John Wesley

1
John Wesley
1703-1791
The year 2003 marks the 300th anniversary of John
Wesleys birth.
2
John Wesley was born on June 17, 1703 to Rev.
Samuel and Susanna Wesley. He was one of their
19 children, though only half lived past infancy.
An important event happened in 1709, when Wesley
was barely rescued from a fire that burned down
their home. He was considered a brand plucked
from the burning, and believed his life had a
special calling.
3
He went to school in London at age 11, and then
went to Oxford for college where he received his
B.A. in 1724. He was ordained a deacon in 1725
and then a priest in 1727 after getting his M.A..
As a Fellow of Oxford, he joined his brother
Charles Holy Club in 1729. These were a group
of men that maintained strict rules of study,
prayer, and service. The were also called Bible
Moths and Methodists.
The Holy Club
4
In 1736, John and his brother Charles volunteered
to go to the newly formed colony of Georgia in
America. They envisioned themselves as
evangelists to the noble native people.
Instead, they found themselves working as
secretaries and their strict attitudes made
their dealings with the colonists difficult.
Charles returned home after only a few months.
John stayed two years, but was plagued
by troubles. Although he felt that he had not
accomplished his goal, his interaction with the
Moravians would help him to find the inner peace
that was missing in his life.
Coastal Georgia
5
Upon his return, he continued to learn from
Moravians, including Peter Böhler. Because of
his views, churches began to refuse him
permission to preach from their pulpits. On May
24, 1738, an important change occurred while
visiting a service on Aldersgate Street. He
later related his experience as follows.
About a quarter before nine, while he was
describing the change which God works in the
heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart
strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ,
Christ alone, for salvation and an assurance was
given me that he had taken away my sins, even
mine, and saved me from the law of sin and
death.
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The next significant change occurred when John
traveled to Bristol in 1739. He was taking over
from George Whitefield, who was heading for
Georgia. Following Whitefields example, he
began preaching outdoors. He preached a simple
message to average people, and the crowds
increased steadily.
He soon started work on a meeting place, which
was completed in 1745. It is known as the New
Room.
The New Room
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As people gathered to hear him, they would form
themselves into societies. These societies would
further be divided into bands and classes for
discussion and support.
In 1744, the first Methodist Conference was held.
They discussed doctrine and rules. Our General
and Annual Conferences are the modern descendants
of this first Conference.
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Wesley was a prolific writer producing 400
works. Many of them were related to the Bible
and Christianity. They included 23 collections
of hymns, sermons, a magazine, and many others.
He kept a journal from 1735 to 1790 which details
the trials and tribulations of his interesting
life. He also wrote some non-religious books,
such as his Primitive Physic a guide to cures
for a variety of medical conditions from baldness
to cancer. His books were always sold cheaply,
so that even the poor could buy them.
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Over the coming decades, Wesley would travel
thousands of miles preaching the Word. Methodist
societies sprang up across the United Kingdom and
in other areas that Wesley visited. By the end
of his life in 1791, there were over 70,000
Wesleyan Methodists in England and thousands
more in America.
10
In 1751, Wesley married a widow, Mary Vazeille.
His experience with women had been difficult.
From his college days, to Sophia Hopkey in
Georgia, to Grace Murray he struggled with the
idea that his ministry came before marriage. He
finally changed his mind, and thought that he
should get married. But the marriage wasnt a
happy one. Although Mary
pledged to allow him to continue his preaching
and traveling, it wasnt long before she had
changed her mind. She objected to his way of
life, and was jealous of attention given to other
women even if it was only in the Christian
spirit. They separated and she moved away in
1771.
Mary Vazeille Wesley
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In the 1760s, Methodist preaching began in
America under the leadership of lay persons. In
1769, Wesley started sending ministers to the New
World. But when the Revolution began, all but
Francis Asbury returned to England. Still, under
Asburys leadership and lay preachers, the
number of Methodist followers
had tripled by the end of the war. In 1784,
the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in the
United States. At the Christmas Conference that
year, they approved Wesleys Articles of Religion
and started sending circuit riders to the ends
of civilization and beyond.
Francis Asbury
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Following the example of Wesley in England,
American Methodist pastors were sent out to
cover circuits several charges in different
locations. Their usual mode of transportation
was the horse, and they became known as Circuit
Riders.
The first Methodist society in Louisiana was
formed in 1806 in the Opelousas area. By the
mid-19th century, the Methodist Episcopal Church
was the largest Protestant denomination in the
U.S. with over four million members.
The Circuit Rider
13
John Benjamin Wesley passed away on March 2,
1791. As his friends gathered around him, he
lifted his arms and said, Best of all God is
with us.
The next morning he passed away. He was buried
next door in the cemetery behind City Road Chapel.
City Road Chapel, London
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Wesleys Main Concerns

• Justification by faith
• Free will
• Authority of the Scriptures
• Helping those in need

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John Wesley never intended to start a new
denomination. He remained a priest in the
Church of England and considered himself an
Anglican. His followers in England had to wait
until his death to start the Methodist Church in
that country.
Just as Christ came to fix the Jewish faith,
Wesley wanted to fix the Church of England.
In both cases, the differences were so great
that new denominations formed.
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John Wesleys influence has touched the world for
the past three centuries. Today, there are
millions of people in denominations based on his
work. In the U.S. the largest group is The
United Methodist Church, with over 8 million
members in over 35,000 churches. Numerous
Methodist organizations help the world through
education, health care, and mission work.
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For more information on John Wesley, his life,
and Methodism, check out our Conference Archives
History website at
w w w . i s c u o . o r g
This presentation created by Tim Hebert, Chair,
Commission on Archives History, Louisiana
Conference, UMC. Feel free to use it and share it
with others.