Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related
denominations of
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
whose origins,
doctrine
Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...
and practice derive from the life and teachings of
John Wesley
John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
.
George Whitefield
George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement.
Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
and John's brother
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include " And Can It Be", " Christ the Lord Is Risen ...
were also significant early leaders in the movement. They were named ''Methodists'' for "the methodical way in which they carried out their Christian faith".
Methodism originated as a
revival movement within the 18th-century
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
and became a separate denomination after Wesley's death. The movement spread throughout the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
, the United States, and beyond because of vigorous
missionary work
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
,
today claiming approximately 80 million adherents worldwide.
Wesleyan theology
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
, which is upheld by the Methodist churches, focuses on
sanctification
Sanctification (or in its verb form, sanctify) literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred (compare la, sanctus). Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. " ...
and the transforming effect of faith on the character of a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. Distinguishing doctrines include the
new birth
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...
,
assurance,
imparted righteousness
Imparted righteousness, in Methodism, Methodist theology, is that Divine grace, gracious gift of God given at the moment of the Born again (Christianity), new birth which enables a Disciple (Christianity), Christian disciple to strive for Sacred, ...
, the possibility of
entire sanctification
Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
,
and the
works of piety
"Works of piety", in Methodism, are certain spiritual disciplines that along with the "works of mercy", serve as a means of grace, and are necessary for Christian perfection. All Methodist Christians, laity and ordained, are expected to employ the ...
.
Scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
is considered as a
primary authority A primary authority is a term used in legal research to refer to statements of law that are binding upon the courts, government, and individuals. Primary authority is usually in the form of a document that establishes the law, and if no document exi ...
, but Methodists also look to
Christian tradition
Christian tradition is a collection of traditions consisting of practices or beliefs associated with Christianity. These ecclesiastical traditions have more or less authority based on the nature of the practices or beliefs and on the group in que ...
, including the historic
creed
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The ea ...
s. Most Methodists teach that
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, the
Son of God,
died for all of humanity and that
salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
is available for all.
This is an
Arminian
Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...
doctrine, as opposed to the
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
position that God has
pre-ordained the salvation of a
select group of people. However, Whitefield and several other early leaders of the movement were considered
Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...
and held to the Calvinist position.
The movement has a wide variety of forms of
worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
, ranging from
high church
The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originate ...
to
low church in
liturgical
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
usage, in addition to
tent revival
A tent () is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using g ...
s and
camp meeting
The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in England and Scotland as an evangelical event in association with the communion season. It was held for worship, preaching and communion on the American frontier d ...
s held at certain times of the year.
Denominations that descend from the British Methodist tradition are generally less ritualistic, while American Methodism is more so, the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
in particular. Methodism is known for its rich musical tradition, and Charles Wesley was instrumental in writing much of the
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
ody of Methodism.
In addition to
evangelism
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
, Methodism emphasizes
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
and support for the sick, the poor, and the afflicted through the
works of mercy
Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics.
The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that th ...
.
These ideals, collectively known as the
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean envir ...
, are put into practice by the establishment of hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, and schools to follow Christ's command to spread
the gospel
The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefits ...
and serve all people.
Methodists are historically known for their adherence to the doctrine of
nonconformity to the world
Nonconformity to the world, also called separation from the world, is a Christian doctrine based on , and other verses of the New Testament that became important among different Protestant groups, especially among Anabaptists. The corresponding Ge ...
, reflected by their traditional standards of a commitment to
teetotalism
Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or i ...
, proscription of gambling, regular attendance at
class meeting
The cell group is a form of church organization that is used in many Christian churches. Cell groups are generally intended to teach the Bible and personalize Christian fellowship. They are always used in cell churches, but also occur in parach ...
s, and weekly observance of the
Friday fast.
Early Methodists were drawn from all levels of society, including the aristocracy, but the Methodist preachers took the message to labourers and criminals who tended to be left outside organized religion at that time. In Britain, the Methodist Church had a major effect in the early decades of the developing
working class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
(1760–1820).
In the United States, it became the religion of many slaves who later formed
black church
The black church (sometimes termed Black Christianity or African American Christianity) is the faith and body of Christian congregations and denominations in the United States that minister predominantly to African Americans, as well as their ...
es in the Methodist tradition.
Origins
The Methodist revival began in England with a group of men, including
John Wesley
John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
(1703–1791) and his younger brother
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
(1707–1788), as a movement within the Church of England in the 18th century.
The Wesley brothers founded the "
Holy Club
The "Holy Club" was an organization at Christ Church, Oxford, formed in 1729 by brothers John and Charles Wesley, who later contributed to the formation of the Methodist Church. The brothers and associates, including George Whitefield, met for pr ...
" at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, where John was a fellow and later a lecturer at
Lincoln College.
The club met weekly and they systematically set about living a holy life. They were accustomed to receiving
Communion every week, fasting regularly, abstaining from most forms of amusement and luxury and frequently visited the sick and the poor, as well as prisoners. The fellowship were branded as "Methodist" by their fellow students because of the way they used "rule" and "method" to go about their religious affairs.
John, who was leader of the club, took the attempted mockery and
turned it into a title of honour.
In 1735, at the invitation of the founder of the
Georgia Colony
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, General
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to re ...
, both John and Charles Wesley set out for America to be
ministers
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
to the colonists and missionaries to the Native Americans. Unsuccessful in their work, the brothers returned to England conscious of their lack of genuine Christian faith. They looked for help to
Peter Boehler
Peter Boehler (born Petrus Böhler; December 31, 1712 – April 27, 1775) was a German-English Moravian bishop and missionary who was influential in the Moravian Church in the Americas and England during the eighteenth century.
Boehler was one o ...
and other members of the
Moravian Church
The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
. At a Moravian
service in
Aldersgate
Aldersgate is a Ward of the City of London, named after one of the northern gates in the London Wall which once enclosed the City.
The Ward of Aldersgate is traditionally divided into Aldersgate Within and Aldersgate Without, the suffix denot ...
on 24 May 1738, John experienced what has come to be called his
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
conversion, when he felt his "heart strangely warmed". He records in his journal: "I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." Charles had reported a similar experience a few days previously. Considering this a pivotal moment, Daniel L. Burnett writes: "The significance of
ohn Ohn is a Burmese name, used by people from Myanmar. Notable people with the name include:
* Daw Ohn (1913–2003), Burmese professor in Pali
* Ohn Gyaw (born 1932), Burmese Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1998
* Ohn Kyaing (born 1944), Bur ...
Wesley's Aldersgate Experience is monumental ... Without it the names of Wesley and Methodism would likely be nothing more than obscure footnotes in the pages of church history."
The Wesley brothers immediately began to preach salvation by faith to individuals and groups, in houses, in religious
societies
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...
, and in the few churches which had not closed their doors to evangelical preachers.
John Wesley came under the influence of the Dutch theologian
Jacobus Arminius
Jacobus Arminius (10 October 1560 – 19 October 1609), the Latinized name of Jakob Hermanszoon, was a Dutch theologian during the Protestant Reformation period whose views became the basis of Arminianism and the Dutch Remonstrant movement. He ...
(1560–1609). Arminius had rejected the
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
teaching that God had
pre-ordained an elect number of people to eternal bliss while others perished eternally. Conversely,
George Whitefield
George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an Anglican cleric and evangelist who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement.
Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke College at th ...
(1714–1770),
Howell Harris
Howell Harris ( cy, Howel Harris, italic=no; 23 January 1714 – 21 July 1773) was a Calvinistic Methodist evangelist. He was one of the main leaders of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century, along with Daniel Rowland and William Wil ...
(1714–1773), and
Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon
Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (24 August 1707 – 17 June 1791) was an English religious leader who played a prominent part in the religious revival of the 18th century and the Methodist movement in England and Wales. She founded an e ...
(1707–1791) were notable for being
Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...
.
![George Whitefield (head)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/George_Whitefield_%28head%29.jpg)
George Whitefield, returning from his own mission in Georgia, joined the Wesley brothers in what was rapidly to become a national crusade.
Whitefield, who had been a fellow student of the Wesleys and prominent member of the Holy Club at Oxford, became well known for his unorthodox,
itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels habitually. Itinerant may refer to:
*"Travellers" or itinerant groups in Europe
*Itinerant preacher, also known as itinerant minister
*Travelling salespeople, see door-to-door, hawker, and peddler
*Travelling sh ...
ministry, in which he was dedicated to
open-air preaching
Open-air preaching, street preaching, or public preaching is the act of evangelizing a religious faith in public places. It is an ancient method of proselytizing a religious or social message and has been used by many cultures and religious tradit ...
—reaching crowds of thousands.
A key step in the development of John Wesley's ministry was, like Whitefield, to preach in fields, collieries and churchyards to those who did not regularly attend
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
services.
Accordingly, many Methodist converts were those disconnected from the Church of England; Wesley remained a cleric of the Established Church and insisted that Methodists attend their local parish church as well as Methodist meetings because only an ordained minister could perform the sacraments of baptism and communion.
Faced with growing evangelistic and
pastoral
A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...
responsibilities, Wesley and Whitefield appointed
lay
Lay may refer to:
Places
*Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada
*Lay, Loire, a French commune
*Lay (river), France
*Lay, Iran, a village
*Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community
People
* Lay (surname)
* ...
preachers and leaders.
Methodist preachers focused particularly on evangelising people who had been "neglected" by the established Church of England. Wesley and his assistant preachers organized the new converts into Methodist societies.
These societies were divided into groups called ''
classes''—intimate meetings where individuals were encouraged to confess their sins to one another and to build each other up. They also took part in
love feast
An agape feast or lovefeast (also spelled love feast or love-feast, sometimes capitalized) is a communal meal shared among Christians. The name comes from ''agape'', a Greek term for 'love' in its broadest sense.
The lovefeast custom origina ...
s which allowed for the sharing of
testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter.
Etymology
The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness.
La ...
, a key feature of early Methodism. Growth in numbers and increasing hostility impressed upon the revival converts a deep sense of their corporate identity.
Three teachings that Methodists saw as the foundation of Christian faith were:
# People are all, by nature, "
dead in sin".
# They are
justified by faith alone.
# Faith produces inward and
outward holiness
Outward holiness, or external holiness, is a Wesleyan–Arminian doctrine emphasizing modest dress and sober speech. It is a testimony of a Christian believer's regeneration, done in obedience to God. The doctrine is prevalent among denominations ...
.
Wesley's organisational skills soon established him as the primary leader of the movement. Whitefield was a Calvinist, whereas Wesley was an outspoken opponent of the doctrine of
predestination
Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby G ...
.
Wesley argued (against Calvinist doctrine) that Christians could enjoy a
second blessing
According to some Christian traditions, a second work of grace (also second blessing) is a transforming interaction with God which may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are tha ...
—entire sanctification (
Christian perfection
Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
) in this life: loving God and their neighbours, meekness and lowliness of heart and abstaining from all appearance of evil.
These differences put strains on the alliance between Whitefield and Wesley,
with Wesley becoming quite hostile toward Whitefield in what had been previously very close relations. Whitefield consistently begged Wesley not to let theological differences sever their friendship and, in time their friendship was restored, though this was seen by many of Whitefield's followers to be a doctrinal compromise.
[Dallimore. ''George Whitefield''.]
Many clergy in the established church feared that new doctrines promulgated by the Methodists, such as the necessity of a
new birth
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...
for salvation—the first work of grace, of
justification by faith
''Justificatio sola fide'' (or simply ''sola fide''), meaning justification by faith alone, is a soteriological doctrine in Christian theology commonly held to distinguish the Lutheran and Reformed traditions of Protestantism, among others, f ...
and of the constant and sustained action of the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
upon the believer's soul, would produce ill effects upon weak minds.
[Glen, Robert (1989). "Methodism, Religious Dissent and Revolution in the English Satiric Prints, 1780–1815", ''Consortium on Revolutionary Europe, 1750–1850: Proceedings'' 19:
173–188] Theophilus Evans
Theophilus Evans (February 1693 – 11 September 1767) was a Welsh clergyman and historian.
