Meet the Reverend Robert Sheffey

[rockytopva]

Guy's:

I was on the way to Amish Country in Giles County, VA where I stopped at the grave site of Robert Sheffey (An old 1800's Methodist Circuit rider). I stopped by the tombstone to pray. I then noticed a chapel on top of the hill dedicated to Rev. Sheffey so I stopped and prayed there too. At the bottom of the hill is a church that looked like it would have in the 1800's. I checked the door and it was unlocked. Inside the church they still had the old timey alter and pulpit along with the old timey pews. Not only did I pray but I sat back in the pews and took some time to take it all in.

As a dispensationalist I believe that there were seven church ages (The Seven Church Ages)...

1. Ephesus - Apostolic
2. Smyrna - Martyrs
3. Pergomos - Orthodox
4. Thyatira - Catholic (The spirit of Jezebel is to dominate)
5. Sardis - Protestant
6. Philadelphia - Methodist - Revival
7. Laodicea - Independent - Charismatic (In which the Lord has his issues)

There was a spiritual air in that church that took me back to the beauty of the Philadelphian church age and I had to stay there a while and take it all in. Imagining the old timers singing "Bringing in the Sheaves" and the conviction in which the circuit rider must have preached... I am also honored to pray along with brothers and sisters who...

1. Pray using the name of Jesus
2. Faith - Believe that God is able to meet the needs
3. Patience - Understand that the needs may not be met right away.

The Reverend Robert Sayers Sheffey...

 

[rockytopva]

The Night the Angels Sang...

There was built... In 1832... Back when these mountains of Virginia were a wilderness... The Wabash Camp Grounds (http://www.facebook....204128886298579). On these camp grounds the Rev Robert Sheffey (Methodist Circuit rider) spent much of his life ministering. Here is a story of one of the camp meetings in which the angels sang as taken from the above facebook page...

One Monday night Sheffey was preaching at the Wabash campgrounds when a strange phenomena occurred. It was on the final night of a revival and in the meeting many early ministers from Southwest Virginia. One man, who happened to be the song leader for the meeting told the story as follows. He said that he was standing behind the great Methodist minister, Tyler Frazier, who was leading what was known as the after service that was probably an event after the alter service. Frazier suggested that the next song be "Jesus Lover of my Soul." During the singing of the second stanza, one minister called out above the voices of the congregation, "Listen! Listen! The voices of the redeemed host of the angels are singing! I hear the voice of my mother!" Another account by Jess Carr said was that it was like drone of bees passing by and that worshipers piled out of the worship shed to see the spectacle.

The angel chorus, softer than human voices but clearly distinguishable, could be heard through the remainder of the stanza. A thrill came over the congregation and many pressed towards the front of the building. One minister said, "There was a phenomenon I have no doubt." All of the people on the right side of the shed were awe-struck and excited. A Mrs. Stafford told later that she heard the voice of her mother. "Their faces were radiant with almost supernatural light." And another said that "I thought the singing from above was in response to those below." A fuller account is in Jess Carr's book "The Saint of the Wilderness," which has been regrettably out of print for over 30 years.

J Tyler Frazier was also a notable Confederate minister (search Frazier at http://docsouth.unc....d/johnston.html)