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Methodism
On the 24th of May 1738, John Wesley stood inside a small meeting house on Aldersgate Street in London and felt his heart strangely warmed. This was not a moment of intellectual agreement with a theological proposition, but a visceral, physical sensation of trust in Christ alone for salvation. Before this date, Wesley was a devout Anglican priest who had failed in his mission to the American colony of Georgia, returning to England convinced that he lacked the genuine faith he preached to others. The experience at Aldersgate transformed him from a rigid moralist into the architect of a movement that would eventually claim 80 million adherents worldwide. He and his brother Charles, along with George Whitefield, were initially branded Methodists by their peers at Oxford University not as a compliment, but as a mockery of their overly systematic approach to living a holy life. They were accused of being Methodists because they used rule and method in their religious affairs, treating their faith with the precision of a military drill. This label stuck, but the movement they built was far more than a set of rules; it was a radical reimagining of how ordinary people could experience divine grace.
Fire in the Fields
The early Methodists did not wait for permission to preach, nor did they stay within the walls of established churches. George Whitefield, a fellow student of the Wesley brothers at Oxford, became famous for preaching to thousands of people in open fields, collieries, and churchyards, reaching those who had been neglected by the Church of England. Wesley initially followed suit, preaching in the open air to miners and the poor, a practice that drew violent hostility from the established clergy and the public. In 1743, Wesley was nearly murdered by a mob at Wednesbury, an event that highlighted the physical danger faced by these itinerant preachers. The movement grew so rapidly that by 1791, there were 56,000 members in Britain, a number that swelled to 360,000 by 1836. The Methodists organized these converts into societies and then into classes, intimate groups where individuals confessed their sins to one another and built up each other. This structure allowed the movement to thrive despite persecution, creating a deep sense of corporate identity among the working classes. The early Methodists were drawn from all levels of society, including the aristocracy, but their message resonated most powerfully with social outcasts, criminals, and the poor who had been ignored by the established church.
The Theology of Perfection
At the heart of the Methodist faith lies a doctrine that sets it apart from many of its Protestant contemporaries: the belief that Christians can achieve entire sanctification, or Christian perfection, in this life. John Wesley taught that this was the grand depositum, the foundational doctrine, of the Methodist faith, and that the propagation of this truth was the reason God brought Methodists into existence. This teaching stood in direct opposition to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, which held that God had predestined a select group of people to eternal bliss while others perished eternally. Wesley argued that salvation was available to all people and that Christians could enjoy a second blessing, a state of pure love that expels sin and governs the heart and life of a child of God. While George Whitefield and several other early leaders were considered Calvinistic Methodists, Wesley remained an outspoken opponent of predestination. He taught that a person is free to reject salvation or to accept it by an act of free will, and that the Holy Spirit assures a Christian that they are justified by faith. This emphasis on the possibility of a victorious life over sin led to the creation of class meetings and the development of a theology that viewed the Christian life as a journey of growing in grace after the new birth.
When did John Wesley experience his heart strangely warmed at Aldersgate Street?
John Wesley experienced his heart strangely warmed inside a small meeting house on Aldersgate Street in London on the 24th of May 1738. This visceral physical sensation of trust in Christ alone for salvation transformed him from a rigid moralist into the architect of the Methodist movement. The event marked the beginning of a movement that would eventually claim 80 million adherents worldwide.
Why were John Wesley and Charles Wesley called Methodists by their peers at Oxford University?
John Wesley and his brother Charles were initially branded Methodists by their peers at Oxford University as a mockery of their overly systematic approach to living a holy life. They were accused of being Methodists because they used rule and method in their religious affairs, treating their faith with the precision of a military drill. This label stuck even though the movement they built was far more than a set of rules.
What is the core doctrine of entire sanctification taught by John Wesley?
John Wesley taught that Christians can achieve entire sanctification or Christian perfection in this life as the grand depositum of the Methodist faith. This teaching stood in direct opposition to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and argued that salvation was available to all people through an act of free will. Wesley believed that Christians could enjoy a second blessing, a state of pure love that expels sin and governs the heart and life of a child of God.
How did Charles Wesley contribute to the musical legacy of Methodism?
Charles Wesley was instrumental in writing much of the hymnody of Methodism, and his theological and doctrinal content became a primary vehicle for expressing the movement's emphasis on salvation for all. The first Methodist hymn book was published in 1779, and the hymns served as a catechism for the uneducated, teaching complex theological concepts through simple, memorable verses. These hymns were tools for spiritual formation, helping believers to understand their need for grace and their potential for holiness.
What social causes did the Methodist Church support in the 19th and early 20th centuries?
Methodists took a leading role in the temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries, seeing alcoholic beverages and alcoholism as the root of many social ills. The movement was particularly prominent in the old mill towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where preachers stressed that the working classes were equal to the upper classes in the eyes of God. Methodists also supported the abolition of slavery and the creation of hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, and schools to follow Christ's command to spread the gospel and serve all people.
How did women participate in early Methodism before 1790?
