Read Part One HERE
In this post I will focus on Methodist Woman Barbara Heck-Ruckle. She lived from 1734 - 1804 at Ruckle Hill, Ballingran, Limerick, Ireland. At 18 she united herself with the Methodist Church. She married Paul Heck in 1756 and in 1760 she, along with her husband, her brother Paul Ruckle, and other families from the same village went to America, where they settled in New York. in 1766 Barbara encouraged Philip Embury, who had been an itinerant Methodist preacher in Ireland, to begin preaching once again to their community. The congregation grew from a small one in Embury's house to one large enough to fill space in the Rigging Loft in William Street in New York, and eventually into a strong community with the resources to build their own Wesley Chapel. In 1768 the first Methodist Chapel in America was opened on John Street and was named the Wesley Chapel, and a plaque dedicated to Barbara Heck and Philip Embury in the church reads: "Their works do follow them."
In 1774 Barbara moved with her family to Montreal, where she repeated her activities on behalf of Methodism. In 1786 she encouraged the construction of a Wesleyan Chapel and brought the style of Methodist prayer to this area. This is believed to be the first Methodist Chapel in Canada. Barbara's husband died in 1792. However, Barbara continued her devotion and leadership in this Methodist community as a lay leader until her death in 1804.
Pease read Part Eleven HERE
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