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Title
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Bangs, Joseph
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extracted text
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REV.
JO SEPH
BANG S
(1776 -1848)
We e r e n~ w in an old part of t he Tecumseh ~ emet P- ry , gPthered at ~ he graves ide
of J ~ sep h BPn g s t he ee rl y e ~ inent loc al preacher wha made a mi fh ty r ,n t ri b ution
t 1 t he l ifF Pn d dev r l1oment of the Meth~dis~ rhurch in this area . We se e around
us t he g rav est ~ne s for hi s fam i l~ and re lati ves , who we r e s o p r ) ~ inent in ea rl y
Te c umseh Meth~di sm. El i i ah P'lcher, the e a rl y Mi c hi f a n Me t hod is m his t orian,
Pa i d g r ePt tri bute t J Joseph Dangs and seve ral o th e r lo c al preP che r s, who mea nt
so murh t 0 the early Meth od ist Church in M ic h i ~an .
Jo se ph DPngs w~s bo rn i n Stra tford, Conne ct ic u t , on h ori l 25, 1 775 or 1776,
as t he ~merican ne v ~ lut i ~n was be f i nnin g . He was born into a l a r ce fa mi l y . Hi s
~iM~~ebr~th er Nath an WAS " led to t he Sav i our whi le te a chin e sc hoo i n 0ana da .
I mmed i a t e ly after his c onversion , he wrote hi s brot he r Jose ph an account o f his
exp eri ence, o '·c upyi ng sev e r al s hee t s of pape r . Wh i le r e d i ng this, Jose ph wa s
awake ned t o a sens e o f his sins a nd a ne ed of a Sav i our, a nd wa s s oon aft ~ r con verte d ; whereup n he j oined the Me t hod i st E9i s c opal Church." Nathan Ban gs entered
the m~nist~* i £ l~Q2t in~~spen t six years i n Canada as a missi o11ary . Af t er fi ll
in g im~~~fa n~xp~~l. t~o~s 3 asx~~ stor and presid i ng elder, he v· as in 1 820 e l e c ted
book a pent, and est a blis he d the Book ~on c e rn o n a stron g found ~ t i on . In 1818
he wa s t he ch ief fou nd gr of the ~ iss i , nary S o c i ety, and a lead i nr o fficer f or
decades. I n 1 Q2R he was made ee ~ itor of th e Ch ristian Advoc c te and the Me t ho dist
~ a ~e-ine .
~n · R ~~ hP WRS ~ad e h i~ si ~ nary Se c reta ry.
He attende d all se s si 1ns
~f the Ge neral ron f e r e nce f ro m 1808 to 1856 e xcept o ne .
In 181 2 , t he Gene r a l
c- ~ fe rnr e ma ri e him c ~i r m ~n of a C~ 1 m ittee t 0 colle ,· t hi sto rical material. Th i s
fi rta 1 ' "
g d t ' t i e pub i cati~n o f hi s " Hist ory of the Meth0di s t .i!. pisc )pal Churc h"
in four \O lumee, The ks t ~ Natha n , whe n J0seoh c ame to Tec ums eh i n 1 R28, the
Ba n gs n~ m e was e lr eP~Y we 1 1 kn nw n.
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Prt ,t her brother , Hrm a n ~ - n g s ( l7 9r - 1869) was another pro minen t mi n s te r of
t he New v ~ r k ro •fe renc e, p PPSt or 3~ ye a rs, ~ nd 18 ye ars a rr esi di ng Eld e r .
Josen h B- n ~s ~ar r i ~ d Hul dah S i 1 lim a n( ,78~ l8 S0), d ~ uv ~ ter of lsaac a nd
m? ry.
They resided at H ~ hA • t, N.Y.(5r miles s 0 u thwest o f alba ny) before mo ving
her e
They hPd eip-h t c hi ld ' en, i. nc 1 nd inp- Al anson a nd I sa a c . In the fall of
1828, Te cum s e h areP M P th ~d i sm W? S gr gatly stre n, thened, whe n J o s eph Bangs mov ed
here. settling n 1rt h of Te cumse h t oward Cli nt o n . His c am in ~ had te e n a ntic i pated.