Life
Evans' father was from Pen-y-wenallt and he was christened in the church in Llandygwydd in Cardiganshire in 1693.
Evans served curacies in Brecknock ...
, an early critic of the movement, even wrote that it was "the natural Tendency of their Behaviour, in Voice and Gesture and horrid Expressions, to make People mad". In one of his prints,
William Hogarth
William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, pictorial satirist, social critic, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like s ...
likewise attacked Methodists as "enthusiasts" full of "
Credulity, Superstition, and Fanaticism".
Other attacks against the Methodists were physically violent—Wesley was nearly murdered by a mob at
Wednesbury
Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of ...
in 1743. The Methodists responded vigorously to their critics and thrived despite the attacks against them.
![The First Methodist chapel called](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/The_First_Methodist_chapel_called_%22The_Foundry%22_-_Capel_Cyntaf_y_Methodistiaid_Wesleyaidd_a_Adnabyddid_Wrth_%22Y_Foundry%22.jpeg)
Initially, the Methodists merely sought reform within the Church of England (
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
), but the movement gradually
departed from that Church. George Whitefield's preference for extemporaneous prayer rather than the fixed forms of prayer in the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'', in addition to his insistence on the necessity of the new birth, set him at odds with Anglican clergy.
As Methodist societies multiplied, and elements of an
ecclesiastical system were, one after another, adopted, the breach between John Wesley and the Church of England gradually widened. In 1784, Wesley responded to the shortage of priests in the American colonies due to the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
by
ordaining
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
preachers for America with power to administer the
sacrament
A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...
s. Wesley's actions precipitated the split between American Methodists and the Church of England (which held that only bishops could ordain people to ministry).
With regard to the position of Methodism within
Christendom
Christendom historically refers to the Christian states, Christian-majority countries and the countries in which Christianity dominates, prevails,SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christendom"/ref> or is culturally or historically intertwine ...
, "John Wesley once noted that what God had achieved in the development of Methodism was no mere human endeavor but the work of God. As such it would be preserved by God so long as history remained." Calling it "the grand depositum" of the Methodist faith, Wesley specifically taught that the propagation of the doctrine of
entire sanctification
Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
was the reason that God raised up the Methodists in the world.
In light of this, Methodists traditionally promote the motto "Holiness unto the Lord".
The influence of Whitefield and Lady Huntingdon on the Church of England was a factor in the founding of the
Free Church of England
The Free Church of England (FCE) is an episcopal church based in England. The church was founded when a number of congregations separated from the established Church of England in the middle of the 19th century.
The doctrinal basis of the F ...
in 1844. At the time of Wesley's death there were over 500 Methodist preachers in British colonies and the United States.
Total membership of the Methodist societies in Britain was recorded as 56,000 in 1791, rising to 360,000 in 1836 and 1,463,000 by the national census of 1851.
Early Methodism experienced a radical and spiritual phase that allowed
women authority in church leadership. 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
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter.
Etymology
The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness.
La ...
their faith. However the centrality of women's role sharply diminished after 1790 as Methodist churches became more structured and more male dominated.
The Wesleyan Education Committee, which existed from 1838 to 1902, has documented the Methodist Church's involvement in the education of children. At first most effort was placed in creating Sunday Schools but in 1836 the British Methodist Conference gave its blessing to the creation of "Weekday schools".
Methodism spread throughout the British Empire and, mostly through Whitefield's preaching during what historians call the
First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening (sometimes Great Awakening) or the Evangelical Revival was a series of Christian revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The revival movement permanently affecte ...
, in colonial America. After Whitefield's death in 1770, however, American Methodism entered a more lasting
Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
and Arminian phase of development.
Theology
Many Methodist bodies, such as the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...
and the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
, base their doctrinal standards on the
Articles of Religion,
John Wesley's abridgment of the
Thirty-nine Articles
The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles) are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the ...
of the Church of England that excised its Calvinist features.
Some Methodist denominations also publish
catechism
A catechism (; from grc, κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult c ...
s, which concisely summarise Christian
doctrine
Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...
.
Methodists generally accept the
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith".
The creed most likely originated in 5th-century Ga ...
and the
Nicene Creed
The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...
as declarations of shared Christian faith.
Methodism also affirms the traditional Christian belief in the
triune Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as well as the
orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
understanding of the person of Jesus Christ as
God incarnate who is both
fully divine and fully human.
Methodism emphasizes doctrines that indicate the power of the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
to strengthen the faith of believers and to transform their personal lives.
Methodism is broadly
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
in doctrine and is characterized by Wesleyan theology;
John Wesley is studied by Methodists for his interpretation of church practice and doctrine.
At its heart, the theology of John Wesley stressed the life of Christian holiness: to love God with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength and to
love one's neighbour as oneself. One popular expression of Methodist doctrine is in the
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
s of Charles Wesley. Since enthusiastic
congregational singing
Congregational singing is the practice of the congregation participating in the music of a church, either in the form of hymns or a metrical Psalms or a free form Psalm or in the form of the office of the liturgy (for example Gregorian chants). ...
was a part of the early evangelical movement, Wesleyan theology took root and spread through this channel. Martin V. Clarke, who documented the history of Methodist hymnody, states:
Theologically and doctrinally, the content of the hymns has traditionally been a primary vehicle for expressing Methodism's emphasis on salvation for all, social holiness, and personal commitment, while particular hymns and the communal act of participating in hymn singing have been key elements in the spiritual lives of Methodists.
Salvation
![Sankt Georgen am Laengsee Launsdorf Kreisverkehr Bildstock Kreuzigung Christi 02122015 2428](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Sankt_Georgen_am_Laengsee_Launsdorf_Kreisverkehr_Bildstock_Kreuzigung_Christi_02122015_2428.jpg)
Wesleyan Methodists identify with the
Arminian
Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...
conception of
free will
Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.
Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to actio ...
, as opposed to the
theological determinism
Theological determinism is a form of predeterminism which states that all events that happen are pre-ordained, and/or predestined to happen, by one or more divine beings, or that they are destined to occur given the divine beings' omniscience. The ...
of absolute
predestination
Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby G ...
. Methodism teaches that
salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
is initiated when one chooses to respond to God, who draws the individual near to him (the Wesleyan doctrine of
prevenient grace
Prevenient grace (or preceding grace or enabling grace) is a Christian theological concept that refers to the grace of God in a person's life which precedes and prepares to conversion. It was termed and developed by Augustine of Hippo (354 – 4 ...
), thus teaching
synergism
In Christian theology, synergism is the position of those who hold that salvation involves some form of cooperation between divine grace and human freedom. Synergism is upheld by the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Churches, Anabaptist Churches ...
.
Methodists interpret Scripture as teaching that the
saving work of Jesus Christ is for all people (
unlimited atonement
Unlimited atonement (sometimes called general atonement or universal atonement) is a doctrine in Protestant Christianity that is normally associated with Amyraldism (four-point Calvinism), as well as Arminianism and other non-Calvinist tradition ...
) but effective only to those who respond and believe, in accordance with the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
principles of ''
sola gratia
''Sola gratia'', meaning by grace alone, is one of the five ''solae'' and consists in the belief that salvation comes by divine grace or "unmerited favor" only, not as something earned or deserved by the sinner. It is a Christian theologica ...
'' (grace alone) and ''
sola fide
''Justificatio sola fide'' (or simply ''sola fide''), meaning justification by faith alone, is a soteriological doctrine in Christian theology commonly held to distinguish the Lutheran and Reformed traditions of Protestantism, among others, fr ...
'' (faith alone). John Wesley taught four key points fundamental to Methodism:
# A person is free not only to reject salvation but also to accept it by an act of free will.
# All people who are obedient to
the gospel
The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefits ...
according to the measure of knowledge given them will be saved.
# The Holy Spirit assures a Christian that they are
justified by faith in Jesus (
assurance of faith
As a general term in theological use, assurance refers to a believer's confidence in God, God's response to prayer, and the hope of eternal salvation. In Protestantism, Protestant Christianity, Christian doctrine, the term "assurance", also known ...
).
# Christians in this life are capable of
Christian perfection
Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
and are commanded by God to pursue it.
[Harper, J. Steven Harper (1983). ''The Way to Heaven: The Gospel According to John Wesley'', ]
After the
first work of grace
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...
(the new birth),
Methodist
soteriology
Soteriology (; el, σωτηρία ' "salvation" from σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special significance in many religio ...
emphasizes the importance of the pursuit of holiness in salvation,
a concept best summarized in a quote by Methodist evangelist
Phoebe Palmer
Phoebe Palmer (December 18, 1807 – November 2, 1874) was a Methodist evangelist and writer who promoted the doctrine of Christian perfection. She is considered one of the founders of the Holiness movement within Methodist Christianity.
Ea ...
who stated that "justification would have ended with me had I refused to be holy."
Thus, for Methodists, "true faith...''cannot'' subsist without works".
Methodism, inclusive of the
holiness movement
The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...
, thus teaches that "justification
s madeconditional on obedience and progress in
sanctification
Sanctification (or in its verb form, sanctify) literally means "to set apart for special use or purpose", that is, to make holy or sacred (compare la, sanctus). Therefore, sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i.e. " ...
",
emphasizing "a deep reliance upon Christ not only in coming to faith, but in remaining in the faith". John Wesley taught that the keeping of the moral law contained in the
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...
,
as well as engaging in the
works of piety
"Works of piety", in Methodism, are certain spiritual disciplines that along with the "works of mercy", serve as a means of grace, and are necessary for Christian perfection. All Methodist Christians, laity and ordained, are expected to employ the ...
and the
works of mercy
Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics.
The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that th ...
, were "indispensable for our sanctification".
Methodists also believe in the
second work of grace
According to some Christian traditions, a second work of grace (also second blessing) is a transforming interaction with God which may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are tha ...
—Christian perfection, also known as entire sanctification, which removes
original sin
Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...
and makes the believer holy.
John Wesley explained, "entire sanctification, or Christian perfection, is neither more nor less than pure love; love expelling sin, and governing both the heart and life of a child of God. The Refiner's fire purges out all that is contrary to love."
Methodist churches teach that
apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...
can occur through a loss of faith or through
sinning.
If a person
backslides but later decides to return to God, he or she must confess his or her sins and be entirely sanctified again (the Arminian doctrine of
conditional security
The conditional preservation of the saints, or conditional perseverance of the saints, or commonly conditional security, is the Arminian Christian belief that believers are kept safe by God in their saving relationship with him upon the ''conditio ...
).
Sacraments
Methodists hold that
sacrament
A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...
s are sacred acts of divine institution. Methodism has inherited its liturgy from
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
, although Wesleyan theology tends to have a stronger "sacramental emphasis" than that held by
evangelical Anglicans
Evangelical Anglicanism or evangelical Episcopalianism is a tradition or church party within Anglicanism that shares affinity with broader evangelicalism. Evangelical Anglicans share with other evangelicals the attributes of "conversionism, a ...
.
In common with most Protestants, Methodists recognize two sacraments as being instituted by Christ:
Baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
and
Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
(also called the Lord's Supper). Most Methodist churches practice
infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. Infant baptism is also called christening by some faith traditions.
Most Christians belong to denominations that practice infant baptism. Branches of Christianity that ...
, in anticipation of a response to be made later (
confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
), as well as
baptism of believing adults. The ''Catechism for the Use of the People Called Methodists'' states that, "
n Holy Communion
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
Jesus Christ is
present
The present (or here'' and ''now) is the time that is associated with the events perception, perceived directly and in the first time, not as a recollection (perceived more than once) or a speculation (predicted, hypothesis, uncertain). It is ...
with his worshipping people and gives himself to them as their Lord and Saviour".
