William Ryland (1770 – January 10, 1846) was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

minister who served several terms as

Chaplain of the Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...

Early years

William Ryland was born in

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in 1770. He came to the

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at the age of 18 and settled in Harford County, Maryland. For a time, he engaged in business in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

; on May 28, 1799 a fire in that city damaged his warehouse. In 1802, he became a minister in the Methodist Church, a vocation he continued in for the remainder of his life.Annals of the American Pulpit: Methodist, by William Buell Sprague, p. 392 When Mr. Ryland entered the ministry in 1802, a friend bantered him about the matter and told him he would soon give up the ministry. This friend was in the tobacco business. He said to him, "Now, Ryland, I am so confident that you will not continue in this thing, that I promise to send a hundred of my finest cigars every year you remain a minister." For 44 years this promise was faithfully kept. General Jackson enjoyed many of these cigars, although he much preferred a corncob pipe.

Ministry

His first appointment was to the Baltimore circuit, a post in which he served for nine years. While there he also befriended and at times assisted

Philip William Otterbein Philip William Otterbein (June 3, 1726 – November 17, 1813) was an American clergyman. He was the founder of the United Brethren in Christ, which merged with the Evangelical Church in 1946 to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. That ...

in his ministry, sharing in the ordination of Christian Newcomer and delivering the English translation of Otterbein's funeral sermon. Thereafter, he was sent to Annapolis, Maryland. During this time he was first elected

. He became pastor of the Foundry United Methodist Church in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, as well as Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church, in Washington, at which time he became acquainted with

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, who was then a U.S. Senator. Eight days after his inauguration as

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, Jackson sent Ryland a commission as Chaplain of the Navy (sometimes called Chaplain to the Marines) in which he served the last eighteen years of his life. This congregation was known as the Wesley Chapel Station, at the Washington Naval Yards. Ryland Epworth Church is the product of three congregations. The first, Ryland Church, started in 1843 in Southwest Washington. It was called Ryland Chapel initially, in honor of Rev. William Ryland, former Chaplain of the United States Senate, who had given the land for its construction. Ryland also gave the considerable sum of $1800 to erect a Methodist church that was also named in his honor Ryland Chapel in Galveston, Texas; it was dedicated on January 23, 1843.

Personal life

Ryland married Joanna Mather on December 5, 1796 in Harford, Maryland. Joanna (or Juanna) is buried with him in Congressional Cemetery. Buried with them is his wife's niece, Joanna Mather Ruff.Juanna Ryland’s obituary, The National Intelligencer, Washington, D. C., January 13, 1840, see: http://theoldentimes.com/juannaryland40dc.html (Note, some amateur genealogists indicate a different spouse for Ryland, however, it is clear that the wife who is buried alongside him in Washington is Joanna Ryland).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryland, William 1770 births 1846 deaths Chaplains of the United States Senate