He ha d teken up l ~ nd he re am 1nf t he early ow ners in 1824 i n se c ti ~ n 32. When
his olde ~ t son Alsns ~ n C? me here i n the sprin g of 1 825, he wa s expec t ed t o set t le on hi s fat her's land . But he di d not l i ke i t, ' re gardin g it c> s to o hea vi ly
woo ded , s~ he pu rch a sed ~and in se c ti l~ 4 of na i s i n fo wnsh i o , t wo ~ il e s s ~u th
'">f th e villatre. I saac Ban gs a nd h i s wi fe, ~a ry B;:ngs the wi fe of fl lans on , a ,.d
Betsey Sil l i ma n t he sister of Huld a h( Mrs. J'1sep h) Br ngs(4 me mbers of t he Bangs
fa wi 1 y) were cha r te r membe rs when the ~ ecu~ s eh So cie t y wa s or ~an ize d in J an. 1828.
Joseph B3ngs was a f arme r and a b l acksmith. He was l i cense d to pre ch as
a loc a l p r eache r in t he latte r part of the year 1802, and co nti nued for 45 ye a rs !
We are to l d t hat " Everybody li ke d to he a r " Fa ther Ba ngs " pr e:, ch. He wa s universa l ly es tee med in the r ommunity . Whi le he was decide d in his views of Me tho d i st i c doc trin es and dis ci pl ine , he wc s friendly wi t h and' char i table to a l l
others. The do ct r ine o f ~h ri sti a n purity or sanctifica ti o n was hi s pr e at the me
in pre r c hin g al t ho J gh he never s a id muc h on the subj ec t 8S co nnected wi th h is
own exoerie nc e, e x cent in the fall owin g· modest ter ms, "I l ove ~ od wi th all my
he·r t· the l o v ~ 0 f r.od cas ts out a l, f ear, t i, a t h- s t orme nt; 1 k uow t he blood
')f !:Jesus Christ r leEJns e th fro rr all sin." "
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The religious feelin ~ of the ti mes and th~ r eady wit an d to ngue of th is
ea rly Teru~ s ~ h l~c"'l nreP r~e r is i1lustr· ted bv the follo wi~g i n ci de nt wh ich
mey ~Pve o crurre ~ in the middl~ 18~0' R . The Foiscopal Bishoo had prea che J in
Te r umseh ,n ,- Mr , Ba'lgR • !'IS orP <ent t..., he· r him . .Afterw-:: r d l,.e \'las introduced to
the his h ~o as e ~a t ~ ~d ist orPac ~ er, 8nd he ex~ · esse ~ his ki'1dly fee 1 ings toward
t he ~nis • 1 pe1 Churrh
The Bis h ~p r em Prk~d,PY~u ,u,~t to f ee l wel 1 towards us , as
1"• r. W
eslev v•pc::. e 1 w:>vs 0ne of us anr he w ~ r- y-,ur foun der ," "Yes" s i d t1r , Bangs,
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a n d y -, 11 o u ~ 11 t t o t h i nk mu r h o f u s a s v 0 u a r e i n d e b t e d t 0 hi m. uno e r Go d , f o r
ell the reli p-i..., us 1 if yo u have in y ~ ur Chur ch." (Pilrhe r, 246)
~e v. J seph Ba ngs rema ined a lo c a
preacher, a nd ne ve r joi ne d the Annual
Co n f erence. H ~ c, nt ·n ue d t0 wo rk a t his tr ad e as a bl ac ksmith and a t fa r mi ng,
nd preached as the o cc e si on offered, which apparently was fre ouent . One hist '1 rian writes :"The fir el reli pi ::> us se rvic es in n aC' on t owns hi p were held b v Joseph
Bangs, a Me th odist minist e r, in a lo g bouse ne · r .r>enni r1g ton~s C:'lrners. " Again
we r ead : 11 'l he grave of Be njami n b , .r sk was the f ir st d ug i n the o ld bury in g
g round(at Cl int o n), an d the cemetery ~ as l aid out . . the day fo llowing nr. ~ isk ' s
death. E ' de r b · ngs, the fir s t Me tho d i s t mi nister in Cl i nto n, prea ch e d the fu ne ral
sermon."