In the United Methodist Church, the explanation of how
Christ's presence is made manifest in the elements (bread and wine) is described as a "Holy Mystery".
Methodist churches generally recognize sacraments to be a
means of grace
The means of grace in Christian theology are those things (the ''means'') through which God gives grace. Just what this grace entails is interpreted in various ways: generally speaking, some see it as God blessing humankind so as to sustain and emp ...
. John Wesley held that God also imparted
grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...
by other established means such as public and private
prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...
, Scripture reading,
study
Study or studies may refer to:
General
* Education
**Higher education
* Clinical trial
* Experiment
* Observational study
* Research
* Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning
Other
* Study (art), a drawing or series of drawi ...
and
preaching
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...
,
public worship
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
, and
fasting
Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...
; these constitute the works of piety. Wesley considered means of grace to be "outward signs, words, or actions ... to be the ordinary channels whereby
odmight convey to men, preventing
.e., preparing justifying or sanctifying grace". Specifically Methodist means, such as the
class meetings, provided his chief examples for these prudential means of grace.
Sources of teaching
American Methodist theologian
Albert Outler
Albert Cook Outler (November 17, 1908 – September 1, 1989) was a 20th-century American Methodist historian, theologian, and pastor. He was a professor at Duke University, Yale University, and Southern Methodist University. He was a key figure i ...
, in assessing John Wesley's own practices of theological reflection, proposes a methodology termed the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral".
Wesley's Quadrilateral is referred to in Methodism as "our theological guidelines" and is taught to its
ministers
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
(clergy) in seminary as the primary approach to interpreting Scripture and gaining guidance for moral questions and dilemmas faced in daily living.
Traditionally, Methodists declare the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
(
Old
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
and
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
s) to be the only divinely inspired Scripture and the primary source of authority for Christians. The historic Methodist understanding of Scripture is based on the superstructure of
Wesleyan covenant theology
Covenant theology (also known as covenantalism, federal theology, or federalism) is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall structure of the Bible. It uses the theological concept of a covenant as an orga ...
.
Methodists also make use of
tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
, drawing primarily from the teachings of the
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...
, as a source of authority. Tradition may serve as a lens through which Scripture is interpreted. Theological discourse for Methodists almost always makes use of Scripture read inside the wider theological tradition of Christianity.
John Wesley himself contended that a part of the theological method would involve experiential faith.
In other words, truth would be vivified in personal experience of Christians (overall, not individually), if it were really truth. And every doctrine must be able to be defended rationally. He did not divorce
faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people often ...
from
reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...
. By reason, one asks questions of faith and seeks to understand God's action and will. Tradition, experience and reason, however, were subject always to Scripture, Wesley argued, because only there is the Word of God
revealed
Reveal or Revealed may refer to:
People
* Reveal (rapper) (born 1983), member of the British hip hop group Poisonous Poets
* James L. Reveal (1941–2015), American botanist
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Revealed'', a 2013 novel ...
"so far as it is necessary for our salvation."
Prayer, worship, and liturgy
Early Methodism was known for its "almost monastic rigors, its living by rule,
ndits canonical hours of prayer".
It inherited from its
Anglican patrimony the rubrics of reciting the
Daily Office
In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or selection from, such prayers.
In ...
, which Methodist Christians were expected to
pray
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified an ...
.
The first prayer book of Methodism, ''
The Sunday Service of the Methodists with other occasional Services'' thus included the canonical hours of both
Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer; these two fixed prayer times were observed everyday in
early Christianity
Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...
, individually on weekdays and corporately on the
Lord's Day
The Lord's Day in Christianity is generally Sunday, the principal day of communal worship. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said in the canonical Gospels to have been witnessed al ...
.
Later Methodist liturgical books, such as the ''Methodist Worship Book'' (1999) provide for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer to be prayed daily; the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
encourages its communicants to pray the canonical hours as "one of the essential practices" of being a disciple of Jesus.
Some Methodist religious orders publish the Daily Office to be used for that community, for example, ''The Book of Offices and Services of The Order of Saint Luke'' contains the canonical hours to be prayed traditionally at
seven fixed prayer times:
Lauds
Lauds is a canonical hour of the Divine office. In the Roman Rite Liturgy of the Hours it is one of the major hours, usually held after Matins, in the early morning hours.
Name
The name is derived from the three last psalms of the psalter (148, ...
(6 am), Terce (9 am), Sext (12 pm), Nones (liturgy), None (3 pm), Vespers (6 pm), Compline (9 pm) and Vigil (12 am).
![Wesley's Chapel during Wikimania 2014 by-RaBoe 68](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Wesley%27s_Chapel_during_Wikimania_2014_by-RaBoe_68.jpg)
With respect to public worship, Methodism was endowed by the Wesley brothers with worship characterised by a twofold practice: the ritual liturgy of the ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
'' on the one hand and the non-ritualistic preaching service on the other.
This twofold practice became distinctive of Methodism because worship in the Church of England was based, by law, solely on the ''Book of Common Prayer'' and worship in the Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist churches was almost exclusively that of "services of the word", i.e. preaching services, with
Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
being observed infrequently. John Wesley's influence meant that, in Methodism, the two practices were combined, a situation which remains characteristic of the denomination.
The Lovefeast, traditionally practiced quarterly, was another practice that characterized early Methodism as John Wesley taught that it was an apostolic ordinance.
Worship, hymnology, devotional and liturgical practices in Methodism were also influenced by Pietism, Lutheran Pietism and, in turn, Methodist worship became influential in the Holiness movement.
![Methodistcommunion2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Methodistcommunion2.jpg)
In America, the United Methodist Church and Free Methodist Church, as well as the Primitive Methodist Church and Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection, Wesleyan Methodist Church, have a wide variety of forms of worship, ranging from
high church
The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originate ...
to
low church in liturgical usage. When the Methodists in America were separated from the Church of England because of the American Revolution, John Wesley himself provided a revised version of the ''Book of Common Prayer'' called ''The Sunday Service of the Methodists; With Other Occasional Services'' (1784).
Today, the primary liturgical books of the United Methodist Church are ''The United Methodist Hymnal'' and ''The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992), The United Methodist Book of Worship'' (1992). Congregations employ its liturgy and rituals as optional resources, but their use is not mandatory. These books contain the liturgies of the church that are generally derived from Wesley's ''Sunday Service'' and from the 20th-century Liturgical movement, liturgical renewal movement.
The Methodist Church of Great Britain, British Methodist Church is less ordered or liturgical in worship, but makes use of the ''Methodist Worship Book'' (similar to the Church of England's ''Common Worship''), containing worship services (Christian liturgy, liturgies) and rubrics for the celebration of other Rite (Christianity), rites, such as marriage. The ''Worship Book'' is also ultimately derived from Wesley's ''Sunday Service''.
A unique feature of American Methodism has been the observance of the liturgical year, season of Kingdomtide, encompassing the last 13 weeks before Advent, thus dividing the long season after Pentecost into two distinct segments. During Kingdomtide, Methodist liturgy has traditionally emphasized charitable work and alleviating the suffering of the poor.
A second distinctive liturgical feature of Methodism is the use of Covenant Renewal Service, Covenant Services. Although practice varies between different national churches, most Methodist churches annually follow the call of John Wesley for a renewal of their covenant (religion), covenant with God. It is common, at least in British Methodism, for each congregation to normally hold an annual Covenant Service on the first convenient Sunday of the year, and Wesley's covenant prayer is still used, with minor modification, in the order of service:
As Wesley advocated outdoor evangelism, revival meeting, revival services are a traditional worship practice of Methodism that are often held in churches, as well as at
camp meeting
The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in England and Scotland as an evangelical event in association with the communion season. It was held for worship, preaching and communion on the American frontier d ...
s, brush arbor revivals, and
tent revival
A tent () is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using g ...
s.
Membership
Traditionally, Methodist connexionalism, connexions descending from the tradition of the Methodist Episcopal Church have a probationary period of six months before an individual is admitted into church membership as a full member of a congregation.
Given the wide attendance at Methodist revival meetings, many people started to attend Methodist services of worship regularly, though they had not yet committed to membership.
When they made that commitment, becoming a probationer was the first step and during this period, probationers "receive additional instruction and provide evidence of the seriousness of their faith and willingness to abide by church discipline before being accepted into full membership."
In addition to this, to be a probationary member of a Methodist congregation, a person traditionally requires an "earnest desire to be saved from [one's] sins".
In the historic Methodist system, probationers were eligible to become members of Cell group#Methodism, class meetings, where they could be further discipled in their faith.
Catechisms such as ''The Probationer's Handbook'', authored by minister Stephen O. Garrison, have been used by probationers to learn the Methodist faith. After six months, probationers were examined before the Leaders and Stewards' Meeting (which consisted of Class meeting#Methodism, Class Leaders and Steward (Methodism), Stewards) where they were to provide "satisfactory assurance both of the correctness of his faith and of his willingness to observe and keep the rules of the church."
If probationers were able to do this, they were admitted as full members of the congregation by the pastor.
Full members of a Methodist congregation "were obligated to attend worship services on a regular basis" and "were to abide by certain moral precepts, especially as they related to substance use, gambling, divorce, and immoral pastimes."
This practice continues in certain Methodist connexions, such as the Lumber River Conference of the Holiness Methodist Church, in which probationers must be examined by the pastor, class leader, and board for full membership, in addition to being baptism, baptized.
The same structure is found in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which teaches:
The pastor and class leader are to ensure "that all persons on probation be instructed in the Rules and Doctrines of The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church before they are admitted to Full Membership" and that "probationers are expected to conform to the rules and usages of the Church, and to show evidence of their desire for fellowship in the Church".
After the six-month probation period, "A probationer may be admitted to full membership, provided he/she has served out his/her probation, has been baptized, recommended at the Leaders' Meeting, and, if none has been held according to law, recommended by the Leader, and, on examination by the Pastor before the Church as required in ¶600 has given satisfactory assurance both of the correctness of his/her faith, and of his/her willingess to observe and keep the rules of our Church."
The Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection admits to associate membership, by vote of the congregation, those who give affirmation to two questions: "1) Does the Lord now forgive your sins? 2) Will you acquaint yourself with the discipline of our connection and earnestly endeavor to govern your life by its rules as God shall give you understanding?"
Probationers who wish to become full members are examined by the advisory board before being received as such through four vows (on the Born again#Methodism, new birth,
entire sanctification
Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...
,
outward holiness
Outward holiness, or external holiness, is a Wesleyan–Arminian doctrine emphasizing modest dress and sober speech. It is a testimony of a Christian believer's regeneration, done in obedience to God. The doctrine is prevalent among denominations ...
, and assent to the
Articles of Religion) and a Covenant (religion)#Methodism, covenant.
In the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
, the process of becoming a professing member of a congregation is done through the taking membership vows (normatively in the rite of
confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
) after a period of instruction and receiving the sacrament of baptism.
It is the practice of certain Methodist connexions that when people become members of a congregation, they are offered the Right Hand of Fellowship.
Methodists traditionally celebrate the Covenant Renewal Service as the watchnight service annually on New Year's Eve, in which members renew their Covenant (religion)#Methodism, covenant with God and the Church.
Lifestyle
Early Methodists wore plain dress, with Methodist clergy condemning "high headdresses, ruffles, laces, gold, and 'costly apparel' in general".
John Wesley recommended that Methodists annually read his thoughts ''On Dress''; in that sermon, Wesley expressed his desire for Methodists: "Let me see, before I die, a Methodist congregation, full as plain dressed as a Quaker congregation". The 1858 Discipline of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (United States), Wesleyan Methodist Connection thus stated that "we would ... enjoin on all who fear God plain dress".
Peter Cartwright (revivalist), Peter Cartwright, a Methodist Christian revival, revivalist, stated that in addition to wearing plain dress, the early Methodists distinguished themselves from other members of society by Fasting#Methodism, fasting once a week, teetotalism, abstaining from alcohol (teetotalism), and devoutly Sabbatarianism#Sunday Sabbatarians, observing the Sabbath.
