John Gambold facts for kids
John Gambold (born April 10, 1711 – died September 13, 1771) was an important leader, known as a bishop, in the Moravian Church. This church is a Christian group with a long history.
Early Life and Education
John Gambold was born in Puncheston, a small town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. His father, William Gambold, was a clergyman in the Church of England. John was taught at home when he was young.
In 1726, he went to Christ Church, Oxford, one of England's famous universities. He was a "servitor," which meant he worked for the college to help pay for his studies. John loved poetry and plays. After his father died in 1728, he felt very sad and became deeply religious for a few years.
In 1730, he became friends with Charles Wesley. Charles then introduced him to his brother, John Wesley. The Wesley brothers were very important in starting the Methodist church. John Gambold joined their group called the "Holy Club." This club was a key step before the Methodist movement began. Gambold wrote about his time in the Holy Club in 1736. His writings are a valuable source of information about that period.
Even though he was influenced by the Wesley brothers, Gambold preferred quiet study and deep thought. He was more interested in old Christian writings from Greece than in active preaching.
Becoming a Priest
John Gambold decided to become a priest in the Church of England. He was officially made a priest in September 1733 by John Potter, who was the bishop of Oxford. In 1735, he became the vicar of Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire. A vicar is a type of priest who leads a local church.
Gambold took care of his small church duties. But he also spent a lot of time thinking deeply about his faith. When John Wesley came back from Georgia in 1738, he introduced Gambold to Peter Boehler. Boehler was a missionary from the Moravian Church. Gambold helped Boehler by translating his talks when he spoke at Oxford. In 1739, Gambold was greatly influenced by meeting Count Zinzendorf, a very important leader of the Moravian Church. Gambold later translated Zinzendorf's speeches from German.
In 1740, Gambold wrote an important poem. In December 1740, his younger brother visited him. His brother told him about the Moravians in London. Gambold was drawn to their friendly and warm community. He went to London with his brother in 1741 and was influenced by Philip Henry Molther, another Moravian leader.
Gambold decided to leave the Wesley brothers' group on July 2, 1741. He preached a sermon at the University of Oxford in December 1741. In October 1742, he left his position as vicar. He had been spending time with the Moravians in London. In November, he officially joined the Moravian community. He became a teacher at a boarding school in Broadoaks, Essex. On May 14, 1743, he married Elizabeth Walker. She was from Littletown in Yorkshire. After marrying, he became a school master in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.
Life in London and Later Years
In November 1744, Gambold moved back to London. He became a regular preacher at Fetter Lane, a Moravian meeting place. In 1745, John Wesley found that Gambold did not want to restart their old friendship. They met again in 1763, but Gambold was still shy. However, Wesley continued to say that Gambold was one of the "sensible men in England" until 1770.
In March 1747, Gambold attended a meeting of the Moravian leaders in Germany. In 1749, he wrote a letter to Zinzendorf. He suggested a plan for members of the Church of England to also become Moravian brothers. This plan would allow them to remain part of the Church of England. Gambold even thought an Anglican bishop could help oversee Moravian matters. He also suggested using the common prayer-book in Moravian meetings. This last idea was not carried out. However, at a meeting in London in September 1749, Thomas Wilson, the bishop of Sodor and Man, was chosen to lead this new group.
In 1753, the Moravian community lost some members when Benjamin Ingham and his followers left. Gambold worked hard to help the community recover. At a meeting in Chelsea in November 1754, he was made a 'chorepiscopus'. This is a type of assistant bishop. He was consecrated by three other bishops. Until 1768, his home was in London, but his duties often took him on travels. He played a big part in reorganizing the Moravian Church after Zinzendorf's death in 1760. This happened at a meeting in Germany in 1764. In 1765, he started a new Moravian community in Cootehill, Ireland.
His health began to fail in 1768 because of a lung condition. He retired in the autumn to Haverfordwest. He continued his religious work there until five days before he died on September 13, 1771. He had a son and a daughter.
John Gambold was known for being a kind person. He never had enemies, but he also made few close friends. He sometimes had doubts about his beliefs, which made him seek comfort in quiet and private religious devotion. This can be seen in his poems, like "The Mystery of Life." In this poem, he wrote about himself: "He suffered human life—and died." Many of his hymns are still well-known today.
Writings
John Gambold wrote several books and contributed to many others. He wrote about Christian teachings and edited collections of hymns. He also helped with translations of important works.
Some of his own works include:
- Christianity, Tidings of Joy (1741)
- A Collection of Hymns (1754) – He wrote 28 original hymns and translated 11 others for this book.
- A Short Summary of Christian Doctrine (1765) – This was a catechism, a book of questions and answers about faith.
- The Martyrdom of St. Ignatius (1773) – This was a play he wrote in 1740.
He also helped edit the works of Lord Bacon in 1765. He revised the translation of Cranz's History of Greenland in 1767. His poems were published in 1816.
