 SELINA HASTINGS
COUNTESS OF
HUNTINGDON PATRONESS OF REVIVAL
By Patricia
R. Chadwick
During a time when women
didn’t have many opportunities to
publicly serve the Lord, Selina Hastings
shines forth as an example of how God
can accomplish His work by using a woman
who is totally devoted to Himself. While
many people have at least some knowledge
of the great "Methodist Revival" that
took place under the Wesley’s and George
Whitefield in 18th century England, not
many are aware that the fires of revival
were spread due, in part, to the
diligent efforts and financial backing
of one woman: Selina Hastings, Countess
of Huntingdon.
Selina was born in England in 1707, the
daughter of Washington Shirley, Earl of
Ferrars. She lived her young life among
the aristocracy and at age 21 she was
married to Theophilus Hastings, Earl of
Huntingdon. Though she was raised to
fear God, it wasn’t until after the
death of her four young children and her
own severe illness that she began to see
her need for a relationship with God and
began to seek Him. Selina’s conversion
experience came at a time when revival
was coming to England and from the
beginning of her Christian walk she was
ready to help the cause of Christ with
her faithful witness, financial support,
and influence.
Soon after her conversion, Selina
developed friendships with both John and
Charles Wesley and George Whitefield.
Selina had power and influence and did
not hesitate to use it for the good of
revival. Being in her company opened
many doors for these men, including
opportunities to preach to the
aristocracy and to gain financial
backing for their work.
While her husband was a religious man,
it doesn’t appear that he was a
Christian. Yet, he never interfered with
Selina’s new-found faith. It appears
that he was sympathetic to the Christian
cause and didn’t hinder her work.
However, it wasn’t until after her
husband’s untimely death in 1746 that
Selina was able to give herself fully to
the work of the Lord and turn her full
attention toward revival. She spoke of
revival to everyone she had contact with
and her witness spread widely,
especially among the nobility. Lady
Huntingdon was held in high regard, even
by the King himself.
Selina not only devoted herself, her
time, and her influence to God, but she
also gave her incredible fortune to
further the Lord’s work. Her husband had
left his vast fortune in her control and
it is estimated that she gave many
millions of dollars in her lifetime to
furthering the spread of the Gospel. The
Countess lived simply and sacrificially,
selling her country homes, jewelry, and
other trappings of the aristocracy,
giving the proceeds of these sales to
Christian work.
Lady Huntigdon humbly served the Lord by
simply touching the lives of those with
whom she came in contact with, giving of
her time and her resources. Even at her
death she thought of the welfare of
others, bequeathing her entire estate to
support Christian work. She gave herself
to her Lord in both life and in death.
Her last words were, "My work is done; I
have nothing to do but go to my Father".
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