Thread by @LizzieCaron

I started reading the B.T Roberts history again this week… so here’s the thread of what’s happening or was happening 166 years ago lol.
I’m picking up at the 1857 trial…

Okay so this is after the 1856 annual conference in the ME church where the group of Methodist pastors that were vocally preaching and pursuing holiness were growing more concerned and outspoken about how the conference was straying from the holiness focus and that was obviously

Causing issues for those called to live simple lives focused on the Lord… in 56 McCreery was being accused of basically being too fanatical about holiness… 🙄

The main case was found inadmissible and then both McCreery - he basically was found guilty of being “unduly excited” #gaslighting

The main elder over the case Stiles and Kingsley both supporters of the reforming/renewal of focus on holiness were both transferred out of the conference. #sus

During that time a group of pastors called “Regency” were meeting to pre decide stuff for the conference! They were not #teamholiness…

Okay so this is where it gets spicy!
1857-
B.T. Writes 2 articles that basically call out the craziness of mission/theology drift on the ME church.

He doesn’t name names but he calls out the issues pretty clearly.

(This was in violation of the “affection request” from the 56 conference about the whole thing.)

In these articles he responds to other articles posted in a different church newspaper (OG church Twitter fights)

“In the article's second installment B. T. said New School Methodists "build stock churches, and furnish them with pews to accommodate a select congregation; and with organs, melodeons, violins, and professional singers, to execute difficult pieces of music for a fashionable…

audience." By contrast, the Old School Methodists "favor free churches, congregational singing, and spirituality, simplicity and fervency in worship."” Page 117

So the articles came out right before conference… BT pulling up strong with the power moves… conference starts- first action item electing a secretary for the conference.

B.T. ALMOST WINS… he only lost by 5 votes…

After that charges are brought against BT because of the articles and Kendall because of his commitment to holiness…

Meanwhile- Ellen is home and her journal has this 🔥🔥🔥 quote:

“It will not be what we have endured but what we have failed to endure that will cause regret when we come to the close of life." Pg 118

Charges are basically -
You posted an article talking about our opinions
You said some of us are doing it wrong and we are to lax with our religion
You said our doctrines are wrong
Etc

Basically the guy who wrote the book on how to do church discipline oversaw the process… but there’s arguments he didn’t listen to his own book…

B.T. Opens with a great statement about how if what I said about y’all is wrong tell me and I’ll recant it…

They didn’t really care if it was accurate just about it stirring the pot…

The people persecuting the case had printed copies of the article to hand out during the trial lol

But they forgot…

B.T. Had training to be a lawyer from his #presaveddays And laid out an impressive defense.

He lost but barely. He was charged with “unchristian and immoral conduct”

The two punishments being discussed was basically a knock it off from the Bishop and the other side was to expulse him and make him an example.

He wasn’t kicked out just yet…

Later he told his BFF Kendall - “It’s an honor to be denounced by those men.”

People at that time think one of the main reasons people were up set about the holiness focused group because they were also (not surprisingly) strongly opposed to slavery #idhopeso

Then a visiting person to the conference who was angry for B.T.
WROTE A PAMPHLET ABOUT THE TRIAL (inflammatorily) and NAMED all those who voted against B.T

(B.T. Was not involved in this and did not give consent to its creation or distribution.)

Then BT got moved to a new church (that was normal nbd.)

Imagine getting a new pastor who was just convicted of being a sketchy person morally and then sent to your church.

He gets to Perkin
They are lovely people but spiritually dead. He invites some of his friends over and they have a gathering- Holy Spirit shows up in power and many were saved and renewed with the Lord! 🥳🙌🏻🙌🏻

His BFF Kendall died 😭😭😭

His other friend and co conspirator in holiness focus Redfield stays with BT and Ellen.
Many people come to know the Lord during the services in this time.

The pamphlet guy releases it again with a copy of BT’s article… BT is becoming famous in ME circles and getting invites to speak all over but is like ummm… thanks but I got kids…

Conference is here again- his new friend Chesbrough sends a glowing report card of BT to the Church Newspaper ahead of conference.