Early Methodism experienced a radical and spiritual phase that allowed women authority in church leadership, a role that sharply diminished after 1790 as churches became more structured and male-dominated. Women were encouraged to testify their faith and to lead class meetings, which were the backbone of the movement's organizational structure. In the Caribbean, women like Sophia Campbell and Mary Alley kept the flock together with class and prayer meetings after the death of their male leaders.
The musical legacy of Methodism is inextricably linked to the life of Charles Wesley, the younger brother of John. Charles was instrumental in writing much of the hymnody of Methodism, and his theological and doctrinal content became a primary vehicle for expressing the movement's emphasis on salvation for all, social holiness, and personal commitment. Since enthusiastic congregational singing was a part of the early evangelical movement, Wesleyan theology took root and spread through this channel. The first Methodist hymn book was published in 1779, and the hymns served as a catechism for the uneducated, teaching complex theological concepts through simple, memorable verses. The early Methodists were known for their almost monastic rigors, living by rule and observing canonical hours of prayer. They inherited from their Anglican patrimony the practice of reciting the Daily Office, which included Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. The first prayer book of Methodism, The Sunday Service of the Methodists, included these services, and later liturgical books like the Methodist Worship Book continued this tradition. The hymns were not merely songs of praise but were tools for spiritual formation, helping believers to understand their need for grace and their potential for holiness.
The Social Gospel
Methodism has always been known for its charity and support for the sick, the poor, and the afflicted through works of mercy that flow from the love of God and neighbor. The early Methodists established hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, and schools to follow Christ's command to spread the gospel and serve all people. This emphasis on social holiness led to the creation of the Social Gospel, which put these ideals into practice by addressing the root causes of social ills. In Britain, the Methodist Church had a major effect in the early decades of the developing working class between 1760 and 1820. The movement was particularly prominent in the old mill towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where preachers stressed that the working classes were equal to the upper classes in the eyes of God. Methodists took a leading role in the temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries, seeing alcoholic beverages and alcoholism as the root of many social ills. They tried to persuade people to abstain from these drinks, and to this day, alcohol remains banned in Methodist premises, although this restriction no longer applies to domestic occasions in private homes. The movement's commitment to social justice was evident in its support for the abolition of slavery and its efforts to improve the lives of the marginalized.
Women and the Class System
Early Methodism experienced a radical and spiritual phase that allowed women authority in church leadership, a role that sharply diminished after 1790 as churches became more structured and male-dominated. The role of the woman preacher emerged from the sense that the home should be a place of community care and should foster personal growth. Methodist women formed a community that cared for the vulnerable, extending the role of mothering beyond physical care. Women were encouraged to testify their faith and to lead class meetings, which were the backbone of the movement's organizational structure. In the Caribbean, for example, women like Sophia Campbell and Mary Alley kept the flock together with class and prayer meetings after the death of their male leaders. In Barbados, Sarah Ann Gill used civil disobedience to thwart magistrate rulings that prevented parishioners from holding prayer meetings, paying an extraordinary sum to build a new chapel. The Wesleyan Education Committee documented the Methodist Church's involvement in the education of children, placing most effort in creating Sunday Schools and later Weekday schools. This emphasis on education and the empowerment of women in the early years of the movement laid the groundwork for the global expansion of Methodism, even as the institutional church later sought to restrict women's roles.
A Global Connection
Methodism spread throughout the British Empire and the United States because of vigorous missionary work, and today it has about 80 million adherents worldwide. The movement is not a single church but a collection of independent denominations or connexions, with the majority of Methodists belonging to the World Methodist Council. In the Caribbean, Methodism came to Antigua in 1760 when Nathaniel Gilbert, a planter and lawyer, returned from England with a treatise by John Wesley and began to preach to his slaves. By 1783, the first Methodist chapel was built in Antigua, seating some 2,000 people. In Africa, the Nigerian Methodist Church is one of the largest Methodist denominations in the world, with around two million members in 2,000 congregations. Methodism in Ghana came into existence as a result of the missionary activities of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, inaugurated with the arrival of Joseph Rhodes Dunwell to the Gold Coast in 1835. The movement has grown exponentially in places like South Korea, while declining in Great Britain and North America. The global nature of Methodism is reflected in its diverse forms of worship, ranging from high church to low church in liturgical usage, and its ability to adapt to local cultures while maintaining its core theological principles.
The Structure of Grace
Methodist churches are organized into a system of connexions, which is a unique form of church governance that balances local autonomy with global connection. In Britain, the Methodist Church does not have bishops but is characterized by a strong central organization called the Connexion, which holds an annual Conference. The Connexion is divided into Districts in the charge of a chairperson, and these districts are divided into Circuits governed by a Circuit Meeting and led by a superintendent minister. Ministers are appointed to Circuits rather than to individual churches, and the majority of services are led by lay local preachers. This system allows for a flexibility that has enabled the movement to grow rapidly in diverse contexts. The Methodist Church in Ireland, for example, operates across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on an all-Ireland basis, with around 50,000 members. In the United States, the United Methodist Church has a wide variety of forms of worship, ranging from high church to low church in liturgical usage. The structure of Methodism is designed to facilitate the spread of the gospel and the practice of social holiness, ensuring that the movement remains a dynamic force in the world.