Life of Samuel Bownas

by: Samuel Bownas

As a young man, Samuel Bownas (1676-1753) was awakened to his lost condition through the powerful ministry of a young woman named Anne Wilson who, pointing to him in a meeting, told him he was but “a Quaker by tradition,” and a stranger to the transforming power of the gospel. Knowing this to be true, Bownas was cut to the quick, and so fervently turned to the Lord that both his heart and his conduct were greatly altered in a short time. Continuing in faithful submission to the Light of Christ, he became a minister and a sufferer for the gospel, traveling frequently in Great Britain and the American colonies, and being several times imprisoned for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Bownas was particularly conspicuous for his deep understanding concerning the work of the ministry, and became the author of a highly-regarded book entitled, “A Description of the Qualifications Necessary to a Gospel Minister.” (Original title: An Account of the Life, Travels and Christian Experiences of Samuel Bownas, a Minister in the Society of Friends)