Methodist Circuit rider (religious), circuit riders were known for practicing the Spiritual practice#Christianity, spiritual discipline of Mortification of the flesh#Methodism, mortifying the flesh as they "arose well before dawn for solitary prayer; they remained on their knees Fasting#Methodism, without food or drink or physical comforts sometimes for hours on end".
The early Methodists did not participate in, and condemned, "worldly habits" including "playing cards, racing horses, gambling, attending the theater, dancing (both in frolics and balls), and cockfighting".
In Methodism, fasting is considered one of the
works of piety
"Works of piety", in Methodism, are certain spiritual disciplines that along with the "works of mercy", serve as a means of grace, and are necessary for Christian perfection. All Methodist Christians, laity and ordained, are expected to employ the ...
. The Directions Given to Band Societies (25 December 1744) by John Wesley mandate fasting and abstinence from meat on Friday Fast, all Fridays of the year (in remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus).
Wesley himself also fasted before receiving Holy Communion "for the purpose of focusing his attention on God," and asked other Methodists to do the same.
Over time, many of these practices were gradually relaxed in mainline Methodism, although practices such as teetotalism and fasting are still very much encouraged, in addition to the current prohibition of gambling;
denominations of the conservative holiness movement, such as the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection and Evangelical Methodist Church Conference, continue to reflect the spirit of the historic Methodist practice of wearing plain dress, with church membership, members abstaining from the "wearing of apparel which does not modestly and properly clothe the person" and "refraining from the wearing of jewelry" and "superfluous ornaments
(including the wedding ring)".
The Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches, which continues to observe the ordinance (Christianity), ordinance of Christian head covering, women's headcovering, stipulates "renouncing all vain pomp and glory" and "adorning oneself with modest attire." The General Rules of the Methodist Church in America, which are among the doctrinal standards of many Methodist Churches, promote first-day Sabbatarianism as they require "attending upon all the ordinances of God" including "the public worship of God" and prohibit "profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work therein or by buying or selling".
Contemporary Methodist denominations
Methodism is a worldwide movement and Methodist churches are present on all populated continents.
[Cracknell and White (2005), ]
An Introduction to World Methodism
', p. 'i' (frontmatter) Although Methodism is declining in Great Britain and North America, it is growing in other places—at a rapid pace in, for example, South Korea. There is no single Methodist Church with universal juridical authority; Methodists belong to multiple independent denominations or "Connexionalism, connexions". The great majority of Methodists are members of denominations which are part of the World Methodist Council, an international association of 80 Methodist, Wesleyan, and related united and uniting churches, uniting denominations, representing about 80 million people.
Europe
![Jerusalemskirken in Copenhagen 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Jerusalemskirken_in_Copenhagen_2.JPG)
Methodism is prevalent in the English-speaking world but it is also organized in mainland Europe, largely due to missionary activity of British and American Methodists. British missionaries were primarily responsible for establishing Methodism across Ireland and Italy.
Today the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
(UMC)—a large denomination based in the United States—has a presence in Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Collectively the European and Eurasian regions of the UMC constitute a little over 100,000 Methodists ().
Other smaller Methodist denominations exist in Europe.
Great Britain
The original body founded as a result of Wesley's work came to be known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain), Wesleyan Methodist Church. Schisms within the original church, and independent revival meeting, revivals, led to the formation of a number of separate denominations calling themselves "Methodist". The largest of these were the Primitive Methodism in the United Kingdom, Primitive Methodists, deriving from a revival at Mow Cop in Staffordshire, the Bible Christian Church, Bible Christians, and the Methodist New Connexion. The original church adopted the name "Wesleyan Methodist" to distinguish it from these bodies. In 1907, a union of smaller groups with the Methodist New Connexion and Bible Christian Church brought about the United Methodist Church (Great Britain), United Methodist Church; then the three major streams of British Methodism Methodist Union, united in 1932 to form the present Methodist Church of Great Britain.
The fourth-largest denomination in the country, the Methodist Church of Great Britain has about 202,000 members in 4,650 congregations.
![Wesley's Chapel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Wesley%27s_Chapel.jpg)
Early Methodism was particularly prominent in Devon and Cornwall, which were key centers of activity by the Bible Christian Church, Bible Christian faction of Methodists. The Bible Christians produced many preachers, and sent many missionaries to Australia. Methodism also grew rapidly in the old mill towns of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the preachers stressed that the working classes were equal to the upper classes in the eyes of God. In Wales, three elements separately welcomed Methodism: Welsh-speaking, English-speaking, and Calvinistic Methodism, Calvinistic.
British Methodists, in particular the Primitive Methodists, took a leading role in the Temperance movement in the United Kingdom, temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Methodists saw alcoholic beverages, and alcoholism, as the root of many social ills and tried to persuade people to abstain from these. Temperance appealed strongly to the Methodist doctrines of sanctification and perfection. To this day, alcohol remains banned in Methodist premises, however this restriction no longer applies to domestic occasions in private homes (i.e. the minister may have a drink at home in the manse).
The choice to consume alcohol is now a personal decision for any member.
![2017 Methodist Central Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/2017_Methodist_Central_Hall.jpg)
British Methodism does not have Bishops in Methodism, bishops; however, it has always been characterised by a strong central organisation, the Connexionalism, Connexion, which holds an annual Conference (the church retains the 18th-century spelling ''connexion'' for many purposes). The Connexion is divided into Districts in the charge of the chair (who may be male or female). Methodist districts often correspond approximately, in geographical terms, to counties—as do Church of England dioceses. The districts are divided into Methodist Circuit, circuits governed by the Circuit Meeting and led and administrated principally by a superintendent minister. Religious minister, Ministers are appointed to Circuits rather than to individual churches, although some large inner-city churches, known as "central halls", are designated as circuits in themselves—of these Westminster Central Hall, opposite Westminster Abbey in central London, is the best known. Most circuits have fewer ministers than churches, and the majority of services are led by lay local preachers, or by supernumerary ministers (ministers who have retired, called supernumerary because they are not counted for official purposes in the numbers of ministers for the circuit in which they are listed). The superintendent and other ministers are assisted in the leadership and administration of the Circuit by circuit stewards– laypeople with particular skills who, who with the ministers, collectively form what is normally known as the Circuit Leadership Team.
The Methodist Council also helps to run a number of schools, including two Public school (United Kingdom), public schools in East Anglia: Culford School and the Leys School. It helps to promote an all round education with a strong Christian ethos.
Other Methodist denominations in Britain include: the Free Methodist Church, the Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches, the Church of the Nazarene, and The Salvation Army, all of which are Methodist churches aligned with the
holiness movement
The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...
, as well as the Wesleyan Reform Union, an early secession from the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and the Independent Methodist Connexion.
Ireland
![Chapel-athlone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Chapel-athlone.jpg)
John Wesley visited Ireland on at least twenty-four occasions and established classes and societies. The Methodist Church in Ireland ( ir, Eaglais Mheitidisteach in Éirinn) today operates across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on an all-Ireland basis. , there are around 50,000 Methodists across Ireland. The biggest concentration–13,171–is in Belfast, with 2,614 in Dublin. , it is the fourth-largest denomination in Northern Ireland, with Methodists accounting for 3% of the population.
Eric Gallagher was the President of the Church in the 1970s, becoming a well-known figure in Irish politics. He was one of the group of Protestant churchmen who met with Provisional IRA officers in Feakle, County Clare to try to broker peace. The meeting was unsuccessful due to a Garda Síochána, Garda raid on the hotel.
In 1973, the Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches (FIMC) was established as a number of theologically conservative congregations departed both the Methodist Church in Ireland and Free Methodist Church due to what they perceived as the rise of Liberal Christianity, Modernism in those denominations.
Italy
![Ponte - memoria Gavazzi e chiesa evangelica 1130333](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Ponte_-_memoria_Gavazzi_e_chiesa_evangelica_1130333.JPG)
The Methodist Evangelical Church in Italy, Italian Methodist Church ( it, Chiesa Metodista Italiana) is a small Protestant community in Italy, with around 7,000 members.
Since 1975, it is in a formal covenant of Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches, partnership with the Waldensian Church, with a total of 45,000 members.
Waldensians are a Protestant movement which started in Lyon, France, in the late 1170s.
Italian Methodism has its origins in the Italian Free Church, British Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain), Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, and the American Methodist Episcopal Mission. These movements flowered in the second half of the 19th century in the new climate of political and religious freedom that was established with the end of the Papal States and unification of Italy in 1870.
Bertrand M. Tipple, minister of the American Methodist Church in Rome, founded a college there in 1914.
In April 2016, the World Methodist Council opened an Ecumenical Office in Rome. Methodist leaders and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, jointly dedicated the new office. It helps facilitate Methodist relationships with the wider Church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.
Nordic and Baltic countries
![Methodist Church in Hammerfest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Methodist_Church_in_Hammerfest.jpg)
The "Nordic and Baltic Area" of the United Methodist Church covers the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland) and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). Methodism was introduced to the Nordic countries in the late 19th century.
Today the United Methodist Church in Norway ( no, Metodistkirken) is the largest annual meeting in the region with 10,684 members in total ().
The United Methodist Church in Sweden ( sv, Metodistkyrkan) joined the Uniting Church in Sweden in 2011.
France
The French Methodist movement was founded in the 1820s by Charles Cook in the village of Congénies in Languedoc near Nîmes and Montpellier. The most important chapel of department was built in 1869, where there had been a Quaker community since the 18th century. Sixteen Methodist congregations voted to join the Reformed Church of France in 1938.
In the 1980s, missionary work of a Methodist church in Agen led to new initiatives in Fleurance and Mont de Marsan.
Methodism exists today in France under various names. The best-known is the Union of Evangelical Methodist Churches (french: l'Union de l'Eglise Evangélique Méthodiste) or UEEM. It is an autonomous regional conference of the United Methodist Church and is the fruit of a fusion in 2005 between the "Methodist Church of France" and the "Union of Methodist Churches". , the UEEM has around 1,200 members and 30 ministers.
Germany
![Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche Eningen unter Achalm](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Evangelisch-methodistische_Kirche_Eningen_unter_Achalm.jpg)
In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, ''Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche'' is the name of the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
. The German part of the church had about 52,031 members .
Members are organized into three annual conferences: north, east and south.
All three annual conferences belong to the ''Germany Central Conference''.
Methodism is most prevalent in southern Saxony and around Stuttgart.
A Methodist missionary returning from Britain introduced (British) Methodism to Germany in 1830, initially in the region of Württemberg. Methodism was also spread in Germany through the missionary work of the Methodist Episcopal Church which began in 1849 in Bremen, soon spreading to Saxony and other parts of Germany. Other Methodist missionaries of the Evangelical Association went near Stuttgart (Württemberg) in 1850.
Further Methodist missionaries of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ worked in Franconia and other parts of Germany from 1869 until 1905. So Methodism has four roots in Germany.
Early opposition towards Methodism was partly rooted in theological differences — northern and eastern regions of Germany were predominantly Lutheran and Reformed, and Methodists were dismissed as fanatics. Methodism was also hindered by its unfamiliar church structure (Connectionalism), which was more centralised than the hierarchical polity in the Lutheran and Reformed churches. After World War I, the 1919 Weimar Constitution allowed Methodists to worship freely and many new chapels were established. In 1936, German Methodists elected their first bishop.
Hungary
The first Methodist mission in Hungary was established in 1898 in Bácska, in a then mostly German-speaking town of Verbász (since 1918 part of the Serbian province of Vojvodina). In 1905 a Methodist mission was established also in Budapest. In 1974, a group later known as the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship seceded from the Hungarian Methodist Church over the question of interference by the communist state.
