Shropshire saint : a study in the ministry and spirituality of Fletcher of Madeley by George Lawton
Epworth Press, 1960 136 pages £16 (The Wesley Historical Society Lecture, no. 26)
If there is anything at all which would encourage you to read the life of John Fletcher of Madeley, it must be the accolade proposed by that arch-cynic of organised religion – Voltaire. He reportedly said that if he was ever to be persuaded to believe in Christianity at all, it would be through two lives – that of Jesus Christ himself or that of Fletcher of Madeley.
Although Fletcher of Madeley was an ordained minister of the Church of England, Methodist have a particular interest in this Swiss-born saint who lived from 1729 to 1785. The dates will tell you straightaway that he was a contemporary of John and Charles Wesley and not just a contemporary.
He was an ardent admirer of their work and their theology.
John Fletcher came to England in 1750 and, a year later, became tutor to the sons of a wealthy Shropshire family. It was on one of the family visits to London that Fletcher first heard of the Wesleys and became personally acquainted with John and Charles.
He was ordained priest in the Church of England in 1757 and became curate in the Madeley parish which was to become known as ‘the Mecca of Methodism’.
In addition to parish duties he sometimes preached with John Wesley and was an ardent and practical supporter of the Evangelical Revival, as history has it.
Parish work and activity were maintained by Fletcher for 25 years yet, at the same time, he devoted time and energy to the Methodist cause, becoming known as the ‘theologian of Methodism’.
Fletcher of Madeley had been chosen by Wesley to succeed him as leader of the Methodist movement. It didn’t happen, sadly, because Fletcher died in 1785, six years before Wesley.
At his funeral, Wesley said of Fletcher “… so unblameable a character in every respect, I have not found, either in Europe or America. Nor do I expect to find another such on this side of eternity.”
Renowned for his piety and generosity, when asked if he had any needs, he responded, “I want nothing but more grace.”
This brief biography of John Fletcher looks at various key aspects of his life, giving insight into the life of one of Christianity’s great saints.