How did Methodism come to America?

Methodism came to America through the witness of ordinary lay people—immigrants from Britain and Ireland who brought their faith with them to the colonies in the 1760s. These early Methodists organized class meetings, preached, and built a network of believers long before any ordained clergy arrived.

Early Growth

Among the earliest Methodist leaders in America were Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, who organized Methodist meetings in New York City around 1766, and Robert Strawbridge, who formed a class in Maryland. Their efforts attracted growing numbers of converts, and by the early 1770s, Wesley was sending trained lay preachers across the Atlantic to support the movement.

Francis Asbury

The most significant figure in early American Methodism was Francis Asbury, who arrived in 1771 at Wesley's request. A tireless circuit rider, Asbury traveled ceaselessly across the frontier, preaching, organizing churches, and mentoring preachers. Over the course of his ministry, he traveled an estimated 300,000 miles—much of it on horseback through wilderness and rough terrain—and ordained more than 4,000 preachers.

The Christmas Conference (1784)

The formal organization of American Methodism took place at the Christmas Conference, held at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore in December 1784. Wesley had authorized Thomas Coke to serve as superintendent of the American Methodists, and at the conference, Coke ordained Asbury as co-superintendent (both would eventually be called "bishops"). The conference adopted articles of religion, a liturgy, and a form of discipline, establishing the Methodist Episcopal Church as an independent denomination.

Circuit Riders and Camp Meetings

American Methodism grew explosively in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, fueled by the energy of circuit riders—itinerant preachers who traveled vast circuits, preaching in homes, barns, courthouses, and open fields. The camp meeting movement, which brought thousands together for multi-day revival gatherings, also played a major role in Methodist expansion. By the time of the Civil War, Methodism was the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.