with O’Kelly in an effort to weaken Asbury’s episcopal status. Ultimately, Coke hoped to cause a renewed relationship with the Anglican church and the Methodist Episcopal Church. I get the sense that Coke was mainly motivated out of his love for Wesley. He may have seen the writing on the wall, that Wesley was drawing closer to death.
And inevitably Wesley did pass away. On April 28, 1791 – Coke’s plans came crashing to the ground. While Coke and Asbury were traveling through Virginia, they learned of John Wesley’s death.
Coke decided to return back to England. But first, Coke preached memorial services for John Wesley in Baltimore and Philadelphia using 2 Kings 2:12 which is on the passing of Elijah. Many people believed that he suggested Wesley represented Elijah and Coke himself represent Elisha (the prophet who was his successor). Here we see a bit of Coke’s ambition come out. I think he really did see himself as the obvious choice to be Wesley’s successor. After all, he had been Wesley’s right-hand man.
Coke left for England and hoped to win the election of the “President of the European Methodists.” Ultimately, he was not chosen. Instead, a man named William Thompson was elected to serve in this role. Coke did end up serving as William Thompson’s secretary – and he continued to fill this role for many years. In addition, it should be noted that Coke did later serve as the President of the European Methodists briefly in 1797 and again in 1805.
Still, Coke managed to meet with Bishop William White in America to go over his plans to unite the Methodist Church back alongside the Church of England. Ultimately, Coke’s plan failed miserably. In the following years, Coke would travel back and forth between America and England.
After this Coke and Asbury’s relationship was quite strained, although they were able to move past their differences later on. But during this time, things were pretty rough between the two Bishops. Coke was arguing that Asbury had figuratively stabbed Wesley in the back and literally hastened his death – and because of that Asbury “was worthy of eternal damnation.”
The American Methodists eventually called for Coke to sign a letter declaring his partial abdication. In other words, he signed this document that limited his authority as an episcopal leader. And he was only able to assume ultimate authority in American Methodism in the event of Asbury’s death. But then, he further agreed that in the event of Asbury’s death that his authority over American Methodism should revert to the preachers in the Conference. So, he essentially gave up all of his authority. In future visits to America, Coke was simply addressed as plain Doctor Coke. Despite their differences, Asbury was saddened to see this happen. In fact, Asbury noted that this “was like death to him.”
However, Coke still remained instrumental in the Methodist Movement. On his fifth journey to the States, in 1792, Coke arrived in Baltimore for the Methodist Conference. Asbury was very ill during this time, and he was happy to turn the chair over to Coke. Coke preached the Conference sermon “Witness of the Spirit.” He also prepared a new edition of the Discipline and organized the Methodist Episcopal Church into six districts which were each under the jurisdiction of an Annual Conference. Then, Coke and Asbury worked together on producing an annotated edition of the Book of Discipline. So, it sounds like it was a very productive year.
Still, Coke found that his engagement with the American Connection was irrevocable. The English Conference in 1797 elected Coke to the Presidential Chair and wrote a letter to the American Connexon asking them to release Coke of his obligations because he was needed in England. Coke actually traveled to America to deliver this letter, but his ship was actually captured by a French privateer – and all the passengers lost all of their possessions – and it was just a stroke of luck that Coke was allowed to board another vessel going to America, instead of being taken to Puerto Rico.
But Coke did safely make it back to America. He was very conflicted. He knew that he essentially had no authority or power, but there was a part of him that really loved America. In one letter he wrote, “I love the cause in America. I saw how wonderfully God owned the work under the present form of things.”
Ultimately, the American Connection decided it was time for Coke to officially return back to England. And so, Coke left the New World for the ninth and last time.
Less than one year after this return from America, Thomas Coke – now 57 years old – married Miss Penelope Goulding Smith in the spring of 1805. Penelope was the daughter of a well-to-do solicitor and he had inherited a substantial fortune. They had originally met after she had pledged financial support for Missions. Over time they fell in love. In one letter Coke writes, “O my love, I do love you with an ardent increasing unabated and never diminishing love, and it is a great addition to my happiness that I am fully assured that we shall be with each other and love each other to all eternity.”
On their honeymoon they traveled from Clifton to Bath. Then they went to an Inn called Old Down and then the next day they made their way to Plymouth Dock. In fact, in the first six weeks of their married life, they covered over 400 miles. This is an indication of what married life would be with Coke. Rather than Coke traveling on his own, Penelope often traveled with him on his missionary journeys. Coke even said, “We are always traveling, and I annually visit and preach at more places than I did for many years before my marriage.”
But, many scholars believe that this marriage is what actually prevented Coke from ever returning to America. When Asbury learned of Coke’s marriage he responded, “Marriage is honorable in all – but to me it is a ceremony as awful as death.”
For all his failings in American Methodism, Thomas Coke more than makes up for them in his accomplishments in various other Missionary efforts. As one author by the name of Cyril Davey says, “No man in Methodism had a greater significance for his own age, for Methodism, and for the Missionary movement. No man, deserving to be remembered has been more completely forgotten.”
Methodism was one of the first of the Protestant denominations to engage in overseas missions and this was really due to Thomas Coke.
In less than nine years, Coke was able to expand Methodism in the Caribbean from one single society of 2,000 people to a membership of 6,570. He had helped form 12 new missionaries working in ten of the islands. And throughout the rest of his life, Coke supervised this work. By 1814, there were 12 circuits throughout the Caribbean with a membership of 17,000 people. And Thomas Coke deserves most of the credit for this. Not enough is said about his success in his mission work.
Coke sent pioneer missionaries, not only to the islands in the West Indies, but he also sent them to new missions in Sierra Leone, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and France. He even organized work among 70,000 French prisoners of war being held in England during the Napoleonic Wars. At John Wesley’s last Conference before he died, in 1790, Wesley named Coke to head the first Methodist missionary committee. In reference to his work in this committee, Coke said, “I beg from door to door.” He unabashedly even donated his family’s wealth to the missionary effort.
In 1811, Coke’s wife Penelope passed away – leaving Coke in a state of sadness and depression. Coke wrote, “The unspeakable loss I have felt, has quite unhinged my whole soul. I have hardly been able to put pen to paper. I was obliged to fly from myself. I have traveled about 1500 miles in about ten weeks; but all nature has lost its beauty.”
Coke did marry again, however. Before the year had ended, Coke married Anne Loxdale. She was 55 years old. In regard to this marriage, Coke wrote, “I could fill a Quire of paper with love and praises for my very dear Wife. God himself has brought her to me or me to her, by a series of wonderful Providences and, I verily believe, by the direction of my Penelope.”
The newlywed couple wasted no time in traveling around together in missionary efforts. However, on December 5, 1812 – Anne Coke passed away within a few days of their first wedding anniversary. Again, Coke found himself grieving over the loss of another beloved spouse. But Coke would only live a few years after this loss.
Thomas Coke died in 1814 on board a ship traveling to India. Coke was leading a missionary band of preachers for India and South Africa. Early in the morning, on Mary 3rd at about 5:00, Coke was found on the cabin floor. Some suggest that Coke died from a possible stroke. When the news of his death reached Asbury, he spoke of Coke as “the greatest man of all the Oxonian Methodists, and the greatest man in the last century.”
The funeral took place at 5:00 that afternoon. His body was then released into the bottom of the Indian Ocean. One biographer suggests that this was fitting considering this mad had spent so much time as a homeless traveler sailing from place to place to spread the gospel. When learning of his death, one dear friend named Joseph Entwisle wrote, “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor his ways our ways. We must still say, ‘The Lord doth all things well. He buries his workmen, and carries on his work.’”