FYI- BT was a big fan of the camp meeting- helped buy a camp ground #Bergen and helped operate it. People didn’t like how he did it.
Shockingly about power and control of the people and thought leaders…

1858 conference & trial:
So Kendall was supposed to be tried at conference but because he’s ☠️ they decide to honor him and his ministry and have BT do the memorial service (BT’s 3rd time doing the service for BFF Kendall 😭😭😭.)
Then they charge BT again because of pamphlet 💁‍♂️

The charges were basically that BT was responsible for pamphlet guy… here are some of the things apparently in the pamphlets:

“That "the same fifty men who voted Bro. Roberts guilty of unchristian and immoral conduct, voted to re-admit a brother for the service performed of kissing a young lady."

“That "on the trial, a right which any civil or military court would have allowed him, was denied."

That "there is a clique among us called the Buffalo Regency, conspiring and acting in secret conclave, to kidnap, or drive away, or proscribe and destroy, by sham trials and starvation appointments; every one who has the boldness to question their supremacy in the Conference."

BT new it wasn’t looking good so he asked:
For Ives to represent me #denied
He was able to get Stiles to help him.
Tried to get it moved to a civil case #denied
Requested a change in conference so that it would be more fair since the Regency probably already voted #denied

He Asked that it be moved to committee so that people didn’t only show up for the vote but skip the trial #denied

He objected to anyone personally invested in the case voting. It was noted but no one could keep anyone else from voting.

Surprisingly?!? No one tried to prove the content wasn’t true just that it shouldn’t be shared… 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

BT was ready this year!
He called all the people to be a witness and was able to clearly show he did not know or participate in the pamphlets!

BT used his law training to shut down the prosecutor in an epic way!

He gets someone to admit the “select meetings” were real! 🤯🔥🤯🔥

Stiles pointed out how at least 1/3-1/2 of the conference had helped circulate the pamphlets while BT hadn’t so clearly this was crazy!

Dude way to call it out 😂

BT gives a BRILLIANT CLOSING statement - the other group adjourns after to scared to vote then 🙄

BT lost the vote 62-32
McCreery also lost 51-17
They were kicked out of the ME church

#setup #theexample conspiracytheory

The Bishop Janes encouraged BT after it all and was like don’t stress bro - you’re going to do great things
Imagine if you’re BT… dude I just got my ordination stripped and kicked from my people… also I don’t have a job and I’m homeless now… (he had a house in Buffalo-still.)

He goes home and is like Y’all what do I do now? Writes to a superintendent of another conference and was like bro what do I do?

He’s like dude - you’re good just stay there and keep doing your thing- “preach and labor for souls”

BTs like umm maybe

He ends up joining the church he was just the pastor of and they are like sick- the new pastor is like umm here’s a license to preach go and do your thing.

He started getting all the invites to preach! And other conferences were like umm yeah that’s dumb just join us but BT was like well thanks but I need to stay here and keep doing the work of holiness…

Y’all Lydia Lane is back in the story! #teamLanes I really do love her and George.

The Lanes were ticked so were the Chesbrough’s from his Pekin church! Y’all they started a petition and gathering of lay leaders to be like umm no sir this is dumb!

195 people showed up!!!

These were big deal people being like umm nope this isn’t okay.
The lay leaders were like yeah no we need to address this…

They summarized their issues saying that if we can’t figure stuff out we will withhold our support to pastors failing to do “the work of spreading scriptural holiness”

They decided to support creating a periodical to advocate for “Earnest Christianity” and HIRED BT & McCreery to do it.
#laypeopleclapback

He’s out traveling and preaching doing his thing (preaching 5 times a week) 🤯🔥🤯

People are getting kicked out of their churches 🙈

Redfield is in St Louis and is like umm I need help can you come help me.

BT ends up going and this is a major personal experience with slavery.

This church became strictly against slaveholding and pro freedom for slaves.

