Methodists will be shocked by the early history of Savannah, Georgia

John Wesley was a “closet” homosexual!

SNEAK PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EPISODES

The surprises will be coming fast and furious as The Americas Revealed continues telling you the secret history of Savannah’s early days . . . as handwritten by Georgia’s Colonial Secretary, Thomas Christie. These yellowed sheets of velum were in a wooden crate, forgotten for 280 years, in the storage room of the Lambeth Palace Library in London. Lambeth Palace is the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In the headlines this week, quickly overlooked because of the events unfurling in the Middle East, were articles about a schism in the World United Methodist Church. Most people don’t know this, but its official headquarters is at Lake Junaluska, NC in the Smoky Mountains adjacent to the Qualla Cherokee Reservation. The denomination’s enormous ministry to indigenous peoples in the Americas is also headquartered there. The schism is going to have a major impact on Native Americans, since the Methodists do far more than any other denomination to aid Native Americans in need . . . with no strings attached about believing as they believe.

The official reason for the schism is over the issue of sexuality. Can homosexual men and women be ordained as Methodist ministers? Can homosexual couples be married within a Methodist church? That’s not the root of the problem, though. A faction of extremely wealthy people tried to take over the church and force it to be politically partisan for right-wing causes, like the Southern Baptists. They lost. The majority of Methodists wanted to continue the church’s policy of avoiding being in bed with a particular political party or politician.

These conspirators then grabbed onto the “gay” issue as something that could bring in the thralls to support their cause. They still were a minority in the United States so they raised the gay issue with churches in African and Asia, then became a slight majority for all Methodists in the world. I have no doubt that at least some of those wealthy conspirators are gay themselves.

I know this firsthand. Until the year 2000, I was always a leader in whatever church I attended. In Virginia (while married of course) I was Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In 2000, “someone” spread a rumor at the Jasper, GA United Methodist Church that I was a “draft evader.” It was a complete lie. I suspect other lies were said in private, because within a week, I was treated like pariah . . . the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I guess they would have also called me “gay,” except I was bringing gals to church with me for Sunday services.

At a Wednesday night fellowship supper, a ringleader of those trying to make that church a fascist cell, sat down at my table. About five minutes later, he gave a signal. All eight people grabbed their plates and ice teas then moved to other tables . . . leaving me alone. I never went back back to that evil den of vipers. Henceforth, I attended Peachtree Christian Church in Midtown Atlanta, when I could. By the way, three times while I was homeless, strangers asked me to baptize them . . . so I am not worried about my eternity . . . as they say.

In the national media articles one is told that the “traditionalist” faction wants to bring the denomination back to the moral values of John Wesley . . . who along with his brother Charles and the first great evangelist, George Whitefield, founded the Methodist Church. They call their faction, “The Wesleyan Covenant.” Boy, are they in for a surprise!

What official histories of John Wesley don’t tell you

Official and “Wikipedia” biographies of the Reverend John Wesley tell you that he left the Province of Georgia “because of problems with a married woman in his congregation.” That is caca de toro . As you will learn in this series, the archives of Colonial Secretary Thomas Christie tell a very different story.

First of all, neither of the Wesley Brothers had a congregation. John was designated the missionary to all Indian tribes in the colony and Charles was the Indian Agent, representing His Majesty’s government. Both of the brothers were disasters in these assignments. After Charles had managed to enrage all of the tribes, he was dispatched to be the chaplain for the Scottish families at Fort Frederica on Saint Simons Island. Charles could have been lynched, if he had stayed there much longer. He was continuously a sociological bomb, waiting to go off.

As you will learn, Supervising Trustee James Edward Oglethorpe sent Charles back to England as soon as possible. However, he liked John and began grooming him to be his replacement as leader of the colony. There was a problem, though. Both men were in their mid-twenties and should have been full of raging hormones.

Charles did his part. He courted several young ladies, but always ended up alienating their parents with his Oxford-bred arrogance. In contrast, John showed no interest in women, even though he was considered by the ladies to be the most eligible bachelor in the colony. John seemed obsessed with being forgiven for some depraved sin he had committed. Rumors began to swirl about John Wesley’s true nature. The perceptive Creek leaders picked up on what was really going on, but they knew that John was very intelligent and well educated. They wanted John to be the teacher of their children.

So . . . James Oglethorpe hooked John up with the prettiest girl in Savannah, whose father was Georgia’s chief magistrate and the wealthiest man in the colony. That would end all the rumors.

All went well for awhile until John jilted her without warning . . . his excuse being that “God had told him that he should not be with a woman.” Ultimately, John had to flee the colony at night with an arrest warrant on his head. Wesley did eventually marry a woman in 1751, but they separated in 1758. The marriage to cover up his actual sexual orientation was a disaster. Most Methodists don’t even know that he was essentially, a divorcee’. We will tell you the full story in later episodes of this series.

Final thoughts from a great Creek leader

High King Chikili believed that people had no control about who they were, when they were born. I agree. Until the day I go on to heaven, I will always be a heterosexual mestizo. In August, people will ask what tribe I am in, but by February Scandinavians will assume that I am a Sami from Lapland. I will always be most attracted to women, who remind me of my mother. Nothing and no one will ever change that.

Chikili accepted John Wesley for who he was . . . a man full of spiritual demons because of conflicts between what he was when he was born and what the church said was moral. However, he also recognized Wesley’s brilliance and sincerity. Chikili knew that John’s education of Creek young people would enable the Creek Confederacy to sail through the coming times of rapid change.

It is very significant that in Chikili’s speech to the leaders of Savannah, his opening statement was, “I, Chikili, joana of the western towns.” Joana was a high priest of the Creek’s monotheistic religion. He made no mention of being elected Paracusa or High King. Even more significant is his closing words to the people of Savannah. He repeated the phrase about being a high priest, but then mentioned that he had been elected High King.

Our eyes have been shut but now are more open.  We now believe the coming of the English to this place is for the good us and our children.  We will always have straight hearts toward the English and hope that though we were naked and helpless, we will have more good things done for us by the English.

I, Chikilli, the Joani of the Eldest Town, was chosen to rule after the death of the Emperor Bemarin.  I have a strong mouth and so will declare this meeting’s resolution to the rest of the Nation and make them – no, counsel them that we are glad the Squire carried some of our friends to the great King and his Nation.

I never tire of hearing what Tomochichi tells one about it.  All my people return their great thanks to all the Trustees for so great a favor.  We will always do our upmost endeavor to serve them and all the great King’s people, whenever there shall be an occasion.

 I am glad I have been down and seen things as they are.  We shall go home and tell the Children and all the Nation the great talk. Tomochichi has been with the great King. We will always hold in remembrance the place where we now have met and call it Georgia.

I am sensible there is One who has made us all. Some have more knowledge and others are great and strong, but eventually, all must become dirt alike.