It has been so long since I posted I am afraid it looks like I went out of business. When a retail space goes out of business, they call it “going dark.” The phrase refers to the lights being turned off, while the other businesses still “have the light on for you!” This post is just to say, the lights are on, praying that New Light stays lit!

When Davies traveled to Great Britain with Gilbert Tennent, he left his Virgina congregation for many months. Before they sailed for England, he went to visit friends back in Delaware and in the Philadelphia area. He also made a stop at the College of New Jersey and completed the requirements for a Masters degree. You may sometimes see his name, The Rev. Mr. Samuel Davies. A.M.; which is an official name including his educational accomplishments.

The congregations in Virginia were without their pastor for a long time. Davies was also separated from his family as well, and for him it was a dark time away from his loved ones. His diary contains many comments about how much he missed his wife, whom he referred to as “Chara” based upon the Greek word for joy. The reunion between pastor and family and pastor and congregation was joyful. The following years before he went to College of New Jersey as president were full and fruitful.

Davies and Tennent were very successful in raising funds for the new college. The gifts and commitments they solicited also secured the future for the college. Davies would labor four more years in Virginia and then in 1759 he would move to New Jersey and become the president of the college he had labored to secure its future.