Who was John Wesley?

John Wesley (1703–1791) was an Anglican priest, theologian, and evangelist whose life and work gave birth to the Methodist movement. Born in Epworth, England, to a large and devout family, Wesley was educated at Oxford University, where he and his brother Charles formed a small group dedicated to disciplined spiritual practices—a group mocked as "Methodists" for their methodical approach to faith.

The Aldersgate Experience

A pivotal moment in Wesley's life came on May 24, 1738, at a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. While listening to a reading of Martin Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans, Wesley felt his heart "strangely warmed" and experienced a personal assurance of God's saving grace. This experience transformed his ministry and became a touchstone for the Methodist emphasis on personal, experiential faith.

Field Preaching and Organization

Inspired by his friend George Whitefield, Wesley began preaching outdoors to working-class people who were often excluded from established churches. His powerful preaching drew enormous crowds, and he soon organized his followers into small groups called "class meetings" for mutual accountability, Bible study, and spiritual growth. These small groups became the backbone of the Methodist movement and anticipated modern small group ministry by centuries.

Theology and Practice

Wesley's theology centered on grace—God's unmerited love at work in every aspect of human life. He taught that salvation involves not only forgiveness (justification) but an ongoing process of growth in holiness (sanctification). He believed Christians could experience "entire sanctification"—a fullness of love for God and neighbor—in this life. Wesley also insisted on the inseparability of personal piety and social action, establishing schools, clinics, lending societies, and advocacy for the poor and imprisoned.

Legacy

By the time of his death in 1791, Wesley had traveled more than 250,000 miles on horseback, preached over 40,000 sermons, and built a movement of more than 70,000 members in Britain and 60,000 in America. Today, the worldwide Methodist family includes more than 80 million people across dozens of denominations, all tracing their heritage to Wesley's vision of "spreading scriptural holiness across the land."