“Thus it is accurate historically to say that the "Free" in Free Methodist signifies freedom from slavery, oppression, and racial discrimination as much as free seats and freedom of the Spirit.” Pg 143

Y’all Ellen has been sick for 10 years. And shes getting healed (thanks for the #spolier headers)

Umm… I’m not going to do this justice - I’ll try but - read pages 144-146

Ellen came to trust Jesus as the ultimate physician - and she was healed. She got her energy back! 🥳🥳🥳 #relatable

“They did proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior, sanctified, & healer.” Pg 145

Y’all 59 conference just continued the crazy…
They called the holiness focused people the “worst scandal which ever pestered a denomination of Christians”…. Umm maybe not…
crusades
churchtoo
Colonialism

Strong statements rarely age well…

Bunch more people kicked out of the ME church…. I’m guessing most will be the early FM pastors… thanks for the free training and equipping in church management ME lol

Redfield had revivals in the west- aka Illinois… lots of people who would become FM leaders came to faith and experienced perfect love.

Unrelated to BT a Free Methodist church formed from people kicked from the ME church in Illinois

Okay so BT and Ellen are back in Buffalo - long story short- BT starts preaching to an outreach of an me church- grows- me peeps try to shut it down… grows- becomes 13th Street Free Methodist Church. Bro Chesbrough comes help preach #laypeople

BTs heart is to preach to the poor - finds better location- sells their house- couch surfs with Ellen and the littlest (Charlie) the two other kids stay with friends.

Thank goodness Ellen was healed!!!

They still had debt and Ellen was like bro we need to ask for help. She published an appeal in the Earnest Christian….

Ministry was growing and they were stretched thin.

Okay so at this same time Stiles (The guy that helped defend BT in the trials.) so he was ousted because that was the cool thing to do in the ME church at that time …

His church that he had been at was like… umm no thanks we are keeping him. So half the church left and purchased the land across the street 😂

A bunch of new “free” churches were formed before the 1860 General Conference.

3rd Layman’s Convention:
All the churches in the conference had representation. They proposed several key things to take to GC 60 (1860)
1) investigate the stuff that happened to BT, Stiles, etc
2) Ban Church Membership to anyone not anti-slavery in thought & action
3) & #teamME

Plus just to make a point they issued a welcome statement to the new FM church.

They also set up a functional structure of equal lay leadership & clergy outside of the existing ME structure.

So the anti holiness focus people played some strong game in the politics at GC getting most of the appeals buried in committees and BT’s personal appeals were denied.

So BT is officially not ME anymore!

The ME church was like well…

About a month later on July 2, 1860 in Wayne Illinois was the laymen’s convention “de facto the organizing convention of a new denomination.” Pg 157

Between that an the August 23 meeting Free Methodist became its own separate denomination!

3 things were the base of the denomination:

Redfield was named superintendent over Illinois & BT was named General Superintendent

10 weeks later Redfield had a stroke and couldn’t preach! He wrote a memoir!

Has anyone read it?

They used the ME doctrine & org structure as the base and then edited it from there.

It’s amazing to me how similar BT’s life and ministry was to John Wesley’s!

The church expanded super fast! With conferences in Illinois, Genesee, & Susquehanna, next Michigan & Kansas!

Quote from BT 22 years later-
"For striving, in the spirit of love, to bring the Church with which we were connected up to [the New Testament] standard, many of us were violently excluded…

“We looked around for a home. We could find no Church that appeared to us to be even aiming to be what a church of Christ should be.” Pg. 163

1868- The Free Methodist was created which is still serving the FM church with communications #LightandLife

BT still served as editor of The Earnest Christian!

That dude did so much for so many people.

“A church which does not preach the gospel to the poor is not the church of Jesus Christ - period.” Pg. 167

BT over here publishing all sorts of people - including women 🥳

BT as an editor was the original character limit.

“Give us short articles full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.” Pg 170

The Civil War started and the Earnest Christian was a vehicle for encouragement to soldiers and anti-slavery communication with a circus of over 6k!

At one point there was a key vote In Illinois that was pro- slavery and BT was like yeah no thanks so he ended church early

So I think it’s safe to say BT was pro civic engagement!

They had another baby 💙💙💙
January 19, 1862
Samuel!

While they are in Buffalo they start Five Points Mission in 1862.

They also rented a room above a saloon for services to better reach the poor! And they didn’t have a bell because the praise & worship was so loud people just came running!

They needed places for converted women to stay until they could provide for themselves in some manner so the mission was started- mostly ran by Ellen #ellenisthecoolest

Missionary board was started! 1862 🥳

Y’all 3 off BT’s main people: Stiles, Redfield, & Chesbrough all died in 1863! 😭

BT & Ellen went to California to help the church grow in that area. They were there for 5 months. Curious about where were the boys? Who was running the mission? Also would love to see Ellen’s diary entries from this time.

