The story is that of a life well lived. Robert Sayers Sheffey (July 4, 1820 - August 30, 1902) was born to moderate wealth, but set that aside to answer God's call to minister to the mountain people of Western Virginia and southern West Virginia. The story describes his being called to God's service after attending a circuit minister's service with drunken friends. Sheffey became a circuit minister, picking up where that minister left off. A circuit minister is a minister who travels to churches in sparsely populated areas. Since there is not enough population to support a full time minister in in each location Sheffey would visit them on a schedule, giving the people the Word of God as often as he could. The story covers how he was put out of any possibility of being a leader in the church. Eventually Sheffey sees this as a blessing. The story describes his many visits across the land, the way he treated alcoholism and his establishment of a Camp Meeting. He was of course a contemporary of D.L. Moody. Where as D.L. Moody was international in his appeal, Sheffey was local. It all builds up to the worst day in Minister Sheffey's life, a day when his faith would be severely tested.
—William Grimm