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Citation: Bratton, Amy Caswell. “Transformation and Transmission: The Transforming 
Influence of Written Spiritual Narratives in Early Methodism.” April 26, 2022, Toronto, 
Ontario: MPEG-4, 24:38 min.

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Transformation and transmission. The transforming influence of written spiritual narratives in early Methodism. Wednesday, 
September 18th, 1771. I asked Mrs. Stokes to come home with me, and I would read her my experience. While I was reading, 
I felt the mighty power of God descend upon me, and my soul overflowed with gratitude to him who reigned in me without arrival. 
We then went to prayer and a strong faith was given me to wrestle for my friend. She cried out in great agony of soul. I prayed 
on till she fainted away. When she recovered, she said the Lord has done something for me, but I know not what, I said. Wait, 
and he will answer for himself. From the Journal of Mrs. Bashiba Hall. When I read the Journal of a British woman living in 
Bristol in the 18th century, I was particularly intrigued by this episode and her story. As I sat in a library reading room, 
I asked questions of Missus Hall. Do you mean to tell me you were reading your spiritual account to your friend and she fainted 
in response? What exactly did you read to her? Did you expect that to happen, or what is this? Was it as much a surprise to you 
as it was to me? Whatever was happening in this vignette, I knew I needed to spend some time with Bashiba Hall in her journal. 
I felt like I had found a spiritual friend across the centuries. I was at Duke University during their summer Wesley Seminar doing 
research collecting spiritual narratives of the early Methodist of Britain in the hopes of shedding light on their spiritual interpretation, 
theological interpretation of the doctrine of Christian perfection, or perfect love. But in the midst of Hall's story, I stumbled on 
this bit of evidence that Methodist, like Hall, did not simply record their spiritual experiences. I like to think for the sake of the 
historian. They wrote them and read them to their friends in the hopes that their friends would have similar experiences. After having 
spent time with spiritual narratives of early Methodist, I am convinced more than ever that the spiritual friendships of Methodist women 
shape their spirituality, and by extension, the movement into one that values the transformation produced by friendship and informal mentorship. 
The institutions developed by the Wesleys Createspace for spiritual growth, yet the relational transmission of faith is embedded in the 
ethos of the Wesleyan Holiness. Movement for generations to come. The innovative Methodist use of written testimony, as well as structures 
such as class and band meetings, have been the topic of study for many scholars. I'll mention a few here to attune you to the environment in 
which this narrative from Missus Hall takes place. For example, John Wesley as an ordained minister of the Church of England. Yet pulpits of 
the ink in the Anglican parishes were increasingly unavailable to him. So he followed the example of his dear friend George Whitfield and 
started preaching in fields, drawing an audience in the crowded marketplaces and declaring all the world his parish. Further preaching. 
Wesley followed the lead of Puritan, the Puritan discipline of journaling, and he published his journal. The first installment was in the 
genre of travel. Internal more so than what we'd expect of a published journal, I might describe my own expression expectations of Martin 
dispersion, autobiography, or personal reflections in a private diary. Yet his looks like a travel journal. And then, over the years, 
subsequent volumes of Wesley's Journal also served as an apologetic for the Methodist movement. Vicky Toller Burton notes in her study 
of spiritual literacy that these journals were made available by volume and also even smaller sections sold at an affordable price to the poor. 
This bold move of making spiritual publishing available to the poor encouraged both literacy and spiritual literacy among the working class poor. 
Furthermore, it's a reflective of how the Methodist movement cut across class boundaries. Similar to using journaling, Wesley drew inspiration 
and emulated the rhetoric rhetorical tool of letter days used by the German Moravians. They made use of testimony to the work of God around the 
world through Moravian Missionary Letters recording their activities. These letters were read aloud in public for the sake of inspiration and 
comfort. John and Charles Wesley similarly shared letters carrying these letters of spiritual experience with them as they traveled the 
Methodist circuits. They read the letters of spiritual testimony proclaiming what God was doing in hopes of evoking similar responses in the 
listeners. And although Methodists were following in the footsteps of Puritans and Moravians, they also challenged the social expectations, as 
noted above, by making spiritual literature available to the laboring classes through pamphlet sized publications of John Wesley's Journal and 
through the Armenian magazine, a periodical publication by Wesley. They're also they also challenge societal expectations by making narratives 
of women available. Margaret Jones study. The female content of the Armenian magazine shows that 40% of the spiritual narratives found in the 
letters section and the live section, that's the biographies were from women, at least in the first generation of the Armenian magazine, which 
debuted in 1778. These spiritual narratives were edited and exerted, such as Bashiba halls journal that I quoted at the beginning of this paper. 
