This church sprang directly from the work of John Wesley (1703 – 1791) and his brother Charles (1707 – 1788), which was part of the Evangelical Revival of the 18^th century. John dedicated himself to serious Christian living in 1725; they met with others at Oxford to form the Holy Club, also nicknamed "Methodists" because of their rigorous approach to the Christian life. They were ordained deacons and priests of the Church of England and left Oxford to go to Georgia as missionaries in 1735. On the voyages and whilst there they were greatly impressed by the faith of Moravians, their piety, simple lifestyle and organisation.

They returned to England dissatisfied with their spiritual state. On May 24, 1738 in a room in Aldersgate Street in London, John felt his heart strangely warmed; Charles had had a similar experience three days earlier. After this new beginning, reluctantly following the example of George Whitefield, they began open-air preaching, despite the opposition of bishops and hostile mobs. Societies were formed, first in Bristol and London, and then in many places. Lay preachers were employed; a system of circuits was formed, and from 1744 onwards there was an annual Conference of preachers, a centralised system geared for mission. John travelled 250,000 miles and preached 40,000 times, and by 1791, there were over 70,000 members and more than 400 chapels.

John Wesley never intended his movement to separate from the Church of England but in 1784 he gave legal status to his Conference and ordained ministers for America. Disputes about the status of the travelling preachers and the administration of the sacraments were resolved by the Plan of Pacification (1795) which was a decisive break with the Church of England. Divisions arising from constitutional disputes and fresh revivals led to the creation of the Methodist New Connexion (1797), the Primitive Methodists (1812), the Bible Christians (1816) and smaller groups which largely united in the United Methodist Free Churches in 1858. All except the Wesleyan Reform Union and the Independent Methodists united with the main body, the Wesleyans, to form the Methodist Church in 1932.

This Church, which covers England, Scotland and Wales, is the largest of the Free Churches in England. It belongs to the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and other ecumenical bodies and takes part in over 550 local ecumenical partnerships. It serves local churches through a connexional team based in national offices in London and Manchester. It has 33 districts, each with a Synod, presided over by a ministerial Chairman. It emphasizes education and training for various forms of ministries, both lay and ordained. The traditional Wesleyan stress on evangelism, social concern and the struggle for justice is expressed in concern for education, in school, colleges and universities, and work with the deprived, through the NCH Action for Children and Methodist Homes (MHA), its two main social work agencies.

Its worship is a mixture of formal and free; the hymns of the Wesleys are still important to a people "born in song." Its commitment to Bible study in house fellowship/discussion groups, to youth work, to pastoral care and social outreach, are the main characteristics of a church proud to celebrate 250 years of Methodist witness in 1988 and 200 years of overseas missions in 1986 within the World Church. The contribution of local preachers who lead worship in a majority of services is important. The rediscovery of Wesley’s message for today is a vital part of its ongoing commitment to evangelical revival and the quest for holiness, personal and corporate, which offers Christ to all through worship, preaching and service.

February 2000.

Rev Tim Macquiban Westminster College, Oxford

See History of the Church on www.methodist.org.uk