During the 2nd Great Awakening, the circuit preachers were fiery men of faith who were always on the move, planting the gospel seed and building new churches wherever they happened to make a few converts.  The first circuit rider in America was Robert Strawbridge who came to the colonies in 1764.  He was followed by many men and women who established a system of circuit riding in all parts of the country.   Some of these riders covered a whole state.  These preachers traveled by horseback from colony to colony, holding meetings in barns, homes or wherever they could find room.  Many were not highly educated but still proved to be highly effective evangelists.  The dedication of these men and women was remarkable. Ole Blue
My two pair of boots, jeans, and Bible are not nearly new;
And I wear a hand-me-down preacher’s hat.
My spurs are rusted and made back in 42,
And, my ole’ horse Blue is just like that.
Ole Blue carried this preacher many a country mile,
Cause of wild Indians and robbers we faced many a trial.
We never had a saddle or a blanket that was spankin new;
Even when snow was three feet deep ole Blue always pulled through.
Ole Blue would stand at the hitching post and never move an inch,
Till I’d come out after preachin’ and tighten up the cinch.
I’d swing my leg over the saddle and ole Blue would come alive,
Instead of being near 30, he thought he was only five.
Ole blue saved my life more times than I can count.
I have ridden many a horse but ole Blue was always a top mount.
A rattler came into camp one night and didn’t make a sound;
But ole Blue watchin out for me — just stomped him in the ground.
We’ve been a team since winter of 34, when mom and dad passed on,
But because of ole Blue and the Holy Word, I never lost my song.
Circuit preachin ain’t always easy and a good horse is hard to find;
When God created the best of them horses, He had ole Blue in mind.
Ole blue passed away just yesterday, I’ll miss him on Sunday morn,
But he’s at a campfire up in heaven, eatin fresh grass and sweet corn;
Carrying the Greatest Circuit Preacher with dignity and pride,
While all the other horses stand at attention, as ole Blue passes by. One old church record had a handwritten note from their circuit riding preacher which said,“Wednesday, July 10th, 1799 I rose at 5 o’clock, very unwell; but must needs ride in the heat and dust, over hills and rocks thirty five miles, and came to Crawford’s and Dillon’s about four o’clock; weary as I was, I could not feel satisfied without prayer and exhortation.”

The note went on to say he rode to more than three churches, riding his horse approximately sixty miles, before arriving home in the wee hours of the morning.

Rev. John Jasper was also a well-known circuit rider. Born to slaves and poorly educated, he was known for his famous sermon “The Sun Do Move”, a sermon he preached more than two hundred and fifty times with many a convert.
We owe so much to these courageous, strong-willed and faithful circuit riders. Many of the area’s most prominent churches do indeed owe their very existence to these determined men of God who traveled the country, armed only with a good horse and a worn Bible. May the spirit of the Circuit Preachers spur us on to further the Gospel as well no matter what the cost.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).

If doubt keeps you from going where you have never gone before, let hope give you the faith and courage to saddle up anyway.