John Wesley: the story on HearLore

John Wesley

On the 9th of February 1709, a fire broke out in the rectory at Epworth. John Wesley was five years old when flames consumed the roof and threatened to collapse the house. His family managed to escape, but young John remained trapped on an upper floor with stairs ablaze below him. A parishioner standing on another man's shoulders lifted the boy through a window just as the roof gave way. This narrow escape became a defining moment in his life story, often cited as proof of a special destiny. Wesley grew up in a household where discipline ruled every hour. His mother Susanna examined each child before meals and evening prayers. They learned Latin and Greek by age five and memorized large portions of the New Testament. No child ate between meals, and they faced weekly interviews about their spiritual state. This rigorous upbringing shaped a mind that would later seek order in faith and society.

The Holy Club And The Warm Heart

In November 1729, Wesley returned to Oxford after serving as a curate in Wroot. He found his younger brother Charles leading a small group dedicated to study and devout living. Wesley took charge of this circle, which met daily from six until nine o'clock for prayer and reading of the Greek New Testament. They fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays until three in the afternoon and attended Communion every Sunday instead of the usual three times per year. University students mocked them as "enthusiasts" or religious fanatics. One member, William Morgan, suffered a mental breakdown and died, prompting accusations that their strict fasting had caused his death. Wesley defended the group in widely circulated letters, noting Morgan had stopped fasting eighteen months prior. Despite the ridicule, the group continued its work visiting prisoners and caring for the sick. In May 1738, while attending a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed during a reading of Martin Luther's preface to Romans. He wrote that he trusted Christ alone for salvation and received assurance that God had taken away his sins.

Fields And Circuits

On the 2nd of April 1739, Wesley preached outdoors at a brickyard near St Philip's Marsh in Bristol. He had hesitated for years to abandon church pulpits, believing such methods were almost sinful. Yet George Whitefield encouraged him to reach miners and laborers who would never enter a building. Wesley stood before thousands in open fields, using his father's tombstone as a pulpit when needed. As societies multiplied across Great Britain and Ireland, Wesley organized them into circuits. Each circuit included at least thirty appointments per month. Preachers rotated between locations every one or two years to maintain efficiency. By 1744, seventy-seven members belonged to select societies pursuing perfection. The first Methodist conference gathered John and Charles Wesley with four other clergy and four lay preachers in London. This body became the ruling authority for doctrine and discipline. Wesley traveled extensively, visiting Manchester fifteen times between 1733 and 1790 and reaching over 15,000 converts in Ireland by 1795.

When was John Wesley born and what happened to him as a child?

John Wesley was born on the 9th of February 1703. He survived a fire at his family's rectory in Epworth when he was five years old after being lifted through a window by a parishioner.

What event caused John Wesley to feel his heart strangely warmed?

John Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed during a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London in May 1738 while reading Martin Luther's preface to Romans. This experience led him to trust Christ alone for salvation and receive assurance that God had taken away his sins.

How did John Wesley begin preaching outdoors and where did it happen?

John Wesley preached outdoors at a brickyard near St Philip's Marsh in Bristol on the 2nd of April 1739. George Whitefield encouraged him to reach miners and laborers who would never enter a building, so Wesley used his father's tombstone as a pulpit when needed.

Why did John Wesley separate from George Whitefield despite their friendship?

John Wesley separated from George Whitefield over theological differences regarding Calvinist doctrines of unconditional election and reprobation. Wesley published a sermon titled Freedom of Grace attacking Calvinistic predestination in 1739 even though Whitefield asked him not to publish it.

When did John Wesley allow women to preach within Methodism?

John Wesley allowed Sarah Crosby to preach in 1761 and formally permitted women to preach within Methodism after Mary Bosanquet defended female leadership in summer 1771. He issued detailed instructions on acceptable preaching styles for women between 1761 and 1771.

What were the final statistics of John Wesley's life and death?

John Wesley died on the 2nd of March 1791 leaving behind 135,000 members and 541 itinerant preachers under the name Methodist. He rode 250,000 miles on horseback during his lifetime and preached more than 40,000 sermons before passing away at eighty-seven years old.

John Wesley

The Holy Club And The Warm Heart

Fields And Circuits

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Common questions

When was John Wesley born and what happened to him as a child?

What event caused John Wesley to feel his heart strangely warmed?

How did John Wesley begin preaching outdoors and where did it happen?

Why did John Wesley separate from George Whitefield despite their friendship?

When did John Wesley allow women to preach within Methodism?

What were the final statistics of John Wesley's life and death?

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