In addition, Wesley published letters from his personal correspondence containing spiritual experiences. He also solicited spiritual narratives 
for the sake of publication in the Armenian magazine. Therefore, in the Methodist publishing culture that developed, we see that spiritual accounts 
were often intended for publication, even if they were never published. For example, lay preacher Sarah Crosby's personal papers were intended for 
publication after her death. Zachariah Taft, the editor of collection of spiritual women's spiritual narratives, notes in his introduction to Crosby's 
story quote. She left behind three or four books in manuscript, each of them containing. 2 or 300 closely written pages. From an observation made at the 
end of one or two of these books, it's evidence that she appears to have intended them for publication. She has given her consent, and with an eye to 
this, she's blotted out with her pen or cut away those particular parts of her journal which she could not consent to be made public. End Quote. 
Parts of Crosby story were indeed told, yet the multiple volumes noted here have been lost to history. And Sarah Crosby's narrative? We see the 
cross section of formal structures that we're developing in the Methodist circles, such as class and band meetings, set alongside her relational 
influence. And as Missus Crosby moves within the Methodist system, she also pushes those boundaries before we get to her story. Just a short note 
on class and banned meetings in the early Methodist movement. During John Wesley's lifetime in Britain, the Methodist movement was a renewal 
movement within the Church of England. In addition to regular attendance at Church of England services, the Methodist gathered in classes of 
people in geographic proximity to each other to encourage spiritual development and faithfulness. The class meetings were mixed gatherings of 
both men and women, up to about 30 people in size, and were conducted in a structured way, with the class leader directing a set of questions 
to each class member in turn. Fans were likely likewise small groups about a dozen in size of Methodist gathered to encourage each other, but 
these groups were divided based on gender and were less formal in their structure. Joining a band signaled an increasing spiritual maturity, 
and beyond the bands were also the select societies and occasional group gathered to spur each other on to perfect love. Lay people were given 
leadership opportunities by leading the classes and bands. And as Vicky Tyler Collins notes in her study of spaces of women's rhetoric, in this. 
Praying publicly in classes and bands might have been the 1st place where a woman's voice could be heard beyond the private sphere. The structures 
of classes and bands provide an intermediate place where laypeople and women in particular, had relational influence on others in the Methodist 
movement. Mrs. Sarah Crosby was one such lay leader of classes as a respected leader in the Methodist community. When a class leader was needed, 
she traveled to Derby to lead a class. On February 1st, 1761, she writes in her journal that she met with 27 people in class in a class meeting. 
Then one week later she writes this. In the evening I expected to meet 30 people in class, but to my great surprise there came nearly 200. I found 
an all filled sense of the Lord's presence. I was not sure whether it was right for me to exhort in so public a manner, and yet I saw it impracticable 
to meet with all these people by by way of speaking particularly to each individual I they therefore gave out a him and prayed and told them part of 
what the Lord had done for me. Persuading them to flee from all sin. End Quote. Mrs. Crosby responded to the situation and continue to lead the 
movement in a way in the way in which she was called. She would later travel and preach alongside John Wesley while maintaining humility. Francis 
Poston recounts Sarah Crosby's character quote she used to begin prayer with the simplicity of the little child and then rise to the language of 
the mother of Israel. Thus she prayed with the spirit and with understanding. End Quote, while given opportunities to leave publicly by Wesley. 
