During Asbury's life in America he traveled over 270,000 miles on horseback  to nearly every part of the young American nation¹.  He was known to often rise at 4 AM and begin his day with prayer and Bible study².  A man does not simply decide one day that he is going to exert every ounce of his will, strength, and heart towards the success of a movement.  The roots for Asbury's dedication and example were laid in his childhood in England.  
    Asbury was born into a traditional (for the day) Methodist home in a small town on the fringe of Birmingham, England.  His mother, Elizabeth, had a tremendous influence on his religious development, so much so that she could be referred to as the "Mother of American Methodism."³  From a young age Asbury was fascinated and intrigued by the Bible and related literature.  He began reading the Bible when he was six, at fourteen he began reading sermons written by George Whitefield and John Cennick, and soon was attending, at the suggestion of his mother, Methodist meetings at Wednesbury⁴.   Asbury's gifts for preaching grew and when he was eighteen he received official status as a local Methodist preacher.  In addition to his preaching, Asbury was an apprentice to a local worker.  He would often rise at 4AM to complete his work and then walk four to five miles to attend Methodist gatherings to worship.⁵  At age twenty-one Asbury replaced William Orpe as the itinerant preacher for his circuit and was soon made a "helper" to James Glassbrook.  From Glassbrook Asbury learned what it took to be an itinerant preacher and the lessons Asbury learned would serve him well⁶.
    Asbury continued to be a successful itinerant in England and his reputation grew until he was eventually asked by John Wesley in 1771 to travel to the young American Conference and assist the fledgling ministry taking place there.

   ¹Library of Congress  
   ²Frank Baker, From Wesley to Asbury (Durham: Duke University Press, 1976), 136
   ³Frank Baker, From Wesley to Asbury (Durham: Duke University Press, 1976), 107
   ⁴Frank Baker, From Wesley to Asbury (Durham: Duke University Press, 1976), 109
   ⁵Frank Baker, From Wesley to Asbury (Durham: Duke University Press, 1976), 111
   ⁶Frank Baker, From Wesley to Asbury (Durham: Duke University Press, 1976), 113