Background
James O'Kelly was born in 1735 in Ireland or in America; it is uncertain. As a young man he lived in Surry County, Virginia.
(Excerpt from The Author's Apology for Protesting Against ...)
Excerpt from The Author's Apology for Protesting Against the Methodist Episcopal Government Qldi (9111111111 johz1,vhol'e 111 1d ekins, made uppeu' fmm icrxptuze, 12111121211;b 1111101 Loifmps 1cv 11512151 015111111ebrder. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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(Excerpt from A Vindication of the Author's Apology: With ...)
Excerpt from A Vindication of the Author's Apology: With Reflections on the Reply, and a Few Remarks on Bishop Asbury's Annotations on His Book of Discipline Daunted and unanfwered. The Proaor (page 46) charges me with condemning a text of Scripture. God forbid! See Apol. 33, ver. 15. It was the produc tion of F rane1s which I condemned, not the Scripture. Fie, Mr. Snethen. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
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James O'Kelly was born in 1735 in Ireland or in America; it is uncertain. As a young man he lived in Surry County, Virginia.
James O'Kelly moved with his family to Chatham County, North Carolina. By the time of the Revolution, during which he suffered hardships because of his zealous devotion to the American cause, and saw some army service, he had become a Methodist and was preaching.
The first official mention of him appears in the minutes of the Conference held at Leesburg, Virginia, in May 1778. That year, and the year following, he traveled on the New Hope Circuit, North Carolina, and in 1780 on the Tan River Circuit. From 1782 his appointments were in Virginia, where for a number of years he served as presiding elder of districts. During this period he became one of the most influential of the Methodist leaders.
At the "Christmas Conference" in Baltimore, 1784, at which the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States was organized, O'Kelly was one of those elected and ordained elder. He was a member of the first Council, a body made up of the bishops and presiding elders according to a plan originated by Asbury, who was then averse to General Conferences, for the purpose of directing the affairs of the Church. Immediately after its session, however, he returned to Virginia and began violently oppose the institution, and to attack Asbury.
In January 1790 James O'Kelly wrote the Bishop a letter charging him with exercise of power, and bidding him "stop for one year, " or he would use his influence against him. He also wrote to Bishop Coke in England, complaining of Asbury's unwillingness to accede to the demand for a General Conference. Asbury at length yielded, and at the Conference held in Baltimore, November 1, 1792, O'Kelly offered an amendment to the law investing bishops with the power of fixing the appointments of the preachers. After a long debate it was defeated. Subsequently, its author and some of its supporters left the Conference. At Asbury's suggestion the Conference voted him forty pounds per annum on condition that he forbear to excite division. He accepted it for only a short time. The charge, that in addition to being opposed to the government of the Church, he had also become heretical in doctrine, lacks substantiation.
About 1798 he published, under the signature "Christicola, " The Author's Apology for Protesting Against the Methodist Episcopal Government. Based upon material secured by Asbury, Rev. Nicholas Snethen issued in 1800, A Reply to an Apology. These were followed by A Vindication of an Apology (1801) and, on Snethen's part, by An Answer to James O'Kelly's Vindication of His Apology. As a result of his secession, the Methodist Episcopal Church suffered a considerable loss in membership.
O'Kelly devoted the remainder of his life to the new organization which he and his followers established in 1793, then called the Republican Methodist Church, congregational in polity and with the Scriptures as its only creed and rule of faith and practice. A year later its adherents began to call themselves simply "Christians. "
He published pamphlets, tracts, and books, among them, Essay on Negro Slavery (1784); Divine Oracles Consulted (1800); The Christian Church (1801); Letters from Heaven Consulted (1822); and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Designed for the Use of Christians (1816).
James O'Kelly with his followers established in 1793 the Republican Methodist Church, later its members called themselves "Christians". O'Kelly's most important work was The Author's Apology for Protesting Against the Methodist Episcopal Government (1798). His other famous works: Essay on Negro Slavery (1784); Divine Oracles Consulted (1800); The Christian Church (1801); Letters from Heaven Consulted (1822); and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Designed for the Use of Christians (1816).
(Excerpt from The Author's Apology for Protesting Against ...)
(Excerpt from A Vindication of the Author's Apology: With ...)
A contemporary is quoted as saying of him that James O'Kelly was "laborious in the ministry, a man of zeal and usefulness, an advocate for holiness, given to prayer and fasting, an able defender of the Methodist doctrine and faith, and hard against negro slavery, in private and from the press and pulpit. " He was independent, wilful, and fiery, however, resentful toward any display of authority on the part of individuals in the Church, and, increasingly antagonistic to Asbury, as time went on he became more and more obstreperous.
James O'Kelly was a member of the first Council of the Methodist Church.
In 1760, James O'Kelly married Elizabeth Meeks.
