May 29, 1806 — to Epaphras Kibby
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 434
This is the third letter to Epaphras Kibby which has come to light. He was a member of the New England Conference and in 1806 was pastor at New Bedford. It seems that Kibby was to miss the annual conference, and Asbury is stressing the importance of the annual conference.
WALTHAM, [MASS.]
May 29, 1806
[TO EPAPHRAS KIBBY]
My dear Kibby:
May great grace attend thee as a Christian and minister of the Gospel. Brother Pickering has informed me you are in New Bedford and the prospects are pleasing. You are past the follies of youth; and are not to be taken with appearances, without fruit. You know the Methodist and Gospel Doctrine; and what is the Methodist and scripture discipline. You will walk closely with God, you will possess in your own soul, and preach to others, Gospel purity, Christian perfection.
In my own soul I have great consolations. I may boast a little to a confidant, 5000 miles in nine months, is my count. I have visited six of the 7 Conferences. God, the Lord was with us at all of them; but eminently Norfolk, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, we hope one hundred souls were blest, converted, reconverted, or sanctified at each seat of the three Conferences. At New York nothing special, but at the Campmeeting 22 miles north great! Great! operations.
The net increase this year in the six Conferences, 9990, besides deaths, removals, and expulsions. Query with me, if it is one-third of the fruit of our labours, when many are out of reach of society; others taken by other denominations. It seems you can not possibly attend Conference; you should have written. We must try to compound with our up Land Brethren, to come down to the water once in two years; that we may have a full conference once in two years at least; it is not easy to tell the great use, and dignity, of our Annual Conference to tone, and retone the Connection; swiftly increasing annually by (the) thousand, to the extremities of the East, and West, North, and South above 2000 miles.
I am in the same affection and truly yours, — F. ASBURY New England Methodist Historical Society, Boston School of Theology