Career
In 1853, one year after graduation from Cazenovia Seminary, he was ordained and commenced a 15-year ministry in the Oneida Conference of Upstate New New York He was also cultivating his interest in religious poetry and music, as in 1858 he wrote the lyrics for "I Love to Sing of Heaven" (customarily matched to tunes by Charles West Dunbar or William B Bradbury). Hartsough transferred to the Utah Mission as its first superintendent and became presiding elder of the Wyoming District.
In 1868, Hartsough, while in Wyoming but still in communication with Hillman, became musical editor of the Revivalist, a compendium of hymns and gospel songs which ultimately had 11 editions as items were removed or added.
The Revivalist was published by Hillman in Troy, New York, with Hartsough and Hillman conducting most of their business through the mail. In 1871, Hartsough moved to a congregation in Epworth, Iowa.
There, during a revival meeting, Hartsough finalized, and soon published in the Revivalist, the one gospel song (both words and tune being his) for which he is remembered because of its international popularity—“I Am Coming, Lord” (also known by its first line “I hear thy welcome voice”). According to hymnologist William Jensen Reynolds, Hartsough during his ministerial career served 15 congregations and five Methodist districts.
He traveled some 400,000 miles while making 9,000 ministerial visits to members in need and participated in 7,000 prayer meetings and other church gatherings.
Hartsough preached approximately 1,500 sermons. He spent the last years of his life in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