, the United Methodist Church in Hungary, known locally as the Hungarian Methodist Church ( hu, :hu:Magyarországi Metodista Egyház, Magyarországi Metodista Egyház), has 453 professing members in 30 congregations. It runs two student homes, two homes for the elderly, the Forray Methodist High School, the Wesley Scouts and the Methodist Library and Archives. The church has a special ministry among the Roma people, Roma.
The seceding Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship () also remains Methodist in its organisation and theology. It has eight full congregations and several mission groups, and runs a range of charitable organisations: hostels and soup kitchens for the homeless, a non-denominational theological college, a dozen schools of various kinds, and four old people's homes.
Today there are a dozen Methodist/Wesleyan churches and mission organisations in Hungary, but all Methodist churches lost official church status under new legislation passed in 2011, when the number of officially recognized churches in the country fell to 14. However, the list of recognized churches was lengthened to 32 at the end of February 2012. This gave recognition to Hungarian Methodist Church and the Salvation Army, which was banned in Hungary in 1949 but had returned in 1990, but not to the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship. The legislation has been strongly criticised by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe as discriminatory.
The Hungarian Methodist Church, the Salvation Army and the Church of the Nazarene and other Wesleyan groups formed the Wesley Theological Alliance for theological and publishing purposes in 1998. Today the Alliance has 10 Wesleyan member churches and organisations. The Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship does not belong to it and has its own publishing arm.
Russia
The Methodist Church established several strongholds in Russia—Saint Petersburg in the west and the Vladivostok region in the east, with big Methodist centres right in the middle, in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, Ekaterinburg (former Sverdlovsk). Methodists began their work in the west among Swedish immigrants in 1881 and started their work in the east in 1910.
On 26 June 2009, Methodists celebrated the 120th year since Methodism arrived in Czarist Russia by erecting a new Methodist centre in Saint Petersburg.
A Methodist presence was continued in Russia for 14 years after the Russian Revolution (1917), Russian Revolution of 1917 through the efforts of Deaconess Anna Eklund.
In 1939, political antagonism stymied the work of the Church and Deaconess Anna Eklund was coerced to return to her native Finland.
After 1989, the Soviet Union allowed greatly increased religious freedoms
and this continued after the USSR's collapse in 1991. During the 1990s, Methodism experienced a powerful wave of revival in the nation.
Three sites in particular carried the torch—Samara, Moscow and Ekaterinburg. , the United Methodist Church in Eurasia comprised 116 congregations, each with a native pastor. There are currently 48 students enrolled in residential and extension degree programs at the United Methodist Seminary in Moscow.
Caribbean
Methodism came to the Caribbean in 1760 when the planter, lawyer and Speaker of the Antiguan House of Assembly, Nathaniel Gilbert (c. 1719–1774), returned to his sugar estate home in Antigua.
[Blackman, Francis 'Woodie' ''John Wesley 300: Pioneers, Preachers and Practitioners'' (Barbados: Dalkeith Methodist Church, 2003, 89 pp, )] A Methodist revival spread in the British West Indies due to the work of British missionaries.
Missionaries established societies which would later become the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA). The MCCA has about 62,000 members in over 700 congregations, ministered by 168 pastors.
There are smaller Methodist denominations that have seceded from the parent church.
Antigua
The story is often told that in 1755, Nathaniel Gilbert, while convalescing, read a treatise of John Wesley, ''An Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion'' sent to him by his brother Francis. As a result of having read this book Gilbert, two years later, journeyed to England with three of his slaves and there in a drawing room meeting arranged in Wandsworth on 15 January 1759, met the preacher John Wesley. He returned to the Caribbean that same year and on his subsequent return began to preach to his slaves in Antigua.
When Gilbert died in 1774 his work in Antigua was continued by his brother Francis Gilbert to approximately 200 Methodists. However, within a year Francis took ill and had to return to Britain and the work was carried on by Sophia Campbell ("a Negress") and Mary Alley ("a Mulatto"), two devoted women who kept the flock together with class and prayer meetings as best as they could.
![Baxter Memorial Methodist Church - panoramio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Baxter_Memorial_Methodist_Church_-_panoramio.jpg)
On 2 April 1778, John Baxter, a local preacher and skilled shipwright from Chatham, Kent, Chatham in Kent, England, landed at English Harbour in Antigua (now called Nelson's Dockyard) where he was offered a post at the naval dockyard. Baxter was a Methodist and had heard of the work of the Gilberts and their need for a new preacher. He began preaching and meeting with the Methodist leaders, and within a year the Methodist community had grown to 600 persons. By 1783, the first Methodist chapel was built in Antigua, with John Baxter as the local preacher, its wooden structure seating some 2,000 people.
St. Bart's
In 1785, William Turton (1761–1817) a Barbadian son of a planter, met John Baxter in Antigua, and later, as layman, assisted in the Methodist work in the Swedish colony of St. Bartholomew from 1796.
In 1786, the missionary endeavour in the Caribbean was officially recognized by the Methodist Conference in England, and that same year Thomas Coke (bishop), Thomas Coke, having been made Superintendent of the church two years previously in America by Wesley, was travelling to Nova Scotia, but weather forced his ship to Antigua.
Jamaica
In 1818 Edward Fraser (1798 – Aft. 1850), a privileged Barbadian slave, moved to Bermuda and subsequently met the new minister James Dunbar. The Nova Scotia Methodist Minister noted young Fraser's sincerity and commitment to his congregation and encouraged him by appointing him as assistant. By 1827 Fraser assisted in building a new chapel. He was later freed and admitted to the Methodist Ministry to serve in Antigua and Jamaica.
Barbados
Following William Shrewsbury, William J. Shrewsbury's preaching in the 1820s, Sarah Ann Gill (1779–1866), a free-born black woman, used civil disobedience in an attempt to thwart magistrate rulings that prevented parishioners holding prayer meetings. In hopes of building a new chapel, she paid an extraordinary £1,700-0s–0d and ended up having militia appointed by the Governor to protect her home from demolition.
[Blackman, Francis, ''National heroine of Barbados: Sarah Ann Gill'' (Barbados: Methodist Church, 1998, 27 pp)]
In 1884 an attempt was made at autonomy with the formation of two West Indian Conferences, however by 1903 the venture had failed. It was not until the 1960s that another attempt was made at autonomy. This second attempt resulted in the emergence of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas in May 1967.
Francis George Godson, Francis Godson (1864–1953), a Methodist minister, who having served briefly in several of the Caribbean islands, eventually immersed himself in helping those in hardship of the First World War in Barbados. He was later appointed to the Legislative Council of Barbados, and fought for the rights of pensioners. He was later followed by renowned Barbadian Augustus Rawle Parkinson (1864–1932), who also was the first principal of the Wesley Hall School, Bridgetown, Barbados, Bridgetown in Barbados (which celebrated its 125th anniversary in September 2009).
In more recent times in Barbados, Victor Alphonso Cooke (born 1930) and Lawrence Vernon Harcourt Lewis (born 1932) are strong influences on the Methodist Church on the island.
Their contemporary and late member of the Dalkeith Methodist Church, was the former secretary of the University of the West Indies, consultant of the ''Canadian Training Aid Programme'' and a man of letters – Woodie Blackman, Francis Woodbine Blackman (1922–2010). It was his research and published works that enlightened much of this information on Caribbean Methodism.
Africa
Most Methodist denominations in Africa follow the British Methodist tradition and see the Methodist Church of Great Britain as their mother church. Originally modelled on the British structure, since independence most of these churches have adopted an Episcopal polity, episcopal model.
Nigeria
The Nigerian Methodist Church is one of the largest Methodist denominations in the world and one of the largest Christian churches in Nigeria, with around two million members in 2000 congregations.
It has seen exponential growth since the turn of the millennium.
Christianity was established in Nigeria with the arrival in 1842 of a Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain), Wesleyan Methodist missionary.
He had come in response to the request for missionaries by the Saro people, ex-slaves who returned to Nigeria from Sierra Leone. From the mission stations established in Badagry and Abeokuta, the Methodist church spread to various parts of the country west of the River Niger and part of the north. In 1893 missionaries of the Primitive Methodism, Primitive Methodist Church arrived from Fernando Po, an island off the southern coast of Nigeria. From there the Methodist Church spread to other parts of the country, east of the River Niger and also to parts of the north. The church west of the River Niger and part of the north was known as the Western Nigeria District and east of the Niger and another part of the north as the Eastern Nigeria District. Both existed independently of each other until 1962 when they constituted the Conference of Methodist Church Nigeria. The conference is composed of seven districts. The church has continued to spread into new areas and has established a department for evangelism and appointed a director of evangelism. An episcopal polity, episcopal system adopted in 1976 was not fully accepted by all sections of the church until the two sides came together and resolved to end the disagreement. A new constitution was ratified in 1990. The system is still episcopal but the points which caused discontent were amended to be acceptable to both sides. Today, the Nigerian Methodist Church has a prelate, eight archbishops and 44 bishops.
Ghana
Methodist Church Ghana is one of the largest Methodist denominations, with around 800,000 members in 2,905 congregations, ministered by 700 pastors.
It has fraternal links with the British Methodist and United Methodist churches worldwide.
Methodism in Ghana came into existence as a result of the missionary activities of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain), Wesleyan Methodist Church, inaugurated with the arrival of Joseph Rhodes Dunwell to the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast in 1835. Like the mother church, the Methodist Church in Ghana was established by people of Protestant background. Roman Catholic and Anglican missionaries came to the Gold Coast from the 15th century. A school was established in Cape Coast by the Anglicans during the time of Philip Quaque, a Ghanaian priest. Those who came out of this school had Bible copies and study supplied by the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. A member of the resulting Bible study groups, William De-Graft, requested Bibles through Captain Potter of the ship ''Congo''. Not only were Bibles sent, but also a Methodist missionary. In the first eight years of the Church's life, 11 out of 21 missionaries who worked in the Gold Coast died. Thomas Birch Freeman, who arrived at the Gold Coast in 1838 was a pioneer of missionary expansion. Between 1838 and 1857 he carried Methodism from the coastal areas to Kumasi in the Ashanti people, Asante hinterland of the Gold Coast. He also established Methodist Societies in Badagry and AbeoKuta in Nigeria with the assistance of William De-Graft.
By 1854, the church was organized into circuits constituting a district with T. B. Freeman as chairman. Freeman was replaced in 1856 by William West. The district was divided and extended to include areas in the then Gold Coast and Nigeria by the synod in 1878, a move confirmed at the British Conference. The district were Gold Coast District, with T.R. Picot as chairman and Yoruba and Popo District, with John Milum as chairman. Methodist evangelisation of northern Gold Coast began in 1910. After a long period of conflict with the colonial government, missionary work was established in 1955. Paul Adu was the first indigenous missionary to northern Gold Coast.
In July 1961, the Methodist Church in Ghana became autonomous, and was called the Methodist Church Ghana, based on a deed of foundation, part of the church's ''Constitution and Standing Orders''.
Southern Africa
![Methodist Mission Church, Leliefontein](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Methodist_Mission_Church%2C_Leliefontein.jpg)
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Methodist Church operates across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, with a limited presence in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is a member church of the World Methodist Council.
Methodism in Southern Africa began as a result of lay Christian work by an Irish soldier of the English Regiment, John Irwin, who was stationed at the Cape and began to hold prayer meetings as early as 1795. The first Methodist lay preacher at the Cape, George Middlemiss, was a soldier of the 72nd regiment of the British Army stationed at the Cape in 1805. This foundation paved the way for missionary work by Methodist missionary societies from Great Britain, many of whom sent missionaries with the 1820 English settlers to the Western and Eastern Cape. Among the most notable of the early missionaries were Barnabas Shaw and William Shaw. The largest group was the Wesleyan Methodist Church, but there were a number of others that joined to form the Methodist Church of South Africa, later known as the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa is the largest mainline Protestant denomination in South Africa—7.3% of the South African population recorded their religious affiliation as 'Methodist' in the last national census.
