This week in Christian history: Thomas Coke dies, first Christian school in Montreal, Father Coughlin silenced

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, April 28, 2024

Thomas Coke dies – May 2, 1814

Bishop Thomas Coke, (1747-1814), an influential Methodist church leader. | Wikimedia Commons

This week marks the anniversary of when Thomas Coke, a prominent Methodist Episcopal Church leader dubbed by some to be the “father of overseas missions,” died at the age of 66.

Methodism founder John Wesley appointed Coke to the position of superintendent over American Methodism, an office that by 1787 came to be known as "bishop."

As a leader of the nascent Methodist movement, Coke traveled extensively, serving as the first chairman for the Irish Conference of 1782 and making multiple trips to the United States.

In 1814, Coke and a group of nine other missionaries were on their way to India when he fell ill and died in his sleep on the night of May 2. He was buried at sea in the Indian Ocean.

“This cursor review of the life and labors of Dr. Coke may surely confirm that he embodied the missionary zeal of Methodism, not only in spirit but in relentless activity,” wrote Jordan Satterfield of Holy Joys in 2020.

“The fiery missionary life of Dr. Coke should be honored as his true and enduring legacy. Laboring in world contexts far removed from Coke’s era, missionaries today should be inspired by eternal difference wrought by one obscure missionary ambassador with vital spirituality, singular focus, and relentless passion.”