William Losee
William Losee (30 June 1757 – 16 October 1832) was a
Biography
Although not the first Methodist to preach in what was then the single British colony of Quebec, William Losee was the first to be officially appointed by the New York Conference to preach in Quebec (in the region known as Upper Canada after 1791). He had previously worked the Champlain circuit in New York. He was appointed by Elder Garrettson to Lower Canada with wide latitude in how to conduct his preaching. Both Losee's relatives in the area and his favourable feelings toward the British Government contributed to his appointment. His first conversion was one of these relatives, Joshua Losee.[1] There were very few ministers in The Canadas at this time, William Case would later recall that he knew of only four, but guessed there might have been as many as six.[2] Losee's preaching resulted in immediate conversions in what was then largely wilderness regions punctuated by tiny villages and isolated cabins. An early source reports that Losee was famous for vehement preaching and imploring God to smite sinners. On one occasion, while being heckled during a religious meeting, Losee pointed at the heckler and proclaimed "Smite him, my God!" The man, whose name is reported to have been Joseph Brouse, fell to the ground writhing in agony only to later rise and repent of his sins.
In 1791, Losee returned to
References
- ^ Carroll, John (1867). Case and his cotemporaries, or, The Canadian itinerants' memorial constituting a biographical history of Methodism in Canada, from its introduction into the Province, till the death of the Rev. Wm. Case in 1855. Vol. I. Toronto: Wesleyan Conference Office. p. 7.
- ^ Carroll, Volume I, page 8
- ^ Carroll, Volume I, page 9
- ^ Carroll, Volume I, page 12
External links
- "William Losee". Dictionary of Canadian Biography (online ed.). University of Toronto Press. 1979–2016.