Henry Foxall: Methodist, Industrialist, American

A tale of one man’s impact on both a church and state in a country that enshrines their separation.

Henry Foxall set the tone for subsequent American Methodists: adapters, entrepreneurs, and leaders. He was the quintessential catalyst for the transformation of a Spirit-filled movement into a church denomination and a young nation into an economic powerhouse. Foxall was a friend to Bishop Francis Asbury, a generous contributor to the Methodist enterprise, and a successful business person. This biography of Henry Foxall (1758—1823), sheds light on second-generation Methodism. Jane Donovan focuses on Foxall’s role in many of Asbury’s projects, thus offering new insight into the beginnings of Methodist institutionalization.

Jane B. Donovan is Lecturer in Religious Studies at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Author of many books and articles, Dr. Donovan is also the Book Review Editor for Methodist History and a member of the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church.

Jane B. Donovan is Lecturer in Religious Studies at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. Author of many books and articles, Dr. Donovan is also the Book Review Editor for Methodist History and a member of the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church.