Women remained in the category of those of an extraordinary call. Rather than fully welcomed without question. As the movement movement formalized 
in the 19th century, women were given less prominence and the private spirituality of the Methodist, Mystic, Hester and Rogers became an ideal 
feminine Methodist spirituality rather than the preaching women. As. Has happened before and will happen again. When women are limited in the 
formal structures, they find a way to influence outside the structures and through informal methods. The benefit to the Wesleyan Holiness 
movement is that the deep within the DNA of the movement is the relational spirituality of women. With all this in mind about the environment 
of the Methodist movement, we can return to the journal entry we started with. Bashiba Hall, a 25 year old Methodist lay leader in Bristol, is 
moved to share her spiritual experience with her friend. Her method was to read a written account of her spiritual experience and pray for her 
friend. It appears that Hall assumes the possibility of spiritual experience and transformation in her friend when she shares her own spiritual 
experience. Indeed, this is only one of three such encounters recorded. In Halls published journal. I can imagine that Hall shared with many 
others as well. Returning to Hall's method, a written account for spiritual experience with the medium to express herself, and one question that 
that vignette raised for me, what was it that she read? Can be answered earlier in the published journal. The excerpts published in the Armenian 
magazine begin with an extended narrative including halls ecstatic experience of Christian perfection. The journal includes a brief preamble 
about her conversion, but the narrative arc begins when she encounters a woman who claimed great salvation, a term used by by Methodists in 
reference to an additional spiritual experience subsequent to conversion. As an experience known as Christian perfection, this encounter awakened 
and hall. The desire for a deep experience of God to add to her conversion experience. Halle's account shows she her longing after and seeking for 
perfection, and with that came an increasing awareness of her own sinfulness. In her journal she observes that she was drawing near to God and 
there was an ever increasing awareness of her sin and also of physical suffering. After at least a year of seeking the spiritual experience that 
would release her from this struggle with sin, she had just such an ecstatic account. She described this experience as part of an extended narrative 
she writes quote about the middle of January 1769. As I was with my dear friend Andy before the Lord, my mind was in a violent motion such as not 
possible to express. It was as if my body and soul were separated with these words I will be thou clean. But still there was fear of being deceived 
till it as soon as I rose on Sunday morning, I heard the voice of my beloved saying, thou are all fair, there is no spot in thee. I then felt 
nothing rapturous, but a holy joy and solid peace, such I, such as I, expect to feel in glory. Hall continues the narrative as she later seeks 
assurance that the experience is genuine through prayer with another friend. She writes, as soon as we bowed before the Lord, our petition was 
let there be light in our dwellings. In that moment the Lord came as a mighty rushing wind which filled all the room. So great was the glory of the 
Lord, we could not utter a word. Immediately I felt I was sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. End Quote. It is of note that these encounters 
happened in the presence of other women. And how's perfection? Narrative chronicles several months from the beginning, when she began to seek the 
great salvation in 1767, until these ecstatic encounters with God in January 1769. As related in this extended narrative, and I would argue that 
this is the written account of her spiritual experience. A few years after the events of the narrative, hall shared this written account with Miss 
Stokes, the account noted above. Listen to that story again. Wednesday, September 18th, 1771. I asked Mrs. Stokes to come home with me and I would 
read her my experience. While I was reading I felt the mighty power of God descend upon me, and my soul overflowed with gratitude to him who reigns 
in within me without rival. We then went to prayer and strong faith was given me to wrestle for my friend. She cried out in great agony of soul. 
I prayed on till she fainted away. When she recovered, she said the Lord has done something for me, but I know not what. I said wait and he will 
answer for himself. End Quote. Through the oral expression of her written testimony and through prayer, hall influenced her friend toward a spiritual 
experience of her own. The counter was ecstatic in that it was direct, a direct encounter between Miss Stokes and God, prompted by but not mediated by, 
Hall herself. The encounter had potential for transformation. Stokes response daily experience with confidence that God has done something for her 
and that something has changed. This encounter between Hall and Stokes is an expression of early Methodist spirituality, which is interpersonal, 
intimate and fully expectant of spiritual transformation. If you'll indulge me in a bit of a research rabbit trail I've recently discovered, let's 
pick up on the story of Mrs. Hall's friends, M Stokes Mary Stokes is a member of the Methodist community in Bristol at the time Bashiba Hall is 
sharing with M Stokes. I believe they are the same person. The story of Mary Stokes is recounted in Zachariah Taffs. Holy women, the apology for 
women preachers. We have a hymn, she wrote at the age of 20, some letters from the same time noted. In Mrs. Hall's Journal and in in addition, 
John Wesley's collection of letters records several letters written to Mary Stokes during that season. In the him written in about 1770, we get 
a taste of Miss Stokes spiritual longing and aspiration. Tis mercy bids may seek the Lord. Tis mercy bids me fly. Tis Mercy speaks the balmy word. 
Repent. Thy God is nigh. Then let me humbly wait the hour. The House of Sweet release incessant, saving grace, implore incessant, pant for peace. 