The journa l o f James Gilruth, pr es i d in f elder of t he De tr o it Dis t rict from
1832 t o 1836, reveals t hat he visited J oseph Ban gs a number of t imes. On Dec . 1 9,
1 8~2 he vis ited the Bangs home and stay ed ov r ni ght,
He observ e d th a t Ba ng s
"See ms a jud i c i us man"and that t he y spent " the evening till l C c o nversing on
many things . 11 He stayed tl!ere t r.e next day a nd in the even ing " wa -ced t o Tecumseh
( wi t h Br B ngs) & ore a ch ~ d on prayer . • t he people were ,, atte n tive ." .At the
Qua rt erl y Mr eti n g , n March 22 - 23, 1834 , he l d a t the North Be nd of the Ra i s in
Ri \ er. or S har , n the prea chers we re Ja mes Gilruth, Joseph Be n gs, ann Dra d ford
Fr a zee. At the ne v t Qua t erl y M eetin ~ o n ~ unday J une 8, held in the Hugh Hallock
ba rn ne e r C int ' n, t e e'e ven o ' c loc k Sunday s e rvi ce was a " funer a l d iscour s e
1n the dePt h of Br Is sa c B ~ nfs ~ne 0f our Cir . st ewa r ds . "
Isaa c was t he son of
J oseph & Hu 1 deh who h p ~ die d a n un timely death. In the afternoo n Joseph Bang s
se r ved as exh"lr ter . afte r the pre - c hing of " Br Barris"(the grandfathe r of t-'la rshall Heed)
T ha t eveni g Gil r uth stayed ~ it h fbeeph Ba ng s • Gilruth wa s
dist re s e d t .., lear n tha • the peop l e were dissa tis fied with n e v. Frazee on t he
Ci r cuit. It i s cle a' to me from re ad in g Gi l ruth' s J ournal t hat you n g l'razee
was an apple p0li she r: th e year be fo r e instea o of tendi n ~ t hi s wo r k on t he
~ a g inaw hissi , n, he ha d soent a lo t of ti ffie co urti n~ a c irl i n s o uthern ~ichi p an
a nd appe e ring a t Gilrut t ' s ~ua rterl y "eetings ostensibly to help. Gilruth as
e mo ti ~ nally a tt ached to rrazee, a nd would not f a ce up to the fa C' t that he had
ser i o us fault s,
Again on Oct. 6, 1835, Gi lruth dined wi th "Bro t her Jose p 1 ""' a ngs , who b;:- d
helped in t he " Quarterly Mee t ing just concluded at .Ad ri an . They wat che d so e me n
"t hrashing wit h a t hrashi ng mas hien" , which di d r api d work, and t -.. ok 5 hor ses to
rive it and ab out 1 0 men to att end it. Later when the Conference held a tri al
of a Te f umse h Circuit pre acher , J -, seph Dang s was on hand t o t estify . So he continued a s a str0 nf a r m t 0 t 1 e district, a nd a power for r~ ghteousn ess in this area,
" a faith f ul and h'"> n..., red mem ber and l FJ borer t i ll his de Ath at about 72 .
Dur· nr hiP. , e st sickness, " his physi C' ian who was so :: ewhat skep tic al as
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experi~e nt Pl re 1 ifi , n, and who had 0 ften he rd him(~an g s) expre s s his c o n-
f idence .-,f f•1tur o b iss wh e n he t -- l d him where "'as no hope 0f his recovery, asked
him how he fe 1 t about t he ~ uture. " D..., ct ...,r ," sein he. "l have 'l. )t nefl ec ted tha t
rne +ter ti.ll P •ic::. time
Th:-t(E' pr~pa r ati n f ., r t hp future l ife) waR att ended to
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0np Pgo, and I hRve no fe rs . " Ps he uttere d thi.f ? smile .,f ;oy l ighted up his
C'~un t enPnC'e
as if ~ e elrea dy t asted th i '">YS 0f heaven. " He cross ed over to
the glory 1 and o Jan. 7 1848 but his \''itness re maine d here and his works
f oll.owed him.
Go d o f the Apes. ou r Frt he 1 i n n e a ven, we pr a is e t e e t h t l ~ y c al l h r s
gone fort h to a '' peo pl e , f ro rr t h ~ l e a s t to t he g r ea t e s t, to ser ve Tr<> e. Lo ng
a go t he Lor d J e sus summ oned fi s he r,men, pu b , ic ~ n s , housewi ve s, s mall bu s i ne s s me n ,
f a r me rs , er cha rdists --t he co mmo n peo pl e o f Hi s ti me, wi th a tr umpe t ca ll ,'' Fo 'low
f, e .
