John Murray is given credit for preaching the first Universalist sermon in America 251 years ago this month on September 30, 1770. Murray had been a Methodist minister prior to departing England via sailboat bound for America. For numerous reasons, as he left England he vowed never to preach again. Upon arrival to this continent, however, he made an agreement with a landowner which would prevent him from living up to his vow. We will consider the ways that Murray came to embrace possibilities and Universalism, and how doing so changed his life and established a foundation for Universalism in this country.