Asia
China
![Flower lane church 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Flower_lane_church_2010.jpg)
Methodism was brought to China in the autumn of 1847 by the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first missionaries sent out were Judson Dwight Collins and Moses Clark White, who sailed from Boston 15 April 1847, and reached Foochow 6 September. They were followed by Henry Hickok and Robert Samuel Maclay, who arrived 15 April 1848. In 1857, it baptised the first convert in connection with its labours. In August 1856, a brick built church, called the "Church of the True God" (真神堂), the first substantial church building erected at Foochow by Protestant Missions, was dedicated to the worship of God. In the winter of the same year another brick built church, located on the hill in the suburbs on the south bank of the Min River (Fujian), Min, was finished and dedicated, called the "Church of Heavenly Peace (Fuzhou), Church of Heavenly Peace" (天安堂). In 1862, the number of members was 87. The Foochow Conference was organized by Isaac W. Wiley on 6 December 1867, by which time the number of members and probationers had reached 2,011.
Hok Chau 周學 (also known as Lai-Tong Chau, 周勵堂) was the first Chinese ordained minister of the South China District of the Methodist Church (incumbent 1877–1916). Benjamin Hobson (1816–1873), a medical missionary sent by the London Missionary Society in 1839, set up a highly successful Wai Ai Clinic (惠愛醫館) Liang Fa (Leung Fat in Cantonese, 梁發, 1789–1855, ordained by the London Missionary Society), Hok Chau and others worked there. Liang (age 63) baptized Chau (quite young) in 1852. The Methodist Church based in Britain sent missionary George Piercy to China. In 1851, Piercy went to Guangzhou (Canton), where he worked in a trading company. In 1853, he started a church in Guangzhou. In 1877, Chau was ordained by the Methodist Church, where he pastored for 39 years.
![Wuhan - former Methodist School - P1050047](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Wuhan_-_former_Methodist_School_-_P1050047.JPG)
In 1867, the mission sent out the first missionaries to Central China, who began work at Kiukiang. In 1869, missionaries were also sent to the capital city Peking, where they laid the foundations of the work of the North China Mission. In November 1880, the Methodism in Sichuan, West China Mission was established in Sichuan Province. In 1896, the work in the Hinghua prefecture (modern-day Putian) and surrounding regions was also organized as a Mission Conference.
In 1947, the Methodist Church in the Republic of China celebrated its centenary. In 1949, however, the Methodist Church moved to Taiwan with the Kuomintang government.
Hong Kong
India
![Wesleyan Church, Broadway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Wesleyan_Church%2C_Broadway.JPG)
Methodism came to India twice, in 1817 and in 1856, according to P. Dayanandan who has done extensive research on the subject. Thomas Coke and six other missionaries set sail for India on New Year's Day in 1814. Coke, then 66, died en route. Rev. James Lynch was the one who finally arrived in Madras in 1817 at a place called Black Town (Broadway), later known as George Town. Lynch conducted the first Methodist missionary service on 2 March 1817, in a stable.
The first Methodist church was dedicated in 1819 at Royapettah. A chapel at Broadway (Black Town) was later built and dedicated on 25 April 1822.
[Mount Wesley Church, Accessed December 6, 2022
https://mountwesleychurch.org/pastorate/] This church was rebuilt in 1844 since the earlier structure was collapsing.
At this time there were about 100 Methodist members in all of Madras, and they were either Europeans or Eurasians (European and Indian descent). Among names associated with the founding period of Methodism in India are Elijah Hoole and Thomas Cryer, who came as missionaries to Madras.
In 1857, the Methodist Episcopal Church started its work in India, and with prominent evangelists like William Taylor the Emmanuel Methodist Church, Vepery, was born in 1874. The evangelist James Mills Thoburn established the Thoburn Memorial Church in Calcutta in 1873 and the Calcutta Boys' School in 1877.
In 1947, the Wesleyan Methodist Church in India merged with Presbyterians, Anglicans and other Protestant churches to form the Church of South India while the American Methodist Church remained affiliated as the Methodist Church in Southern Asia (MCSA) to the mother church in USA- the United Methodist Church until 1981, when by an enabling act the Methodist Church in India (MCI) became an autonomous church in India. Today, the Methodist Church in India is governed by the General Conference of the Methodist Church of India headed by six bishops, with headquarters at Methodist Centre, 21 YMCA Road, Mumbai, India.
Malaysia and Singapore
Missionaries from Britain, North America, and Australia founded Methodist churches in many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. These are now independent and many of them are stronger than the former "mother" churches. In addition to the churches, these missionaries often also founded schools to serve the local community. A good example of such schools are the Methodist Boys' School (Kuala Lumpur), Methodist Boys' School in Kuala Lumpur, Methodist Boys' School (Penang), Methodist Girls' School and Methodist Boys' School in George Town, Penang, George Town, and Anglo-Chinese School, Methodist Girls' School, Singapore, Methodist Girls' School, Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Secondary), Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School and Fairfield Methodist Secondary School, Fairfield Methodist Schools in Singapore.
Philippines
Methodism in the Philippines began shortly after the United States acquired the Philippines in 1898 as a result the Spanish–American War. On 21 June 1898, after the Battle of Manila Bay but before the Treaty of Paris (1898), Treaty of Paris, executives of the American Mission Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church expressed their desire to join other Protestant denominations in starting mission work in the islands and to enter into a Comity Agreement that would facilitate the establishment of such missions. The first Protestant worship service was conducted on 28 August 1898 by an American military chaplain named George C. Stull. Stull was an ordained Methodist minister from the Montana Annual Conference of The Methodist Episcopal Church (later part of the United Methodist Church after 1968).
![AIM Pilipinas First Bishop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/AIM_Pilipinas_First_Bishop.jpeg)
Methodist and Wesleyan traditions in the Philippines are shared by three of the largest mainline Protestant churches in the country: Philippines Central Conference (United Methodist Church), The United Methodist Church in the Philippines, ''Iglesia Evangelica Metodista En Las Islas Filipinas'' ("Evangelical Methodist Church in the Philippine Islands", abbreviated IEMELIF), and The United Church of Christ in the Philippines. There are also evangelical Protestant churches in the country of the Methodist tradition like the Wesleyan Church of the Philippines, the Free Methodist Church of the Philippines, and the Church of the Nazarene. There are also the IEMELIF Reform Movement (IRM), The Wesleyan (Pilgrim Holiness) Church of the Philippines, the Philippine Bible Methodist Church, Inc., the Pentecostal Free Methodist Church, Inc., the Fundamental Christian Methodist Church, The Reformed Methodist Church, Inc., The Methodist Church of the Living Bread, Inc., and the Wesley Evangelical Methodist Church & Mission, Inc.
There are three Episcopal area (United Methodist Church), episcopal areas of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines: the Baguio Episcopal Area, Davao Episcopal Area and Manila Episcopal Area.
A call for autonomy from groups within the United Methodist Church in the Philippines was discussed at several conferences led mostly by episcopal candidates. This led to the establishment of the ''Ang Iglesia Metodista sa Pilipinas'' ("The Methodist Church in the Philippines") in 2010, led by Bishop Lito C. Tangonan, George Buenaventura, Chita Milan and Atty. Joe Frank E. Zuñiga. The group finally declared full autonomy and legal incorporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Philippines), Securities and Exchange Commission was approved on 7 December 2011 with papers held by present procurators. It now has 126 local churches in Metro Manila, Palawan, Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan, Bulacan (province), Bulacan, Aurora (province), Aurora, Nueva Ecija, as well as parts of Pampanga (province), Pampanga and Cavite (province), Cavite. Tangonan was consecrated as the denomination's first Presiding Bishop on 17 March 2012.
South Korea
The Korean Methodist Church (KMC) is one of the largest churches in South Korea with around 1.5 million members and 8,306 ministers.
Methodism in Korea grew out of British and American mission work which began in the late 19th century. The first missionary sent out was Robert Samuel Maclay of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who sailed from Japan in 1884 and was given the authority of medical and schooling permission from emperor Gojong of the Korean Empire, Gojong. The Korean church became fully autonomous in 1930, retaining affiliation with Methodist churches in America and later the United Methodist Church.
The church experienced rapid growth in membership throughout most of the 20th century—in spite of the Korean War—before stabilizing in the 1990s.
The KMC is a member of the World Methodist Council and hosted the first Asia Methodist Convention in 2001.
There are many Korean-language Methodist churches in North America catering to Korean-speaking immigrants, not all of which are named as Methodist.
Taiwan
In 1947, the Methodist Church in the Republic of China celebrated its centenary. In 1949, however, the Methodist Church moved to Taiwan with the Kuomintang government. On 21 June 1953, Taipei Methodist Church was erected, then local churches and chapels with a baptized membership numbering over 2,500. Various types of educational, medical and social services are provided (including Tunghai University). In 1972, the Methodist Church in the Republic of China became autonomous, and the first bishop was installed in 1986.
Americas
Brazil
The Methodist Church in Brazil was founded by American missionaries in 1867 after an initial unsuccessful founding in 1835. It has grown steadily since, becoming autonomous in 1930. In the 1970s it ordained its first woman minister. In 1975 it also founded the first Methodist university in Latin America, the Methodist University of Piracicaba. , the Brazilian Methodist Church is divided into eight annual conferences with 162,000 members.
Canada
![Metropolitan United](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Metropolitan_United.JPG)
The father of Methodism in Canada was rev Coughlan who arrived in Newfoundland in 1763,. Where he opened a school and travelled widely.
.
The second was William Black (Methodist), William Black (1760–1834) who began preaching in settlements along the Petitcodiac River of New Brunswick in 1781. A few years afterwards, Methodist Episcopal circuit riders from the U.S. state of New York (state), New York began to arrive in Canada West at Niagara, and the north shore of Lake Erie in 1786, and at the Kingston, Ontario, Kingston region on the northeast shore of Lake Ontario in the early 1790s. At the time the region was part of British North America and became part of Upper Canada after the Constitutional Act of 1791. Upper Canada, Upper and Lower Canada were both parts of the New York Episcopal Methodist Conference until 1810 when they were transferred to the newly formed Genesee Conference. Reverend Major George Neal began to preach in Niagara in October 1786 and was ordained in 1810 by Bishop Philip Asbury, at the Lyons, New York Methodist Conference. He was Canada's first saddlebag preacher and travelled from Lake Ontario to Detroit for 50 years preaching the gospel.
The spread of Methodism in the Canadas was seriously disrupted by the War of 1812 but quickly gained lost ground after the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1815. In 1817, the British Wesleyans arrived in the Canadas from the Maritimes but by 1820 had agreed, with the Episcopal Methodists, to confine their work to Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) while the latter would confine themselves to Upper Canada (present-day Ontario). In the summer of 1818, the first place of public worship was erected for the Wesleyan Methodists in York, Upper Canada, York, later Toronto. The chapel for the First Methodist Church was built on the corner of King Street and Jordan Street, the entire cost of the building was $250, an amount that took the congregation three years to raise. In 1828, Upper Canadian Methodists were permitted by the General Conference in the United States to form an independent Canadian Conference and, in 1833, the Canadian Conference merged with the British Wesleyans to form the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada. In 1884, most Canadian Methodists were brought under the umbrella of the Methodist Church, Canada.
In 1925, the Methodist Church, Canada and most Presbyterian Church in Canada, Presbyterian congregations (then by far the largest Protestant communion in Canada), most Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec congregations, Union Churches in Western Canada, and the American Presbyterian Church in Montreal merged to form the United Church of Canada. In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church's Canadian congregations joined after their American counterparts joined the United Methodist Church.
Mexico
![MetodistaEpiscopalApizaco](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/MetodistaEpiscopalApizaco.JPG)
The Methodist Church came to History of Mexico, Mexico in 1872, with the arrival of two Methodist commissioners from the United States to observe the possibilities of evangelistic work in México. In December 1872, Bishop Gilbert Haven arrived to Mexico City, and he was ordered by M. D. William Butler to go to México. Bishop John C. Keener arrived from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in January 1873.