Roberts Wesleyan is born in 1866 (known as Chili Seminary)
When they built their first dorms it was low key like Greek life with- 20 people in a single room (I assume it was a big room) to encourage community.

A student said this of Ellen:
“It was not enough for them to maintain a profession of religion, but they must receive the outpouring of the Spirit again and again."
Pg 185

I want to be like Ellen Roberts when I grow up.

1887 -Benson got married 🥰
They served as co principles together

Other FM people started church- related schools

Umm… why did we have to pick 1883 to list the fm schools made when if they added one more year they could have included Central…
Seems rude. Thus far Kansas had only been mentioned because the train was slow because prairie chickens were dumb… pg 186

BT’s dad Titus died! He was a cool man with a funny story about a huge tree, an inspiring faith, and wisdom that consistently helped BT.

“B. T. Roberts was much more concerned about the growth of God's kingdom than with building a denomination.” Pg 187

BT’s main things were:
Caring for the poor- practically & spiritually

“An individual who is Holy cannot consistently belong to a Church that despise the poor.” Pg 189

I wonder if he ever expounded on how he explains despising.

1874- Women are approved to be evangelists.
(Women apparently were often serving as pastors just not officially.)

EP Hart (he started Spring Arbor) is now added as a 2nd general superintendent 🥳

Okay so lots of church growth (yay)
BT gets tasked with creating a full hymn book and then told to fund it himself… that’s weird. Also y’all he’s only one dude give him a break.

C.M. Damon (founder of @cccktigers) is mentioned as a pioneer 🥳

Umm okay this is a fire perspective - “I would rather have the gift of devil-dislodging faith than all the learning that can be acquired at earth’s schools.” Vivian Drake pg 195 #Educationisfoundinmoretganjustschool #schoolmatterstoo

Okay the Pentecostal Bands in 1867 sound like a pretty intense but cool time of evangelism & church movement. @revdrmgc have you read the book about Drake?

Also this sounds like the first version of YWAM groups…

“These long preachers generally leave the people dead.” BT pg 200 😂😂😂

Umm did Dave Ramsey rip off Wesley’s statements on money management?!?

“Gain all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” Pg. 200

BT’s test for ministry service - have they grace? Have they gifts? Have they fruits?
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Why do I feel like at times we lose site of the first one?

Holiness was becoming more viewed as independent and private -

BT is starting to get sick (“largely from overwork”)

Okay so BT goes to London for a missionary conference. It’s a big deal. Big trip. Etc

But y’all the notes Ellen wrote to him 🥰😭🥰😭

She hid notes in his suitcases 🥰😭🥰😭🥰

The 1890 General Conference would be BT’s last. He was still advocating for women’s role in ministry. They also covered things like the Pentecostal Bands which would later breakaway completely from FM.

1893- BT went up to visit his mom and then went on to Cattaraugus to meet with the church.

He got sick on the way there.

In BT’s final days he oozed grace, scripture, and praise.

Benson said, “He died at his post? clothed, ready for action, had strength been given.”

Let that be our witness and testimony too.

Ellen lived on for 15 more years after BT’s passing. She mourned and learned to lean even more on God for support and comfort. This doesn’t even pretend to do it justice. #readthebook

BT had made wise financial decisions during his life and was able to leave behind enough to financially support Ellen for the rest of her life and provide substantial things to his kids.

He also left some of his books to Wessington Springs College.

Ellen continued the rest of her life to serve at the Seminary, attend class meetings, and correspond with many people within the Church.

Her life was marked by faithfulness, devotion, and commitment to holiness.

The Free Methodist Church continued to grow domestically and even more rapidly internationally.

One of the pieces that just keep popping out as I read was how many of the seemingly little things in their early years proved especially helpful or key later on in their lives. Like Ellen’s early interest in missionaries and missions.

Or how I can only imagine how helpful it was in the publication business that they had the connection and friendship of the Lanes.

Also it was so interesting that none of their kids had long term FM connections. Sad but also I think it makes sense.

@UnrollHelper