In a letter from an unnamed friend dated May 10th, 1771, we also see her spiritual longing. Quote While I write, my heart feels unutterable desire, 
pray for me that the work of grace may be completed in my soul. I believe it will. I feel I want everything and I am fully confident Jesus will 
supply all that is lacking. In the eyes of some, this may appear as a wild excursion of enthusiasm to my friend. It will wear a different aspect 
and, I trust, engage her on my behalf at the throne of Grace. End Quote. Then, after this letter, in September of that year, we get the story 
recorded in Mrs. Hall's diary, and in November, Miss Stokes writes a letter to that same friend. November 5th, 1771. Do not you do not I feel 
the need for just such an all sufficient Redeemer as the compassionate Jesus. Blessed be his name, we cannot. We would not do without him as 
our Prophet, priest and king. For my own part, I feel I am all weakness and helplessness, having everything to learn. But find the Lord Jesus to 
be the rock where unto I may always resort. I longed to be more closely united to him who hath so graciously condescended, and mercifully delivered me. 
End Quote. Days late later John Wesley writes to Mary Stokes, November 9th, 1771 my dear sister, how glad should I be? Should I be? Could I be one of 
any service to the one I so done tenderly regard you have a heart susceptible for friendship. And shall it not be blessed to you a means of increasing 
holy temper, and perhaps of guarding you against some of the dangerous temptations which are incident to youth? Shall I give you a few advices? One, 
keep that safe which God has given. Never let slip any blessing you have received. Regard none who tell you you must lose it. No. You may have more or 
less of joy this depending on 1000 circumstances, but you never need lose 1 degree of love. There is affectionately John Wesley. We see from the letters 
of Stokes and Wesley that there were indeed spiritual transformation taking place in her life during this season, hearing the experience of Bashiba Hall may. 
Stokes, hearing the experience of ashhal, may or may not have provoked a particular experience of perfect love, but it was part of the environment where a 
young woman was mentored and cared for in the Methodist connection. Taft goes on to tell the story of spiritual impact that Mary Stokes, later Mary Dudley, 
had on the Society of Friends or Quakers, where she stepped into ministry later in life. Wesley mentored numerous young women to push on to the experience 
of perfect love and to maintain holiness imparted in such experiences. Yet Wesley himself did not claim the experience of Christian perfection. Instead, 
he commended the lives of other Methodist Methodist as exemplars to the wider Methodist community in various mediums. One such way was through publishing 
the Armenian magazine in his introduction bashiba halls to Bashiba. Charles account. He expressed the purpose for publishing her journal. It was not simply 
a memory of Hall, who had died at the age of 35 only months before the publication. It was because she set a spiritual example, Wesley writes. Her journal 
is exceedingly artless and simple and affords little variety, but in the genuine picture of a soul renewed in love and wholly devoted to God. Over the 
course of seven monthly issues of the magazine, excerpts of health journal appear to encourage readers toward spiritual experiences, of which Hall speaks. 
The spiritual example of the early Methodist continue through the following centuries of the Wesleyan Holiness movement in the 19th century, Phoebe 
Palmer site, Sarah Crosby and many others in her book calling for women preachers. The wildly successful account of Hester Ann Rogers spreads throughout 
the 19th century, and yet as women are limited from equality of leadership, they continue to impact the movement relationally and through alternative channels. 
Well, not in my area of research. Consider, consider the work that Doctor Kate Bowler has produced in the preacher's wife, the precarious power of evangelical 
women celebrities, an academic examination of the place where. Place where women wield power in movement that deny women the pulpit. Or consider the power of 
women bloggers and authors such as Rachel Held Evans and Sarah Bessey, who through the Internet reached out directly to encourage women in their spiritual 
journeys. While these are famous women, there are multitudes of unnamed women lost to history who move within their particular context, responding to the 
call of God in their life. In conclusion, in a season of the church where mega churches can be become untenable after a global pandemic or internal strife, 
I'm hopeful for the Wesleyan Holiness movement because the spiritual DNA of the movement has been shaped by small intimate encounters between women and 
men who have responded to the voice of the spirit, while one might be tempted to admire the formal structures of mechanism and lean 
on those historical artifacts. I suggest that it's in the DNA of the movement we have something even better the innovative relational 
strength of women responding to other women and to the Holy Spirit. Thank you.


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