Stephen G. Roszel

Reverend Stephen George Roszel (also spelled Roszell; April 8, 1770 – May 14, 1841) was a Methodist preacher and leading member of the Baltimore Conference.

Early life Stephen George Roszel was born on April 8, 1770, in Loudoun County, Virginia, the oldest son in a large family. His father was named Stephen. Roszel quickly gained influence within the church by exhibiting "flaming zeal and strong talents". In 1794, he was selected as host for the first Annual Conference held in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Roszel was "a large, portly man" who "paid little regard for the graces," instead speaking straightforwardly. He was considered an excellent debater and had "wide and powerful influence" within the Methodist Church as a result. Roszel was a leading figure in the movement to establish rules by which regular, delegated General Conferences would be held going forward. He made several motions on the issue, including the one that gave the General Conference the power to make the rules and regulations of the church. He was subsequently an elected delegate at every delegated General Conference from the first one in 1812 until his death, representing either the Philadelphia Conference or the Baltimore Conference.

At the 1836 General Conference, Roszel was part of a strong push back against abolitionists within the Church. He authored a paper strongly indicting abolitionism. An attached resolution stating that the General Conference was "decidedly opposed to modern abolitionism, and wholly disclaims any right, wish or intention to interfere in the civil and political relation between master and slave" passed by a 122 to 11 vote. Roszel also moved for a Pastoral Address against abolition. The motion was adopted, and the Address was widely distributed, temporarily quelling the angst that would eventually cause the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to split from the northern church in 1844. Earlier, at the 1808 General Conference, Roszel had moved to retain the acceptance of slavery in the Book of Discipline and allow each Annual Conference to frame its regulations on the slave trade.

Death and legacy Roszel's final assignment was to the Hillborough Circuit in February 1841. He died on May 14, 1841, in Leesburg, Virginia, after a brief illness. After his death, Nathan Bangs said, "The qualities of [Roszel's] mind and heart were strong and practical, rather than speculative, beautiful or graceful... He possessed the most indomitable perseverance... and few men of his day who had an eye and hand more constantly or effectively on the great interest of the Church than Mr. Roszel." The 1841 Baltimore Conference Minutes commemorated him as "a man possessing singular courage, fortitude, constancy, and benevolence," adding that he was "blessed with a strong mind, a ready elocution, and great physical power."

When Roszel joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, it had 149 traveling preachers in the United States and 42,000 members. Through the work of Roszel and his contemporaries, membership had grown to 850,000 with 3,800 traveling preachers by the time of his death. Two of Roszel's sons, Stephen Asbury (February 18, 1811 – February 20, 1852) and Stephen Samuel (October 20, 1812 – April 27, 1882), became influential Methodist preachers in their own right. Several of Roszel's personal letters have survived to modern times, providing an intimate look inside the life of revival preachers.