In 1874, M. D. William Butler established the first Protestant Methodist school of México, in Puebla. The school was founded under the name "Instituto Metodista Mexicano". Today the school is called "Instituto Mexicano Madero". It is still a Methodist school, and it is one of the most elite, selective, expensive and prestigious private schools in the country, with two campuses in Puebla State, and one in Oaxaca. A few years later the principal of the school created a Methodist university.
On 18 January 1885, the first Annual Conference of the United Episcopal Church of México was established.
United States
![Old Barratt's Chapel (Methodist), Route 113, Frederica vicinity (Kent County, Delaware)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Old_Barratt%27s_Chapel_%28Methodist%29%2C_Route_113%2C_Frederica_vicinity_%28Kent_County%2C_Delaware%29.jpg)
Wesley came to believe that the New Testament evidence did not leave the power of ordination to the priesthood in the hands of bishops but that other priests could ordain. In 1784, he ordained preachers for Scotland, England, and America, with power to administer the sacraments (this was a major reason for Methodism's final split from the Church of England after Wesley's death). At that time, Wesley sent Thomas Coke (bishop), Thomas Coke to America. Francis Asbury founded the Methodist Episcopal Church at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784; Coke (already ordained in the Church of England) ordained Asbury deacon, elder, and bishop each on three successive days. Circuit riders, many of whom were laymen, travelled by horseback to preach the gospel and establish churches in many places. One of the most famous circuit riders was Robert Strawbridge who lived in the vicinity of Carroll County, Maryland, soon after arriving in the Colonies around 1760.
The
First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening (sometimes Great Awakening) or the Evangelical Revival was a series of Christian revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The revival movement permanently affecte ...
was a religious movement in the 1730s and 1740s, beginning in New Jersey, then spreading to New England, and eventually south into Virginia and North Carolina. George Whitefield played a major role, traveling across the colonies and preaching in a dramatic and emotional style, accepting everyone as his audience.
The new style of sermons and the way people practiced their faith breathed new life into religion in America. People became passionately and emotionally involved in their religion, rather than passively listening to intellectual discourse in a detached manner. People began to study the Bible at home. The effect was akin to the individualistic trends present in Europe during the Protestant Reformation.
![Growth of Denominations in America 1780 to 1860](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Growth_of_Denominations_in_America_1780_to_1860.jpg)
The Second Great Awakening was a nationwide wave of revivals, from 1790 to 1840. In New England, the renewed interest in religion inspired a wave of social activism among Yankees; Methodism grew and established several colleges, notably Boston University. In the "burned over district" of western New York, the spirit of revival burned brightly. Methodism saw the emergence of a Holiness movement. In the west, especially at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, and in Tennessee, the revival strengthened the Methodists and the Baptists. Methodism grew rapidly in the Second Great Awakening, becoming the nation's largest denomination by 1820. From 58,000 members in 1790, it reached 258,000 in 1820 and 1,661,000 in 1860, growing by a factor of 28.6 in 70 years, while the total American population grew by a factor of eight. Other denominations also used revivals, but the Methodists grew fastest of all because "they combined popular appeal with efficient organization under the command of missionary bishops." Methodism attracted German immigrants, and the first Nast Trinity United Methodist Church, German Methodist Church was erected in Cincinnati, Ohio.
![Grace Wesleyan Methodist Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Grace_Wesleyan_Methodist_Church.jpg)
Disputes over slavery placed the church in difficulty in the first half of the 19th century, with the northern church leaders fearful of a split with the South, and reluctant to take a stand. The Wesleyan Methodist Church (United States), Wesleyan Methodist Connexion (later renamed the Wesleyan Methodist Church) and the Free Methodist Churches were formed by staunch abolitionists, and the Free Methodists were especially active in the Underground Railroad, which helped to free the slaves. In 1962, the Evangelical Wesleyan Church separated from the Free Methodist Church.
In 1968 the Wesleyan Methodist Church and Pilgrim Holiness Church merged to form the Wesleyan Church; a significant amount dissented from this decision resulting in the independence of the Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection and the formation of the Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, both of which fall within the conservative holiness movement.
In a much larger split, in 1845 at Louisville, the churches of the slaveholding states left the Methodist Episcopal Church and formed The Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The northern and southern branches were reunited in 1939, when slavery was no longer an issue. In this merger also joined the Methodist Protestant Church. Some southerners, conservative in theology, opposed the merger, and formed the Southern Methodist Church in 1940.
The Third Great Awakening from 1858 to 1908 saw enormous growth in Methodist membership, and a proliferation of institutions such as colleges (e.g., Morningside College). Methodists were often involved in the ''Missionary Awakening'' and the
Social Gospel
The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean envir ...
Movement. The awakening in so many cities in 1858 started the movement, but in the North it was interrupted by the Civil War. In the South, on the other hand, the Civil War stimulated revivals, especially in Lee's army.
In 1914–1917 many Methodist ministers made strong pleas for world peace. President Woodrow Wilson (a Presbyterian), promised "a war to end all wars," using language of a future peace that had been a watchword for the postmillennial movement. In the 1930s many Methodists favored isolationist policies. Thus in 1936, Methodist Bishop James Baker, of the San Francisco Conference, released a poll of ministers showing 56% opposed warfare. However, the Methodist Federation did call for a boycott of Japan, which had invaded China and was disrupting missionary activity there. In Chicago, 62 local African Methodist Episcopal churches voted their support for the Roosevelt administration's policy, while opposing any plan to send American troops overseas to fight. When war came in 1941, the vast majority of Methodists strongly supported the national war effort, but there were also a few (673) conscientious objectors.
![Logo of the United Methodist Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Logo_of_the_United_Methodist_Church.svg)
The
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
(UMC) was formed in 1968 as a result of a merger between the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB) and The Methodist Church (USA), The Methodist Church. The former church had resulted from mergers of several groups of German Methodist heritage; however, there was no longer any need or desire to worship in the German language. The latter church was a result of union between the Methodist Protestant Church and the northern and southern factions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The merged church had approximately nine million members as of the late 1990s. While United Methodist Church in America membership has been declining, associated groups in developing countries are growing rapidly. Prior to the merge that led to the formation of the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Methodist Church entered into a schism with the Methodist Church, citing modernism in its parent body as the reason for the departure in 1946.
![Glide Memorial Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Glide_Memorial_Church.jpg)
American Methodist churches are generally organized on a Connexionalism, ''connectional'' model, related, but not identical to that used in Britain. Pastors are assigned to congregations by Bishops in Methodism, bishops, distinguishing it from presbyterian government. Methodist denominations typically give lay members representation at regional and national Conferences at which the business of the church is conducted, making it different from most Episcopal polity, episcopal government. This connectional organizational model differs further from the Congregationalist polity, congregational model, for example of Baptist, and Congregational church, Congregationalist Churches, among others.
In addition to the United Methodist Church, there are over 40 other denominations that descend from John Wesley's Methodist movement. Some, such as the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...
, the Free Methodists and the Wesleyan Church (formerly Wesleyan Methodist), are explicitly Methodist. There are also independent Methodist churches, many of which are affiliated with the Association of Independent Methodists.
Others do not call themselves Methodist, but grew out of the Methodist movement: for example, The Salvation Army and the Church of the Nazarene. Some of the charismatic or Pentecostal churches such as the Pentecostal Holiness Church and the Assemblies of God USA also have roots in or draw from Wesleyan thought.
The Holiness movement, Holiness Revival was primarily among people of Methodist persuasion, who felt that the church had once again become apathetic, losing the Wesleyan zeal. Some important events of this revival were the writings of
Phoebe Palmer
Phoebe Palmer (December 18, 1807 – November 2, 1874) was a Methodist evangelist and writer who promoted the doctrine of Christian perfection. She is considered one of the founders of the Holiness movement within Methodist Christianity.
Ea ...
during the mid-1800s, the establishment of the first of many holiness
camp meeting
The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in England and Scotland as an evangelical event in association with the communion season. It was held for worship, preaching and communion on the American frontier d ...
s at Vineland, New Jersey in 1867, and the founding of Asbury College, (1890), and other similar institutions in the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century.
In 2020, United Methodists announced a plan to Schism, split the denomination over the issue of same-sex marriage. The Global Methodist Church, a conservative denomination that opposes same-sex marriage, was launched on May 1, 2022.
In 2022, Texas megachurch White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, voted to disaffiliate with the United Methodist Church. As a result, White’s Chapel hopes to create what they call a Methodist Collegiate College, which has a vision to create a new form of connectionalism which is on the standard of "one of shared ministry, equal accountability, and practical governance.”
Oceania
Methodism is particularly widespread in some Pacific Island nations, such as Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
Australia
In the 19th century there were annual conferences in each Australasian colony (including New Zealand). Various branches of Methodism in Australia merged during the 20 years from 1881. The Methodist Church of Australasia was formed on 1 January 1902 when five Methodist denominations in Australia – the Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain), Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Primitive Methodists, the Bible Christian Church, the United Methodist Free Churches, United Methodist Free and the Methodist New Connexion Churches came together. In polity it largely followed the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
In 1945 Kingsley Ridgway offered himself as a Melbourne-based "field representative" for a possible Australian branch of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, after meeting an American serviceman who was a member of that denomination. The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia was founded on his work.
![Wesleystatue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Wesleystatue.JPG)
The Methodist Church of Australasia merged with the majority of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and the Congregational Union of Australia in 1977, becoming the Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church. The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia and some independent congregations chose not to join the union.
Wesley Mission in Pitt Street, Sydney, the largest parish in the Uniting Church, remains strongly in the Wesleyan tradition. There are many local churches named after John Wesley.
From the mid-1980s a number of independent Methodist churches were founded by missionaries and other members from the Methodist Churches of Malaysia and Singapore. Some of these came together to form what is now known as the Chinese Methodist Church in Australia in 1993, and it held its first full Annual Conference in 2002. Since the 2000s many independent Methodist churches have also been established or grown by Tongans, Tongan immigrants.
Fiji
As a result of the early efforts of missionaries, most of the natives of the Fiji Islands were converted to Methodism in the 1840s and 1850s. According to the 2007 census, 34.6% of the population (including almost two-thirds of Fijians, ethnic Fijians), are adherents of Methodism, making Fiji one of the most Methodist nations. The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma, the largest religious denomination, is an important social force along with the traditional Ratu, chiefly system. In the past, the church once called for a theocracy and fueled Anti-Hinduism, anti-Hindu sentiment.
New Zealand
In June 1823 Wesleydale, the first Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain), Wesleyan Methodist mission in New Zealand, was established at Kaeo. The Methodist Church of New Zealand, which is directly descended from the 19th-century missionaries, was the fourth-most common Christian denomination recorded in the 2018 New Zealand census.
Since the early 1990s, missionaries and other Methodists from Malaysia and Singapore established Methodist churches around major urban areas in New Zealand. These congregations came together to form the Chinese Methodist Church in New Zealand (CMCNZ) in 2003.
Samoan Islands
The Methodist Church is the third largest denomination throughout the Samoan Islands, in both Samoa and American Samoa. In 1868, Piula Theological College was established in Lufilufi on the north coast of Upolu island in Samoa and serves as the main headquarters of the Methodist church in the country.
The college includes the historic Piula Monastery as well as Piula Cave Pool, a natural spring situated beneath the church by the sea.
Tonga
![Saione](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Saione.jpg)
Methodism had a particular resonance with the inhabitants of Tonga. In the 1830s Wesleyan missionaries converted paramount chief George Tupou I, Taufa'ahau Tupou who in turn converted fellow islanders. Today, Methodism is represented on the islands by the Free Church of Tonga and the Free Wesleyan Church, which is the largest church in Tonga. 48% of Tongans adhered to Methodist churches. The royal family of the country are prominent members of the Free Wesleyan Church, and the late king was a lay preacher. Tongan Methodist minister Sione 'Amanaki Havea developed coconut theology, which tailors theology to a Pacific Islands context.