I a f" u-. \ a v t h 'I' r u t h , <• n t r; e L f .: • " We t ha n k T he e f o r rr u l t i t u de s o f c omm,.., :-.
pe ople who t hr ~ug h the a r e s hhve ser ve d T hee, e xpec tin g no glo r y o r fa ~ e, no
pri de o f s t Pti on o r r ec og niti 0 n a mo ng men. We t ha nk Thee for f a it hf u l mi nist e r s
wh0 hn ve s e rved in humb l e pa ri s hes, st ed f a stly l ivin g f o r 1'hee a nd po int )ng pe o pl e
t 0 the way, a nd s our c e of life . We t ha nk T e a fo r t he li f e o f Th*s humbl e s erv a nt
mi nis t e r , Pb el Har din g , who a ft e r do i nf hi s pa rt in a war t 8 fr ee t he s ~ i v e s a nd
pr e-e rv e o ur derr0r ra r y, l gb0 r e d i n Thy v i ne ya r d i n count r y p - ri shes f or 9 devot e d
ve p ra an d t u r ne d o ut his l ife early . We are humb led t o thi nk o f suc h s t h e s e,
o ur F Dt h<> r . We pr a v t h t ~ e m v b e m•r e w ~ rt hy . a nd tha t we may make a go od wit nos i n 0Ur ~ p y a n d re ~e ra ti - n . t hr~u p h Jesu s rhr i s t ou r L0 r d . Amen.
Al rr i rh t v G0d ou ~ F: th or , we r iv e T ~e e t h R ~ ks f or t he mul ti t ud e o f mi nist e rs
i n the 1 a s t century and e ~uP rte r , who he e de d Thy c a ll t o mi ni s try in Englan d,
a nd then ~ e a~ ~ a c al l summo ning th em t o America, a~ d t o t he s t ate of Michiga n
a nd ou r Detr0 it C1 n ference . We t ha nk Thee for the rema rka ble li fe a nd minis try
~ f this ~ hy Serv a nt . Wi ll i a m Quar t an Bur nett, a nd the great c o ntr i buti on tha t he
~a de in Te c um s eh e s a n i ns pirin g pre a c he r of the word. an d l at er as an exe mplary
r etiree . s ho s i nr the att r ac ti venes s of the Chr i st i an life .
0 L r d G ~ d, who hast · ive n us a no ble i nhe ritance · s Un ite d h e th ·d ists,
ena b , e us t o hol d f .<'l s t t he faith whi c h T'. o u ga v e st unt o o ur f a t hers, and hast
pr e serv e d t hr ough c e nturies of sufferin g a nd tria 1 : Kr e p us tr ue to the visi o n
of life Th 1u ha st reveal e d in 1 hy dea r ~ on, l e ad us in the pat hs of upr i g h tnes s
a nd t r uth; a nd gr &n t thc. t g uided a l wa y s by Thy Spi rit , l''e may do our pa rt for
Thee , thro u gh Jesus Ghri st our Lord. Awen.
0 Go d , who ha st f ound e d Thy v h urch u po n earth, a nd h ~ st r e veal ed Thy
l ovin g kindnes s and t ruth fro m a g e to a ge; we pr a y The e t o enric ~ us with Thy
he a venl y g race. ~e tha nk Th e e for this thy serv a nt, who s e rve d mi gh ti l y a s a
mi n i ster as long a s his hea l th pe r mitt e d , and who s e rv e d so ma g ni f i ce ntly as a
rhri s ti a n do c t or , i n the a rm y in wa rti me, and for yea rs in la t e r l i f e, a nd who
b us y s he ~· a s , s e t a n e xample o f f a ithful servic e to Tby Ch ur ch . May we l i k e
hi m, be tr ue to t he he r i t a pe of fa i t h r e ceived from tho s e who hav e gone befo r e;
e nab le us t ~ serv · The e i n ri ~h te o us ness a nd g o dl y fe a r; br i ng us i nt o o ne
t r ~ t h er ~ 0d 0f fait h A ~ d lov ~. a ~d keep us in r ~ mm u n i ·n with Thy s a i n t s i n
hep ven , t hr..., np-h Chri.st 011 r r iPen Sa vi o ur. Ame n .
A l~ i rh t
G.. , d who ha - t ma nif s t e~ Thy l 1 v ~ a nd o.., ~ er i n t he lif e a nd de a th
·, f Tby r e 0e '-' me d · nd h'"' lY 0 ne s n f n l d ; G.,. an t t ha t. l ik ~ t h e ~ , we way ha ve gr a ce
t ..., f , ...,r i f y The e lo ving The e wh1m t he y ha \ e l ov d. and f i nd i ng T ~e e whom they
h;:- ve f " un d , and may r ome a t t he l a st t ") dw e ~ l. v•i th t hem a nd wit h The e, f o rever ,
i n t he ;0y of Tr y ~ l 0 r i0 us p re Fen r e , t hro ugh J esus r ~ r ~ t o ur Lo r d . Ame n.
Bangs, Joseph