A Brand Plucked from the Burning
Susanna Wesley gave birth to nineteen children. Nine died in infancy. Her husband Samuel was often away, leaving her to raise ten children alone in poverty.
When the parsonage burned down, two-year-old John was rescued from a window as the roof collapsed. "I will be more particularly careful of the soul of this child," Susanna wrote.
One Hour Per Child
Her method was radical: she spent one hour each week with each child individually, teaching Scripture and prayer. With ten children, that meant ten hours weekly - on top of all her other duties.
"I am content to fill a little space if God be glorified," she wrote. She started a Sunday evening service in her kitchen when her husband was away - sometimes 200 people crowded in to hear her teach Scripture.
The Mother of a Movement
Her sons John and Charles Wesley founded the Methodist movement. John's preaching sparked revival across England and America. Charles wrote over 6,000 hymns, including "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
Historians estimate that through the Wesleys, Susanna's kitchen prayers touched over 140 million people. The mother in poverty became the mother of a movement.