Ecumenical relations
Many Methodists have been involved in the Ecumenism, ecumenical movement, which has sought to unite the fractured denominations of Christianity. Because Methodism grew out of the Church of England, a denomination from which neither of the Wesley brothers seceded, some Methodist scholars and historians, such as Rupert E. Davies, have regarded their 'movement' more as a preaching order within wider Christian life than as a church, comparing them with the Franciscans, who formed a religious order within the medieval European church and not a separate denomination. Certainly, Methodists have been deeply involved in early examples of United and uniting churches, church union, especially the United Church of Canada and the Church of South India.
Also, a disproportionate number of Methodists take part in inter-faith dialogue. For example, Wesley Ariarajah, a long-serving director of the World Council of Churches' sub-unit on "Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies" is a Methodist.
In October 1999, an executive committee of the World Methodist Council resolved to explore the possibility of its member churches becoming associated with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, doctrinal agreement which had been reached by the Catholic Church and Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In May 2006, the International Methodist–Catholic Dialogue Commission completed its most recent report, entitled "The Grace (Christianity), Grace Given You in Christ: Catholics and Methodists Reflect Further on the Church," and submitted the text to Methodist and Catholic authorities. In July of the same year, in Seoul, South Korea, the Member Churches of the World Methodist Council (WMC) voted to approve and sign a "Methodist Statement of Association" with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, the agreement which was reached and officially accepted in 1999 by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation and which proclaimed that:
"Together Confession of faith, we confess: By sola gratia, grace alone, in Faith in Christianity, faith in Christ's Atonement in Christianity, saving work and not because of any Merit (Catholicism), merit on our part, we are accepted by God in Christianity, God and receive the Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...
, who Sanctification, renews our hearts while Prevenient grace, equipping and Infused righteousness, calling us to good works... as Christian views on sin, sinners our Regeneration (theology), new life is Total depravity, solely due to the forgiveness, forgiving and renewing mercy that God Imparted righteousness, imparts as a gift and that we receive in faith, and never Pelagianism, can merit in any way," affirming "fundamental doctrinal agreement" concerning Justification (theology), justification between the Catholic Church, the LWF, and the World Methodist Council.
This is not to say there is perfect agreement between the three denominational traditions; while Catholics and Methodists believe that Salvation (Christianity), salvation involves Synergism (theology), cooperation between God and man, Lutherans believe that God Imputed righteousness, brings about the salvation of individuals Monergism, without any cooperation on their part.
Commenting on the ongoing dialogues with Catholic Church Magisterium, leaders, Ken Howcroft, Methodist minister and the Ecumenical Officer for the Methodist Church of Great Britain, noted that "these conversations have been immensely fruitful." Methodists are increasingly recognizing that the 15 centuries prior to the Protestant Reformation, Reformation constitute a History of Christianity, shared history with Catholics, and are gaining new appreciation for neglected aspects of the Catholic tradition. There are, however, important unresolved doctrinal differences Schism (religion), separating Roman Catholicism and Methodism, which include "the nature and validity of the Holy Orders, ministry of those who preside at the Eucharist [Holy Communion], the Eucharistic theologies summarised, precise meaning of the Eucharist as the sacramental 'memorial' of Christ's saving death and resurrection, the particular way in which Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Christ is present in Holy Communion, and the link between eucharistic communion and Full communion, ecclesial communion.
In the 1960s, the Methodist Church of Great Britain made ecumenical overtures to the Church of England, aimed at denominational union. Formally, these failed when they were rejected by the Church of England's General Synod in 1972; conversations and co-operation continued, however, leading in 2003 to the signing of a covenant between the two churches. From the 1970s onward, the Methodist Church also started several Local Ecumenical Projects (LEPs, later renamed Local Ecumenical Partnerships) with local neighbouring denominations, which involved sharing churches, schools and in some cases ministers. In many towns and villages Methodists are involved in LEPs which are sometimes with Anglican or Baptist churches, but most commonly Methodist and United Reformed Church. In terms of belief, practice and churchmanship, many Methodists see themselves as closer to the United Reformed Church (another Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist church) than to the Church of England. In the 1990s and early 21st century, the British Methodist Church was involved in the Scottish Church Initiative for Union, seeking greater unity with the established and Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the United Reformed Church in Scotland.
The Methodist Church in Britain , The Scottish Church Initiative For Union (SCIFU)
Methodist.org.uk. Retrieved on 11 December 2011.
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a member of several ecumenical organisations, including the World Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches, the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Churches Together in England, Action of Churches Together in Scotland and Cytûn (Wales).
Methodist denominations in the United States have also strengthened ties with other Christian traditions. In April 2005, bishops in the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
approved ''A Proposal for Interim Eucharistic Sharing.'' This document was the first step toward full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ELCA approved this same document in August 2005. At the 2008 General Conference, the United Methodist Church approved full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The UMC is also in dialogue with the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Episcopal Church for full communion. The two denominations are working on a document called "Confessing Our Faith Together".
See also
* List of Methodists
** List of Methodist theologians
* List of Methodist churches
* List of Methodist denominations
* Saints in Methodism
Notes
References
Further reading
* Abraham, William J. and James E. Kirby (eds.) (2009) ''The Oxford Handbook of Methodist Studies''. 780pp; historiography
excerpt
World
* Borgen, Ole E. (1985) ''John Wesley on the Sacraments: a Theological Study''. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Francis Asbury Press, cop. 1972. 307 p.
* Copplestone, J. Tremayne. (1973) ''History of Methodist Missions, vol. 4: Twentieth-Century Perspectives''. 1288 pp
comprehensive world coverage for US Methodist missions – online
* Cracknell, Kenneth and White, Susan J. (2005) ''An Introduction to World Methodism'', Cambridge University Press, .
* Dion Forster, Forster, DA and Bentley, W (eds.) (2008) ''What are we thinking? Reflections on Church and Society from Southern African Methodists.'' Methodist Publishing House, Cape Town.
* Dion Forster, Forster, DA and Bentley, W (eds.) (2008)'' Methodism in Southern Africa: A celebration of Wesleyan Mission'' AcadSA Publishers, Kempton Park.
* Harmon, Nolan B. (ed.) (2 vol. 1974) ''The Encyclopedia of World Methodism'', Nashville: Abingdon Press, . 2640pp
* Heitzenrater, Richard P. (1994) ''Wesley and the People Called Methodists'', Nashville: Abingdon Press,
* Hempton, David (2005) ''Methodism: Empire of the Spirit'', Yale University Press,
* Kenneth Wilson (theologian), Wilson, Kenneth. ''Methodist Theology''. London: T & T Clark International, 2011 (Doing Theology).
* Yrigoyen Jr, Charles, and Susan E. Warrick. ''Historical dictionary of Methodism'' (2nd ed. Scarecrow Press, 2013)
Great Britain
* Brooks, Alan. (2010) ''West End Methodism: The Story of Hinde Street'', London: Northway Publications, 400pp.
* Davies, Rupert & Rupp, Gordon. (1965) ''A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain'': Vol 1, Epworth Press
* Davies, Rupert & George, A. Raymond & Rupp, Gordon. (1978) ''A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain'': Vol 2, Epworth Press
* Davies, Rupert & George, A. Raymond & Rupp, Gordon. (1983) ''A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain'': Vol 3, Epworth Press
* Davies, Rupert & George, A. Raymond & Rupp, Gordon. (1988) ''A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain'': Vol 4, Epworth Press
* Dowson, Jean and Hutchinson, John. (2003) ''John Wesley: His Life, Times and Legacy'' [CD-ROM], Methodist Publishing House, TB214
* Edwards, Maldwyn. (1944) ''Methodism and England: A study of Methodism in its social and political aspects during the period 1850–1932''
* Halevy, Elie, and Bernard Semmel. (1971) ''The Birth of Methodism in England''
* Hempton, David. (1984) ''Methodism and Politics in British Society, 1750–1850'', Stanford University Press,
* Jones, David Ceri et al. (2012) ''The Elect Methodists: Calvinistic Methodism in England and Wales, 1735–1811''
* Kent, John. (2002) ''Wesley and the Wesleyans'', Cambridge University Press,
* Madden, Lionel. (2003) ''Methodism in Wales: A Short History of the Wesley Tradition'', Gomer Press.
* Milburn, Geoffrey & Batty, Margaret (eds.) (1995) ''Workaday Preachers: The Story of Methodist Local Preaching'', Methodist Publishing House
* Stigant, P. (1971) "Wesleyan Methodism and working-class radicalism in the north, 1792–1821." ''Northern History'', Vol 6 (1) pp: 98–116.
* Thompson, Edward Palmer. (1963) ''The making of the English working class'' – a famous classic stressing the role of Methodism.
* Turner, John Munsey. (2003) ''John Wesley: The Evangelical Revival and the Rise of Methodism in England''
* Turner, John M. (1997) ''Modern Methodism in England, 1932–1996''
* Warner, Wellman J. (1930) ''The Wesleyan Movement in the Industrial Revolution'', London: Longmans, Green.
* Vickers, John A, ed. (2000) ''A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland'', Epworth Press.
African Americans
* Campbell, James T. (1995
''Songs of Zion: The African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States and South Africa''
Oxford University Press,
* George, Carol V.R. (1973) ''Segregated Sabbaths: Richard Allen and the Rise of Independent Black Churches, 1760–1840'', New York: Oxford University Press, LCCN 73076908
* Montgomery, William G. (1993) ''Under Their Own Vine and Fig Tree: The African-American Church in the South, 1865–1900'', Louisiana State University Press,
* Walker, Clarence E. (1982) ''A Rock in a Weary Land: The African Methodist Episcopal Church During the Civil War and Reconstruction'', Louisiana State University Press,
* Wills, David W. and Newman, Richard (eds.) (1982) ''Black Apostles at Home and Abroad: Afro-American and the Christian Mission from the Revolution to Reconstruction'', Boston, MA: G. K. Hall,
United States
* Cameron, Richard M. (ed.) (1961) ''Methodism and Society in Historical Perspective'', 4 vol., New York: Abingdon Press
* Lyerly, Cynthia Lynn (1998) ''Methodism and the Southern Mind, 1770–1810'', Religion in America Series, Oxford University Press,
* Meyer, Donald (1988) ''The Protestant Search for Political Realism, 1919–1941'', Wesleyan University Press,
* Schmidt, Jean Miller (1999) ''Grace Sufficient: A History of Women in American Methodism, 1760–1939'', Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press
* Sweet, William Warren (1954) ''Methodism in American History'', Revision of 1953, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 472 p.
* Wigger, John H. (1998) ''Taking Heaven by Storm: Methodism and the Rise of Popular Christianity in America'', Oxford University Press, – pp. ix & 269 focus on 1770–1910
Canada
* Rawlyk, G.A. (1994) ''The Canada Fire: Radical Evangelicalism in British North America, 1775–1812'', Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press,
* Semple, Neil (1996) ''The Lord's Dominion: The History of Canadian Methodism'', Buffalo: McGill-Queen's University Press,
Primary sources
* Richey, Russell E., Rowe, Kenneth E. and Schmidt, Jean Miller (eds.) (2000) ''The Methodist Experience in America: a sourcebook'', Nashville: Abingdon Press, . 756 p. of original documents
* Sweet, William Warren (ed.) (1946) ''Religion on the American Frontier: Vol. 4, The Methodists,1783–1840: A Collection of Source Materials'', New York: H. Holt & Co., – 800 p. of documents regarding the American frontier
* The Archive of the Methodist Missionary Society is held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London
Special Collections , SOAS Library , SOAS University of London
External links
World Methodist Council (Official Website)
*
List of Member Churches
World Methodist Evangelical Institute (Official Website)
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