American Minute - August 20th - Francis Asbury
Date:  Sat, 20 Aug 2005 13:09:48 GMT
American Minute with Bill Federer
August 20th

300,000 miles on horseback, from the Atlantic to the Appalachians, from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, for forty-five years, he spread the gospel.
This was Francis Asbury, Methodist Circuit riding preacher who was born this day, August 20, 1745.
When the Revolution started, he refused to return to England:
"I can by no means agree to leave such a field for gathering souls to Christ as we have in America."
He befriended Richard Bassett, a signer of the Constitution, who converted, freed his slaves and paid them as hired labor.
Francis Asbury dedicated the first African Methodist Episcopal Church and met personally with George Washington, congratulating him on his election.
By the time he died, the Methodist Church in America had grown from 300 members to over 200,000.
Unveiling the Equestrian Statue of Francis Asbury in Washington, D.C., 1924, President Calvin Coolidge stated:
"Our government rests upon religion It is from that source that we derive our reverence for truth and justice, for equality and liberty...
This circuit rider spent his life making stronger the foundation on which our government rests...
Francis Asbury is entitled to rank as one of the builders of our nation."
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Please read the note below from William J Murray, Chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition www.rfcnet.org

Bethlehem is not in Israel any more!
Most Americans do not realize that Bethlehem – where Jesus was born – is not in Israel. Bethlehem had been a Christian town since soon after the time of Christ – until President Bill Clinton forced Israel to pass control of it to Yassar Arafat’s Palestinian Authority (against the wishes of many inhabitants).
Now Bethlehem is 80% Muslim! Those Christians who remain are overwhelmingly unemployed, isolated, and persecuted.  Learn more about the suffering of Bethlehem’s Christians at

www.thebethlehemproject.org